On Friday, after U.S. Senate candidate Mark Ronchetti blasted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her cousin, Ben Ray Luján for their actions banning in-person campaigning, Ben Ray distances himself from Lujan Grisham, claiming they two are not related.
Luján tweeted, “While I respect my friend, our governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, we’re not cousins. This may come as a surprise to you, but not all Hispanic people with the same last name are related.”
While I respect my friend, our governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, we’re not cousins.
This may come as a surprise to you, but not all Hispanic people with the same last name are related. https://t.co/PTQTzr056k
It appears Luján was trying to claim Ronchetti thinks every Hispanic with the last name “Luján” is related for linking the two together. Lujan Grisham also commented from her personal account, writing, “c’mon. do better.”
However, far-left reports claim Luján and Lujan Grisham are related, and Ronchetti hit back at Luján for correcting him but not correcting leftist members of the mainstream media.
Ronchetti wrote, “Do better? Then why didn’t you correct the AP and Washington Post, and multiple NM stories stating same?”
Do better? Then why didn’t you correct the AP and Washington Post, and multiple NM stories stating same?
Ben Ray Luján’s move could be him trying to distance himself from Luján Grisham after her unpopular leadership during COVID-19 appears to be tanking, from 64% approval of her response in April, to a 53% approval rating now.
Recently, a new account has appeared on Twitter called “Respect NM Fans,” which is weaponizing the conservative “Respect NM” branding to spread left-wing propaganda.
The account, which says it was created in July, is utilizing the “Respect NM” campaign’s images, logo and fonts to nefariously trick people into thinking the account is the real thing, but it isn’t. Instead of “Respect New Mexico,” the logo has been slightly changed to “Respect New Mexicans,” and other slight changes.
Some of the messages promote the use of solar energy, all mail-in elections, expanding welfare, and mandated mask-wearing.
So, before you share that “Respect NM” meme, make sure it came from the genuine Respect NM account (@RespectNM), and not the leftist campaign Respect NM Fans (@RespectNMFans). Also, it is encouraged to report the account for impersonation.
This is what a genuine Respect New Mexico meme looks like:
No one has been immune to the effects of the lockdown. It may not be business as usual, but we've got to get back to business. Now is the time to come together and support one another in every creative way we can. pic.twitter.com/VmyzGqD1A4
On Thursday, it was reported by the Hobbs News-Sun that Lea County Sheriff Corey Helton and the Lea County Sheriff’s Department had a Writ of Mandamus filed against them by Attorney General Hector Balderas for violating Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s strict public health orders.
The move came after the Sheriff and his deputies had eaten indoors at a local restaurant, which the Governor took issue with, as only outdoor dining at 50% capacity is allowed under her new orders.
During last week’s COVID-19 press briefing, Lujan Grisham lambasted the Law Enforcers for sticking it to her by eating at a local restaurant. In a post, the Sheriff’s Office wrote, “#heyleacounty ! Do not be alarmed when you see LCSO Deputies enter local restaurants. We’re not there to enforce the Governor’s mandate. We’re there to grab and support our local businesses!”
saying, “For local law enforcement: where you are also — it’s bad enough that you won’t help us cite folks who aren’t wearing masks and organizations and businesses and restaurants following public health orders — if you are violating a public health order, there are civil and criminal tools at our disposal. And local law enforcement — including the sheriffs who have been posting photos of themselves eating returns — should expect to be cited as such and to be held accountable.”
Balderas’ lawsuit reads, “Despite the spike in new cases, Respondent Corey Helton, the Sheriff of Lea County, and his deputies have requested that restaurants open their facilities in violation of the State’s public health emergency orders. According to television reports, the Sheriff’s Office patronized local restaurants that have opened despite public health orders, and that are operating without a valid food service permit.”
“Therefore, the State, through its Attorney General, petitions the Court for a writ of mandamus, directing Sheriff Helton and LCSO to cease violating the State’s executive and public health emergency orders, including by issuing orders to city businesses that countermand state law,” it continues.
The suit also lists two local restaurants that have had their food license suspended, and the coordinated effort between the Governor and the Attorney General appears to be a targeted campaign against the people of rural New Mexico — specifically Hobbs. Lujan Grisham berated a Hobbs business in her weekly presser, even going after the workers at the restaurant, claiming they were not wearing masks. “Those workers” in the photo “are not wearing masks. You cannot tell, but I can tell,” she said in a paranoid tone.
On Tuesday, U.S. House of Representatives candidate, Alexis Martinez Johnson, who is running in the Third Congressional District, announced that conservative Republican Representative and Freedom Caucus member Paul Gosar of Arizona has endorsed her run for Congress.
“Alexis Martinez Johnson is conservative, hardworking, and a patriot. My decision to endorse Alexis Martinez Johnson was an easy one. I know Alexis will be the right person for the job and will work tirelessly for New Mexico and will be an ally for conservatives in the House and President Trump,” wrote Gosar.
Gosar continued, “Elites from the east and west coast want to determine the fate of New Mexico’s elections. I want you to know that Alexis will bring true conservative representation to New Mexico’s 3rd District. Choosing to support Alexis in the General Election will help fight off the elites from the east and west coast.”
— Alexis Martinez Johnson (@alexisjohnsonnm) July 28, 2020
“I know a lot of people have said that New Mexico’s 3rd district is too much of a battleground seat. I have personally reviewed Alexis’s strategy for winning and met with her campaign strategists, and she can win…with your help,” wrote Gosar, giving some hope for Republicans to reclaim the District after years of Democrat rule.
Martinez Johnson will face Democrat Teresa Leger de Fernandez, a longtime leftist attorney who worked alongside the Obama Administration. Martinez Johnson is an environmental engineer and mother who says on her website, “I do not come from wealth or privilege, but through hard work I have built a life to be proud of.”
Democrat Teresa Leger de Fernandez’s donations include those of Johnathan Soros, former New MExico Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, as well as dark money abortion up-to-birth groups NARAL and EMILY’s List. Over half of Leger De Fernandez’s campaign donations come from out-of-state.
On Thursday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham held a press conference, which escalated into more of a rant against people she claimed were causing the spread of COVID-19.
During the presser, she claimed New Mexicans were “breaking ranks,” with public officials questioning inaccuracies in her Health Department’s data while berating those leaders for claiming Lujan Grisham’s mask mandate is a way to “control or manipulate individuals in our state.”
She insisted, “I need folks to not do that!” She went on to claim President Donal J. Trump “didn’t meet his responsibility” to force every American to wear a face mask, as the Governor has done.
Lujan Grisham then went on to compare random photographs from Taos and Hobbs, one showing a sunny, bright day in Taos, where people were wearing face masks as far as the eye could see. However, the other photograph Lujan Grisham showed was one of an unnamed establishment in Hobbs, which appeared to be a snitch photo submitted to her office picturing people eating inside and not wearing masks.
She said the actions in the picture were “not allowable,” touting how her team had altered the snitch photo to add blue/purple masks onto the subjects. Lujan Grisham also claimed, “those workers” in the photo “are not wearing masks. You cannot tell, but I can tell,” she said in a paranoid tone.
As well, she said, “I don’t think the individuals were trying to support a local business,” then claiming “we’re getting… those photos and many calls and many complaints, and we’re going out.”
Other than threatening local law enforcers with fines and citations after her rant at the Hobbs business, Lujan Grisham then claimed, “Nobody wishes that restaurants have a situation where they have a situation where they are challenged to make it. Every business — every small business is worthy of New Mexico’s attention and support.” It may not appear that way, with the New Mexico Restaurant Associaton estimating that 20% of restaurants across the state will close forever.
Lujan Grisham continued, saying, “And I know that New Mexicans also know we are also debating these issues in front of fact-finders — judges — statewide, and I believe in the independence and authority of judges. And we will adhere to whatever judicial action comes down any number of these. But we are citing. We are closing, and I will tell you this. For local law enforcement: where you are also — it’s bad enough that you won’t help us cite folks who aren’t wearing masks and organizations and businesses and restaurants following public health orders — if you are violating a public health order, there are civil and criminal tools at our disposal. And local law enforcement — including the sheriffs who have been posting photos of themselves eating returns — should expect to be cited as such and to be held accountable.”
The statement seems a bit hypocritical that Lujan Grisham “beleive[s] in the independence and authority of judges,” when the New Mexico Restaurant Associaton’s lawsuit to allow in-person dining was met with radio silence from her office. Not only that, right after the Court sided with the Association, Lujan Grisham had the New Mexico Supreme Court fast-track the case — shutting down the lower Court’s ruling within hours. Is that what Lujan Grisham claims is being respectful toward the “independence” of judges?
As well, Lujan Grisham’s targeting of Sheriffs, claiming her State Police will have to turn on fellow law enforcers and cite them, undermines the duly-elected sheriffs and local law enforcement operations trying to uphold the written law — not necessarily Lujan Grisham’s edicts. But Lujan added insult to injury, and said, “shout out to the State Police” for putting the hammer down and prioritizing her mandates as gospel. She continued, “We don’t want to do it — New Mexicans are making us do it. And so are out-of-staters who are being cited.”
But despite the bad optics of the forcible masking, she claims the militant tactics have “increased mask-wearing” while berating Texas and Arizona, which she claimed were not wearing as many masks as New Mexico.
At the end of her press conference, Lujan Grisham said “New Mexicans are traveling out-of-state. They are not adhering to a 14-day quarantine — and you’re not supposed to be going out! Why are you going out of state? Vacations, family gatherings, unnecessary, unrequired business travel — I can see you at the airports, I can see it on Facebook. Our modelers and folks who look at that aggregate data, we know about it and we can see it coming up in contact tracing. You are taking the virus to other places, you are bringing that virus back. You are being unfair to New Mexico’s economy. Worse, you are putting new Mexicans in the hospital and some of them are losing their lives. Unacceptable.”
.@GovMLG presser reel 2/3: MLG claims she supports “independence and authority of judges” despite having NM Supreme Court overrule local judge MLG claims State Police will cite Sheriffs and local Law Enforcers MLG says militant mask enforcement increases mask-wearing.@GovMLG presser reel 3/3: MLG goes on a rant against New Mexicans leaving the state, citing her tracking of peoples’ phones to know where they are coming from and going to.
New Mexicans’ latest scolding by the Governor proves that there is no telling what the Governor will do to take control and usurp power from local law enforcers, as well as shame small businesses and citizens she deems as threats to her political plans.
On Friday. Lujan Grisham claimed she had a “heartbreakingly hard” decision to stave off opening New Mexico’s public schools, despite not seeming remorseful or heartbroken in the slightest in her Thursday press conference.
On Thursday evening, The Roswell City Council passed a directive to the city manager directing him not to enforce Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s emergency health order.
City Councilor Jacob Roebuck said, “While we certainly have a continuing crisis on our hands, the emergency part has passed. There has been ample time for the governor to make her case to the people, to get their support through the lawmaking body,” he said.
He also said his reason for supportng the measure was not partisan in nature.
“I think there’s a clear line between political and partisan. This is a political process,” said Roebuck. “I think one of the reasons we need to do this is because it needs to be on us, the political body, and not the staff to decide.”
City Councilor Jeanine Best said, “I think we have more important fish to fry. You know, (the governor) she wants us to pay $100 or go sit in jail for six months when she’s letting people out of jail in Santa Fe that shouldn’t be let out of jail,” regarding the strict mask mandate imposed by the Governor. “She’s not making sense in the decisions that she’s making,” she continued.
Councilor Barr Foster said, “I’m not sure the governor is acting in the best interest of our state, more in the best interest of her party,” he said. “Her actions by not responding to the restaurant association shows me she has contempt for our system and she doesn’t care about our Constitution, so that is why I’m for this.” Foster was referring to Lujan Grisham not responding to a lawsuit from the New Mexico Restaurant Association, which was decided in favor of them, but overturned just hours later by the New Mexico Supreme Court.
After an hour and a half discussion, the Council voted 6-4 to pass the order.
On Wednesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham released a new ad pushing for her mask mandate, which comes with $100 fines and up to 6 months in jail for non-compliance.
The lighthearted video featuring a female voiceover shows people of all different ages — including a New Mexico State Police officer and a child — wearing masks.
The ad says, “Masks are mandatory in New Mexico. The men and women called to serve and protect you want to thank you for wearing one. For those of you who are diligently wearing a mask everywhere you go, during every activity… keep up the great work! You’re setting an example by doing your part to stop the spread of COVID-19 and you are appreciated. When you wear a mask, you show support and respect for others. That’s the New Mexico way.”
The video then shows a young man wearing an American flag cap being cited for not wearing a mask, as the police officer holds up a blue mask and a citation. “Please don’t waste law enforcement’s time. They have more important things to do than cite you for not wearing a mask. Do the right thing. Always wear a mask. Protect New Mexico,” says the ad.
When you wear a mask, you show support and respect for others. You're doing your part.
This is just the latest attempt by the Governor to try and build public opinion for her strict mask mandate, on Tuesday, retweeting a post talking about President Trump touting the use of masks as “patriotic.” She wrote in a presumably sarcastic tone, “Thanks for joining us, Mr. President.”
On Tuesday, it was revealed that Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales was meeting in Washington, D.C. with President Donald Trump to discuss the implementation of the President’s “Operation Legend,” which according to the Department of Justice, will be “a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative across all federal law enforcement agencies working in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight the sudden surge of violent crime.”
Upon news of the Sheriff’s upcoming meeting with the President to discuss a benign measure to ensure safe streets, the far-left Democrats in New Mexico’s Congressional delegation and at New Mexico liberal groups exploded with immediate fits of rage.
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), who has a permanent residence in Maryland, said in a statement, “Sheriff Gonzales wasn’t representing Bernalillo County when he opposed body cameras. He wasn’t representing Bernalillo County when he opposed efforts for common sense gun violence reforms. And he isn’t with us now.”
Heinrich demanded, “Instead of collaborating with the Albuquerque Police Department, the Sheriff is inviting the President’s stormtroopers into Albuquerque,” continuing to say, “If we can learn anything from Portland, it’s that we don’t need this kind of ‘help’ from the White House. The President is currently using federal law enforcement agents like a domestic paramilitary force. That’s precisely how fascism begins and none of us should ever encourage or accept it.”
The junior senator is referring to the arrests made in portland of Antifa domestic terrorists which sparked fire on Twitter after videos showed Federal agents calmly arresting provocateurs
Could someone in law-enforcement comment as to whether this Portland arrest looks real. Is it a Barr/Trump stunt? Rental cars? No IDs? Where are local police? Is the protester actually cuffed? Why wasn’t he patted down? Oregon is a concealed carry state. pic.twitter.com/cFViBvytK0
Far-left Rep. Deb Haaland who represents Albuquerque in the First Congressional District wrote on Twitter, “President Trump and AG Barr are trying to deploy federal law enforcement officers into Albuquerque to harass our communities & divide us. Sheriff Manny Gonzales is their accomplice. We will stand united against this threat.”
President Trump and AG Barr are trying to deploy federal law enforcement officers into Albuquerque to harass our communities & divide us. Sheriff Manny Gonzales is their accomplice. We will stand united against this threat. https://t.co/Y7fvoebSei
Far-left fringe group “ProgressNow NM,” which has actively supported the local Antifa chapter, started an unhinged petition demanding Sheriff Gonzales resign, claiming he is letting in “Trump’s Gestapo.” ProgressNow previously endorsed a series of tweets from Antifa doxxing fellow citizens they disagreed with on political views.
Sheriff Manny Gonzales is a disgrace to our community. He's coordinating to bring Trump's Gestapo to Albuquerque.
Law and order by the Bernalillo County Sheriff appear to be universally rejected by the leftist mob, hell-bent on destroying the Police Department, the Sheriff’s Office, and any other type of peace-keeping agency from doing their job. If merely meeting with President Trump can trigger such a response, it is inconceivable what lengths these people will go when the Sheriff begins implementing “Operation Legend”
On Monday, the 2019 Legislature-sanctioned study into the cost of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s “universal health care” proposal was released. The study which was conducted by Maryland-based KNG Health Consulting reportedly cost the state $390,000 in taxpayer funds and showed multiple red flags to the Governor’s plan.
The study found that it would “improve affordability for low-income households,” while skyrocketing premiums for other families, and employer contributions. Payroll taxes likely would go up to pay for what could be as much as a $5.8 billion shortfall for the program over the first five years of the program.
“Still, additional funding sources may be needed to fully cover the cost of the program, depending on the structure of the plan,” the report states, despite it taking away funding from “duplicate” funding programs to help pay for it.
According to the Associated Press, the report “also states that the use of health care services would likely increase as the vast majority of residents turn to public insurance.”
“Under a state-administered plan, some segments of the private insurance industry would disappear, resulting in financial hardship to New Mexico households and businesses that are dependent on the industry, the report stated,” writes the AP.
Despite the deficit the plan would create, as well as the massive ramifications to working families and small businesses, which includes an increase in taxes, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham insists that the universal health care program is “a non-negotiable priority” for her administration.
On Monday, it was reported that the New Mexico Restaurant Association had won their lawsuit against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, which accused the Governor of targeting the restaurant industry.
According to KRQE News, “The lawsuit requested a temporary restraining order that now stops the governor from carrying on with the recently amended public health order. This means for the next 10 days, restaurants can open for indoor dining at 50% capacity. The reason the judge permitted restaurants to reopen for the next 10 days was because the State failed to file any response by the set deadline of July 20.”
New Mexico Restaurant Association’s attorney Antonia Roybal-Mack said the Governor “is making decisions without fact and as a result of that, those decisions are void,” also saying that the Judge’s order “is the right decision for restaurants.”
“After the July 30 hearing hopefully (the injunction) can be extended. I think the evidence is going to be clear to the judge and to everybody else that restaurants are not the cause of COVID-19 spread,” said Roybal Mack.
It’s unclear what will happen after the 10-day mark, however, the public health order in question expires on July 30th.
Previously, New Mexico Restaurant Association CEO Carol Wight estimated that the health order would plunge the state’s restaurant industry into further decline possibly wiping out 20% of all restaurants in the state permanently.
After the Court’s decision, New Mexico House Republican Leader Jim Townsend applauded the injunction, saying, “One person cannot make all the decisions for New Mexico, the Governor was elected to work for the people and unfortunately some of her decisions have really hurt New Mexicans.” He continued, “If the Governor and her staff had not made this political, I believe that our state would have continued to slow the spread as we were just a few weeks ago.”
UPDATE, 5:25 P.M.:
Gov. Lujan Grisham petitioned the New Mexico Supreme Court to grant a “Stay of Temporary Restraining Order” following a lower court judge allowing restaurants to reopen indoor dining.
According to KOB 4, “The state Supreme Court granted the stay, and ordered the governor and the suing parties, which including the New Mexico Restaurant Association, to submit their arguments by next week.”
