Urgent Need to Act Locally

By paulgibson51 on December 27, 2016 • ( 2 )

Somos Un Pueblo Unido has submitted a resolution to strengthen Santa Fe’s Sanctuary City initiative and the Bureau of Land Management is taking comment on the Verde Transmission line that would desecrate the Pojoaque Valley. Women’s March details Albuquerque & Santa Fe.

One of the primary purposes of Retake Our Democracy is to make it easier to advocate on important issues. And over the next two years, while the GOP has the three branches of government, our best opportunities to advocate for our ideals will be at the state and local levels. Two such opportunities present themselves today, and they are very important. Before diving into the Somos Un Pueblo Unido expanded Sanctuary initiative and the Verde Transmission alert, a few brief announcements.

Action Team Meetings. Retake Our Democracy’s Action Teams will be meeting throughout the first two weeks of January, so if you are interested in taking a stand for your ideals and becoming active, please click here for a description of the Action Teams and the times and dates of planning meetings.

Call for Leadership. We are looking for individuals who will commit 5-10 hours a week in leadership roles. Without a cadre of trained leaders, Retake Our Democracy will have to scale back and slow its work. Participants will receive excellent training and become part of a team of progressives who will not just be able to say they took a stand, they will make lasting friendships with other leaders. Email paul@retakeourdemocracy.org if you’re interested.

January 7 Progress NowNM Progressive Action Summit. For tickets and information, click here

Sat, January 7, 2017, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM MST

Central New Mexico Community College Workforce Training Center, 5600 Eagle Rock Avenue Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87113.

Lunch provided, free parking.

January 21 Women’s March on Washington, Santa Fe: Time, Location and Route

March to the Roundhouse: 11:00am – 12:00pm
Starting Location: North side of the Bataan Building on W. De Vargas St., between Galisteo St. and Don Gaspar Ave. (Please gather on the grassy areas and sidewalks starting at 10:30am; keep parking areas clear.)

Rally at the Roundhouse: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: New Mexico State Capitol – 490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(south-east side of the Capitol Building)

For a list of speakers at the Roundhouse click here.

Albuquerque Womens’ March on Washington. Join us as we gather from 11am-1pm on January 21 at Civic Plaza for the Women’s March on Washington in Albuquerque Rally. This is an inclusive event, open to ANYONE who supports women’s rights. Albuquerque Civic Plaza, 1 Civic Plaza NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102. For information, click here.

Somos Un Pueblo Unido has introduced a resolution to the City Council, asking it to strengthen its Sanctuary City initiative. The resolution contains language that would prohibit city staff from inquiring into anyone’s immigration status and to prohibit city staff in various departments from cooperating with federal efforts to deport immigrants. In addition, the resolution asks the City and the Santa Fe Police Department to develop a policy ensuring that state issued non-REAL-ID driver’s licenses, otherwise known as Driver’s Authorization Cards, are accepted on the same basis as REAL ID driver’s licenses by all City employees. For the full resolution, suggestions as to what to tell the Mayor and your City Council representatives, and a link to contact information for the Mayor and for all City Council, click here. We encourage all of you to write and call our Mayor and your City Council members.

The Bureau of Land Management is taking comment on the Verde Transmission Line that would permanently scar the Pojoaque Valley, vistas that are not only part of a historic panorama but critical to many filmmakers who will not be charmed by 120-foot high towers spaced 800 feet apart. What’s more, the lines would endanger bird life, including two endangered species, impact the health of those living near the lines, and create a significant risk of creating a catastrophic forest fires such as the ones that caused the Las Conchas and Thompson’s Ridge fires near Los Alamos, the Tres Lagunas fire near Pecos, and the La Cueva fire. What’s more, the Hunt Corporation boondoggle is entirely unnecessary. Hunt’s rationale for the lines is to prevent a power outage, but there have only been two outages in the past 30 years, the longest being for four hours. And even PNM has indicated that they project no significant increase in power demand. So what is the real purpose of the lines? Profit. This link will take you to a complete summary of issues related to the transmission lines and contact information for registering your objections with the BLM. Comments must be submitted before January 5. So please, the transmission lines would permanently scar the Pojoaque Valley. It needs to be stopped.