PVA Meeting Recap – October 23, 2014 – Progressive Voter Alliance

Unified Action Part 1: Talk to 5 Friends about the Upcoming Election

Don Kurtz explained that this traditional pre-election Unified Action is not quite as simple as talking to five friends. You need to find five friends who would otherwise not vote or who don’t know much about the candidates or the issues. Talk to those people and let them know who you’re voting for and why.

Unified Action Part 2: Tell Everyone to Vote FOR Regional Transit

Instructions for Part 2 of the Unified Action:

Use the power of your personal network—the power of friendship—to inform and influence opinion.

Tell everyone you know how important transportation is for the good of the county.
Tell them five ways that we will all benefit from regional transit.
Send an email about the transit vote to 20 or 30 friends.

For more information send email to Don.

Tim Keller for State Auditor

Tim Keller, senate majority whip and candidate for state auditor, returned to PVA to ask for support in his campaign for state auditor. He said that he has a strong background in finance (a degree plus experience). He has worked on state finance issues during his terms in the state legislature and feels he can have even greater influence as state auditor. His goal as auditor will be accountability for tax dollars—all of them.

For more information send email to Tim

Maggie Toulouse Oliver for Secretary of State

“Maggie Toulouse Oliver will be a great secretary of state,” Tim Keller declared. He noted that she is in an especially tight race with the incumbent, Dianna Duran. He spoke of the clear-cut differences between the two candidates. Oliver has been an outstanding nonpartisan county clerk for Bernalillo County and stands for protecting the right to vote and strengthening access to the polls. By contrast, Duran has worked to disenfranchise voters and has made accusations of voter fraud that she could not substantiate.

For more information send email to Maggie and call her at 505-510-2113.

Minimum Wage Is the Law Now But Still Needs Our Support

Angelica Rubio of CAFé’s minimum wage campaign invited everyone to attend the City Council’s work session devoted solely to the “$10.10 by 2017” ordinance which they just passed. Angelica asked that we write to the city councilors and ask them to repeal the $8.50 minimum wage ordinance they passed in June and keep the $10.10 ordinance they passed in September and allow it to go into effect January 1, 2015.

For more information send email to Angelica and call her at 575-616-1151.

Samantha Madrid for Magistrate Judge

Charles Madrid spoke in support of his daughter, Samantha Madrid, candidate for magistrate judge, and noted that he had handed out 15,000 campaign cards on her behalf. He read a letter from Samantha (who was attending the NAACP candidate forum, as were many other candidates) that eloquently stated her belief in the importance of fairness and neutrality on the bench.

For more information call Charles at 575-649-8104.

Retain Judge Mannie Arrieta

Judge Arrieta explained that judges are prevented from engaging in any election activity aside from their own campaigns. Along with the other Third District Court judges, Mannie is seeking retention, which requires approval by 57% of the voters. He cautioned that the ballot is very long and two-sided and it is quite possible to overlook the judges. He asked us to be sure to find his name and vote yes to retain him.

Evaluations of the Third District Court judges and others conducted by JPEC (Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission) are available online.

For more information send email to Mannie.

Do the Math—the Minimum Wage Math

MaryAnn Hendrickson did the minimum wage math for us, and it looks good. There are approximately 18,000 minimum wage workers in Doña Ana County. When the minimum wage is raised from the current $7.25 to $10.10, those workers will earn an additional $98.5 million each year—dollars that can be spent in the local economy.

For more information send email to MaryAnn and call her at 575-312-9971.

Retain Judge Marci Beyer

Judge Beyer asked that we vote yes to retain her. She explained that she and the other judges elected in 2012 are on the ballot for retention even though they have not been on the job long enough for JPEC to evaluate them.

Marci said she hears all juvenile delinquency cases and believes it is important to invest in rehabilitative services for young offenders. She is involved with numerous community service endeavors related to her work on the bench.

For more information send email to Marci and call her at 575-621-1242.

City Council Work Session Deserves a Big Audience

Charlotte Lipson urged everyone to show up at City Hall on Monday, October 27, and show the city councilors that there is overwhelming support for the “$10.10 by 2017” minimum wage. “Let’s fill the auditorium and show there is support,” she said.

City Council Work Session
Monday, October 27, 1 p.m.
City Hall

For more information send email to Charlotte and call her at 575-527-4083.

No Worries! Good People in Charge of the Election, Voting Machine Problems Fixed

Scott Krahling of the Doña Ana County Bureau of Elections announced that as of 6:30 p.m., (October 23) voters had cast 7,316 early voting ballots. “Our office is passionate about elections and fairness,” he said and assured everyone that machine malfunctions had been fixed and no votes had been lost. He invited anyone with any concerns at all to give him a call.

For more information send email to Scott and call him at 575-640-6205.

Not Easy Finding a Book on Abortion These Days

It may not be easy finding a library with a book about abortion, but Alice Anderson found one, and she recommends it: “When Abortion Was a Crime,” by Leslie J. Reagan. The ebook version is available at the NMSU library.

On a different note, Alice recommended a beautifully illustrated book of Navajo blankets, available at Branigan Library.

For more information send email to Alice and call her at 575-523-5179.

Pilot Transit Project Is Already Changing Lives in a Good Way

Amanda Formica mentioned a few of the stories made possible by the regional transit pilot project:

A woman and her disabled son no longer walk from Mesquite to Las Cruces to shop for groceries and other essential goods
A woman in Brazito whose husband of over 50 years died a few years ago, a woman who had never learned to drive, gets out and about thanks to the bus
Nuns in Anthony take their high school students on field trips
In the village of Doña Ana, a woman with diabetes can get to the pharmacy for her medication and no longer calls 911 because lack of medication has caused a crisis

Amanda invited everyone to help call voters and let them know about early voting and the transit referendum. She also invited everyone to attend meetings of the Doña Ana Health Council

Doña Ana Health Council Meeting
Tuesday, October 28, 9 to 11 a.m.
301 S. Church Street, Suite C

For more information send email to Amanda and call her at 575-521-4794.

A Dedicated Rider Vouches for Buses and Bus Drivers

Charles Clements introduced himself as “one of those rare creatures who rides the bus all the time.” He praised the bus drivers, saying they do a topnotch job and handle obstacles (unannounced road construction, for one example) with professional aplomb. He emphasized that public transportation is a service that is available to everyone.

For more information send email to Charles.

Transit Will Help Our Region Grow and Thrive

Jack Valencia offered a flurry of numbers in support of public transit. To name a few:

Riding the bus saves 6 to 9 thousand dollars a year compared to driving a car
70 new stops have been added, 50 of them south of Las Cruces
Expanded bus service will cost the median household in Las Cruces less than 10 cents a day.

For more information call Jack at 575-644-6006.

Food Banks Need Help Now to Prepare for Holiday Meals

Mary Lujan reminded us that the food banks are gearing up to serve holiday meals on top of all their usual work. Donations of cash and nonperishable food will be most welcome. Contact Casa de Peregrinos to find out how you can help.

For more information send email to Mary or call her at 575-527-0618.

Get Out the Vote, One Door at a Time

Dan Nyaradi invited everyone to get involved in the coordinated campaign (put together by Senator Tom Udall), which works to get out the vote and get Democratic candidates elected. They have 8,000 doors to knock on in the next 12 days. Shifts are available on November 1, 2, and 3 and on Election Day from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. “We’ll give you a plum assignment,” he promised.

For more information send email to Dan or call him at 575-636-9741.

Democratic Attorneys Stand Ready to Protect the Vote on Election Day

Leslie Endean-Singh said that Otero County will have Democratic volunteers in Chaparral for the election, guarding against a repeat of past shenanigans at that location. Democratic attorneys will be available on Election Day to consult with volunteers at the polls.

Leslie reported that the Progressive Leaders Fund PAC is supporting “good progressive leaders” and will keep you informed of their work via email.

For more information send email to Leslie or call her at 575-430-2743.

Rocky Lara for U.S. House of Representatives

Rito Rivas spoke in support of Rocky Lara’s campaign and reminded us that her opponent is against the Affordable Care Act, against raising the minimum wage, and in favor of women submitting to their husbands.

For more information send email to Rito and call him at 323-270-1333.

Susana Who?

Elisa Sanchez added her voice in support of Rocky Lara. She then conducted PVA’s first ever auction. Susana: ¡Qué Vergüenza!, a bumper sticker (in mint condition), went to the highest bidder and proceeds went to the PVA treasury.

For more information send email to Elisa.