Today, Retake our Democracy has joined a New Energy Economy petition to stop PNM from purchasing equity in Palo Verde Nuclear Plant. We also recap the Congressional hearing and Green New Deal Town Hall with the stunning endorsement of the GND by Cong. Lujan. Lastly, we provide a powerful 1983 video about the US declaration of the Four Corners as a sacrifice zone– a must watch.
A Look Back at Last Week. As usual on Monday, we present summaries and links to all of last week’s posts, which include critical observations on US Congressional hearing on Chaco, a report on PNM’s plan to force ratepayers to pay for PNM to purchase $1B in equity in Palo Verde Nuclear Facility, and another report on the Green New Deal Town Hall in Santa Fe. At the bottom of the post you’ll find a really moving and disturbing video on how the US declared Four Corners a sacrifice zone and then proceeded to expose the Navajo Nation to unspeakable levels of uranium. Very disturbing, very worth watching especially on Earth Day, as the film puts in stark contrast those who revere the earth and those who exploit it.
Road Trip Time. Roxanne and I will be heading out to CD-2 to stage Retake Town Halls in Truth or Consequences (May 21 6:00pm), Silver City, (May 22, 6 or 6:30pm), Las Cruces May 23 at the Progressive Voters Alliance (5:30pm) where we are featured presenters, and then again in Las Cruces on Saturday May 25, likely 1-3pm for a Town Hall. We are going to try to squeeze in a meeting in Deming while there and also a visit to the border. The purpose of the visits are to share the results of the Report Card and to begin organizing voter registration, issue-based canvassing, and preparation for the Legislative Interim Hearings, the 2020 Legislative Session and 2020 primaries. We have a team of well-connected volunteers in those communities helping to organize, so we are hoping for good turnouts and lots of enthusiasm. If you live in CD-2 and want to help or want to be kept informed about the Town Halls, let me know at paul@retakeourdemocracy.org.
Newly Arriving Refugees in ABQ and Las Cruces Need Your Support–Let’s Do This
From our ABQ ally Carolyn Beaty, an alert about new refugees arriving in ABQ this week and in urgent need of support. Folks in ABQ have a system set up for gathering needed supplies. We need to set up a secure drop off location in town and then identify someone who would drive to ABQ Interfaith later this week. I have posted on our FB page. If you haven’t “liked” our page, please do so, as increasingly it will be used to generate conversation on issues and policies, as well as to announce actions and events like this one. Please email me directly if you can offer or suggest a drop off location or if you can drive to ABQ Th or F with some supplies. paul@retakeourdemocracy.org.
UPDATE 9:30am: Moments after posting this I got the following information from our friends at Nob Hill Indivisible.
Update 11:30 am: We have a secure Drop Off location: New Energy Economy, 343 E. Alameda, Santa Fe 505 Phone: (505) 989-7262. Open 9-5pm, but always a good idea to call first. Items needed are listed below. And we have 4 drivers ready to go, including one willing to rent a truck if we gather a ton of stuff. Let’s really do this!!!!
- Just to let you know that cash donations for Asylum seekers can be made at indivisiblenobhill.com
- We are also coordinating the volunteers, and people can sign up on our website. We are doing this with Abq Interfaith, Catholic Charities and the City.
- We just worked all weekend with the City to process 100 asylum seekers and it was such a rewarding experience I urge anyone to sign up. It changes you.
- Let me know if you need more information. We met at Sharla’s house and when you came to speak to our group earlier this month.
- Rayellen Smith, President, Indivisible Nob Hill
So lots of options for supporting new refugees, above and below. But I am not aware of a Santa Fe effort, so please let me know. Paul
From Abq Journal) You can mail a donation to ABQ Interfaith at 431 Richmond Pl NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico. But let’s also figure out a way to do collections. Catholic Charities. St. Francis Xavier, at 820 Broadway SE, is accepting children’s clothing, men’s shoes, backpacks, hygiene supplies, lightweight gloves, caps and hats, small toys, coloring books and crayons, lightweight gloves, stuffed animals, lightweight lap blankets, men’s pants and briefs, waist sizes 29 to 34, size 5 to 8 shoes for men and women, children’s shoes, belts, sports bras and camisoles, individually wrapped travel size snacks, reusable flat grocery bags, travel sized hygiene items, lip balm, small jars of Vaseline, Pepto Bismol tabs, individually wrapped allergy and pain medication, cough drops with eucalyptus, children’s cough medicine and fresh fruit.
(From Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club Rio Grande on 4/20) Friends, it turns out that refugees are coming in through Albuquerque today, tomorrow, and next week. People are in quite a bit of need for shoes, strollers, car seats, clothing, toiletries, Etc. I wonder if people would be willing to bring donations to my house before 1 p.m. today, or to the office next week. My house 3036 San Rafael Avenue Northeast. You can leave things on our white bench on the porch. Thanks, Camilla Feibelman @ camilla.feibelman@SIERRACLUB.ORG
(Nikki Mann, NW Abq Political Action Group) As many of you know, Nikki is driving down to Las Cruces this coming week to take donations and volunteer at the local shelters there. Her focus will be transporting asylum seekers to the airport or bus station so they can go to their family sponsors. I’m guessing Nikki’s car is pretty full by now, but you can still provide donations and she will make sure that get to local volunteer groups. You can reach Nikki at bnjess@msn.com. Also, Nikki will provide us with an update on her trip to Las Cruces during the first half-hour of our NW Abq PAG meeting on May 4th (@ Friends Meeting House, 1600 5th St. NW).
A Look Back at a Week Focused on Environmental Justice
US Congressional Hearing on Chaco Leaves Little to Cheer as Governor and Secretary Propst Affirm Our Thirst for Gas & Oil
The Governor and her energy Secretary spoke glowingly of our partnership with gas and oil while Indigenous leaders spoke from the heart about the sanctity of Chaco and the land. Sadly, we’ve got centuries of US history that undermines hopes that even Chaco can be saved from the ravages of greed and failure of moral courage among our leadership. Click here to read the full post.
Another PNM Outrage: Plan to Purchase 10% Equity in Palo Verde Nuclear Plant with Rate Payers Paying the $1B Tab + Decommissioning Costs. Retake Joins New Energy Economy to Oppose
This post offers observations on an interesting Legislative Panel last night, plus a guest post from New Energy Economy about the latest PNM offense, and then, just because the news of late has been pretty brutal, we end with a really uplifting and inspiring animated video produced by Naomi Klein and written by AOC and Avi Lewis (husband of Naomi Klein and activist in his own right).It will make you smile. Click here to read the full post.
Wow! Global Warming Emergency Youth Issue Challenge to Adults at Green New Deal Town Hall: You Are Destroying Our Future. Ben Ray Announces He Is Co-Sponsoring GND.
There are no words for how powerful the Santa Fe Green New Deal Town Hall was last night, or the scope of its potential impact. This post gives a summary, and a link to the full video (watch it and share this link). Naomi Klein wrote, This Changes Everything, and last night Hannah Laga Abram and Global Warming Emergency students may have changed NM. It was that powerful. Click here to read the full post.
Finally, below we offer a powerful video that provides the story of a national disgrace. The US declaration of the Four Corners as a national sacrifice zone–a haunting film.
Categories: Personal & Collective Action
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