Susana Martinez Sells The Health of New Mexico’s Children To The Highest Bidder

August 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Susana Coke

Did Susana Martinez really sell the right to destroy the health of New Mexico’s children for a few dollars at a fundraiser? Is building a war chest for her campaign really worth harming children? Apparently so, because that is exactly what Susana did at the home of Susan Neely in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

In May, Ms. Neely, President & CEO of the American Beverage Association, held a dinner/fundraiser at her home in Maryland to raise money for Susana Martinez. The event was attended by some of the biggest GOP heavy-hitters and policy makers. It cost a minimum of $500 to attend the event.

WHY?

I ask you…why would somebody from Maryland care who the governor of New Mexico is? Why would the American Beverage Association want Susana to win?

susana-martinez-chevy-chase-fundraising-p1-normal

The answer is pretty simple actually. New Mexico is only one of 15 states that does not have a sales tax on regular sodas sold in food stores. Soda taxes are not food taxes. It is only a tax on soda, which has been proven to decrease consumption of the unhealthy beverage. A soda tax would also generate revenue for the state which could be used to fund education.

Obviously the American Beverage Association doesn’t want a tax on soda in New Mexico.

No big deal right? They are just doing what any other organization would do. They are just looking out for their best interest right?

But wait a minute… New Mexico is one of the smaller states by population in the country. How much money could the soda industry actually make in New Mexico? Probably not that much.

Then why do Susana’s funders care? Because they love to exploit minority children! According to a Yale study:

“black children and teens saw 80- to 90 percent more [soda] ads compared with whites, including more than twice as many ads for Sprite, Mountain Dew, 5-hour Energy, and Vitamin Water. Hispanic children saw 49 percent more ads for sugary drinks and energy drinks, with Hispanic preschoolers seeing more ads for Coca-Cola Classic, Kool-Aid, 7 Up and Sunny Delight than their older counterparts.”

Let me ask you…what is the largest Hispanic state per capita? You guessed it… New Mexico! New Mexico’s population is 46.7% Hispanic.

Martinez soda

DOES SUSANA REALLY CARE ABOUT HISPANICS IN NEW MEXICO?

What’s wrong with drinking soda? Nothing if you drink it in reasonable amounts. But too much soda has been linked to obesity, diabetes, kidney damage, and even high blood pressure.

What makes this horrible fact worse is that Mexican-Americans already have a higher rate of diabetes than Caucasians. 13.9% of Mexican-American’s have diabetes compared to 7.6% of Caucasians.

So why not exploit Hispanic children in New Mexico with a product that increases the chance of getting diabetes? Great idea Susana!

How about this fact... 78% of Hispanics (41% youth rate) are obese compared to 67% of Caucasians (33% youth rate). So why not prey on Hispanics with a product linked to obesity?

The fact is that excess soda consumption causes many problems with children and Susana doesn’t seem to care.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

Susana’s buddy, Susan Neely, has to make sure that she keeps her pot of gold safe. Susana Martinez was more than happy to take money from an Association that exploits minorities and contributes to poor health.

A soda tax makes sense from a public health and economic perspective. Soda is unhealthy, just as cigarettes and alcohol are. But the beverage industry and Susana Martinez want to keep pumping our children full of it.

Susana Martinez claims to care about the children of New Mexico, but apparently she cares more about money from the soda industry.

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NNMC uses intimidation, bias, and ignorance to shape policies

August 24, 2014 by 2 Comments

NNMCdestroyedclassroom

The total disintegration of Northern New Mexico College continues. Our friends at the Northern New Mexico College Study Group exposed some commentary about an August 14, 2014 illegal NNMC Regents Retreat meeting, which violated requirements the Open Meetings Act. (full audio available from NNMC Study Group by request)

In the meeting, the Board of Regents can be heard repeatedly degrading students from the Espanola Valley area:

Regent Martinez complained, “Procrastination is part of the culture itself [in the Valley].”

He also explained that retention rates were low because, “We get students who can’t do fractions. We have a large population of students… with certain deficits.” Chair Garcia agreed with Martinez adding, “They’re not mature enough.”

According to the NNMC Study Group, Board Member Branch reaffirmed his belief that the program and faculty cuts were wise.  “Do you need an AA to work at Jiffy Lube?” asked Branch

NNMC REGENT BRANCH

NNMC Regent Michael P. Branch(right) and President Nancy “Rusty” Barcelo(left)

Are they serious? Do they know how much money an auto mechanic makes?

First of all, they obviously do not understand the importance of providing an education that will lead to jobs that are available in the region. According to NM Workforce solutions:

“Job opportunities are good or favorable, as there should be about 36 openings each year for workers in this occupation”

An auto mechanic, with a 2 year degree, in New Mexico earns a median salary of $36,350. In contrast, the median salary for a biologist with a graduate degree is just $51,000.

That may be “pocket change” for the Regents and administrators at NNMC, but to most people in the Valley $36,350 is a good living that will provide for their families. These are not “Jiffy Lube” jobs like Regent Branch seems to believe. Even if they were, with education and experience, a Jiffy Lube employee can make more than $50,000 per year.

Wait a minute… why does NNMC exist in the first place?

According to a letter from NNMC President Nancy “Rusty” Barcelo:

“I respect that the automotive program plays a vital role in an art form unique to northern New Mexico.”

That’s nice…but wait a minute. Isn’t the mission, vision, and philosophy of NNMC to protect the culture of the region?

NNMC Vision:

Northern New Mexico College is a Hispanic- and Native American-serving comprehensive institution that will be recognized nationally for cultural sustainability, quality student learning and developing economically strong communities among diverse populations

NNMC Mission:

The mission of Northern New Mexico College is to ensure student success by providing access to affordable, community-based learning opportunities that meet the educational, cultural, and economic needs of the region

NNMC Philosophy:

Northern strives to provide an educational program that reflects the needs of the communities of northern New Mexico

So… why not keep the automotive program if it plays a vital role in a cultural art form unique to Northern New Mexico, provides for the economic needs of the region, and projects to have sustainable job growth?

NNMC RICHVPOOR

So sorry rich people…but my parents cannot afford expensive trips

Secondly, how can they speak so lowly of students from New Mexico?

Provost Martinez and Regent Garcia complain that the students cannot do fractions and are not mature enough. What do they propose? Should NNMC stop admitting students from the Valley because they are not “mature” enough?

Maybe they should take some time to look at the state as a whole before they single out students from the Valley. 1 out of every 2 NM students who attend college need remedial course work. That means that 50% of students from ALL of New Mexico are unprepared for college.

So why do they think that the problem is unique to the students from the Valley? Do they have some sort of bias towards these children?

According to the NNMC Study Group, VP of Advancement Serna stated:

“We have students who are sheltered by the valley. We’re not diverse… we’re homogenous”

Regent Branch added that Espanola has “certain social problems” and Provost Martinez added “Our students are very provincial. Some of our students have never been out of the county.”

These comments are very telling of the lack of concern or empathy that the Regents feel for the local community that they are supposed to develop.

Almost 30% of Espanola’s population lives below the federal poverty level.According to the Census 87% of the population is Hispanic and 68% speak a language other than English at home. 25% of individuals age 25 and up do not even have a high school diploma and only 16% of the population have a college degree.

The NNMC students should be hailed as heroes for attempting to better their lives by attending college. Many of them come from broken homes, a lousy school district, extreme poverty, and are first generation college students.

So instead of complaining that they are not diverse enough because their parents cannot afford to take them on trips, maybe NNMC should highlight these students as inspirational members of the community.

NNMC DORMS

Instead of wasting time worrying about dorms to attract “other students”, maybe NNMC should do everything in their power to educate the population of the Valley. By increasing educational levels, there will be job creation and lower crime rates. It is proven that higher education reduces rates of assault which is one of Espanola’s top crimes.

A Change is Needed!

The people of Northern New Mexico deserve the best education possible. Many of the students simply cannot afford to leave their families. NNMC is their only option.

The current administration seems to be completely oblivious to the realities of the Valley. A change is needed to make sure that the people and the community are taken care of. The comments and actions by the administration at NNMC highlight the fact that they are not up to the job and need to be replaced by people who truly care about Northern New Mexico.

 

ALSO…

NNMCCENSORSHIP

Recently the Daily Loco posted REVEALED: The Connection Between NNMC, The Massacre in Gaza, and Border Security. As most of the Loco readers know, all factual allegations made here always have a link to the source.

Yet, Ricky Serna, Vice President of Advancement for NNMC, seems to believe that there are some untruths in the post. He sent the Daily Loco this:

On Aug 8, 2014, at 12:10 PM, Ricky Serna <donotreply@wordpress.com> wrote:

Name: Ricky Serna

Email: raserna@nnmc.edu

Comment: Request discussion regarding the several untruths you wrote about the MALCS Conference.

Ricky Serna
Vice President for Advancement 

Northern New Mexico College

A few days later I sent an email reply:

Date: August 12, 2014 12:38:42 PM MDT

To: Ricky Serna <raserna@nnmc.edu>
Subject: Re: ’[Burque’s

Mr Serna,

Thank you for taking the time to comment on the post. Please feel free to make a statement concerning the untruths that you claim are in the post. Please be aware that I believe in transparency and accountability. Any communication between us is public information and may be posted to the Daily Loco. I look forward to hearing from you.

Very respectfully,
John

To this date, the Daily Loco has not received any type of response from Mr. Serna. Why not? Is it because he was hoping that he could use intimidation to force the Daily Loco to remove the post? Who knows.

Whatever his reasons were, it is apparent that he could not address any untruths in the post.

 

 

 

 

 

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We MUST Fight: 4 More Reasons NOT To Vote For Susana Martinez

August 22, 2014 by 7 Comments

MartinezBigOil

If we do not do something quick…Be afraid…very afraid. Recent polls show that Governor Martinez has a comfortable lead over Gary King. WHY??? How can any person in their right mind vote for her? I have decided to continue the attack in hopes that the People will rise up and defeat Susana this year. Here are 4 more reasons NOT to vote for Susana Martinez:

1.  She and her “Friends” are rich and believe that “the rich should get richer”

Susana Martinez vetoed a minimum wage increase in 2013 because she believes that $8.50 per hour is just way too much money to pay poor people. She blamed the Democrats for the veto because she was willing to compromise with $8.00 per hour and they wouldn’t budge fifty cents.

How stupid can she be?? She wasn’t willing to give the most vulnerable group of people in her state fifty cents more per hour. That amounts to $20 more per 40 hours of work. That’s it. The fifty cent difference wouldn’t even pay for a full tank of gas in most cars, but good ol’ Susana thinks that she was being fair by compromising at $8 per hour.

She whined that $8.50 per hour was more than our neighboring states were paying poor people. She was basically making an argument that an elementary school student would make: “It’s not fair! Why should I have to do it if they don’t?”

The reality is that in real dollars, the federal minimum wage was actually $10.56 per hour in 1968. How can she complain that $8.50 per hour is too much money now just because some other republicans think the same way as her? She is just a lemming following the GOP narrative.

minimumwage1938_2013

 

A vote for Susana will make the poor even poorer. How could anyone vote for a politician who would do that?

Martinezwicked

2. Susana could care less about the education of New Mexico’s children

Susana has been running around bragging about the improvements in graduation rates. Although that is good, the reality is that even though more students are graduating, they are still unprepared for college.

A report by the NM Legislative Finance Committee indicates that 51% of NM high school graduates are not prepared for higher education. If I do the math correctly, that is 1 out of 2 kids that have received a poor educational foundation in grades K-12.

Yeah…that is something to brag about. Way to go Susana. You can spray Febreze on a pile of crap to make it smell better…but it’s still a pile of crap. Our kids deserve better and Susana will not provide it.

3. Susana is declaring war on unions like a good Koch Brothers soldier 

Staying on the education subject, we need to address Susana’s war on teachers and the union that supports them.

Susana believes that union dues should not automatically be deducted from public employee pay. Why? The unions were created to give the working class a collective voice when dealing with the elite class. The union dues are used to help maintain a functioning union and to give the union a voice in the political process.

So why does Susana hate union dues so much? Because the Koch Brothers hate union dues. The Koch Brothers have declared a war on unions in Wisconsin, Michigan and and other states.

The Koch’s have contributed almost $10,000 to Susana and her PAC this year because they want their puppet to dance. They even pulled her strings as the guest speaker at a secret Koch Brothers function held in Albuquerque.

classroom_21

4. Susana believes in saving money at the expense of educating New Mexico’s children

To make matters worse, the little fireball Susana believes that overworked, dedicated, and amazing teachers make “too much money”. In a secret recording, Susana can be heard saying:

“During the campaign, we can’t say it, I guess, because it’s education, but I really keep going back to that . . . keeping the teachers from feeling the pain when they already don’t work, you know, two and a half months out of the year or three months out of the year but earn salaries at the same rate of people who do work 12 months a year.”

How can she belittle the people who are responsible for the future of New Mexico? Has she ever had to deal with an over-crowded classroom full of noisy kids all day? Has she had to deal with their equally loud parents? Has she had to grade papers all night?

Teachers work extremely hard for very little compensation. In reality, they should be highly paid professionals responsible for improving the future of this wonderful state. They deal with our most precious investments in the future on a daily basis.

Maybe we should evaluate the soaring salaries of administrators and shift the money to the teachers. Susana is out of touch with reality and is more worried about oil than children.

Fight, Fight, Fight

The recent poll scares the hell out of me and the expected low voter turnout is just as demoralizing. BUT we can do something about it. We may not have $5 million dollars of Koch Brothers and Big Oil money to spend brainwashing the general public.

BUT…

What we do have is the power of social media. It is free and easy to use. Continue to fight her by developing an online war that she cannot defeat with money. If we spread the truth and energize voters, WE WILL WIN!!

UPDATE:The Washington Free Beacon wrote a story about “We MUST Fight: 4 More Reasons NOT To Vote for Susana Martinez”! The ONLY negative comment that they could come up with is the poorly made picture of Susana as the Wicked Witch. I guess the actual facts of the story are just to dead on to argue with. http://freebeacon.com/uncategorized/gary-king-posts-story-attacking-martinez-as-the-wicked-witch-of-the-west/

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It is about race…

August 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment

La Xicana

#ferguson

How is it possible that a human being can be shot 6 times, two of those in the head, without justification? Oh yeah, because he’s a young Black man, a person of color and thus preconceived by so many in our society as already a threat. Something similar happened to my brother, a young Mexicano, his car shot at 7 times by an angry cop, while on his way to my mom’s house only half a block from the scene. This was a little over a year ago. But our family is fortunate because none of those bullets penetrated his body and he is still with us, left to deal with the aftermath of it all. It’s the dreaded curse of being a young man of color in this society and it doesn’t matter if you are educated or not, poor or not, causing trouble or not….they are already guilty…

View original post 344 more words

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Are Most “Americans” Heartless?

August 18, 2014 by 1 Comment

artesia_deport hate

When will we stop hating? Haven’t we learned from our past? Is history doomed to repeat itself?

In 1939, the United States turned over 900 Jewish refugees away and sent women & children back to Europe to die in the Holocaust. Why? They were turned away because “American’s” were afraid that they would take their jobs, bring disease, and many more ridiculous reasons.

The president, FDR, said nothing & did nothing. Almost 66% of “Americans” supported turning them away. They justified their hate and ignorance by believing that they needed to “take care of their own people” and that these desperate refugees needed to “go back where they came from.” They turned their backs on the refugees and sent them to their deaths.

“Americans” would never repeat a horrific act like that again…would they?

artesia_front of march

In Artesia,NM, hundreds of big-hearted people marched to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center to show support and love for over 500 women & children being detained there awaiting deportation.

The women & children in the detention center traveled thousands of miles, risking their lives, to flee dangerous circumstances in their home countries. They come from counties that have been devastated by US policy and interference. Many of these countries are collateral damage of the US war on drugs and communism.

They are fleeing from countries that are torn apart by violence from drug cartels. The cartels make money by feeding America’s never-ending appetite for drugs.

They come from countries that are exploited by global corporations that devastate the local economies. Small farmers and local businesses cannot compete with the mega-corporations. They do not have very many options to make a living.

To make matters worse, severe droughts in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador have destroyed crops and hurt fishing and livestock.

How could anyone blame these families for leaving a completely hopeless situation? What parent would allow their children to grow up like that?

The parents brought their children here hoping to give them a better life. Instead, they are forced to live in prison-like conditions and treated like the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. They are held without formal charges and treated like they are sub-human.

artesia_no human being illegal artesia_truck

The protestors do not want to see history repeat itself. They marched in a “Campaign of Love.” Hundreds of people peacefully marched from Martin Luther King, Jr Park to the FLETC fences.

Police officers lined the street dressed in bulletproof vests and military uniforms. The marchers sang songs to the families and let them know that they were not alone.

The detainees cheered and joined in the songs from behind the fences. The police became agitated and demanded that the marchers leave. They claimed that the detainees were “rioting” because of the marchers.

How is joy and love considered “rioting”? They were just happy to find out that people in the US care about them. They were happy to be treated like human beings for a short period of time.

artesia_police vehicles artesia_miltary police

But the police did not like that. They slowly began to surround the marchers and used intimidation to force them to leave. They followed the marchers back to the park and observed them as they peacefully dispersed.

artesia_police watcher 1 artesia_police watcher 2

The day was both beautiful and disturbing. A handful of hateful anti-immigrant protestors attempted to agitate the marchers by yelling extremely hateful words. But the marchers were there to spread love, not hate. The marchers ignored the hateful words and remained positive.

It is clear that the US government put the women & children in a remote facility hoping that they would be “out-of-sight & out-of-mind.” It is an attempt to make these brave people irrelevant to the average “American.” By doing this, they can send these people back to the violence, famine, and poverty that they attempted to escape.

The world MUST pay attention to what is going on. We cannot repeat the past.

 

artesia_statue of liberty

Inscription on the Statue of Liberty:

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free; The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, Tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” 

KOB News: Police:It’s the largest protest Artesia has ever seen http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3535123.shtml?cat=516#.U_GY8VbfZ0s

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Why is My Little Girl Afraid of the APD?

August 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment

vigil

Dear Readers,

My heart is torn to pieces. Tonight I attended the candlelight vigil held in solidarity for the brave people standing up against police brutality & racism in Ferguson, Missouri. I had planned on writing a post about the event to make sure that it was accurately recorded for the future.

BUT…

I experienced something very painful and heartbreaking. After listening to Jonathan Mitchell’s father discuss the pain of losing his child, I looked at my daughter with wonder. I could not imagine losing her.

cops

After he spoke, my daughter ran down from the steps and sprinted towards me with a look of complete terror in her eyes. My wife and I were stunned and did not know what was happening.

She ran in between my wife and I and looked up at us with tears in her eyes. We asked her what was wrong. She said:

“The police are here and they have ambulances with them! Are they going to hurt us?”

I didn’t know what to say. I attempted to reassure her that we would be fine and that we had a right to be there. I said that she should never be intimidated by the police or anybody else. I told her that I would not take her somewhere dangerous.

She seemed to calm down and went back to playing and participating in some of the chants.

undercover cop

As we left the vigil, we noticed somebody standing outside of a car parked near ours on the corner of Roma & 5th. He was a dark haired gentleman with a goatee. He had a badge on his belt and was taking pictures of the vigil from afar.

My daughter noticed him and asked why the police wanted to take pictures of everybody. What do I say to that? It is just so difficult to give her answers that make sense.

While the police in Ferguson attack innocent people, the APD attempts to intimidate us. How do you tell your little girl that she should feel safe? Isn’t that what a daddy is supposed to say?

candlelight wall

I cannot live in a world where we must fear those who are hired to protect & serve us. My daughter and everybody else deserves to live without fear. I stand in solidarity with Ferguson.

As the speakers at tonights vigil said, we cannot allow the momentum to fizzle away. We need to be loud and strong. Our children need a better future. That is our right! Stand up and fight back!

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WTF? Is UNM President Frank Really Considering These 2 Stupid Ideas?

August 14, 2014 by 6 Comments

 

Yosemite Frank

 

How many stupid ideas can the UNM administration come up with this year? Here are 2 absolutely moronic ideas that top the list for 2014. I know that President Frank may not be responsible for all of them…but our story needs a villain and he is it. (PLUS, #WhatTheFrank sounds really cool)

STUPID IDEA #1: Hurting underrepresented & low income students

Recently, NMSU decided that raising admission standards to a 2.75 GPA is a good idea. For some stupid reason, UNM is considering making the exact same change to its admission standards.

Don’t get me wrong, I realize that there must be some type of admission standards in place at major universities. But, by utilizing both a higher GPA and standardized test scores, many minorities/ lower-income students will not be able to attend UNM.

In 2009, UNM admitted that GPA’s alone are sufficient in determining academic ability. In a report to the LESC, UNM testified:

“The high school GPA increase is the preferred choice for improving preparation as opposed to utilizing a minimum score on a standardized college entrance exam such as ACT or SAT. Not only is the high school GPA considered more predictive of college success but the de-emphasis of test scores in favor of curriculum and GPA assists the University in maintaining a strong commitment to access and diversity since this approach has less of an impact on underrepresented populations.“

So…if they want to increase GPA requirements, they MUST get rid of ACT or SAT score requirements. In the same report, they brag:

“The University of New Mexico has admirably resisted implementing a minimum test score requirement to be admitted.”

It’s funny how bureaucrats change their tune so quickly. How was a bad idea a few years ago now considered a good idea? I know…Money talks.

King Frank

STUPID IDEA #2: Making it difficult for the AVERAGE New Mexico child to be admitted

In the report, UNM testified that:

“No New Mexico beginning freshman will be denied admission to UNM”

To begin with…that is absolutely hilarious! According to the PED and a complaint filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) the average ACT score in New Mexico is 17 as opposed to the national average of 25.

On top of that, the test adversely impacts minorities: 78% of New Mexican Caucasians met the college readiness benchmarks in English while only 49% of Latino, 28% of Native Americans, and 53% of African American students did.

Currently, UNM “requires” students that are accepted who score below 17 to enroll in the Early Start Program. The students are required to take 6 credit hours the summer before Freshman semester starts. If they do not complete the 6 hours, they will not officially be admitted into UNM.

The program is not covered by the Lottery scholarship and is not fully funded. Many of the students go into debt to take the classes.

UNM plans to require students who score a 19 or lower on the ACT to enroll in Early Start beginning in 2015.

Therefore, the “AVERAGE” New Mexico student will only be conditionally admitted to UNM if they get a slot in Early Start (which has limited slots available).

So…it seems that almost ALL “average” New Mexico students will be denied admission to UNM!

Dumb,Dumber & Dumbest

These 2 ideas are stupid and we need to speak up. How can the “average” students in New Mexico be held responsible for a failing educational system?

As UNM admitted, the ACT/SAT tests adversely impact minorities and low-income students. Yet they have gone back on their word and decided that they are important for some reason. Do they care about New Mexico students or are they more concerned about their US News College ranking?

They need to focus on what is important to our children…not their paycheck size. If you have any other stupid ideas that you know about concerning any of New Mexico’s Institutions of Higher Education, Tweet them to @DailyLoco or use #WhatTheFrank

 

 

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New Mexicans Ask: Does it really matter if I vote?

August 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Voting

Does it really matter who I vote for? Will there be any difference if Gary King wins? In response to my last post, a reader has commented that they will not vote in the upcoming election out of protest. The reader states that voting for Gary King is not a better alternative to Governor Susana Martinez.

confusion

I will admit, I am not thrilled with the Democratic candidate. He does not represent the majority of New Mexicans. What does he know about struggling to survive, poor education, and police brutality?

But… that does not mean that I will refuse to vote for him. I cannot sit by and watch Governor Martinez get re-elected. Absolutely no good can come from another term of right-wing politics. By refusing to vote, you are essentially casting your vote for Susana Martinez. Gary King needs every voter to show up and cast their vote.

Also, there is a difference between the two candidates. Maybe he is not the ideal candidate, but he does believe in some policies that will be a MAJOR help to those who are struggling. He wants to raise the minimum wage to help people survive. That may not be the only answer to fixing our struggling state, but if it is the only thing he ever gets through, it will be worth it.

move forward

We MUST vote. If we make our voice heard, we can make a difference. We can fix New Mexico, but it will take time. Small steps in the right direction are what matters.

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4 Reasons NOT to Vote for Susana Martinez

August 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Gov Martinez

It is time to wake up New Mexico! Why does one of the most corrupt governors in the entire country have a chance in hell to be re-elected? This is a politician who switched her party affiliation in the mid 1990’s because a few millionaires convinced her to be the poster-child of the “new” Hispanic-friendly republican party. She is a puppet for the GOP and must be stopped before she completely destroys the Land of Enchantment. Here are 4 reasons to fear her re-election:

1. She believes that anybody who has an accent is a “retard”

Secret recordings of a conversation between Governor Martinez and one of her aides referred to former Speaker Ben Lujan as “a retard” when he speaks English.

Now, she argues that she did not make the “retard” comment, but she did not say anything about it. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty of the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.”

A true leader would have said something and defended those who speak with an accent and forbid the use of the word “retard” in her administration. Her grandparents were immigrants from Mexico who had an accent. She didn’t even stand up for them.

2. Her war against behavioral health providers is dangerous and corrupt

Governor Martinez’s administration hired a firm to perform a medicaid audit on 15 non-profit behavioral health providers. Based on a faulty report and statistical extrapolation, her administration permanently shut down the 15 providers and hired a company from Arizona to take over.

Now… During the July 2014 LHHS Behavioral Sub-Committee meeting, State Auditor Hector Balderas said that the actions of the Administration would be similar to taking over a University based on alleged fraud, firing everybody before they could respond, and hiring an out-of-state university to take over.

The behavioral health scenario could be an entire series of articles. But the reality is that the Arizona companies that took over are not prepared to work with the community. A rash of mentally ill homeless individuals have had encounters with the APD since the take-over happened. Governor Martinez is to blame for this because the patients are not getting adequate care.

hunger

3. Governor Martinez has declared war on the poor

Staying true to her “new” party beliefs, Governor Martinez has shown contempt for anybody below the middle-class. Her administration has recently declared that individuals on food stamps between the ages of 16-59 will be required to work at least 20 hours per week to be eligible for food stamps.

That is ridiculous. New Mexico is 48th in job growth in the country and has the highest food insecurity rate in the country. People will starve while they are looking for a job that does not exist.

4. Governor Martinez could care less if Veterans suffer

Although her Administration has made a few small steps towards recognizing some of the benefits of medical marijuana, she vowed in 2010 to repeal New Mexico’s medical marijuana law.

Medical marijuana is used to help patients deal with severe pain and trauma. The benefits are well documented and cannot be denied. The administration recently attempted to tighten the rules without public comment, but the people fought back.

If she gets re-elected, she will continue to make medical marijuana a part of her war on the less fortunate. Full legalization will not happen under her watch.

Fight Back!

These are just a few of the reasons why she cannot win re-election. Gary King must win! She hates undocumented immigrants, opposes same-sex marriage, carries a gun, and is a Koch Brother puppet. She bathes in Big Oil and is showered in money from out-of-state interests.

Governor Martinez switched parties because she was promised piles of money and support from the conservative right. She answers to the almighty dollar and will stop at nothing to accumulate it. She loves being in power and could care less about the people of New Mexico. She must be stopped!

 

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URGENT: Stop the APD/NRA Shooting Competition September 13-18

August 8, 2014 by 2 Comments

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What do you get when you mix the Albuquerque Police Department, the NRA, and a city with the highest per capita police shooting rate in the country? You get the 2014 National Police Shooting Championship held in Albuquerque, New Mexico (September 13-18,2014). That’s right folks…New Mexico will host police officers from around the country and allow them to show off their shooting skills.

What a great idea! Let’s highlight police shooting in Albuquerque. On top of that, how about letting some of our famous shooters compete in the event. There is a rumor that APD Officer Sean Wallace will be representing our great city in this national competition.

Who’s Officer Sean Wallace? He is the shooter responsible for 3 shootings since 2010. One of those shootings included the killing of 22 year old Alan Gomez. Mr. Gomez was sentenced to death by Officer Wallace because he held a spoon in his hand. The killing of an unarmed man cost the City of Albuquerque $500,000.

The event boasts (link to document):

“Well once again its time for the National Police Shooting Championships and we invite you to join us for days of shooting challenges, lots of fun and a chance to meet fantastic law enforcement professionals from all over the United States and international shooting team members.”

Is Officer Wallace one of these “fantastic” law enforcement professionals that they speak of? Is practicing shooting supposed to be fun for cops? Sure, I get it… shooting is a sport and these professionals want to show off their skills. But is that really appropriate? Why doesn’t the law enforcement field highlight professionals who end conflicts without having to shoot somebody? How about an award for that? Well, I doubt the NRA, Smith & Wesson, or Beretta (competition sponsors) would really want that. They want bullets to fly and people to die. That’s how they make BIG money.

NPSC Photo

Since my idea of honoring nonviolent police officers will probably never happen, what should we do? Well, let’s begin by boycotting the hotels that are hosting the event. The host hotel is:

Fairfield Inn University, 1760 Menaul Blvd N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87102, (505) 889-4000

The event will also hold classes at:

Crowne Plaza Albuquerque, 1901 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102, (505) 884-2500

The actual competitions will be held at:

Shooting Range Park, 16001 Shooting Range Access NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, (505)836-8785, tpohl@cabq.gov

Oh yeah, please do not worry about the safety of hotel guests. Although they are around trigger happy cops who like to play with guns, the competition has strict rules to protect the innocent people in the hotels. The host hotel info sheet says:

“An accidental discharge at the hotel or parking area or anywhere at the NPSC Range Facilities MAY result in the disqualification of a competitor…”

I am glad that they “MAY” be disqualified for an accidental discharge in the hotel. That should make everybody feel safe that there “MAY” be some consequence for firing a gun near innocent people.

All joking aside, we must do something to show the APD, NRA, and elected officials that this type of event is unacceptable in Albuquerque, in New Mexico, and in the United States. The “shoot first” militarized mentality of our law enforcement professionals needs to change. They are here to serve and protect… not shoot and murder.

Call, write, email, protest, and make your voice heard around the world. This is a disgusting competition that highlights everything that is wrong in law enforcement.

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