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Thanksgiving eve: No wait at Whole Foods vs. long lines at big box stores, other supermarkets

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On Thanksgiving eve, New Mexicans who haven’t already stood in line for hours to do their Thanksgiving shopping face hours-long wait times to get inside traditional grocery stores and big box stores like Smith’s, Albertson’s, Costco, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and others. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s clampdown on store capacities has resulted in retailers only allowing 75 people inside stores at any given time, and hefty lines have begun wrapping around stores.

While lines form at traditional supermarkets, New Mexicans may not expect lines at high-priced stores like the Whole Foods Market on 2103 Carlisle Boulevard NE in Albuquerque, where no lines were spotted on Tuesday morning at 10:37 a.m.

But products from stores like Whole Foods, owned by Amazon’s multi-billionaire founder, Jeff Bezos, will set shoppers back a hefty price. According to a report by the Santa Fe New Mexican, a Diestel pasture-raised turkey would cost an eye-popping $104.17 each. According to analysts, Whole Foods costs on average 10%-20% more than traditional grocery stores.

In contrast, at closeby Walmart on 2701 Carlisle Blvd NE in Albuquerque, lines are wrapping all the way around the store, into the parking lot, and down the block, which formed early this Tuesday morning and has not let up.

Similar schenes can be found across the state, as the Piñon Post reported this week. However, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office denies the existence of these lines, claiming they are just “Republican talking points,” and saying, “The state is not forcing anyone to stand in a crowded line, as you suggest.” 

The Governor’s office may be blissfully unaware of the long lines at stores because members of her office may shop at establishments like Whole Foods, that do not have endless lines versus more modestly priced markets like Smith’s and Walmart.  

Despite the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, the Governor is urging New Mexicans to not “mix households” and not to hug each other for the holiday, with propaganda videos via social media showcasing people social distancing from family this holiday season. Regardless, New Mexicans still need to eat, and there is no escaping a line unless one would prefer to pay top-dollar at places like Whole Foods.

Dem Speaker Brian Egolf tramples over NM House rules to ram through MLG’s COVID-19 bill

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On Tuesday, the New Mexico Legislature convened for a one-day special session after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called members of the New Mexico House and Senate to appropriate $330 million in COVID-19 relief to New Mexicans as a last-ditch attempt to use up what was left of the money appropriated through the federal CARES Act. The aide preliminarily acted to give $1,200 checks to the unemployed, grants to businesses, and housing assistance. 

It should be noted that the Governor’s two-time lockdown of the state has resulted in the loss of countless small businesses, which in turn has forced people onto unemployment, whereby they are unable to pay for food, supplies, and rent. Without the strict lockdown, there would be no need for any relief for workers and businesses. The $330 million Democrat bill had no provisions to give aid to essential workers.

Republicans in the New Mexico House of Representatives worked to amend the Governor’s bill to add essential workers into the appropriation so they would also receive relief. However, Democrats vehemently rejected the measure, which was proposed by Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences) with Speaker Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) claiming that the essential workers hurting through COVID-19 were lucky because “they have a job,” whereas the people only included in the Democrat bill did not have jobs.

Egolf then pre-emptively cut off debate on the Republican amendment, proceeding to a floor vote despite further debate on the motion by Republicans, such as state Senator-elect David Gallegos (R-Lovington), who was denied the right to speak on behalf of his constituents on multiple amendments and motions. 

“I attempted numerous times to speak on various amendments but to no avail. The Speaker refused to allow me to be heard. This is not a democratic system, it is an oligarchy and he and the governor tightly hold the power and are afraid of dissent. We must keep fighting for this state we love and for the voice of the minority in our state who continue to be silenced. We cannot let their tyranny stand,” wrote Gallegos on his Facebook page. 

During the roll call for final passage of the Democrat bill, Rep. Jason Harper (R-Rio Rancho) was called on to vote, to which he then said, “Since we’re throwing the rules out and using them when we’d like, I’ll explain myself now and then vote. Mr. Speaker, you have made a mockery of this body and of the rules. You are choosing to use the rules that you want, and I am choosing to use the rules when I want. Mr. Speaker, I am disgusted with you and how you have run this body. There is nothing wrong with going to closing remarks by Representative Dow and voting on that and voting on the bill. But you again are a bully and use that chair to sue your whims. I vote yes, thank you.” 

“I wanted to support the bill, I appreciate what has happened, but this is just a shenanigan that is improper, unethical, and certainly not transparent,” said Republican Leader Rep. Jim Townsend (R-Artesia) while casting his “no” vote. 

After the vote, Republican Whip Rep. Montoya (R-Farmington) took the floor and scolded Egolf for his blatant prejudice to the Republican minority, his hostility, and refusal to follow House rules. “Whatever we pass out of here today is going to be completely illegitimate, and I am very disappointed, Mr. Speaker, in the blatant effort, once again, to ignore the rules, try–with lawyer talk–to talk us through a quick discussion on this, when we are wasting more time on this when we could have already voted on the motion,” said Montoya.

All other legislation sponsored by Republicans, such as a bill to limit Gov. Lujan Grisham’s emergency powers, was tied up in committee and died on arrival. The Democrat relief bill was passed through both chambers and now goes to the Governor for her signature after the hurried special session.

MLG to state employees: Beware of ‘extreme risk’ associated with ‘traditional’ Thanksgiving

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On Monday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sent a letter to employees of the State of New Mexico, urging them not to gather on Thanksgiving with their families. The letter comes as the Governor has closed down “non-essential” businesses during her latest shutdown and limited “big box stores” and groceries from having more than 75 people per store, forcing people to stand in the November cold for essential items and food ahead of the holiday.

The Governor’s letter read, “This is not a normal holiday season. I know we all wish it wasn’t that way. But it is. Gathering for Thanksgiving this year in the traditional manner poses an extreme risk to the health and safety of your loved ones, your friends and yourself.” She added, “the virus is at large. And it is deadly. I am asking you to please take precautions to protect yourself your loved ones and others.”

The letter continued:

I know it’s hard—really. hard. I know we’re all so tired of this. I am too. I want to hug my family more than anything in the world. We all do. But it’s just not worth the risk right now. We can replace Thanksgiving dinner, but we cannot replace one another. 

So I am asking you to please stay home this holiday and to limit your celebrations to the people who live in your home. If you’re worried about hurting a loved one’s feelings by telling them you’re taking these precautions, I understand. But taking these precautions is the best way to show you care right now. 

Previously during a COVID-19 briefing, Lujan Grisham warned against hugging loved ones, instructing New Mexicans, “no hugging,” and “do not get close to household members.” 

In another briefing where the Governor announced a two-week lockdown over the Thanksgiving holiday, she shamed mourners for attending funerals, and at another press conference, she instructed New Mexicans to wear masks inside their own homes. She also instructed Thanksgiving gatherings to be fewer than five people, which she later admitted as unenforceable.

The letter from Lujan Grisham to state employees shows her latest attempt at trying to restrict peoples’ freedoms during the holidays, despite COVID-19’s 96% survival rate. 

Hundreds of pro-Trump patriots rally against election fraud at Roundhouse in Santa Fe

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On Saturday, hundreds of pro-Trump patriots rallied at the Capitol in Santa Fe for a “Return NM Protest” hosted by members of Bikers for Trump and Schumacher’s Guns. The well-attended protest is just the latest of the weekly demonstrations happening across the state, where patriotic American flag-wielding Trump supporters have gathered to protest Democrat fraud in American elections.

Among the speakers were Couy Griffin, an Otero County Commissioner and leader of Cowboys for Trump, members of Bikers for Trump New Mexico, and other local activists.

Griffin led the masses in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer while Leanna Derrick, a member of the Navajo Nation, led the crowd in the National Anthem. 

“There’s one document that they’re after right now, and that’s our Constitution,” Griffin stated in his remarks, adding, “Some of the most radical progressives in the United States will soon be going back through the doors of this Roundhouse, and the policy that they’re going to be putting forward is going to be a policy that’s going to oppress and cripple the people of our great state of New Mexico. I hate to say that, but it’s what they’ve been doing for the last eighty years. 

Griffin also touched on the proven Democrat election fraud happening across the country, calling the 2020 election the “most fraudulent election that we have ever had.” He added, “I truly do believe that the truth is going to come out, the questions are going to be demanded to be answered, the Supreme Court is going to make a judgment, and the election is either going to be deemed fraudulent — thrown completely out — or made right. We’re going to have four more years of Donald Trump, one of the two.”  

Audrey Trujillo of Corrales and a woman named April from Española also spoke about taking the fight to the Democrats and overturning the fraud in the 2020 election. “The more that the fraud is coming to light, the more that people are opening their eyes,” said April. 

Joshua James of the “American National Academy” accurately characterized any law violating the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution as “treason,” adding that, “there’s a hundred different forms of treason we can get these people on, but we only need one.” 

Many other lively patriots addressed the crowd about the importance of supporting President Trump, standing up for Constitutional rights, and stopping the fraudulent 2020 election. 

Luján now says elections ‘safe and secure’ after peddling Russia ‘election interference’ conspiracies

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On Friday, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan took to Twitter to claim that New Mexico’s elections–which remain in serious doubt–were “safe and secure,” despite any evidence proving his point.

He wrote, “Let me be clear: New Mexico’s elections were safe and secure thanks to the efforts of elections officials & poll workers. Efforts to cast doubt on our elections are baseless & wrong — and they distract from the smooth transfer of power Americans deserve.”

But Ben Ray Luján has been one of the loudest members of the U.S. House of Representatives peddling a conspiracy that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections, claiming President Trump benefitted by this. A years-long investigation by partisan Democrats found no collusion between Russia and the Trump Campaign, as well as no obstruction of justice from the Trump Administration, disproving Luján’s misinformation campaign.

During the investigation, Luján claimed, “The President’s refusal to stand up to Putin signals permission to Russia that it is ok to interfere in future elections. After today my Republican colleagues must decide if they will remain complicit or finally act to protect our democracy.” This comes after President Trump has been one of the toughest American presidents on Russia, instituting crippling sanctions on the country and shuttered Russian consulates across the nation–the very opposite of “refus[ing] to stand up to Putin.” 

Luján also claimed Trump “encourag[ed] Russia’s election interference,” which is untrue, and repeatedly claimed Russia “meddled” in American elections, while sharing photos of Vladimir Putin to try and bolster his baseless argument. 

However, there is ample evidence, some even coming from the Ivy League Princeton University, showing Dominion Voting Systems–which were used in all of New Mexico’s 33 counties–can be hacked and votes can be changed. President Trump’s lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said in a press conference this week that the campaign has a “very, very significant amount of fraud allegations in the state of New Mexico,” while Boris Epshteyn, another member of the Trump Campaign said there were “up to 180,000 ballots” in question in the Land of Enchantment–far more than enough to turn the state from Biden to Trump. 

The Piñon Post has compiled multiple reports on election fraud in New Mexico, which Democrats and leftist organizations claim is “next to impossible” to occur, however, it has occurred, leading to Democrat wins at the ballot box. Ben Ray Luján’s lack of evidence in producing a narrative that voter fraud does not exist in New Mexico is a misleading claim, especially since he has spent the better part of four years erroneously peddling the “Russia collusion” conspiracy theory.

Lujan Grisham calls for special session next Tuesday for virus relief

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On Thursday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her call for a special session to address three COVID-19 topics: housing, small businesses, and unemployment. 

According to the Governor, the special session will be held on next Tuesday only, but possibly it might spill into Wednesday to work on possible $300 relief checks to individuals, relief for housing, and small business grants. 

When asked about the funding of the payouts, the Governor said it would come from federal CARES Act funds. 

In September, the Piñon Post sent a letter to Congress urging them not to grant Lujan Grisham any further federal funding due to her irresponsible virus spending during the first round of COVID-19 relief, which she quickly spent, as well as sate funds she spent without the Legislature’s approval. During her last special session earlier this year, Gov. Lujan Grisham vetoed $318 million in federal virus relief for local governments, including “$23 million for tribal governments and another $15 million specifically for counties in the northwest with large Indigenous populations,” according to the Associated Press.

The Governor tried to amplify the severity of COVID-19, claiming more people have died from the virus than strokes and car accidents, while also saying an American dies every second from the virus. She did not provide sources.

During the press conference, Lujan Grisham warned New Mexicans about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, warning people about gathering together and urging them to buy takeout for their holiday meals — the few that are still open after her lockdown. 

“Do not mix up households–coming into contact with non-household members. It is high-risk,” said the Governor. She also barred people from hugging each other. 

The Governor later tweeted a list of places she deems non-essential and essential for New Mexicans.

Slide from the Governor’s presentation.

Giuliani: ‘We have a very, very significant amount of fraud allegations’ in New Mexico

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On Thursday, President Trump’s legal team updated the press on their findings of election interference by Democrats, where they laid out the evidence of fraud they have, which included the states of New Mexico, Virginia, Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Arizona. 

President Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, said, “The state that we’re looking at that would surprise you is—we have a very, very significant amount of fraud allegations in the state of New Mexico.” 

Yesterday, on the Real America’s Voice with Steve Bannon, Trump Campaign advisory board member Boris Epshteyn also said that New Mexico was in the Campaign’s sights for fraud. He said the following: 

“I was alerted to the fact that in New Mexico, outside of Bernalillo County, which is the county where Albuquerque is, there was an issue with observers not being allowed to observe that has impacted, I believe, up to 180,000 ballots—180,000 ballots. Do you know what the difference in the state of New Mexico between Sleepy Joe Biden and the President of the United States?… It’s 99,000. That’s what it is. So, the State of New Mexico, which has always been ripe with all kinds of fraud and all kinds of issues, is definitely another state where we’re taking a hard look at.” 

According to the New Mexico Republican Party, they are “working hard” to uncover the fraud in the state.

Trump Campaign official says up to 180k ballots in question in New Mexico

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On Wednesday, Boris Epshteyn, a member of President Donald Trump’s 2020 advisory board, appeared on Real America’s Voice News with Steve Bannon to talk about election fraud across the country and the campaign’s efforts to expose the true results of the 2020 election in key battleground states.

Among the states Epshteyn mentioned were Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico.

Bannon pushed Epshteyn on mentioning New Mexico, to which he replied:

“I was alerted to the fact that in New Mexico, outside of Bernalillo County, which is the county where Albuquerque is, there was an issue with observers not being allowed to observe that has impacted, I believe, up to 180,000 ballots — 180,000 ballots. Do you know what the difference in the state of New Mexico between Sleepy Joe Biden and the President of the United States?… It’s 99,000. That’s what it is. So, the State of New Mexico, which has always been ripe with all kinds of fraud and all kinds of issues, is definitely another state where we’re taking a hard look at.” 

The state Republican Party shared the video on social media, writing, “[The Republican Party of New Mexico] is working overtime to get answers and we will not stop until we do. We are exposing the Democrats’ fraud scheme and working to get the TRUE results from the November 3rd Election.” 

The Piñon Post has been the leading news source in New Mexico uncovering the fraud happening across the state, from the irregularities occurring with Dominion Voting Systems to Democrats harvesting ballots from senior citizens and everything in between. 

There has not been an official statement from the Trump Campaign or the Republican Party of New Mexico yet on the findings of fraud in New Mexico. However, there are three races across the state still in the balance, and the results could tip many races in the Republicans’ favor, especially if the fraudulent ballot count is anywhere near 180,000. 

Española holds gun ‘buyback’ in attempt to disarm the public, will remold guns into gardening tools

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This week, the Española Police Department announced a new gun buyback program in an attempt to disarm citizens of the city. The event is being sponsored by the anti-gun group New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence (NMPGV), a fringe organization that has lobbied for just about every anti-gun measure proposed in New Mexico.

The buyback, titled “Guns for Groceries” will be held on Thursday, November 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Española Police Department, and anyone with a gun can bring it in and exchange it for a gift card to Amazon, Center Market, Food King, Target, or Walmart.

The amounts of the cards vary between the type, with semi-automatic firearms that the group calls “assault weapons” going for $250, semi-automatic handguns and semi-automatic rifles going for $200, and long guns and pistols going for $100. The guns will then be “dismantled on-site” and “forged into gardening tools.” Españolans can turn in as many guns as they would like as long as they are in working condition and unloaded.

While introducing the measure, NMPGV co-president Miranda Viscoli said, “There are too many guns,” also saying, “There was one woman who brought in 10 guns, she said she had eight more at home.” 

“Once a firearm is surrendered and a gift card is issued, EPD will conduct a National Crime Information Center inquiry on the firearms to make sure they are not stolen. Police state that if a firearm is determined to be stolen, it will be entered into evidence, and the rightful owner will be contacted,” reports KRQE 13.

According to Governing Magazine, gun buybacks are “ineffective” in curbing crime and are a massive failure. “In Seattle, there appeared to be no statistically significant change in gun-related homicides after its gun buyback. A 2002 study in Milwaukee found that handguns sold back to local police didn’t fit the profile of handguns used in homicides. Buybacks, the studies seemed to say, don’t work,” wrote the publication.

The event held by Viscoli’s group appears merely to be a gun-grab, where as many firearms as possible are confiscated from legal owners, while it is unlikely any criminals would willingly turn in their illegally obtained firearms.

NM legislator who disrespected police brags about buying luxury Hermés products: ‘Treat yo self’

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Over the weekend, state Sen. Jacob Candelaria bragged on Instagram about his new purchases from the expensive French fashion house, Hermés. The legislator is known for mercilessly berating State Police officers who he called to help him with hate mail. 

When the officers arrived at Candelaria’s home, which appears to be an apartment building, he repeatedly mentioned that he was a state senator, that he would call Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on the officers, and finally kicked them out after he did not receive the answers he was looking for.

He also filmed a 30-minute-long video where he dramatically cried about the issue and claimed that he did not feel safe, later saying in a tweet that he now has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the experience. The Governor’s office appears to have blocked out Candelaria and dismissed his melodramatic tirade.

Now, after the experience, it appears the state lawmaker, who also likes to mention in his Twitter bio that he attended the Ivy League Princeton University, has decided to treat himself to luxury goods that range from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars from Hermés, one of the most expensive fashion houses in the world.

In a post showing off the signature orange and blue boxes with the company’s logos, Candelaria wrote, “Treat yo self. The road is long and the fights are hard—-celebrating your joy is a seditious act.” 

Although the image does not disclose what specific products the state lawmaker purchased, the box’s large size means he may have purchased any number of items. Men’s scarves on the site range from $455 to $870, belts range from $825 to $5,435, and wallets range from $590 to upwards of $20,200. 

Candelaria’s likely $1,000+ purchase of luxury French goods comes as New Mexicans are feeling the effects of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns, which now threaten even more businesses with having to close for good. Working families are still struggling to put food on the table, small businesses are not allowed to operate due to their “non-essential” status, and families are not allowed to gather for the Thanksgiving holiday with more than five family members. Candelaria has supported such lockdowns.

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