June 25, 2026

Speak up!

Rocky Bacchus said there’s two issues to speak up about. First, he gave an update about the El Paso Electric rate case. He explained that there was a meeting with the County Commission on Monday, June 22. There wasn’t a very good turnout. He encouraged us to keep showing up at County Commission and City Council meetings; if approved, our electric bill could go up by $42 a month. Second, Rocky hopes we will submit a comment about the Project Jupiter air permit; he said the state has already ruled that it will be approved on August 25 unless there are plenty of objections. Go here to submit your comment (New Energy Economy gives you a template you can use).

For more information, contact Rocky at rockybacchus@gmail.com.

Remember vaccines?

Maria Flores is concerned about the anti-vax movement and how it’s causing people to question the efficacy of vaccines. She said that as a child in the 50s, she remembers standing in line for the polio vaccine. However, people are forgetting the public health lessons of the midcentury. She invites you to email midcenturythoughts@gmail.com to help preserve the memory of specific diseases, remind us why vaccines matter, and how protecting children also protects families, neighbors, and communities.

For more information, contact Maria at maflores54@gmail.com.

Have you heard of the “medical freedom” movement?

Jamie Blair echoed Maria’s comments. She spoke about the “medical freedom” movement and the resistance to vaccines. She wants to resist the resistance. She said this movement is not new–it’s been in the country since the country was founded. Often, specific groups are targeted by this movement and the result is cases upon cases of measles spread widely. Jamie is concerned that the movement will continue to grow, and measles cases will continue to rise. You can read more about the history of the movement here.

For more information, contact Jamie at blaircedar2001@yahoo.com.

Amazing progressive calendar

Sheri Reinhart introduced us to the Desert Docket, which is a progressive calendar. It is a volunteer led project and has a bunch of great information! Their mission is to “inform the public of opportunities for positive, inclusive engagement and encourage cohesive organization of progressive causes in Doña Ana County.” Sheri said she would be happy to help other organizations form a calendar, which can be synced to the Desert Docket. You can even filter the results based on the types of events you are interested in. Check it out!

For more information, contact Sheri at sreinhar@comcast.net.

The Griggs & Walnut Superfund site

Lynn Austin reminded us about the Parkinson’s Support Group that meets monthly, on the third Tuesday, at the Holiday Inn Express. More about the group can be found here. Lynn also mentioned the Las Cruces Superfund site, which is a contaminated area. The chemical found underground at the site is called Perchloroethylene or PCE, and it’s known to cause Parkinson’s Disease.

For more information, contact Lynn at laustin@interserv.com.

Dave Mooney, running for State Representative, District 38

Dave Mooney had two pieces of good news. First, he thanked the Friends of the Branigan Library–due to the City’s budget cuts, the library was going to cut their hours, but because of the Friends of the Library, the hours are now being extended. Second, Dave is no longer a write-in candidate. He needed 50 votes in the primary to be listed on the general election ballot, and he received close to 600. He said it’s going to be a lot of work to beat the Republican incumbent, but he is certain he can! Finally, he announced that there was a Pride Bike Ride in Truth or Consequences this past Saturday. You can find out more about Dave at his campaign website.

For more information, contact Dave at mooneyfornm@gmail.com.

Project Jupiter air quality permits and you

Jay Choate encouraged us to go to this website and scroll down to “Yucca Growth Infrastructure, LLC-YGI Microgrid Air Quality Construction Permit Application” and submit a comment. He suggests that we ask for a community meeting. This needs to be done by July 6.

Jay is working for the statewide and congressional Democratic candidates; he hopes to see lots of us volunteering for Democratic campaigns in the coming months.

For more information, contact Jay at thejaychoate@proton.me.

Want to fly from Las Cruces to Albuquerque?

Lucy Silva described herself as a frequent flyer on the small flight that went between Las Cruces and Albuquerque. She explained that the round trip ticket cost her $186.50, took 1 hour, and is an 8 passenger plane. But, on July 1, this daily flight is being cancelled because the City of Las Cruces isn’t renewing the subsidies. Lucy is disappointed about this and said that if you feel the same, contact your city councilor and encourage him/her to vote to continue to subsidize air service between Las Cruces and Albuquerque. She reminded us that the next City Council meeting is July 6, at 1:00pm, at City Hall.

No email available for Lucy. Here’s an article about the issue.

“Yucca Growth Infrastructure”

Tanner provided this helpful link to send your comment about the Project Jupiter air quality permits. Go to the page and scroll down, looking for Yucca Growth Infrastructure. Again, the deadline is July 6. He also said that the developers of Project Jupiter have not been transparent; they were supposed to hold a community meeting but switched it to a job fair, and they were supposed to submit job reports and have not done that, either. Tanner concluded by saying that the pressure is helping and it’s all about accountability.

For more information, contact Tanner at tdossey55@gmail.com.

Have you submitted a comment about Project Jupiter’s air quality permits?

Trent also spoke about sending a comment opposing Project Jupiter and the application for air quality permits. He said Project Jupiter is paying canvassers $25 an hour to get people to make a positive comment–they are even canvassing in Albuquerque. When you are making your comment don’t worry about being an expert, said Trent. He advised to just say that you want the PRC to deny the permits.

For more information, contact Trent at 2323tmw@gmail.com.

He’s not being paid by Project Jupiter!

Jim Hoerst fit several issues into his two minutes. He said that he is a progressive person in favor of Project Jupiter. He said he is also in favor of economic growth, but not trickle down economics. Jim is concerned that there is a divide forming in the progressive community due to Project Jupiter, and he believes there is room for all opinions. Finally, he commented on the anti-vax issue, brought up earlier, and said that the foundation of the anti-vax or anti-science movement is religion.

For more information, contact Jim at seattletags@gmail.com.

Key tools to raise questions on Project Jupiter and build community

Logan Adams was one of numerous speakers that urged us to submit by July 6 comments on the pending Project Jupiter air quality permits to counteract the paid efforts and mass solicitation of positive comments happening now throughout New Mexico, which can be done here.

Logan also helps coordinate the DesertDocket Community Calendar as well the DesertDocket Instagram, a project mentioned by multiple speakers during the meeting. DesertDocket is dedicated to publicizing events taking place in or related to Doña Ana County that broadly align with progressive values and building community power. We can use the links above to submit items for the Calendar through the website (desertdocket.org) or the Instagram page, and organizations can have their own public events calendars added to automatically sync if desired.

For more information, contact Logan at logan@desertdocket.org.

Links to power and a request for a public meeting

Anastasia Walhovd helpfully provided links for taking action that were mentioned by other speakers.

You can submit questions about Project Jupiter on the county website here.

You can submit comments on pending air quality permits for Project Jupiter through Fight Chihuahuan Desert Extraction (FCDX) here – be sure to scroll to the end of the document to submit your comments. You can submit comments directly to the New Mexico Environmental Department (NMED) here.

Anastasia emphasized that the New Mexico Environmental Department is under pressure from other state departments to avoid a public hearing on Project Jupiter’s air quality permits. She asks that you include a request for a public hearing in your comment.

For more information, contact Anastasia at amwalhovd@proton.me.

Reflective leadership and ideas that inspire

Frank Lopez talked about his work with Calm Impact, a nonprofit capacity-building organization that offers a Reflective Leadership Program. He invited us to mark October 15 on our calendars for Calm Impact’s “An Evening With Calm Impact: Ideas That Inspire”.

Frank urged us to use this form to submit our own “Ted Talk”-style presentations of ideas that would have a positive impact on our community, city or state. The top ideas selected will be presented at the October 15 event and awarded cash prizes. He expressed his view that we are a group full of thoughtful people with valuable ideas worth sharing, and that he hopes we will submit them.

For more information, contact Frank at info@calmimpact.org.

Save the Peace Corps!

Gill Sorg cited his own experience as a former Peace Corps teacher in Ghana in expressing his deep concern about a proposed amendment to the federal budget that would eliminate funding for the Peace Corps. He argued that the Peace Corps is one of the nation’s most effective diplomatic programs and encouraged us to call the congressional office of Gabe Vasquez at (202) 225-2365 or via email here to voice our support, noting that while Gabe already supports the program, constituent outreach helps reinforce that position.

For more information, contact Gill at gillsorg@gmail.com.

Inspired by Erin Brockovitch

Patt Banks shared how watching the film Erin Brockovich inspired him by showing how one determined person without formal credentials helped lead a successful lawsuit against a major corporation on behalf of a community. Patt encouraged us to watch the film, reflect on how we can become advocates in our own community, and take action–organize by engaging family and friends, create local networks, and bring younger generations into civic involvement.

For more information, contact Patt at Pattbanks@nmdemocrats.org.

Representative Sarah Silva looks to past and future in seeking re-election

State House District 53 Representative Sarah Silva announced that she is running for reelection. She reflected on her background as a community organizer and local business owner, highlighting past community achievements that include raising the minimum wage, protecting the Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument, preventing foreclosures, and supporting immigrant families.

Sarah invited us to a June 27 fundraising event celebrating the passage of House Bill 99 on medical malpractice reform, which she helped sponsor. Looking ahead, she said she plans to continue work on medical malpractice implementation, reintroduce a lobbyist transparency bill, and propose legislation restricting the use of AI in grocery stores. She urged us to contact her to share additional ideas.

For more information, contact Sarah at sarah@newmexicansforsarah.com.

Mayor Pro tem John Muñoz shares his thoughts

Las Cruces City Councilor and Mayor Pro-tem John Muñoz thanked us for our support and apologized for the postponement of the City Council’s public listening sessions, promising to work to restore them quickly and, if necessary, hold additional community meetings himself. He encouraged us to support State Treasurer Laura Montoya’s proposed “baby bonds;” he also strongly endorsed Representative Sarah Silva’s reelection campaign. Finally, he shared observations from a recent trip to Italy, where he was impressed by high voter participation and strong civic engagement–John believes we can do the same here in Las Cruces.

For more information, contact John at johnpmunoz@comcast.net.

Building team spirit for November

Gayle Eads praised Sarah Silva for her first term in the legislature and emphasized the importance of the upcoming election. She encouraged attendees to rally behind Gabe Vasquez as well, leading us in a spirited cheer of “Go, Gabe, Go!”

While we were in a spirited mood, Gayle led us in a “Go, Amanda, Go!” cheer in support of our county clerk Amanda Lopez Askin, who is the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State this November, and will be an important addition to statewide leadership from southern New Mexico.

For more information or inspiration, contact Gayle at gayle.s.eads@gmail.com.

Lori Martinez sends a message of thanks

Lindley Hornsby spoke on behalf of Lori Martinez, since Lori was unable to attend because she was out of town. Lori sent a message thanking the community for helping her win the Democratic nomination for House District 37, expressing her heartfelt appreciation to the volunteers, donors, canvassers, phone bankers, and voters who supported her campaign. She also acknowledged her opponent’s efforts, saying it was important that voters had a meaningful choice in the district’s first contested Democratic primary in more than a decade.

Lori also thanked Joanne J. Ferrary for her years of service and for supporting her candidacy. Looking ahead to the general election, she is committed to addressing the challenges facing New Mexico, continuing work to counter policies she believes are harmful, and moving the state forward. She closed by inviting constituents to stay engaged and reach out with questions or ideas as the campaign continues.

For more information, contact Lindley at hornsby.lindley@gmail.com.

Peter Goodman urges inclusion and critical thinking

Peter Goodman stressed that differing views on Project Jupiter should not exclude people from participation, and that supporters of the project should remain welcome at PVA and elsewhere. He also suggested that civic groups such as Indivisible should be more selective about the political issues they engage in (like the selection of the Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate), rather than becoming involved in every campaign or race.

Peter also cautioned against accepting claims from Project Jupiter uncritically, saying that in his view the project’s backers have not always been forthcoming. Drawing a comparison to the importance of evaluating political statements critically, he encouraged us to carefully scrutinize information from all sources.

For more information, check out Peter’s blog.

Glenn’s list

Glenn Landers, a longtime opponent of Project Jupiter, said he frequently speaks out against it through public meetings, social media, and community outreach. He proposed creating an activist email list to keep supporters informed and organized, especially during the two-month gap before the next PVA meeting. Glenn emphasized the urgency of submitting comments on the air pollution permit and requesting a public hearing, noting that the group needs a network to respond quickly as new issues related to Project Jupiter arise.

For more information, or to join this new list, contact Glenn at glenn.landers@gmail.com.

The federal Office of Management and Budget is up to no good

Janet Nordman shared a call to action from the organization Defend Public Health regarding a proposed federal rule that would give White House appointees authority to approve or cancel all congressional grant programs, totaling about $1.1 trillion in funding. She expressed concern that the rule could affect states’ access to federal funding and urged people to submit public comments through Defend Public Health’s website. She emphasized that the issue extends beyond health care to areas such as transportation and infrastructure, with a public comment deadline of July 13.

For more information, contact Janet at janetnordmann@yahoo.com.

Gina says, “Thank you!”

Gina Eugenia Montoya Ortega, the current Doña Ana County Assessor, thanked both her supporters and those who did not support her re-election, saying that criticism motivates her to work even harder. She emphasized her commitment to public service and encouraged residents to contact her office with any questions or concerns. Gina noted that she won the primary and, as far as she knew, did not yet have an opponent in the general election, but if one emerged, she would once again ask for the community’s support.

For more information, contact Gina at 575-647-7400.

Ready to campaign for the general election

Daisy Maldonado, the Democratic candidate for County Commission District 1, thanked supporters for helping her through her first campaign and acknowledged that she learned by talking to many voters and going door-to-door. She said residents’ biggest concerns were Project Jupiter and other county issues that have emerged in recent months. Daisy asked for continued support as she prepares for the general election and invited community members to reach out to her with questions or concerns.

For more information, visit the campaign’s Instagram, or contact Daisy at daisymaldonado@gmail.com.

Micaela Lara Cadena, running for re-election for HD33

Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena expressed gratitude for the support received after winning a highly contested primary campaign that included significant outside spending and negative attacks on her character. She said the experience has been emotionally difficult but she was encouraged by voters who saw through the misinformation.

Micaela also revealed that an ethics complaint had been filed against her by Paul Gessing of the Rio Grande Foundation, which she called frivolous, and reaffirmed her commitment to engaging with community activists and continuing to speak out on local values through the November election and beyond.

For more information, contact Micaela at micaela@lara-cadena4nm.com.

Pro bono legal clinic was a big success!

Chrystian Gonzalez, a candidate for Magistrate Court Judge, thanked voters for their support in the primary election and said that, despite running unopposed, his first campaign experience was both exciting and rewarding. He expressed his eagerness to serve in the position. Chrystian also reported that the pro bono legal clinic he had announced last month was a major success–they served about 100 people despite being short several volunteer attorneys, and said he looks forward to future clinics.

For more information, visit Chrystian’s campaign website.

Concerned about Project Jupiter

Julio Morales, a NMSU astronomy PhD student and concerned citizen, argued that Project Jupiter is about more than a development proposal—he said it raises questions about whether government officials are serving the public or corporate interests. He criticized the project’s advancement despite public opposition, citing closed-door discussions and dark-money influence. Morales urged voters to hold elected officials accountable and reject leaders who, in his view, prioritize special interests over the communities they represent.

For more information, visit Julio’s website.

Isabel says, “Thanks for your support!”

Isabel Jerebek announced that she was elected as the Democratic candidate for Third Judicial District Judge, Division 4, and will run unopposed in the general election. She expressed excitement about the opportunity and thanked the community for its support, noting that many people in attendance played an important role in her election victory.

For more information, visit Isabel’s campaign website.

Project Jupiter and its blast zone

Christine Dobbin voiced strong opposition to Project Jupiter, saying that large numbers of identical comments supporting the project are being submitted–in fact, Christine said that supporters of Project Jupiter are aggressively soliciting comments from vulnerable populations. She urged residents to submit their own comments opposing the project and raised concerns about potential toxic emissions and safety risks associated with the proposed fuel cell plant. Speaking as someone who lives near the proposed site, Christine argued that the project threatens public health, environmental safety, and the quality of life of local residents, particularly children and people with asthma.

For more information, Christine recommends this website.

Vanessa Ordonez won the primary–now onto the general

John Ordonez spoke on behalf of his wife, Vanessa Ordonez, who is running for Doña Ana County Sheriff and was unable to attend because she is participating in a U.S. Navy training in Spain. He thanked supporters for their donations, assistance, and willingness to welcome the campaign into their homes and listen to her message. He said that when Vanessa returns, the campaign will resume its efforts for the November election and seek continued community support.

For more information, contact John at jao7_3@yahoo.com.