Party News
Resolution in Support of the New Mexico Green Amendment
Whereas the platforms of the Democratic Party of New Mexico and of the Democratic Party of Santa Fe County affirm the right to live in a healthy environment;
And Whereas it is appropriate for the DPSFC to put our platform into action by supporting actions that put the language in the platform into effect;
And Whereas every New Mexican should have access to what should be a basic human right to clean air, land and water;
And Whereas there is a critical need for ways in which environmental justice can be legally enforced, particularly for disadvantaged communities which are disproportionately targeted by polluters;
And Whereas the New Mexico Green Amendment would raise up environmental rights to our constitution’s Bill of Rights by amending Article II of the New Mexico Constitution to read:
- The people of the state have the natural, inherent and inalienable right to a clean and healthy environment, including water, air, soil, flora, fauna, ecosystems and climate, and to the protection of the natural, cultural, scenic and healthful qualities of the environment.
- The protection of the state’s environment is hereby declared to be of fundamental importance to health, safety and the public interest.
- The state, including its political subdivisions, shall serve as trustee of the natural resources of New Mexico and shall conserve, protect and maintain these resources for the benefit of all New Mexicans, including present and future generations.
- The provisions of this section are self-executing.
And Whereas the New Mexico Green Amendment has been endorsed by over 40 organizations statewide, including Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA), the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter, the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce, Tewa Women United, and the DPNM Rural Caucus;
Therefore Be It Resolved that the Democratic Party of Santa Fe County calls for the passage of a New Mexico Green Amendment;
And Be It Further Resolved that the Democratic Party of Santa Fe County urges our county delegation in the NM Legislature to support passage of a New Mexico Green Amendment during the 2022 Regular Session of the legislature.
DPSFC Members Attend Virtual Legislative Dinner
The State Democratic Legislative Dinner went virtual – and high energy, with appearances by Sen. Elizabeth Warren from her porch and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland of New Mexico. Whitmer hinted that she could tell some tall tales of governors’ conference with our own Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who was also at the dinner, along with most high-ranking state Democrats. Warren told participants, “When the party calls, lace up your boots and go.”
We Need Your Help
We’ve been lucky here in New Mexico, over the last few years, to have Democrats hold all our statewide offices and most of our congressional districts. But that could change in 2022, if we fail to get our Democratic candidates on the ballot. Imagine a Republican Governor vetoing climate-change legislation, early childhood education, and education funding increases. Imagine a Republican as Secretary of State, running elections in New Mexico at the behest of Trump. Imagine losing our Congressional majority, because our own candidate failed to qualify for the ballot. Can’t imagine, right?
Please come to our petition signing every day this week and again on Saturday, Jan 22 or Sunday, Jan 23, and sign petitions for each of these critical offices. We’ll have all those petitions laid out so you can sign quickly and get on with your weekend. The situation is critical, so please contact all your friends to come sign these petitions!
At the Center for Progress and Justice, 1420 Cerrillos Rd. (opposite the Indian School), Every day beginning Monday, January 17, and on Saturday Jan. 22 and Sunday, Jan. 23, from 10am until 3pm.
This is a masks-only event, following NM COVID protocols.
If you have any questions, please call David Thompson (505-984-8496) or Phyllis Bustamante (505-986-1443) or reply to this email.
Legal Notice Call to all Democratic Party Members of Santa Fe County
Pitching for Petitions with Pizza
Petitions and pizza kicked off the new year for SFCDP as candidates stumped at headquarters to plead for petition gatherers. Because of COVID-19 and the shutdown of large gatherings, candidates are concerned that they won’t get enough signatures to get on the primary ballot.
Santa Fe County is assigned 1,500 signatures by Jan. 16.
To make it fun, volunteers gobbled 72 pieces of pizza and are now in a tight race to win the prize for most signatures. The top three gatherers get gift cards from the locally-owned bakery, Dolina Bakery, 402 N. Guadalupe St., Santa Fe. The first prize is $50, the second prize is $25 and the third prize is $15. Yum – that’s a lot of yummy goodies.
Prizes to be given out on January 16 from 1-2 pm
FLASH!!! You can meet Julie Rodriquez on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. outside World Market at Santa Fe Place to gather signatures. You can also meet Julie at the Capitol Building (Old Santa Fe Trail Side) on Jan 18, the first day of the Legislative Session, from 11:30 to 1:30 for a signature gathering.
Learn more about gathering signatures CLICK HERE
Primer on Petition Signatures
The best places to gather petition signatures are where there are groups of people: malls, big box stores, supermarkets, in-person board meetings of any kind, even places of worship (outside, of course and be respectful). Take petitions with you when visiting family; get everyone to sign. Go to Democrats in your neighborhood.
Make sure all your Ward members sign.
The best place to get petitions are the websites of the candidate(s) for whom you want to petition.
Things to KNOW:
- Each voter who signs the petition needs to be a registered Democrat in Santa Fe County (in the case of the Congressional race, they may be registered anywhere in CD-3 as redistricted.)
- Signers must PRINT CLEARLY IN BLUE OR BLACK INK and make sure that their name and address is exactly as it appears on their voter registration form. For example, “Bill” may be registered as “William.”
- If two or more people from the same household sign, they need to fill out the address each time.
- No other marks beyond what the signee is required to enter can be on the sheets.
- If a signer asks, let them know that they can only sign one petition for contested elections, or it will be invalid on each petition where it appears.
Be respectful – and smile: See content on this very subject
Regarding judgeships: In New Mexico, At this writing, there are no contested judgeship races. However, they still must present nominating petitions signed by 2 percent of the total vote of the Democratic Party in the district.
Please help! Due to the recent redistricting, there isn’t a lot of time. Do your part for democracy. You’ll be glad you did.
Did Someone Say Petitioning is Fun?
Teresa Leger Fernandez and Cindy Pabst Petitioning for Signatures
Did someone say petitioning is fun? Well, it can be. Sometimes you meet nice people who are happy to sign your candidate petition. They may even appreciate your efforts to step up and do the heavy lifting and thank you for your volunteerism. All smiles and happiness could be the result of your interaction with a voter.
Or not.
Did someone say petitioning is fun? Well, it can be. Sometimes you meet nice people who are happy to sign your candidate petition. They may even appreciate your efforts to step up and do the heavy lifting and thank you for your volunteerism. All smiles and happiness could be the result of your interaction with a voter.
And when that happens, here’s what will help you keep your composure. Just remember that it is not YOU being rejected. It may not even be your candidate being rejected. It’s just that some people don’t want to participate in the electoral process. As simple as that. In your desire to get as many signatures as possible, you might be tempted to politely convince someone to sign. Or suggest why it’s important to do so. Best practices by professionals in the field suggest otherwise.
Rather than antagonize, be courteous. Smile. Say, “Okay. Thank you.” Remember – it’s all about the candidate. It’s not about you. Arguing or cajoling could jeopardize the standing your candidate has, potentially, with this voter.
One more thing, you may also be driven off the property of a chain store, or from a mall. From their point of view, you are obstructing their ability to do business with customers. If you get shooed away, find the nearest sidewalk to the store. Don’t argue. Just walk away. Your goal is to get your candidate on the ballot – and, later, elected.
Better yet, try your luck at a local store by asking first if you can petition in front of their shop.
Bottom line – we want signatures and votes. Goodwill gets that. Don’t antagonize. It doesn’t help us get to the end result. BLUE in 22.
Mary Jane Parks appointed Vice Chair 2
Marti Burt continues party work