Featured Presentation
Doña Ana County District Attorney Fernando Macias provided some very interesting updates about the District Attorney’s office. He acknowledged that the office was underperforming when he was elected. When he assumed office there were 1,600 cases, stretching all the way back to 2021, that had not been brought forward to a grand jury to begin the process of prosecution. “Today, out of those 1,600 cases, there are 27 that we still have to bring forward,” he explained. Also, when Fernando came into office, there were 6.5 attorneys (one attorney was working remotely out of Utah). Today, there are 18 prosecutors. Finally, he was pleased to say that the relationship between the District Attorney’s office and law enforcement has dramatically improved. More about the District Attorney’s office can be found here.
Unified Action
The Unified Action for this month is to talk to your Personal Influence Network about the upcoming election. More about this action can be found here. This action really makes a difference!
For more information, contact Cheryl at cherella75@gmail.com.
Create a logo for Progressive Voter Alliance!
Hey you creative people! PVA does not have a logo and we want one. The PVA executive committee is sure that there are certainly creative people in our network who can produce a logo, right?! We can do this! We want to see what you’ve got. We suggest not using a white background, and bonus points for hinting we are a southern NM organization (NM colors, etc.).
We are asking that your submissions be turned in by midnight of November 5. Then, at the January meeting we will all vote on our favorite. And, yes, there will be a prize for the winner!
For more information or to submit your PVA logo, contact Anastasia Walhovd at amwalhovd@proton.me.
Parkinson’s Support Group
Lynn Austin with the Parkinson’s Support Group said that the group meets once a month on the third Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Express on Telshor. The group is for caregivers or people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The next meeting will be Oct. 20.
For more information, contact Lynn at laustin@interserv.com.
Something’s amiss
Michael Deierhoi said he is in the early stages of truly understanding the problems with Project Jupiter, but he knows he is concerned about it. He spoke about the latest development of force majeure, and how it seems Project Jupiter does not want to be held accountable for negative consequences. Further, he said, “This seems absurd to me since the whole idea of them starting this project is based on a huge loan. They don’t have $165 billion to cover that. They’re not even close. And so they’re really concerned about their financial circumstances.” Michael advocated that those who have the wherewithal to get involved, confront Project Jupiter and if possible, stop it from happening. “Because I think it’s still possible,” he said.
For more information, contact Michael at michaeldeierhoi@gmail.com.
Point to MAGA Republicans with Jim!
Jim Hoerst shared a plan to use MAGA signs with an arrow to point out Republican candidates (like Greg Cunningham) who have tried to distance themselves from the MAGA movement. Jim also encouraged us to help our friends register to vote by mail. Jim explained, “The best way to get them to be regular voters is to persuade them to vote by mail and it takes less than five minutes. It’s very simple and you do it right online.”
For more information, contact Jim at seattletags@gmail.com.
“First We Bombed New Mexico” shown at Fountain Theater
Mary Martinez White was proud to announce that Tina Cordova, chair of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, was invited to address a plenary session of the United Nations in New York City on August 31st to a positive reception.
Mary also spoke about the screening of the documentary “First We Bombed New Mexico” on Sept. 27, the documentary about this movement. There were two screenings. “Come out and be a part of the state, national, and international movement,” said Mary. You can learn more here.
For more information, contact Mary at mwhite9409@gmail.com.
Fundraiser for Daisy Maldonado
Gary Camunez spoke about the fundraiser for Daisy Maldonado that happened on Sept. 25. Stop Jupiter t-shirts are available, too, so get in touch with Gary if you want one. He also announced that there is a printer available for anybody that has anything they need printed in the fight against Project Jupiter.
For more information, contact Gary at recycoil.lc@gmail.com.
Rep. Nathan Small canvass kickoff
Ashley Beyer shared Rep. Nathan Small’s canvass kickoff event on Sept. 27, at 2pm at Pioneer Park. Ashley expressed concern that Nathan does have a good opponent and protecting House District 36 is critical, so anybody who is able to come out and canvass for Nathan on Sunday at 2 was invited. You can visit Nathan’s campaign website here.
For more information, contact Ashley at afbeyer13@gmail.com.
Candidate forums on KTAL
Peter Goodman reiterated an invitation to listen to the upcoming candidate forums on Wednesdays 8-10am. You can listen on 101.5 FM or www.lccommunityradio.org.
Candidate fora schedule:
September 30
8:30 County Commission D1 Daisy Maldonado / Samantha Barncastle Salopek
9 County Commission D3 Willie Madrid / Julia Brown / Susie Kimble
9:30 County Sheriff Vanessa Ordonez / Todd Garrison
October 7
8:30 Sam Kane
9 House D 33 Micaela Lara Cadena / Kiki Vigil
9:30 House D 36 Nathan Small / Julia Ruiz
October 14
8:30 Gabe Vasquez
9 House D 38 David L Mooney / Rebecca Dow
9:30 House D 53 Sarah Silva / Ben Luna Jr
October 21
8:30 House D 37 Lori Martinez / Isabella Solis
9 Deb Haaland
9:30 Library GO bonds
October 28
8:30 Uncontested races: HD 34 Ray Lara; HD 35 Angelica Rubio; HD 52 Doreen Gallegos
For more information, contact Peter at peter@pgoodmanphotos.com.
All about the new Community Monitoring Committee
Lynn Moorer reported that the Doña Ana County Board of County Commissioners have started the Community Monitoring Committee related to Project Jupiter. Commissioner Chaparro attempted to have the county select an attorney, but Lynn advocated to have the committee select its own. Of the 11 members that will make up the Committee, 9 have been chosen. Lynn is on the committee! Members include Gavin McMurdo, Michael King Stracener, Art Terrazas, Luis Boneo, Wayne Grinnell, Hannan Al-Qanai, Juan Garcia, Jerry Prochaska, and Lynn Moorer. The 2 members from Chaparro’s district still need to be named plus the 1 Member-At-Large. The County Assessor offered some suggestions for the Committee including it should be composed of all Spanish speakers, the majority of members should be from southern Doña Ana County, and all the meetings should be down south. Lynn said the Committee will be planning to have a Spanish interpreter at every meeting, provide all materials in English and Spanish, and transcripts of each meeting will be in English and Spanish. Meetings will rotate locations within the County at places most affected by Project Jupiter.
For more information, contact Lynn at lmoorer3045@gmail.com.
PVA welcomes Peanut the dog (and Lucca, too)
Lucca Wang is a Field Organizer for Gabe Vasquez’s campaign. Peanut the dog accompanied her to PVA, much to our delight! She mentioned that she was grateful that District Attorney Macias presented at PVA because Gabe has secured billions in dollars for public safety in our district. She also highlighted Gabe’s work with the Downwinders and him authoring a bill to expand RECA. Want more information about Gabe’s campaign? Lucca said you can sign up for community emails to find out about when events are. For example, September 26-27 was a Weekend of Action and a big push for canvassing. Plus, Gabe attended the NMSU-UNM tailgate and football game. Lucca also reminded everyone that early voting starts October 6th and the deadline for mail-in ballots is October 20th.
Contact Lucca at 575-323-2036 or lucca@gabeforcongress.com if you are interested in volunteering with Gabe Vasquez’s campaign.
Border Servant Corps launches family preparedness program
Monica Blacker works with the Border Servant Corps (BSC). She announced that they recently re-launched some programs including Court Observation in Las Cruces court and visitation support for migrants at Otero Detention Center. Thanks to BSC volunteers, they’ve been able to accompany about 450 people in court so far. They also launched a new program for Family Preparedness with the goal of reaching families to ensure they are prepared in any type of emergency. They have literature and training, as well as Train the Trainer training.
For more information, contact Monica at mblacker@bscnm.org.
There’s a book club for you at Branigan Library!
Sandy Katayanagi is a volunteer with the Friends of the Branigan Library. If you live in the city limits of Las Cruces, your November ballot will have a GO Bond to renovate the Branigan Library. Sandy highlighted that the Branigan Library is well used: 500,000 materials checked out annually, 800,000 minutes on the public computers at the library, and 1,500 programs with over 28,000 attendees. And, there’s also Tai Chi, Stay and Play, Mother Goose on the Loose, band Book Club, Ukulele Club, Dungeons and Dragons, and various book clubs. The Friends of the Library have the Bearto Book Den which sells books to pay for some of the programs at the library. If the GO bond passes and renovation begins, the Bearto Book store will need to temporarily relocate and they are seeking a location during that time.
You can contact Sandy at stkataya@yahoo.com or learn more at http://libraryfriendslc.org.
Rocky’s 16 page opposition to Project Jupiter’s air quality permit
Rocky Bacchus announced that he has filed an air quality permit technical opposition to Project Jupiter’s permit. He is seeking a meeting with legislators (perhaps Nathan Small or Carrie Hamblen) to discuss Project Jupiter’s potential solar power situation. He has a deadline of Wednesday, October 7th for the final proposal.
For more information, contact Rocky at rockybacchus@gmail.com.
Some things to think about regarding AI and privacy
Anastasia Walhovd thanked PVA for being part of the movement to get legislators to change their tune from pro-Project Jupiter to being in favor of a data center moratorium in the state.
She also brought up that we need to start thinking about the other sides of this data center fight including consumer protection laws and data privacy laws. She highlighted that many companies are using surveillance pricing which will change the price of the item based on the data they have about the person looking at it. Stores with e-ink tags in stores can change their prices as you walk down the aisle. She also brought up Amira AI used in New Mexico schools and that many parents are beginning to raise flags about its use.
Lastly, she said that California passed the California Consumer Privacy Act which gives individuals more control over the types of data businesses can collect about them and we should start thinking about protective legislation in New Mexico.
For more information, contact Anastasia at amwalhovd@proton.me.
A technology expert has some thoughts about technology
Michael Harris discussed the recent force majeure news regarding Oracle and Project Jupiter. He mentioned that Oracle is in a way “sticking it” to the developer of Project Jupiter.
Regarding data privacy laws, there is one drafted by several advocacy groups called NM Chispa. It is being pushed by the ACLU as well and Michael thinks it is a comprehensive data privacy law. You can learn more at nmchispa.org. At the city level, Michael is trying to push through a comprehensive surveillance technology ordinance which will govern how the city buys and implements surveillance technology – not just Flock, but also drones, traffic cameras, and buying data from data brokers. He said that many communities are just “firing Flock” and ending the conversation, but Harris thinks we could be doing a lot more.
For more information, contact Michael at mharris@lascruces.gov.
Check out KTAL Community Radio!
Sherry Hulsey discussed Speak Up Las Cruces on 101.5 KTAL Radio every Wednesday morning from 8AM-10AM. It is a program with a lot of local information and you can call in during the program with questions.
For more information, visit https://www.lccommunityradio.org/.
Non-profit Calm Impact hosting “Ideas That Inspire” dinner
Joann Lopez announced that Calm Impact is a Las Cruces 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to strengthening the leaders who strengthen our communities by providing leadership development programs, coaching, strategic planning, and capacity-building services. At previous PVA meetings, Frank Lopez presented information and opportunities to submit Ideas That Inspire: ideas that have a positive impact on our community, city, or state. The top five ideas (3 youth and 2 adults) were recently selected and will be presented on Thursday, October 15, doors open at 5:30pm, at Peace Lutheran Church, 1701 Missouri Ave.
Join Calm Impact for dinner and listen to the youth presenter ideas that include topics of politics, city council, and more. You will be surprised and inspired! The evening will feature a dinner, presentations, and a silent auction. Funds raised will support Calm Impact programs and provide scholarships and reduced-cost services for nonprofit leaders experiencing financial hardship.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.calmimpact.org.
Are your neighbors worried about voting? Go with them to the polls.
Maribeth Hulsey brought up that there is a lot of anxiety about safety at the polls, but that we have not had many problems around here. She said that our past history and programs of election protection, along with our very highly rated County Clerk’s office are quite reassuring. If your neighbors are worried, go with them to the polls or ask them to consider mail-in voting.
Contact Maribeth with more ideas to get your neighbors to vote at maribethhulsey@gmail.com.
House District 38 Candidate Dave Mooney Seeking Volunteers
Dave Mooney is running for House District 38. He will be in a candidate forum on KTAL Radio’s Speak Up Las Cruces on October 14th. Tune in! He also encouraged us to go out and have in-person conversations and interactions with people in our community; whether that’s volunteering on a campaign, making calls or knocking doors, or just talking to the people in your world about these things and getting people involved. Dave also announced that Julio Morales will be the Volunteer Coordinator for his campaign. They have a phone bank and a few canvasses being planned for Doña Ana County.
You can reach out to his campaign at mooneyfornm@gmail.com or learn more at MooneyforNM.com.
Tell your friends about Constitutional Amendment 4
Sylvia Ulloa, Executive Director of NM CAFé, spoke about the Vote for Change campaign encouraging us to vote for Constitutional Amendment 4 on the upcoming ballot (listed as item number four, likely on the second page of the ballot in Doña Ana County). If passed, New Mexico legislators would be paid around $67,000 — the state’s median household income — making it more feasible for everyday New Mexicans to serve. She mentioned active canvassing efforts underway in Las Cruces and Chaparral, and they are finding about three to one in favor. Sylvia emphasized that the main challenge is awareness rather than opposition, since most people support paying legislators once they understand the issue but many simply don’t know it’s on the ballot. She asked us to help spread the word. Finally, Sylvia thanked Senators Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich for supporting temporary protected status for Haitians.
For more information, contact Sylvia at sylvia@organizenm.org.
Secretary of State and County Commission District 3 recommendations
Gayle Eads addressed the topic of our personal “sphere of influence,” urging us to contact our friends outside of Doña Ana County about Amanda Lopez Askin’s statewide run for Secretary of State, since many voters elsewhere won’t recognize her name or know who’s running for that office. Gayle then turned to the District 3 County Commissioner race, describing the district as large and sprawling — roughly east of I-25 toward the mountains, down to I-10, and out to Chaparral. She is supportive of two of the three candidates in the race (Julia T. Brown, who is a write-in Democratic candidate, and Susie Kimble, an Independent candidate, already serving District 3). Gayle said that Chaparral residents deserve effective representation, and those in this district need to carefully consider their vote.
For more information, contact Gayle at gayle.s.eads@gmail.com.
Lori Martinez, running for State Representative, District 37
Lori Martinez, the Democratic candidate for HD 37, said that she was really pleased with the joint fundraiser earlier in the day, with Dave Mooney and Representative Sarah Silva at Amaro Winery. She updated us about the vacant County Commission seat left by Representative Ferrary’s retirement: rather than appointing a replacement as state law allows, the Commission is choosing to leave the seat empty until after the election (leaving the district unrepresented during this critical period). Lori also addressed her opponent, Isabella Solis, noting that Solis was once a Democrat but is now a Republican. She encouraged supporters to turn any frustration into action by canvassing this past Saturday at 9 AM from Sagecrest Park (off Roadrunner) and by joining the Southern New Mexico Pride Parade on October 3rd. Finally, she said that civic engagement is an antidote to feeling overwhelmed, and emphasized the goal of not just winning the district but winning it decisively! Visit the campaign website here.
For more information, contact Lori at loriforhd37@gmail.com.
Vanessa Ordoñez, running for Doña Ana County Sheriff
Vanessa Ordoñez, the Democratic candidate for Doña Ana County Sheriff, reminded us of key upcoming dates, starting with early voting on October 6th, and urged everyone to keep talking to friends and neighbors given how much is at stake. She shared that she had just been endorsed by the Veterans and Military Families Caucus. Vanessa also raised concerns that her campaign signs in the South Valley — her opponent’s home area — are disappearing. She highlighted two upcoming events: the Pride Parade on October 3rd, where her campaign will have a trailer, and a fundraiser/meet-and-greet on October 2nd at 6:30 PM, hosted by Diane Bolak and other supporters. You can visit Vanessa’s campaign website here.
For more information, contact Vanessa at vanessaforsheriff@gmail.com.
Money troubles for Project Jupiter?
Glenn Landers, a proud opponent of Project Jupiter, reported that the company had invoked force majeure, which he described as an additional sign of financial trouble on top of near-junk-bond-status debt ratings and a stock price that dropped another 5%. He explained that the company holds $18 billion in loans it is struggling to repay, and that force majeure — typically reserved for uncontrollable events like natural disasters — does not eliminate the debt but is being used to buy more time. Glenn said that the two reasons the company cited for the delay, failure to obtain an air permit and public opposition, don’t actually qualify as beyond their control. He said the permit issues stemmed from the company submitting bogus applications for turbines that could never be approved, and that its newer fuel cell plan appears similarly questionable. He also argued that the public opposition was self-inflicted, resulting from the company’s secrecy, and suggested that if they’d been more transparent, there might have been less pushback.
For more information, contact Glenn at glenn.landers@gmail.com.
Julia T. Brown – Write-in candidate for County Commission, District 3
Julia T. Brown introduced herself as a Democratic write-in candidate for District 3 County Commission. Julia outlined an extensive background spanning corporate America, military service, and government at every level, including roles as Doña Ana County Manager, Sunland Park City Manager, and a position with the state economic development department that she resigned from to run for office. She also cited her experience as National Board Chair of AAUW (American Association of University Women), where she worked on pay equity issues. She further detailed her professional skills, including drafting personnel manuals, contracts, legislation, testimony, and policy, along with experience managing people and resources, supporting businesses of various sizes, community organizing, and negotiating union contracts. She noted endorsements from Congressman Gabe Vasquez, Representative Joanne Ferrary, and Senator Bill Soules. You can visit Julia’s campaign website here.
For more information, contact Julia at jtboakland@yahoo.com.
AI data centers funding and moratoriums, Board of Regents ballot measure
Jay Choate, a young Democrat and regional organizer, said that the funding structure behind AI data centers is unsound, claiming it’s heavily tied to the bond market, which is currently rising and leaving little room for the profit needed to cover the loans. He described this as a “ticking time bomb” that will cause harm when the debt comes due, echoing concerns raised earlier by Glenn. He also expressed skepticism about state legislators who now claim to support a moratorium on data centers, questioning whether their actual regulatory proposals will align with what corporations want rather than what the public, environmentalists, or those concerned about corporate consolidation and AI’s impact on children actually want. He said he wants these legislators to clarify their positions. Jay also hopes we will support a ballot measure not yet mentioned: proposed changes to the Board of Regents. He explained that constitutional amendment 3 would shift the selection process so that the state legislature would compile a slate of nominees for the governor to choose from, making appointments more professional rather than purely political. Get more information about this here.
For more information, contact Jay at thejaychoate@proton.me.