• Silver City
• Albuquerque
• Los Alamos
• Santa Fe
• Taos

To the POLLS!

Tues 3 June 2008
Progressives have an opportunity to change Grant County Govt & our congressional delegation.

RFS! Endorses

Joe Mondragon
GC Comm Dist 3

Carlos Provencio
GC Comm Dist 2

Bill McCamley
US House of Reps
District 2

WNMU Update

The WNMU Board of Regents met and in an unfortunate but unsurprising fit of pique & con- firmation of their inability to respond to citizens, staff or faculty, lashed out at Faculty Senate President Tom Gruska and other faculty members and members of the public.

More soon come!

Ciff / Gila Farm Bureau
Candidate Forum 22 May 2008
L to R - Joe Mondragon, Carlos Provencio, Chris Aquino, Mary Lynne Newell, Charles Kelly, Christy Miller, Bill Van Dran, Matt Runnels

With about 10 days to go before the New Mexico primary, candidates for local offices on the Grant County Commission, NM State Representative, and District Attorney, gathered before a small but engaged audience at the newly  constructed Cliff / Gila Farm Bureau building.

Not surprisingly, water was at the source of most of the questions along with the related (and hoped for increased) prospects for uh, economic development and the matter of expanding the commission to five members.  The five man commission has long been a matter of contention but most of the candidates now support it - at least tentatively.  The remaining issues on which bets are hedged is the one time cost of the redistricting, potential gerrymandering, and subsequent annual operating budget increase to fund the compensation of two additional commissioners - presently in the range of $27 / 28k per commissioner.  

In a national election cycle so marked by the desire for change, the most reactionary conservative Republicans are "repackaging" themselves as the "Change You Deserve."  Can it be other than poetic justice that their new motto is actually a trademarked phrase for an anti-depressant drug!  But of course the higher ups get full lobotomies - not worth the risk of having the anti-depressants wear off while trying to keep "on message."  

Meanwhile, we here in Grant County have a chance to significantly change not only Grant County government, but funadamentally alter the political landscape in a way that would rattle the foundations of the entire PD / WNMU / Chamber of Commerce  / Old Boy Network by electing Joe Mondragon and Carlos Provencio to their respective seats on the County Commission.

Only a few years back, the Grant County Commission under the guidance of "The Three Wise Men" foolishly - some would say negligently and still others would assert, criminally - mishandled county finances in the acquisition and  remodel of the present County Administration Center requiring state intervention and many years of county layoffs, reduction of services, and enforced fiscal tightrope walking.  This headlong plunge took place despite broad citizen protest against the apparent conflicts of interest among officials and contractors and the predicted and realized construction boondoggles that resulted in the financial meltdown.

The same "wink is as good as a nod" manner of carrying on business as usual almost resulted in another policy disaster with the PMO / Policy Maintenance Ordinance which was, fortunately, driven down to defeat by unrelenting pressure from a broad community consensus that set the commission on it's heels and made clear that their actions are accountable.  Was that one wink all that was necessary in December 2007under the Rudy Martinez / Marry Ann Sedillo / Henry Torres composed commission given Henry Torres televised mea culpa that he had not read the ordinance before voting in favor of it?

Would a five member commission prevent this kind of disaster?  Perhaps not, but it would require at least two winks.  Better insurance still would be an  electorate that keeps both eyes open at all times.

Click here to watch or here to listen.

Thanks to Mike Cuff and Cliff / Gila Farm Bureau for organizing the event and Cliff / Gila FFA for their help in the lottery for the order of speakers, timing of candidates and provision of refreshments.  Congratulations to incoming president Mariah Peralta (left), Mike Cuff and outgoing FFA president Shannon Norris.