Opinion

Albuquerque Public Schools must empower parents and students

Leave a Comment / Opinion / By

My name is Michaela Chavez and I am a mother and wife in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Like many of you concerned parents, I have watched the situation in our schools since the COVID Crisis started in March 2020. And like you, I was not sure how to juggle the day-to-day demands of home, children, job, etc. When Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham decided to close all schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new rules suddenly thrust into my life were daunting. 

Like all parents, I was concerned for my children’s safety, and I agreed that we should have “15 days to flatten the curve” while we learned more about the Novel Coronavirus to understand the severity of the situation. I wanted some consistency and leadership. In that respect, the Governor’s Office and the APS Board have utterly failed.  

In March of 2021, we are now one year after “15 Days to flatten the Curve.” We are still not sure how our children will weather this storm and get back to any semblance of normalcy. Unlike in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, we have one year of dedicated research, tireless efforts in fighting COVID-19, and multiple effective vaccines. 

Plainly stated, our kids—who are our greatest asset and resource—must be given the option to go back to the classroom. They want to go back and be with their friends and get back to the business of a normal life. The big takeaway from this year-long crisis is this: Our state and country need decisive leadership, and that starts here in Albuquerque and our beloved state of New Mexico. 

I believe that rather than listening to the teacher’s unions, Albuquerque Public Schools must empower parents and students with the option to attend in-person classes, with the option of virtual (online) classes for parents who believe their students will be most successful with at-home learning.  

I am seeking to become the Republican nominee for Congress in New Mexico’s First Congressional District in the Special Election to replace Deb Haaland because I believe in returning the power to New Mexico’s People. I can tell you this: if you choose me as your candidate for Congress, I will do everything I can do at the federal level to ensure our children get the money needed to broaden their education, follow-up at the local and state level, and most of all: not leave such an important duty in the hands of bureaucrats, special interests and other parties that only want to feather their own nests while denuding ours. It’s time for some “common sense” solutions and elected officials who will finally put the needs and concerns of New Mexicans first. 

Michaela Chavez is the current Bernalillo County GOP Ward 17 Chair and was the 2020 Republican Nominee for the New Mexico State Senate in District 13.

Opinions expressed by Piñon Post contributors do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the publication or its editorial staff. Submit an op-ed to the Piñon Post at news@pinonpost.com.

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NM Senate’s resident drama queen ostracized by own party: Even Dem Leader tells him to ‘f**k off’

5 Comments / New Mexico, News, Opinion, Politics / By

New Mexico state Sen. Jacob Candelaria (D-Bernalillo) has been circling the drain with his desperate ploys for public attention for quite some time now, but this week, the Albuquerque-area legislator has outdone himself. 

On Monday, during consideration of S.B. 71, the Patients’ Debt Collection Protection Act, Candelaria forced a debate on the bill, which led Democrat Majority Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) to scold him on the floor of the Senate. 

“Why don’t you just [expletive] off and put an amendment on like the rest of us?” said Wirth. 

After the altercation, It was reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican that Candelaria started crying and claiming it was a “low day” for the New Mexico Senate: 

“I’m sort of heartbroken,” said Candelaria, who sat slouched in his chair in tears after the confrontation. “This is a low day for the New Mexico Senate.”

Candelaria then got into fights with multiple Democrats on Twitter, bashing Senate Judiciary Chairman Joseph Cervantes (D-Doña Ana), accusing him of refusing to put Candelaria’s extreme bills on the agenda. 

Later, Candelaria got in a spat with the far-left fringe group, ProgressNow NM over his assertions about Cervantes. 

Then, he started begging for sympathy for having to work as a “citizen legislator” when “you’re not retired and not rich.”

Hilariously though, he previously bragged on Instagram about purchasing expensive French luxury products, writing, “Treat yo self. The road is long and the fights are hard—-celebrating your joy is a seditious act.” 

Read more about liberal Republicans and far-left Democrats complaining about not getting paid despite earning a per diem and a pension. 

James Hallinan, a former staffer to Gov. Lujan Grisham, who accused the governor of sexual assault, is now accusing Candelaria of sexual abuse while Hallinan worked for Speaker Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) and Rep. Moe Maestas (D-Bernalillo). 

“Shocked you haven’t been removed from office 4 ur abuse of @NMStatePolice & gov’t resources while on ur benders. Not to mention when you sexually abused me @ the Bull Ring when I worked 4 Speaker @BrianEgolf & @RepMoe,” wrote Hallinan. 

“I assume you were high on coke at the time as well?” Candelaria clapped back, 

Hallinan replied, “NewMexico media please witness the most recent bender/meltdown of @SenCandelaria  & his delusions. When predators attacks their victims they just seal their own fates.”

Candelaria has made countless enemies on the Republican side of the aisle and now he’s increasingly becoming ostracized from his own party as Gov. Lujan Grisham won’t answer his phone calls, Democrat Majority Leader Peter Wirth is literally telling him to “f**k off,” and even far-left fringe group ProgressNowNM is telling him to go away. 

Candelaria, the Senate’s resident drama queen, is becoming weaker and weaker as a public official by each fleeting day, and Republicans should be looking for a strong candidate to take him out in 2024. Right now, the Albuquerque legislator has more enemies than friends, and 2024 is looking like a shiny opportunity for the right Republican to do away with him once and for all come the next election. 

Read more about Sen. Candelaria: Dem lawmaker flips out on police officers trying to help him with hate mail, now claims to have PTSD

NM Senate’s resident drama queen ostracized by own party: Even Dem Leader tells him to ‘f**k off’ Read More »

Zoom committee hearings are a prime opportunity for leftist censorship: speak truth at your own risk

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This legislative session is one like no other. The supposed public servants who were elected to “represent” us hide away from us and have erected a giant fence to keep the public out of the People’s House. 

New Mexicans were told the Legislature would be “more accessible” to the public or that the process has been “opened” in a way “that has never happened before,” according to Sen. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe). 

But the opposite has happened. Before, when members of the public were allowed in the physical committee hearings, they actually could speak face-to-face with legislators and make their case. 

Previously, there were long lines of people allowed to give testimony in front of the committee if they so chose. Elected leaders had to face their constituents face-to-face and explain to them exactly why they are voting for or against a specific bill.

Now, if one of these so-called “public servants” doesn’t like what you have to say or doesn’t want to hear the multitude of “virtual” attendees testify, they can just press the mute button on you and silence your voice—or cut off debate at “fifteen minutes for each side” while giving leftists more time to testify.

Yesterday, while I attempted to testify in the House Judiciary Committee, I was silenced for merely trying to testify against a duplicative bill, H.B. 156, that already is on the books barring law enforcers from sexual contact with a person in custody—consensual or not. This anti-police bill does nothing to change state law and is clearly just another jab at law enforcement officials.

But in a previous hearing, one of the bill’s “expert witnesses,” Alexandria Taylor, dubbed any law enforcer who opposes the useless bill as a “rapist.” 

In the testimony I attempted to give to the committee, I did not mention Taylor by name, only saying, “this is nothing but a smear bill aiming to build public opinion against law enforcement by maligning them as ‘predators’ and ‘rapists’ These are some of the words proponents of this bill have used about law enforcers in prior hearings.” 

However, the radical left chair of the committee, Rep. Gail Chasey (D-Bernalillo), couldn’t stand anyone actually opposing this anti-police smear bill, and so she cut me off, claiming I was going after the bill sponsor’s “motives,” which is nothing of the sort. Then when I respectfully unmuted to finish my testimony, I was cut off again. 

This same occurrence happened earlier in this committee when I testified against S.B. 10, a radical abortion up-to-birth and infanticide bill. At that time, I merely wondered why the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Linda Lopez, refused to debate her bill on the Senate floor. This benign comment also apparently triggered Chasey, and she clapped back at me in that committee.

In a condescending response to another New Mexican concerned with Chasey’s censorship, she wrote back, “I do not allow anyone to attack the motives of the sponsors of bills or members of the committee, just as I would not allow any members of the committee or of the public to attack another individual, regardless of that person’s position. You have been misinformed.” Her supposed rule has never before been instituted.

Some argue that the “virtual” legislature has made the process. But I argue that it has made it even more opaque. Frivolously cutting off members of the public was not possible before when the public had a chance to testify in-person. But now, with the click of a mouse, power-hungry chairmen and chairwomen can mute the public and shut them up if they disagree with their viewpoints. Speak the truth, no matter how respectful it is, at your own peril.

This legislative session has been a complete disgrace, with Democrats ramming through extreme bills no matter what the public thinks, the rules be damned. We must strive for open government and refuse to back down or let them silence our voices. This is the opposite of transparency. Freedom of speech is a critical tenet of our republic, and if we do not fight for it now, we will lose it forever. 

Zoom committee hearings are a prime opportunity for leftist censorship: speak truth at your own risk Read More »

As Gov. MLG signs abortion up-to-birth and infanticide bill, she decries ‘dehumanization’

15 Comments / New Mexico, News, Opinion, Politics / By

On Friday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that she had signed the radical abortion up-to-birth and infanticide bill, S.B. 10, which the House of Representatives passed last week stripping away all protections for women, babies in the womb, and medical professionals.

In a condescending quote, Lujan Grisham said, “A woman has the right to make decisions about her own body,” adding, “Anyone who seeks to violate bodily integrity, or to criminalize womanhood, is in the business of dehumanization. New Mexico is not in that business – not any more. Our state statutes now reflect this inviolable recognition of humanity and dignity. I am incredibly grateful to the tireless advocates and legislators who fought through relentless misinformation and fear-mongering to make this day a reality. Equality for all, equal justice and equal treatment – that’s the standard. And I’m proud to lead a state that today moved one step closer to that standard.” 

Notice she claims pro-lifers are “violat[ing] bodily autonomy” (wrong), “criminaliz[ing] womanhood” (wrong), and are “in the business of dehumanization.” 

The false and ironic rhetoric from the Governor comes as she just signed a bill allowing late-term abortionists to rip infants limb from limb just moments before birth, not to mention infanticide–killing infants AFTER birth, which is already occurring in New Mexico. 

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Linda Lopez (D-Bernalillo), who refused to defend her bill on the Senate floor, said, “Thank you to Governor Lujan Grisham for signing this legislation, thank you to every one of my fellow bill sponsors and community advocates, and thank you to all of the voters of New Mexico who made your voices heard in the last election. Abortion is a personal health care decision. We can hold our own moral values on abortion and still trust individuals to make their own reproductive health care decisions.”

Previously, the 2019 version of the bill, H.B. 51 died in the New Mexico Senate after pro-life Democrats rejected the extreme bill. Out of spite, Lujan Grisham put her entire political machine into primary challengers to destroy these pro-life Democrats in the 2020 election. One of these pro-life Democrats, Sen. Carlos Cisneros passed away before the election.

Now, Democrats are looking to ram through another extreme anti-life bill, assisted suicide H.B. 47, which passed the House of Representatives with one Republican, Rep. Kelly Fajardo (R-Valencia), joining Democrats to help pass it through the chamber. Its next step is the Senate Judiciary Committee.

As Gov. MLG signs abortion up-to-birth and infanticide bill, she decries ‘dehumanization’ Read More »

While we stood in breadlines, Gov. Lujan Grisham feasted on $200/lb Wagyu beef steaks and liquor

7 Comments / New Mexico, News, Opinion, Politics / By

Just a few short months ago, Democrat Gov. Lujan Grisham was forcing New Mexicans to stand in freezing cold breadlines to buy food and toilet paper. Little did we know, while New Mexicans were being treated like pond scum, Gov. Lujan Grisham was living the high life in her hilltop mansion, indulging herself and her staff in $200-per pound cuts of Wagyu beef, fine wine, and liquor–all on the backs of hardworking taxpayers. The same folks standing in the freezing cold over the holidays and not allowed to see their families due to Lujan Grisham’s health orders.

But to defend the indefensible, the Governor sent out her trusty misinformation jabberwocky, Tripp Stelnicki, to spin the story. He claimed, “There are still meetings with cabinet and staff that are distanced small groups,” Stelnicki said.  “They are sporadic, but they last a long time and so there’s food at those meetings often prepared.” According to Stelnicki, “they were fed gourmet meals” during these sessions. To remind you, meetings such as this are in stark violation of Lujan Grisham’s public health orders. The review of her finances was completed July 1st through December 31, “a time period when Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham restricted capacity of grocery stores, urged New Mexicans to limit time out of their homes and restricted business operations through a series of emergency public health orders.”

She previously demanded, “Do not mix up households–coming into contact with non-household members. It is high-risk,” telling people, “No hugging” when “mixing households” over the Thanksgiving holiday. 

According to KOB 4, “The receipts we reviewed show about $350 in alcohol purchase for beer, Crown Royal, an assortment of wines and tequila.  According to Stelnicki, these alcohol purchases were made over a period of time for a future staff party after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.” 

“The staff at the residence have, I think, been guilty of optimism, that with declining case numbers,” Stelnicki said.  “We might get to a place where there could be a safe gathering.  I think everyone has been guilty of that from time to time over the course of COVID. And so some of those purchases have been made, whether it’s planning for or hoping for a different kind of gathering with legislators or partners, whoever it might be. That hasn’t happened. So those purchases are sort of just there. And they’ll be used after COVID. Hopefully, soon.”

New Mexicans also footed the bill for the Governor’s dogs, who apparently are being treated better than New Mexicans who have been mistreated for months. Hundreds of dollars has been spent on cleaning up the dogs’ messes, according to the report.

The spending was reviled by Democrats and Republicans alike, with Democrat chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee saying, “My feeling about it is, is that there are certain things that should not be paid for by the taxpayer. I did say that I do not believe that alcohol expenses are one of those things unless it’s an official event.” 

Gov. Lujan Grisham has repeatedly lied to New Mexicans, violated her public health orders to buy luxury jewelry, belittled New Mexicans from Hobbs to Española, gave her staff raises while New Mexicans lost their businesses and starved, and now, the details of her extravagant lifestyle paid for by the hard-working taxpayer doesn’t even seem to be a surprise anymore.

KOB 4 tried to give Lujan Grisham a break by contrasting her spending to that of her predecessor, Gov. Susana Martinez, who did indeed spend the taxpayers’ money irresponsibly and used her position to indulge herself while harassing State Police officers. But passing the buck to the past administration is weak and shows a hollow and tired argument. It is of my opinion that the New Mexico governor’s “allowance” should be bare-bones and minimal, allowing only for costs of survival and that’s it. New Mexicans should not be forced to pay for a slush fund for anyone, much less the Governor so she feast while we starve.

Will Lujan Grisham reimburse New Mexicans for her lavish lifestyle? Unfortunately, the answer is likely no. 

Read more on Lujan Grisham’s hypocrisy from the Piñon Post: 

Gov. MLG once again tells New Mexicans, ‘Let them eat cake!’

While we stood in breadlines, Gov. Lujan Grisham feasted on $200/lb Wagyu beef steaks and liquor Read More »

BernCo Deputy Sheriffs Assoc. President: Can New Mexico Survive?

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New Mexico was once a great state where family values and the safety of the community took precedence. It pains me to say those days are long gone. In the past several years, we have seen increasingly higher crime rates and homicide rates that are unprecedented in our communities. One can’t help but ask, “why is this happening?”

Most of it can be attributed to the neutering of law enforcement by “knee jerk” policies that serve as an inspiration to criminals everywhere. Most of these policies are based on events that didn’t even occur in New Mexico. In essence, creating a problem where there wasn’t one. Criminals and their advocates quickly learned that it was easy to manipulate the public with “social justice” rhetoric and cries for reform. Now, these reforms have come to collect, and the price is our communities’ safety.  

As a native New Mexican and 14-year veteran of law enforcement, I have seen the effect of these soft on crime policies that have devastated our communities first hand. They were small at first. Refusal by the courts to prosecute property crimes, which gradually progressed into a catch and release program for more severe crimes. These weak policies have created a safe haven for criminals and a living hell for the law-abiding, good citizens of this state. 

Now before our more liberal friends cry “racist,” let me say that I am a Hispanic cop who spent 11 years patrolling a predominantly Hispanic area. I volunteered for this assignment time and time again because I felt it was where I could best serve my community. I saw the effects these policies have on the Hispanic community or, more accurately, the good people that suffered as a result of them.

Any of these politicians who advocate for these policies on behalf of their criminal constituents should speak with the guy working two jobs to make ends meet for his family and just had his vehicle stolen for the second time this year. The single mom who comes home only to find it burglarized… again. Or the family torn apart by drugs because the neighborhood dealer is released from custody before the ink is dry on the officer’s report. What about these victims? Where are the politicians advocating for them? 

When these officials say they are implementing these policies for the good of the community, I have to ask what community? It seems they cater to a small criminal element while ignoring the rights and circumstances of the majority of the community. The honest, hard working and law abiding citizen. 

The current slew of anti-law enforcement legislation introduced by “social justice” activists disguised as legislators and funded by private interest groups will make our crime problem much worse. One doesn’t have to look far to see that these anti-police, soft on crime policies are an abject failure. Look at cities like Portland, Chicago, Baltimore, or our very own Albuquerque, and you’ll have all the proof you need. 

I hope the good citizens of this state are willing to fight to protect the law enforcement officers that fight to protect them. Support your police and support your communities. Without your support, New Mexico won’t survive.  

Contact your legislators and tell them to vote No on H.B. 4, H.B. 254, H.B. 263, S.B. 105, S.B .119, S.B. 192, S.B. 220, S.B. 227, S.B. 375, and S.B. 376. 

Text #SupportOfficers to 52886

Aaron Velarde is the president of the Bernalillo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. Follow the association on Facebook here.

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Gov. MLG once again tells New Mexicans, ‘Let them eat cake!’

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Throughout the brief but destructive governorship of Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico families have been devastated by ruthless lockdowns, destructive anti-energy policies destroying jobs each day, condescension from the governor and her staff, and most of all: hypocrisy.

Gov. Lujan Grisham has perfectly embodied what it means not to represent one’s constituents. At every turn, the Governor has either belittled New Mexicans or has made them suffer one way or another.

Before she was elected as governor, then-U.S. Rep. Lujan Grisham already foreshadowed her loathing for rural New Mexicans—namely ones who live in the beautiful rural town of Deming, New Mexico. While at a Santa Fe fundraiser, she said, “I met a woman in Deming. Her name is Gladys. So she’s not—she wasn’t born in New Mexico. But she chose New Mexico, and she chose Deming! I know… I didn’t mean that to be…” 

But despite the many calls warning of Lujan Grisham’s radicalism on everything from energy policy to abortion, she was sent to Santa Fe to serve as governor, leading New Mexico into one of the darkest ages our state has ever encountered. 

In her first few months, Lujan Grisham inflicted as much damage as possible during the 2019 Legislative Session, ramming through a radical universal background check bill for firearms, belittling New Mexico’s sheriffs, trying to pass an abortion up-to-birth and infanticide bill, passing the Energy Transition Act—New Mexico’s “Green New Deal,” the creation of a new free daycare department, abolishing the “Right to Work,” raising the minimum wage, and much more.

Throughout her destructive reign, New Mexicans have received nothing but rancor from the Governor, as she and her staff have repeatedly branded New Mexicans as stupid, belittled our people across the state from Hobbs to Española, broken her COVID-19 mandates to buy luxury jewelry while New Mexicans starve, forced New Mexicans to stand in hours-long freezing bread lines over the holidays, among countless other cruel actions.

While New Mexicans were standing out in the cold, her office claimed they were just “Republican talking points,” adding that “The state is not forcing anyone to stand in a crowded line, as you suggest.” That was not true.

The Governor singled out multiple small businesses across New Mexico, dealing $60,000 fines for alleged non-compliance with her orders. Lujan Grisham also went after larger businesses, including two O’Reilly Auto Parts stores she claimed were not complying, and slapping them with $80,000 and $250,000 fines. She even went after the Republican Party of New Mexico, slapping them with an order. But big box stores like Walmart (that gave her plenty of campaign cash) were allowed to stay open.

Now, the Governor’s already high-paid staff, including communications director Tripp Stelnicki who belittled a KOB 4 News reporter, got extravagant raises during the pandemic, where New Mexicans are losing their jobs and livelihoods. The governor’s office is not only unaffected by the Governor’s cruel shutdown—they are now celebrating from their ivory towers with raises upwards of $10,000 each. Over half of the Governor’s staff already make well over $100,000 annually, while the most entry-level position in her office, “Student Intern,” was budgeted for $36,000—which is $17,000+ more than someone making minimum wage in New Mexico. 

Here’s the breakdown of raises, per KOB 4:

Comm. Director Tripp Stelnicki ($18,600), Director of Boards and Commissions Melissa Salazar ($12,000), Chief of Staff Teresa Casados ($10,800), Chief of Staff Matt Garcia ($10,600), Cabinet Director Dominic Gabello ($10,600), Policy Advisor Diego Arencon ($10,000), Director of Cabinet Affairs Caroline Buerkle ($10,000) and Director of Legislative Affairs Victor Reyes ($7,500).

But the raises didn’t come without a thick layer of condescension from the ivory towers of the Governor’s Office. Press secretary Nora Sackett said, “Governor’s office staff play a critical role in the operation of the state’s executive branch and the governance of the state – all of which is amplified during a yearlong crisis.” This is just another “let the meat cake” sentiment to once again kick New Mexicans while they’re down.

Gov. Lujan Grisham’s continual hatred for everyday New Mexicans highlights the desperate need our state has for leaders who TRULY represent the people. For years, people like Lujan Grisham and many in the Legislature have sat around and enriched themselves while New Mexicans suffer. In 2022, if we ever are going to rid New Mexico of “the Grish” and her minions in the Legislature, we need new blood in the resistance to fight back against these swampy politicians’ disregard for New Mexico values and our people’s livelihoods. Keep up the fight and never relent! 

Gov. MLG once again tells New Mexicans, ‘Let them eat cake!’ Read More »

Ungrateful NM legislators complain about ‘not getting paid’ despite per diem, pensions

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For years, New Mexico lawmakers have complained incessantly about being the only “citizen legislature” that does not receive an annual salary. Legislators from the Democrat Party and the extreme “moderate” wing of the Republican Party have repeatedly whined about it.

However, these elected leaders knew full-well when running for their place in the House or Senate that their positions were intended as a mostly voluntary position, one of service to the community and one meant not for self-enrichment, but for representation to one’s community.

But some legislators have fallen out-of-touch with the idea of the citizen legislature, such as Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Doña Ana) who claimed in 2019 while sponsoring a bill to pay legislators a salary, that the current system has people “being left out of the system.”   

Recently, Sen. Bill Soules (D-Doña Ana), who has been in the New Mexico Senate since 2013, tweeted a picture of a dollar bill, writing, “#nmleg. ‘Another day another ………’. Oh wait.  That’s right.  The New Mexico Legislature is unpaid.  The only unpaid legislature in the country.” 

First-term Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez (D-Bernalillo), who is already looking for a promotion to a higher office (U.S. House of Representatives), is already complaining about the Legislature not paying members a traditional salary, chiming in on Soules’ conversation, writing, “Being unpaid and part-time makes this branch of government weak.” 

“Moderate” Rep. Alonzo Baldonado (R-Valencia), while defending Rep. Kelly Fajardo’s (R-Valencia) vote in favor of Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s “mini” Green New Deal, wrote, “For all of you out there that think making votes and not getting paid to do it is easy….I say you go do it.” In 2022, many conservative Republicans will do it, and hopefully, strong patriots who do not cower will run against Reps. Fajardo and Baldonado to bring true representation to the Legislature—actual servants of the people who will not complain about the job they knew full-well they were getting into. 

Multiple other “moderate” Republicans and leftist Democrats have complained about the pay strucutre of New Mexico legislators.

But despite all the misinformation from ungrateful supposed “public servants,” legislators in New Mexico do get reimbursed through a daily per diem for their work, which is $184 a day and 58 cents a mile. They also get a hefty pension for their service. After ten years, it amounts to $10,824.00. 

The point of New Mexico’s legislature is for it to work for New Mexicans—not the other way around. Just remember, senators and representatives in the U.S. Congress get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars per year for not doing much at all. Having regular citizens who work jobs in the time they are not in the New Mexico Legislature (usually 10-11 months each year) serving as our representatives, brings them closer to the people they are supposed to represent, and makes them more accountable to their constituents.

Let us never forget that public servants are supposed to represent us. Those who are quick to complain about the trust we have placed in them or are putting their own well-being above that of New Mexicans should not be rewarded by getting another term in any elected office, much less a seat in the New Mexico House or Senate.

Ungrateful NM legislators complain about ‘not getting paid’ despite per diem, pensions Read More »

Even Gov. MLG won’t tolerate far-left lawmaker’s insane proposals

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During the 2021 Legislative Session, far-left Sen. Jacob Candelaria (D-Bernalillo) has proposed multiple bills to ram through his extremist agenda. However, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has been an ally of the fringe left-wing, won’t even go for Candelaria’s bills.

One of his legislative proposals seeks to erase governors’ ability to use the “pocket veto,” which is a de-facto veto of legislation after a certain date if the Governor decides not to sign the bill. Candelaria reportedly called the pocket veto an “unnecessary, anti-transparency, anti-good government provision in our Constitution.” The Governor’s office called Candelaria’s legislation “too burdensome,” and Democrat Leader Peter Wirth voted against it. 

Another far-fetched proposal by Candelaria sought to eliminate private prisons in New Mexico. The Associated Press reported that “The top prison official under Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham voiced opposition to a bill that would make it unlawful for the state and local governments to contract with private prisons across New Mexico,” dealing another major blow to Candelaria’s whack ideas. Candelaria has also voiced support for “demilitarizing” the police. 

A sad Candelaria wrote on Twitter, “Disappointed that @GovMLG opposes bill to end private prisons in NM.” 

Candelaria has long been a laughing stock of New Mexico after he marched with Black Lives Matter insurrectionist domestic terrorists over the Summer and then offered to defend looters and rioters in court pro-bono.

Then, in October, once one of his constituents got tired of his whining, they sent him some nasty messages, which resulted in him calling the police, begging for protection from the benign threat.

He then used his position “as a Senator” to threaten officers who responded to his call, invoking the name of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, claiming he would call them on the state police officers. Once the officers explained to him the supposed threat could be interpreted in many different ways, he snapped and threw the helpful officers out of his domicile. 

Once his constituents started calling him out for his hypocrisy, he targeted them, including a Catholic priest, who Candelaria sent GIFs of scantily clad male models with the strange caption, “I LOVE BEING GAY! That’s a fact.” He also targeted Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales. 

Later, in November 2020, Candelaria made a fool out of himself by posting a picture of a luxury French fashion box that presumably contained hundreds, if not thousands of dollars of designer goods, and wrote an eyebrow-raising caption to the post in the attempt to show off his new goods. He wrote, “Treat yo self. [sic] The road is long and the fights are hard—-celebrating your joy is a seditious act.” It is unclear what Candelaria meant by “seditious act.” 

He’s subsequently used his Twitter account to lash out at elected officials in higher offices, such as Gov. Lujan Grisham and Republican U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell (CD-2). It is unclear what Candelaria’s mental state is like. However, he claims he has “PTSD” from the alleged nasty messages he received in October. Now, even Gov. Lujan Grisham won’t take his calls and is shooting down his whack legislation for being even too whack for her. 

Even Gov. MLG won’t tolerate far-left lawmaker’s insane proposals Read More »

Democrat-loving NM Oil & Gas Assoc. ‘encouraged’ by Biden’s drilling ban

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On Wednesday, the Santa Fe New Mexican ran an article detailing the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association’s (NMOGA) willingness to work with the rabidly anti-oil and gas Joe Biden administration to “work through” problems to “find middle ground.” 

Unfortunately for NMOGA and its executive director Ryan Flynn, Joe Biden and his anti-energy choices in the Cabinet, such as Green New Deal-loving Rep. Deb Haaland (D-New Mexico), his designated choice for Department of the Interior, want an all-out assault on the oil and gas industry.

Joe Biden has already signed a slew of anti-energy executive orders in his first few days banning all new leases and permits for drilling on U.S. land indefinitely, canceling the Keystone XL pipeline with Canada, and re-entering the United States in the Paris Climate Accord, which the United Nations itself admitted is a sham. 

Now, despite Flynn’s whining about the New Mexico budget being aided by oil and gas, his organization still naively thinks it can find a supposed “middle ground” with Biden to “strike that balance then that will help ensure there’s not unnecessary damage on the industry in New Mexico.” 

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports:

A key official [Ryan Flynn] within the state’s energy industry said he is encouraged by the Biden administration’s yearlong moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal lands, which he contends is better than the U.S. Interior Department’s halt on leases announced last week.

Flynn even said appeared to expect his industry to collapse, telling the Santa Fe New Mexican, “It’s not like a transition away from oil and gas products is going to occur in a week or year or even in the next 10 years.” 

For years, the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association has aided Democrats in their efforts to enact radical anti-energy policies, including their “neutral” stance on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s “mini” Green New Deal (Energy Transition Act), which they and multiple “Republican” members of the New Mexico Legislature helped get passed. The law will completely wipe out the oil and gas industry by the year 2050. 

Those “Republican” legislators who voted for it include Rep. Kelly Fajardo (Valencia), Rep. Bill Rehm (Bernalillo), Sen. Greg Baca (Bernalillo and Valencia), fmr. Sen. Candace Gould (Bernalillo and Sandoval), Sen. Ron Griggs (Doña Ana, Eddy and Otero), Sen. Mark Moores (Bernalillo), Sen. Cliff Pirtle (Chaves, Eddy and Otero), and fmr. Sen. James White (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Torrance). 

But not only did NMOGA refuse to fight against the Democrats’ assaults on the energy industry (which they purport to represent), the organization directly funded radical Democrats with tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions to help them do it. 

A Piñon Post report details NMOGA’s political contributions to Democrats, including $25,000 to Democrat Speaker Brian Egolf’s PAC in the 2020 election cycle, which helped elect ruthlessly anti-oil and gas extremists to the Legislature, $5,000 to then-Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, in her 2018 bid for governor, and countless others.

Even Republican leaders in New Mexico have called NMOGA and Ryan Flynn out for his betrayal of the industry, with many top Republicans penning a scathing op-ed calling out the weak, spineless, and anti-energy approach the organization has used. 

Here’s a snippet from the op-ed: 

So, what is Flynn’s motive? We aren’t exactly sure, but this pattern of lies has effectively destroyed any trust we had in him to be a fair advocate for NMOGA. While we cannot dictate to NMOGA who should be running its organization, we would suggest the association consider putting a person in its leadership who does not spread misinformation and puts personal political preferences ahead of the interests of the oil and gas industry and the workers it supports.

Now, Flynn wants to “work” with the Joe Biden administration to find “middle ground,” and even though it is unlikely, it doesn’t’ seem like NMOGA is too worried about fighting for their industry, since Flynn is expecting to “transition away” from oil and gas in ten years’ time. 

Democrat-loving NM Oil & Gas Assoc. ‘encouraged’ by Biden’s drilling ban Read More »

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