Monday, August 31, 2009

Municipal Candidate Forum Update

There were very few candidates who bothered to show up and the audience took quick note of that. By the time the forum was over one of the mayoral candidates had left.

At the end of the day, La Raza Unida and Advocates for Equity had decided that no candidate had been inspiring enough to receive and endorsement.

The CAMBIO members felt likewise and need to have more discussion before coming out in support of that statement.

So there were NO endorsements after this event.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

REMINDER: Mayor & City Council Candidate Forum

WHEN: SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1-4PM
WHERE: LA MESA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH COMMUNITY ROOM,
7401 COPPER NE EAST OF NM EXPO (FAIRGROUNDS) OFF OF LOUISIANA

ORGANIZED BY
: ADVOCATES FOR EQUITY, LA RAZA UNIDA, & CAMBIO

For more information email magonista66@yahoo.com
If you will be bringing children please call 255-9312


CUANDO: SABADO, 29 DE AGOSTO, DE 1-4PM
DONDE: EN EL CUARTO DE COMUNIDAD EN LA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
7401 COPPER NE AL ESTE DE LA CALLE LOUISIANA, CERCA DE NM EXPO (EL PARQUE DE FERIAS)
ORGANIZADO POR: ADVOCATES FOR EQUITY, CAMBIO Y LA RAZA UNIDA

Para mas información contacte a: magonista66@yahoo.com
Si esperan traer niños por favor dejar mensaje a 255-9312

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Senator Obama on Health Care Reform

Senator Obama said that he was a supporter of Universal Health Care but the obstacles that had to get out of the way were control of the White House and control of the Congress....

Sound familiar? Watch Obama say he is a Single Payer supporter on this Bill Moyers special.

Monday, August 17, 2009

More on Inequality

The debate on health care often skips talking about inequality. It has become hard to keep up with all the changes in direction.

If you take into account that one out of four children in NM lives in poverty we see that things like health care are important to flourishing. Not just for the children but for the parents. Unhealthy parents will obviously have a much harder time raising healthy children.

There is a lot of talk about working to end violence, obesity, drop-outs, and other problems with youth. But the reality of our inequality is often ignored. Not just that "kids in China don't have shoes" type of inequality, but the type that attacks your senses, often without you knowing it. There is a lot of interesting information in the video link above.

Here are some facts about NM Inequality. One of the important things is the NM is 6th in greatest inequality between rich and poor. And the site mentions some specific strategies to reduce that.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Need to Keep Organizing

Here are a couple of good short posts from Wellstone.



Grassroots vs Astroturf


"If it wasn't before, it's obvious now that the right still knows how to organize. And with powerful channels of message dissemination (see: Fox News) sending misinformation, anti-reformers are riling up a small but vocal group that could dismantle the best shot at real reform we've ever had.

That's why it's not enough for progressives to just dismiss the vocal minorities we're seeing in the news and wait for the political backlash. We have to turn our anger and frustration into action. So, don't just get mad--get organized."

Same Day Registration Increases Youth Vote

"The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) just published a report on election law reform and its connection to youth voter turnout. More specifically, they found election day registration (EDR) is key to increase the youth vote.

In the nine states that currently have EDR, youth are 41% more likely to vote than youth in other states. In addition, five of the eight states with the highest youth vote, Minnesota, Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Maine, all have EDR. Although CIRCLE acknowledges that EDR is not beneficial for all ages or even all youth, it is an important step in encouraging youth to be active citizens."

* * *

La Raza Unida will be encouraging people to support the "Public Option" and push for Universal Health Care as the follow-up!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

New Mexican Voices for Health Care Reform - Enrique Cardiel & Karen Cathey

Here's my mom and dad telling it like it is... I'm so proud to be their daughter!!!

Anti-Government Militia on Rise

Anti-Government Militias are on the Rise

WASHINGTON – Militia groups with gripes against the government are regrouping across the country and could grow rapidly, according to an organization that tracks such trends.

The stress of a poor economy and a liberal administration led by a black president are among the causes for the recent rise, the report from the Southern Poverty Law Center says. Conspiracy theories about a secret Mexican plan to reclaim the Southwest are also growing amid the public debate about illegal immigration.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Recognized Parties in NM

Parties and their abbreviations that are acceptable to the Secretary of State

American Independent Party (AIP)
Citizen's Party of New Mexico (CNM)
Constitutional Party (CON)
Democratic Party (DEM)
First New Mexican Party (FNM)
Independent (IND)
Independent New Mexican Party (NMI)
La Raza Unida de Nuevo Mejico (LRU)
Libertarian Party (LIB)
Natural Law Party of New Mexico (NLP)
New Mexico Alliance Party (NAP)
New Mexico Green Party (GRN)
New Mexico Socialist Party (SNM)
New Mexico Taxpayers Party (NMT)
New Party of New Mexico (PNM)
Peace and Freedom Party (PAF)
People's Constitutional Party (PCP)
Prohibitionist Party (PRO)
Reform Party of New Mexico (REF)
Republican Party (REP)
Socialist Labor Party (SLP)
Socialist Workers Party (SWP)
Worker's World Party (WWP)
Other (OTH)

When registering you put the initials in Box 5 of the NM voter registration form. If you put none, leave blank, or a line through the party box you are registered as "Decline to State" (DTS)

"Left" parties are the ones that support policies which make people healthier and happier - such as 6 months paid paternaty/maternity leave, living wages, paid education through higher ed, Universal Health Care (the not for profit kind), full employment, subsidized child care (like a universal Head Start idea), paid vacations for ALL workers (often about 6 weeks).

How do you think these policies can be implemented here?

Social Mobility

Here is a great article about social mobility and equality.

And one on Equality, Social Mobility and Poverty.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Mayor and City Council Candidate Forum

Save the Date!

Mayor and City Council Candidate Forum


When: Saturday, August 29, 1-4PM
Where: La Mesa Presbyterian Church Community Room,
7401 Copper NE, east of nm expo (fairgrounds) off of louisiana

Organized by: advocates for equity, la raza unida, & cambio

For more information email magonista66@yahoo.com

If you will be bringing children please call 255-9312




¡Guarde esta fecha!

Foro de los candidatos para Alcalde y el Consejo de la Ciudad de Alburquerque


CUANDO: Sábado, 29 de Agosto, de 1-4 PM
DONDE: En el cuarto de Comunidad en la Presbyterian Church,
7401 Copper NE, al Este de la calle Louisiana, cerca de NM Expo (El parque de Ferias)

ORGANIZADO POR: Advocates for Equity, La Raza Unida, y Cambio

Para más información contacte a: magonista66@yahoo.com

Si va a traer sus niños por favor llamen a 255-9312

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Is Inequality Killing Americans?

Thom Hartman had a great segment where he pointed out that societies where inequalities were higher had worse health outcomes. The outline of his show are on his website. He used information from EqualityTrust.org.uk for the information and there is even a video there for those who prefer watching to reading.

Here is a quote from the EqualityTrust:

"Great inequality is the scourge of modern societies. We provide the evidence on each of eleven different health and social problems: physical health, mental health, drug abuse, education, imprisonment, obesity, social mobility, trust and community life, violence, teenage births, and child well-being. For all eleven of these health and social problems, outcomes are very substantially worse in more unequal societies."

The US does close to the bottom in almost every area. And Thom talked about even within the US states that are more unequal also have worse outcomes for these public health issues. Until we have strong parties that stand on this as basic policy we will continue to get the fights that we get for decent wages, health policy, and more.

Register Raza Unida in NM by placing "LRU" in box 5 of your voter registration form!