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Sunday, February 12, 2006
Dem Loyalists Question State Party's Plea for Donations
Click to check out a post on local blog New Mexico Matters. It discusses the response of Dem Party loyalists to last week's letter from DPNM Chair John Wertheim soliciting donations from members. Once again the issue of the State Party's lack of accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility roars to the forefront.
I'll have more on this soon, but New Mexico Matters has provided an opening salvo on this topic.
One important question: why hasn't DNC Chair Howard Dean visited New Mexico yet? I heard it through the grapevine that Dean was planning on coming here on February 23rd to help the Party raise funds. No word on this from the DPNM, however. Considering their recent plea for funds, you'd think this would be a top priority of the Party since Dean always raises money for the State Party when he visits. Chairman Dean has already visited more than 40 states. Why not here?
February 12, 2006 at 09:00 AM in Democratic Party | Permalink
Comments
Not only the DPNC but organizations all over the country know that the elections here cannot be trusted. Election margins can be small and NM would have been a blue state in 2004 if the votes that were cast had been counted properly.
Anyone considering giving money would be crazy to donate or waste time in NM until the problem is fixed. The money can be used better elsewhere where there have been fewer election problems.
Posted by: -suz | Feb 11, 2006 2:58:22 PM
Wertheim won't give SCC members complete and accurate budgets and expenses statements. He says we wouldn't understand them. Maybe not, but an auditor would. Why isn't that a requirement? I've tried to raise money for the Party in the past but people don't want to give when they aren't sure where the money goes.
And that $42,000 spent on that consultant that brought zero results may only be the tip of the iceberg.
Posted by: Old Dem | Feb 11, 2006 4:29:40 PM
Dean is coming on the 23rd. 35 dollar lunch fundraiser in ABQ. Got my invitation in the mail today.
Posted by: | Feb 11, 2006 5:47:24 PM
I'll be visiting Los Alamos next week and hope to meet some New Mexico democrats. Where do we get tickets to the fund-raiser?
Posted by: monica smith | Feb 12, 2006 6:47:18 AM
Sorry for the double post. It's easy to find me on DFALink
www.dfalink.com/crackers
Posted by: monica smith | Feb 12, 2006 6:49:47 AM
Hey nameless up above. I'm so glad you got your invitation. Funny that no-one else has heard about it. Why do you need to stay anonymous? What's the big secret about the announcement? Same old same old with this bunch.
Posted by: JLC | Feb 12, 2006 10:35:45 AM
Sorry i didn't post my name above, not trying to hide anything, I just didn't think about it. And there's no big secret about it that i know of. I figured people would be happy Dean's coming. I know I am.
For the person that asked about tickets, call the State Party office. 505-830-3650.
Posted by: James | Feb 12, 2006 11:28:56 AM
James, I'm wondering how you received an invitation. Did you get it in the mail or an email or what? And in what capacity did you receive it? Seems rather fishy that no-one else I know got one.
Posted by: JLC | Feb 12, 2006 11:50:26 AM
Why should people give money to the state party when they don't open their books to members or provide any real documentation of how money is being spent? Basic accounting principle.
What has Wertheim been doing all these months if he has to beg for donations now? Where did all the money go that was raised at the recent legislative dinner? Enquiring minds want to know.
Posted by: El Norte | Feb 12, 2006 12:56:07 PM
Oh now I get it. That fundraising letter asking for small donations to support the organizers paid by the DNC was suddenly sent out because they know Dean is coming. He'll probably want to know what the DNC is getting for their money. The Party can explain they, awwww, don't have the money to send them out of Albuquerque. I hear they stuff envelopes there mostly.
Maybe Dean can look into this stuff if he visits.
Posted by: Leftie Grove | Feb 12, 2006 1:36:16 PM
It seems mighty funny to me that this person "James" has received an invitation to a Dean fundraiser when no other Dem I know has. And no event notice has been posted by the Party. Smells.
Posted by: Old Dem | Feb 12, 2006 3:41:06 PM
hey james could u give us more details?
Posted by: georgi | Feb 12, 2006 5:52:28 PM
It's at plumbers and pipefitters, 12:00 to 2:00, 35 bucks. It's a postcard invitation. Not sure why you haven't spoken to anyone else who has gotten one, but I got mine in the mail saturday. Maybe my postman is faster. I'm sure if people call the state party tomorrow they can get all the details.
Posted by: James | Feb 12, 2006 7:42:26 PM
James-- do u know if you need a ticket and is it an open invitation? I work for the Kissling for Congress campaign and need to make sure my candidate is there. Thanks
Georgi
Posted by: georgi | Feb 12, 2006 10:04:49 PM
It's also possible that the State Party wants to avoid inviting Dean people who have moved on to organizing grassroots participation in the State Party and challenging the Party's lack of acceptable accountability, transparency, fiscal responsibility, communication and outreach.
After all, the Party has resisted and resented the participation of the grassroots, preferring to continue as is.
You'd think if Dean were coming, the people who worked on his campaign, continued an active meetup and became activists in the Party would be the first to know.
Posted by: Long Time Dean Supporter | Feb 13, 2006 8:53:35 AM
All this is very interesting. The last time Dean was allegedly coming to NM, the State Party Chair and staff reached out to people, like DFNM members and others, who worked on Dean's campaign and are continuing the work via meetups and more. This time, I haven't heard a word directly from Party leadership. I wonder why. Perhaps because we are pushing for the Party to follow its rules, expand reachout, for the SCC to assume its proper role, etc., we will be cut out of this visit.
That would be a very unfortunately circumstance.
Posted by: barb | Feb 13, 2006 9:45:10 AM
What a dilemma. Dean is coming to raise money for the state party but we know that the state party won't come clean on where the money goes. Still no explanation for the $42,000 paid to Buckman for nothing. Now to see Dean we have to give money to this same state party.
Maybe someone should contact Dean and let him know what's going on here and why it's so hard for people to donate to the state party in NM.
Posted by: trueblue | Feb 13, 2006 10:05:07 AM
If the money is from us maybe we can have more oversight on where it goes. We do want it to help with voter outreach by the field coordinators, don't we?
Posted by: Old Dem | Feb 13, 2006 12:14:54 PM
The State Party does not belong to the Membership it belongs to Richardson. The State Party remains a party organizing it members for the interests of a few, not a party of constituents organizing for the interest of the many. The State Party Chair is Richardsons Drummer Boy and they (Richardson and Wertheim) know what is going on within the Party and its Financial Mess. It appears that Richardson has Milked the Party Dry, Chewed it Up and Spit it out and believe me he is not going to look back. The "Irrelevant" Democrat (65% of the State Party Membership) does not matter to Richardson and Wertheim. Gov. Dean MUST take charge and Audit the Parties Books and let the cards fall where they fall.
Posted by: Eli Chavez | Feb 13, 2006 12:41:57 PM
Why is this being held in such a dump? From following blog coverage of his trips I know Dean events like this are usually held in a meeting room at a hotel or something like that. Here I guess only events for lobbyists and big donors like the legis dinner in Santa Fe are held in a place like La Fonda. Shows what the local party bosses think of Dean.
Posted by: Mr. Pibb | Feb 14, 2006 9:00:00 AM
Have you folks ever considered that you might do more to help solve some of these so called problems with the party if you actually got involved in it. We have a chance to knock off Heather Wilson and elect a great Dem like Patricia Madrid and all you can talk about is your conspiracy theories about the Democratic Party and why Dean hasn't come sooner.
Meanwhile, we've got organizers that could be out in the counties locked in Albuquerque because you won't even put your money where your mouth is. If any of the things you were blabbing about above were true, don't you think other Dems would have said something by now? Evidently all your letters to members of the SCC have done is shown how ineffective and out of touch you are.
Thank god the grassroots training of the party doesn't lie in your hands otherwise Democrats wouldn't vote, they'd just blog and blab and have little secret meeting and create committee and subcommittee and sub-subcommittees to talk and talk and talk. You folks are the reason Dems lose. As far as I'm concerned, don't come see Chairman Dean. Your seats will be filled by the people who actually care about our party and want to see it victorious in 2006.
Enjoy your subcommittee meetings and I look forward to your next letter asking what my opinion is about your next blown out of proportion conspiracy concern, because I can't wait to give it to you.
Posted by: JB | Feb 14, 2006 6:50:36 PM
JB, I am so glad someone finally said that.
I'm sick and tired of people trying scapegoat our state party chair. This is a guy who volunteers his time to help the party. And as far as financial transparency goes, I've been told that the party provided a budget during the last meeting of the State Central Commitee and it was approved by the body. So if people are complaining, maybe they need check their facts first.
All I know is that we've got one great senator and one great congressman representing New Mexico and as JB said, now we have a chance to boot Heather Wilson. And for everyone of you fixated on party rules and budgets instead of electing Patricia Madrid to Congress and reelecting Jeff Bingaman to the Senate gives Heather Wilson and Joe Carraro a reason to be hopeful.
I made my contribution to my party, have you?
Maybe when you actually do something to help you can complain. But not before.
Posted by: HigherGround | Feb 14, 2006 7:47:34 PM
Again, Madrid was picked to be the Demo's to run against Wilson. Who selected Madrid? Did the Party Membership have an opportunity to select or vote for Madrid? Same thing happened in the 2004. Romero was selected by Richardson and Romero Lost to Wilson.
Posted by: Eli Chavez | Feb 15, 2006 5:35:43 PM
