LRU - Current Policy Directions

Vision

Our basic vision is of community. Of La Raza Unida as a caring and responsible family.
Our Policy Directions:

Our Policy Directions are our Principles applied to Politics. We believe that we need to carry on our heritage of expanding rights and opportunities. We owe most of our freedoms to those who worked before us. It is our responsibility to build a better future for following generations.

Democracy: Maximize community participation. Minimize concentrations of political, corporate, and media power. Establish and support publicly financed elections. Increase voter choice. Invest in civic education and participation.

Equal Rights: We support equal rights and fairness for all and in every area.

Peace: Promote peace and dialogue. Force is only a last resort in defense. Provide security and protection with these principles.

Family Friendly Economy: Support for people working for a living in order to support families. Eliminate below-poverty-wages. Create family friendly jobs. Family supports to encourage healthy families.

Health: Eliminate the social inequalities that create health inequalities. Provide health care for all.

Education: A vibrant, well-funded, and expanding public education system. High standards, support for staff, nurturance of children, and support parent involvement.

Early Childhood: Early experiences have high impact. Support high-quality early childhood education.

Environment: Poison-free communities. A clean, healthy, and safe environment for all. Healthy built environments that support safe and healthy communities.

Nature: Preserve our natural heritage for future generations.

Energy: Renewable energy. Energy independence from foreign oil. Look at how energy use impacts public health. Halt global warming. Energy conservation.

Openness: Open, efficient, and fair government.

Ethical Business: Support business practices that serve the common good and create common wealth.

Protections: Provide protections for children, families, consumers, retirees, and workers from unethical business practices and other threats.

Interlocking Issues

It is unfortunate that much of the response from the "occupy" people in dealing with racism, classism, sexism, homophobia and colonialism is the old line of "it shouldn't overshadow THE issue" - corporate greed. Corporate greed feeds off of the divisions created by classism, racism, sexism, homophobia and colonialism. That keeps the 99% divided. And divided it is easy to implement corporate greed.

Part of taking that on will require dealing with the isms as well as changing electoral and economic systems.

For those interested below are the "left" parties recognized in NM.

La Raza Unida de Nuevo Mejico (LRU)
New Mexico Socialist Party (SNM)
New Party of New Mexico (PNM)
Peace and Freedom Party (PAF)
Socialist Labor Party (SLP)
Socialist Workers Party (SWP)
Worker's World Party (WWP)

11/5/11

Today was Bank Transfer Day!

There have been studies that show that different electoral systems give different outcomes for both poverty and health between countries. There needs to be similar studies done within the US for local or state governments. Luckily there are studies that show local area health and poverty. Here is one example showing county level income inequity.

There are Secretaries of State who track good information for the state. Such as how many people are registered in which parties. Believe it or not many counties and states do not publish this. It may be that they are worried about encouraging people to register in other parties. Here is one example of sharing good voting data. The 20+% of voters not categorized into parties may be "left" or "right." Since they are not listed they often get put into the category of "middle of the road."

Measuring and reporting those in different parties might encourage participation in these parties. In NM there are many parties recognized and more people registering in these parties will show that people have specific values and policies they support.

Democracy is about voice and about choice. It is important to recognize that there is an attempt to disenfranchise voters. House Dems wrote to all Secretaries of State and encouraged them to be advocates for participation and democracy.

Here is a list of "Left" parties in NM. You can register in one of these by putting the three letter abbreviation in box 5 of the voter registration form.

La Raza Unida de Nuevo Mejico (LRU)
New Mexico Socialist Party (SNM)
New Party of New Mexico (PNM)
Peace and Freedom Party (PAF)
Socialist Labor Party (SLP)
Socialist Workers Party (SWP)
Worker's World Party (WWP)

11/1/11 IRV Updates

Maine Politics - a quick poll

An endorsement of an opponent - much different than politics than usual

Why Ranked Choice Voting is Good for San Francisco - examples of how instant runoff voting works well for this large city.

Participatory Budgeting in Chicago 10/31/11

Culture of Democracy10-19-11

We have an opportunity to strengthen cultures of democracy at this moment. It would be a waste not to take advantage. Control over the decisions of our lives is an important step to create real people power.

There is also a teach-in going on at UNM. One message from yesterday is that social justice IS public health!

Beyond Elections Part 16

A great summary for an important documentary on deepening our view of democracy.

Beyond Elections Part 13

As we end the year it is great to look at what we call "Democracy" and go beyond what we have in the US. Getting more turnout is one part.

Beyond Elections Part 12

If you appreciate the irony of anti-democratic individuals and institutions attacking democratic practices then this is a good section to watch...

Beyond Elections Part 11

Beyond Elections Part 10

One of the most important components if we are to have real democracy - Social Movements!

Beyond Elections Part 5

This section goes into the communal councils created in Venezuela. While there was some organic development of this process, it really took off with an official change in electoral power. This is another example of where elections and grassroots can work together to create real community power.

In the sections on communal councils there is some discussion of the improvement over their old neighborhood association structure. This may be of value for people doing work on this level in the US. Neighborhood associations are important but often not inclusive or engaging. There is definitely work to be done on that front.

Overview of State Legislative Elections from BAN

From Ballot Access News:

Tim Storey has this comprehensive summary of the results of state legislative elections, including a map that shows which major party controls each state’s legislature. Unfortunately, the article does not mention that independents or minor party members were elected to state legislatures in ten states this year.

***

This article like many avoid dealing with the anti-democratic nature of the "winner take all" electoral system which limits choices for voters which is a huge part of the low voter turnout. And given that more and more people are feeling that the two parties are serving the rich at the cost of the working people of the United States, more are proposing a progressive split from the Dems.

It will be tough for any changes in power without structural changes in the electoral system. The question is how do we achieve those types of changes. We need either a major uprising of the population or truly pro-democratic, and inclusive elected officials to be a large enough group to make the changes. Until then we need to find cracks in the systems we interact with to practice real democracy that includes the excluded.

Beyond Elections Part 4

Beyond Elections Part 3

This video is inspiring. What is most amazing is that some of the most "progressive" voices in the US do not ever discuss opening up democracy. Instead they usually talk about multiple parties acting as "spoilers." If they were truly progressive and truly democratic they would work toward widening and deepening our democratic foundations.

Beyond Elections Part 2

It is amazing that they share this!





If only the supposedly "progressive politicians" would get us to this type of democracy. It is obvious that electoral representation only is not enough!

Beyond Elections Part 1

US Desires Third Party

"Given the lack of alternatives, it perhaps is no surprise that Americans' desires for a third party are as high as they've been in at least the last seven years. And while the formation of an official third party is not imminent, that desire may be manifested in voters' strong anti-incumbent sentiments this year."

While there are significant barriers to third party development put in place by corporate sponsored parties this desire cannot be denied forever. A multi-party democracy would have better voter turnout, be more representative, and would reduce much of the useless deadlock of our current system. You can register La Raza Unida by putting "LRU" in box 5 of your NM Voter Registration Form.

Obama introduced Instant Runoff Voting legislation in 2002

As a state Senator in Illinois during the 2002 session, Barack Obama introduced SB 1789 which would have adopted instant runoff voting (IRV) for congressional and state primary elections in Illinois and authorized IRV for local elections.

Vermont Governor Supports Instant Runoff Voting

The new Vermont Governor supports Instant Runoff Voting (IRV).

Peter Shumlin will be the next Governor of Vermont. See this story. While he was a state legislator, he was a co-sponsor of the bill to establish Instant Runoff Voting for congressional races (S.108 in 2007), a bill that passed, but which was vetoed by then-Governor Jim Douglas. The new Vermont Secretary of State has also been a supporter of IRV.