Opinion Archives - Page 2 of 21

Dem Party desperately wants us to stop talking about impeaching MLG—we won’t

The Democrat Party of New Mexico (DPNM) has characterized Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s illegal order banning guns and subverting her oath as a mere “policy dispute,” attacking myself and state Rep. Stefani Lord for upholding our oaths by holding her accountable.

DPNM told KOB 4, “New Mexico needs real solutions to take on the public safety issues impacting our communities. Calling for an impeachment over a policy dispute isn’t a real solution,” claiming impeachment was “disrespectful to the people of this state.” Did you hear that, fellow peasants? The New Mexico Democrat Party has spoken!

Oh, but wait… There’s more! Lujan Grisham’s office condescended, “It is unsurprising but disappointing that Republicans in the state are choosing to use this time to orchestrate a political stunt instead of coming up with solutions to protect all New Mexicans. With less than 120 days until the start of the session, now is the time to focus on drafting comprehensive legislation to stem the epidemic of gun violence in the state.”

First and foremost, let us acknowledge that public servants, regardless of their political affiliation, take an oath of office to uphold the Constitution and protect the rights of the citizens they serve.

The actions of Governor Lujan Grisham, particularly her executive order restricting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens to bear arms and her comments that her oath and our rights are not “absolute,” go way beyond the bounds of a policy dispute. It is a matter of profound concern when public officials abuse their oath and deny citizens their constitutional rights. Breaking one’s oath is an impeachable offense.

DPNM’s sad attempt to downplay these actions as a mere policy disagreement is both disingenuous and dismissive of the gravity of the situation. When a governor takes unilateral action to curtail fundamental rights, it is not a matter of partisan politics; it is an affront to the principles of liberty and democracy that should unite us all.

Governor Lujan Grisham and her allies have flagrantly gaslit the public by venomously spewing the lie that Republicans have no ideas to address the issue of violence in our state. This claim is not only false but serves to polarize our political discourse further, further proving the governor’s deceit and lack of fitness for high office. We, Republicans, have consistently put forward ideas and proposals to address crime and ensure our communities’ safety.

The GOP sponsored bills to keep violent criminals behind bars, increase sentences for felons who illegally get ahold of firearms and use them in crimes, enhance sentences for trafficking, and the list goes on and on. Each of these tangible and results-based solutions died immediately at the hands of the governor’s allies in the legislature.

Let us not forget that Governor Lujan Grisham has had five years to confront the crime issue in our state. To suggest that this is a sudden crisis that requires emergency measures, such as her recent illegal executive order, is disingenuous at best. It raises the question of why she has yet to prioritize this critical issue earlier in her tenure or at all.

Addressing crime and ensuring the safety of our citizens should always be a top priority for any leader. The people of New Mexico deserve nothing less. Rather than resorting to criminal executive orders, we should be engaging in a constructive dialogue, working collaboratively across party lines to find effective solutions that enhance public safety while respecting our constitutional rights.

The actions of Governor Lujan Grisham are not a matter of mere policy disagreement. They represent a serious breach of trust, an abuse of the oath of office, and a denial of the constitutional rights of our citizens. We must recognize the gravity of these actions and impeach the governor for knowingly violating our rights and her oath.

To take immediate action to help impeach Gov. Lujan Grisham, please visit ImpeachMLG.com.

John Block is the founder and editor of the Piñon Post and is the state representative for New Mexico’s 51st House District in Otero County. John has fought for years for New Mexicans’ constitutional rights and is the primary sponsor of New Mexico’s Constitutional Carry legislation.

Protecting our Constitution from tyranny on Constitution Day

20 Comments / Opinion / By John Block

As we celebrate Constitution Day, we are reminded of the enduring wisdom enshrined in this venerable document — a wisdom that has guided our nation through its most challenging moments. Our Constitution, born from the crucible of liberty, represents the embodiment of our Founding Fathers’ vision: a government of, by, and for the people, firmly grounded in the protection of individual rights.

Yet, on this Constitution Day, our Constitution finds itself under an unprecedented threat right here in New Mexico, where Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s wildly illegal executive order—even in its now-edited form — has stripped away the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. This egregious overreach is not only an affront to our Constitution but also to the oath Governor Lujan Grisham took to uphold it.

Governor Lujan Grisham’s claim that no Constitutional right is “absolute” should send shivers down the spines of all Americans who value their liberties. It is a dangerous assertion that reveals a concerning disregard for the fundamental principles on which our nation was built. Our Founders understood the importance of protecting these rights as bedrock principles, not mere privileges subject to the whims of government officials. Our rights cannot be signed away by the stroke of a pen.

The Second Amendment, like all constitutional rights, is not a suggestion; it is a right expressly guaranteed to the people. It is the safeguard against tyranny and the assurance of our ability to protect ourselves and our loved ones. The lawless governor’s actions undermine the very essence of our Constitution, and it is our duty to defend it.

State Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) and I are tirelessly working to impeach Gov. Lujan Grisham for her unconstitutional actions. Our efforts should be a beacon of hope for anyone who cherishes the Constitution and the rights it protects. We stand at the threshold of a critical moment where the fate of our Constitution hangs in the balance. Only We The People can protect it.

Now is the time for all lovers of liberty, regardless of party affiliation, to rally behind us and our pursuit of justice. The Constitution is not a partisan document; it is the foundation of our nation, and its preservation is our shared responsibility.

On this Constitution Day, let us recommit ourselves to the timeless principles enshrined in our Constitution. Let us remember that our rights are not subject to the whims of any politician. And let us stand united in support of impeachment efforts against Gov. Lujan Grisham, for the defense of our Constitution is a cause that transcends politics—it is the very essence of our American identity.

To help Rep. Lord and me in this fight, please help our efforts by supporting me here and Rep. Lord here. More information on our impeachment efforts will be released this next week.

Appraising former Gov. Bill Richardson’s legacy

25 Comments / Opinion / By Paul Gessing

Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has died. While we at the Rio Grande Foundation often disagreed with the former governor, we also had our areas of agreement. Here are a few thoughts on him and his legacy.

Compared to today’s Democrats, Richardson was a moderate. He genuinely seemed to desire economic growth for New Mexico and had a plan (which was fairly successful) to grow NM’s economy. He cut NM’s top income tax rate from 8.2% to 4.9% and reduced capital gains taxes.

Sadly, Richardson ALSO fell into the trap of big government boondoggles. His purchase of a supercomputer was one, but his Rail Runner and Spaceport have been very costly. The RailRunner continues to lose ridership while the Spaceport remains unproven even as Virgin Galactic FINALLY has started manned tourism launches. Subsidies for Eclipse Aviation and Schott Solar also failed to create long-term economic success. Richardson also laid the groundwork for New Mexico’s costly film subsidies, which have helped film while failing to develop New Mexico’s economy despite hundreds of millions in subsidies.

Richardson was pro-2nd Amendment, especially compared to modern Democrats. He was endorsed by the NRA twice.

In broader terms, Richardson was a consensus-builder who genuinely tried to represent the entire state, whereas current Gov. Lujan Grisham often ignores rural New Mexico in favor of vote-rich urban areas.

Richardson (gently) reproached Gov. Lujan Grisham for her overly zealous failed COVID lockdown strategy. He also (sagely) pushed NM legislators and Lujan Grisham to avoid raising taxes in the most recent legislative session.

Finally, as with so many other New Mexico politicians, ethical questions abound. Richardson was associated with noted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and missed out on a key role in the Obama Administration due to ethical questions. There is likely a great deal to both of these stories that the public is not aware of, but they highlight deep-seated problems with New Mexico’s political culture and Richardson’s own character.

Paul Gessing is the president of the leading free market economic policy think tank and taxpayer watchdog group, the Rio Grande Foundation. This article originally appeared in Errors of Enchantment.

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.

Dems use over half a billion NM taxpayer dollars to underwrite solar plant

11 Comments / Opinion / By Mick Rich

Santa Fe Democrats recently celebrated a new $1 billion (with $0.6 billion incentives) solar panel plant built in Albuquerque by Singapore’s Maxeon Solar. Meanwhile, Phoenix Republicans celebrated a $30 billion (no report of incentives) computer chip plant being built outside of Phoenix by American Intel/Brookfield. Why do the hardworking people of New Mexico have to pay companies to come to New Mexico?

New Mexico is ranked fiftieth in educating its youth. State Senate President Pro-Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo), indicted Ex-New Mexico House Majority Floor Leader Sheryl William Stapleton (D-Bernalillo), and their fellow Santa Fe Democrats put and kept New Mexico at the bottom of all fifty states for education.

New Mexico is ranked forty-fourth in keeping our youth and ourselves safe. Santa Fe Democrats misled New Mexicans to believe eliminating cash bonds would save our child. Instead, our youth are dying violently at the highest rates ever.

New Mexico is ranked forty-fourth economically. Santa Fe Democrats have created an environment that is only friendly to Big Labor and Addiction industries (legal and illegal drug trade, sex trafficking trade, gambling trade, liquor, and alcohol trade). All other sectors have to be subsidized to come to New Mexico or unable to leave (military bases and government laboratories) our state.

New Mexico is ranked forty-seventh for rural internet and road infrastructure. Santa Fe Democrats are stuck in the past with land-based rural internet. Rural New Mexicans could have internet within thirty days if they did not politically oppose Elon Musk’s Starlink network. Santa Fe Democrats would instead put NM tax dollars into Spaceport America, RailRunner, and Albuquerque’s ART than our highway network.

New Mexico is ranked forty-first for opportunity and equality. I understand why our state ranked low for the chance; Santa Fe Democrats’ policies have created tremendous job growth in the addiction industries (see definition above), historically low-paying jobs that fail to provide a path out of poverty. I don’t understand how our state can be a minority-majority state, run by Santa Fe Democrats for decades, and rank low for equality. How are Santa Fe Democrats perpetuating inequality?

Santa Fe Democrats’ failure to educate our youth to provide safe communities, a lack of economic opportunities, a crumbling highways network, and the continued struggles of our “minority-majority” is why Maxeon Solar did not initially consider New Mexico. Once Santa Fe Democrats offset those failures with 0.6 billion dollars in subsidies, Albuquerque was chosen. 0.6 billion dollars is the value one company places on the shortcomings of the Santa Fe Democrats.

Maxeon Solar may be as desperate as Santa Fe Democrats. The Motley Fool website listed three reasons Maxeon Solar stocks recently dropped precipitately,” … missed badly on revenue; management forecasts continued weak sales in Q3, and probably Q4. At the same time, Maxeon is building even more production capacity in a fragile demand environment.” With NM’s 0.6-billion-dollar contribution and Albuquerque’s Industrial Revenue Bonds (guaranteed by Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act), Maxeon has almost zero investment in New Mexico.

Maxeon will need tremendous luck to avoid the fate of other bankrupt American solar panel manufacturers. Albuquerque’s Schott Solar (our company was one of several companies that built the Schott Solar Albuquerque plant, which went up in flames this past week). Tucson’s Global Solar (I chose not to invest in purchasing the assets out of bankruptcy) ended in bankruptcy. Even Obama’s Solyndra ended in bankruptcy despite hundreds of millions in subsidies. The only winners in these endeavors were Chinese companies that purchased the equipment from the bankrupt companies.

A recent Foreign Policy magazine headline, “The state (Arizona) will remain a destination for foreign investment due to a skilled workforce, leadership in water conservation, and low tax burdens.” Three critical factors that entice businesses to move to Arizona. Assume that is why Virgin Galactic built their aerospace manufacturing facility in the Phoenix area and not the Albuquerque area.

The CEO of a well-respected architect firm shared with me that an Arizona developer flew into Albuquerque to meet at the site for their new forty-acre mixed-use development near I-40 and Unser Boulevard. A young man stumbled into the group as they listened to the developer’s vision for the site. He was clutching his stomach from a gunshot wound, asking for help. After the ambulance left with the wounded young man, the developer turned to the group and said he did not want to be associated with “this.” He ended with I am leaving, and I am done with New Mexico.

Maxeon is a Singapore-based company. Singapore is a city/state/country that does not tolerate crime—mandatory canning for vandalism. Sexual assault and prostitution sentences are up to five years in prison; additional years are added if a person under 16 is involved. Outrage of modesty crimes may result in prison sentences. Lastly, the mandatory death penalty for many narcotic crimes. What will happen when Singapore Business Leaders realize what Santa Fe Democrats sold them?

Once New Mexicans elect individuals committed to solving our state’s challenges and not protecting Santa Fe Democrats’ political contributors, we will not have to bribe companies to come to New Mexico.

Host, “To the Point with Mick Rich.” 2018 Republican nominee for U.S. Senate (NM). Founder & CEO, Mick Rich Contractors. Husband, father, grandfather. Read more from Mick Rich at MickRich.substack.com.

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.

From ABQ homeless to South Valley and Isleta Pueblo residents

11 Comments / Opinion / By Mick Rich

Is this environmental racism by the ABQ Mayor & Council?

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and City Council applaud themselves for fighting “environmental racism” by stopping business development in the Albuquerque South Valley. While they look away from the pollution their policies have created, the pollution flows to South Valley residents via the Rio Grande.

July 2023 Downtown Albuquerque, photograph provided a subscriber.

Homeless people are urinating and defecating on our sidewalks and city streets, just as this person is doing. Our firm was renovating a restaurant in downtown Albuquerque. As I was walking to the building, I witnessed a homeless person urinating on the sidewalk while APD just looked away. This is not just about decency. It is about our public health.

The City of Albuquerque’s Storm Water Pollution Prevention states,” When it rains,…pollutants get washed from … streets into storm drains and then directly into the Rio Grande untreated!” Please note that the homeless person in the photographs is just feet from a storm drain. It further states, “Pet waste left on the ground gets carried away by storm water contributing harmful bacteria, parasites and viruses to our river. Please clean up after your pet.”

What impact does the Mayor and City Council’s Homeless have on the water quality of the Middle Rio Grande? To answer that question, we requested documentation from the NMED Surface Water Quality Bureau and Albuquerque Metropolitan Flood Control Authority to assess the water quality of the Middle Rio Grande over the past ten to twenty years. Specifically, we requested Escherichia coli counts of the Rio Grande River north and south of Albuquerque. E coli is a bacteria found in the intestines of people and animals and is used to assess water quality.

I assumed that as a graduate civil engineer emphasizing water resources, I would be able to find the information within the haystack and then decern the info. I wasn’t successful in finding the news, but I was able to ask the right questions. The answer was that the Rio Grande’s water quality has deteriorated with increased homelessness. But further study is needed to determine the exact extent, and no public official wants to know.

What I also discovered was quite remarkable. The EPA Standard for E. coli for surface freshwater ways is 100 cfu/100 mL. However, in the Middle Rio Grande, that standard is 410 CFU/100mL; However, in Isleta Pueblo, that standard is 88 CFU/100mL. What is recorded for E. coli for the Middle Rio Grande varies between 25 (little water) and over 600 (high flow). Why are the Mayor and Council okay with a contaminated Rio Grande?

What can be done now?

On our most recent KKOB radio program, my good buddy Josh stated that his friends rafted on the Middle Rio Grande, and all had horrible skin rashes the following day. I would not swim or fish in the Middle Rio Grande.

The city of Albuquerque has looked to pet owners to help solve the E. coli problem. It is time we hold the homeless accountable. It is time the police did not turn a blind eye to the homeless.

A downtown property owner told me that the city at one time was going to provide toilet facilities for the homeless, but it did not happen. The Mayor and City Council should immediately offer restroom facilities for the homeless.

The Mayor and City Council should develop a program to clean and sanitize our city streets and sidewalks to keep the human waste out of the Rio Grande and from being tracked into our homes on the bottom of our shoes.

What can be done for the long term?

We must upgrade our wastewater treatment facilities on the Rio Grande to ensure the water leaving our cities is as clean as the water entering our cities. New Mexico has the funds available,

We need new drinking water sources for the cities on the Rio Grande so they do not suck the Rio Grande dry and ensure adequate water flows to improve the water quality.

Is this environmental racism by the ABQ Mayor & Council?

The answer is yes; if you read the article “South Valley Celebrates Revocation of Asphalt Plant’s Permit” in the February 14, 2023 edition of The Paper (co-owned by Albuquerque Council member Pat Davis), the answer would be yes. Because in The Paper stated, “Mountain View Coalition members and their attorneys are now celebrating their victory in the battle to address the long history of cumulative impacts, environmental injustice, and environmental racism in their community.” Thus, if you are responsible for polluting the South Valley, you are an “Environmental Racist.”

But there is more to the story than what was written. How much more pollution, and how would it compare to shopping center traffic? Did creating many good-paying jobs for low-income families justify the asphalt plant alone? How can the family that owns the asphalt company be racist if they can trace their heritage to Spain? The air quality in the South Valley is more impacted by air pollution sources up-wind in Albuquerque than what is created in the South Valley.

Stopping the new plant in the South Valley is more about the Gentrification of the South Valley than the environmental racism of the disenfranchised. Like most Gentrified communities, the disenfranchised are forced onto undesirable lands, such as the Highland Meadows community.

Conclusion

In New Mexico, we are too intertwined among families, land, water, and air to cling to the idea that, somehow, we are separate from one another. What comes to mind from that great American philosopher Pogo, when racism is tossed at one’s supposed enemy, ‘We Have Met the Enemy, and He Is US.”

It is time to end throwing the Racism Stones. As Jesus said, “Let He Who is Without Sin Cast the First Stone.”

Postscript

I try to add a few Easter Eggs in my articles. This article has a few; the last article had a few, posse and marauder with power and money. If you “clicked” on power and money, posse and marauder would have made more sense.

I discussed who are the prosecuting attorneys and judges for Biden and Trump’s legal proceedings in last week’s radio program. I specifically outlined why Assistant US Attorney Weiss was weak and had a history of letting the Bidens off the hook. A week later, the national conservative media were covering the same facts.

A Side Note

In the 8/11/2023 Albuquerque Journal article AP, “Mickelson wagered more than 1$ billion, book claims”. Phill Mickelson has wagered more than 1 billion over the last three decades and wanted to place a $400,000 bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup while playing for Team USA, according to a much-anticipated book by renowned gambler Bill Walters.

Billy Walters and my path crossed three decades ago at the Paradise Hill Golf Course.

A competitor recommended our company to renovate the Paradise Golf Course Club House for the new owners. We were out of work, and we took the job. The owner’s representatives (the boys) were out of Las Vegas, and they looked the part. During the renovation, the boys would fly in from Vegas every couple of weeks. I would meet them at the end of the day. We sat around the bar table while they drank whiskey, smoked cigars, and they talked about what Billy wanted and his recent successes. The boys explained that Billy, Billy Walters was more successful than Jimmy the Greek. I wanted to believe it.

Billy won more than he lost, and we got paid. After that, I never took another job that wasn’t good enough for my competitor, and I always ensured there was a letter of financing from a bank.

I hope you have a great week.

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.

The ABQ bums have got to go — and I don’t mean the homeless

13 Comments / Opinion / By Mick Rich

New Mexicans are compassionate people and were behind former Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry’s “A Better Way” initiative to address homelessness in the City of Albuquerque. The idea was that if the City provided the needs of the homeless, they would not be on the streets. Those elected officials did not understand what every business owner knows: your customers will increase when you provide what they need at a fair price. The Mayor and City Council Members did not end homelessness; they increased homelessness.

I assume Santa Fe Democrats did not pass a “Three Strikes and You’re Out” law because it was too harsh to those with two felonies. A few years ago, I gave a ride to an individual catching a train to VAMC treatment center in St. Louis. On the way, we stopped for his belongings (stashed behind a bush, he was homeless). I bought him breakfast and lunch to go. As we ate, I asked him where he was from and what brought him to New Mexico. He was from California and had two felonies and could not handle the stress of not getting a third felony. New Mexico is welcoming to those with multiple felonies.

Santa Fe Democrats Banned Qualified Immunity for our police two years ago. My buddy, Susan B, in Los Angels, related to me; her friend witnessed a person looting two stores and then proceeded to the city bus. She flagged down a police officer and pointed out the thief and the store he looted. The police officer responded that since she would not file charges, he would not arrest that individual who would most likely resist arrest and sue him. That is why APD arrives after the dust settles to take a report.

A group of firemen standing outside a building Description automatically generated

Dollar General Store NW Albuquerque Photo by KQRE

I spoke with a retail clerk of a dollar-type store two years ago. She told me their new manager had ended the policy of allowing the neighborhood homeless people to shoplift. After implementing the new policy, homeless person or persons started a fire in the store. Essentially the homeless are running an old fashion protection racket. It reminds me of watching a shakedown racket on the “Sopranos.” And like in “Sopranos,” the police and politicians look the other way.

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Image and video from Natalie Wadas posted 07.03.2023 on the KQRE website and broadcast.

The Mayor and City Council have, until recently, been passively involved in the homeless shake-down racket. But now they provide the means for the homeless to take their shake-down rack across the city. People are observing the homeless waiting for the Albuquerque bus to return them safely to their neighborhood with their stolen goods—the video of four individuals stealing liquor and then calmly walking to the Albuquerque Bus Stop.

A group of people walking in a parking lot Description automatically generated

Image and video from Natalie Wadas posted 07.03.2023 on the KQRE website and broadcast.

We hear the official responses so often that we can almost recite them from memory. This is scary for the business owners. It is frightening for the shoppers. This is unacceptable. We are currently investigating. We cannot comment because of the ongoing investigation. We are hopeful our new program will make a difference. Important crime victims to file a police report. We get the City of Albuquerque Public Relation spiel, “Acknowledged the feelings (it is scary), Tomorrow will be better (hope), Blame the victim (they don’t file a police report).

Individuals and businesses have given up on the Albuquerque Mayor and Council providing for our basic needs, Safety. Businesses and individuals are contracting with private armed security forces to ensure their and their customers’ safety and protect their belongings. Businesses have given up filing police reports because the police will not track down the perpetrators, and if the perpetrator is arrested, the district attorney will not prosecute. Now we have stopped reporting the loss to our insurance company.

I believe the reason for the increase in homicides is that the Mayor and Council have created an environment where law-abiding citizens and criminals have become desensitized, which leads to escalation. How? Violent crimes are reduced to lower charges, or no charges are filed. I have now heard of businesses not reporting armed robberies because they do not want to be shut down for being a criminal nuisance. Property crimes are not reported because businesses have given up. But in Murder, there is no hiding the body or the statistics.

Our Mayor, Council, and business leaders continue to believe that if we “Brag It, Not Bag It,” our city will have a bright future. Now, even London residents know.

By Will Potter for DailyMail.com Published 07.07.2023

How can we regain control of our neighborhoods? 1) What my good buddy did. A homeless person walked into the store he was in and told him, “You’re buying me lunch.” His response was no. The homeless person pointed to the young woman behind the cash register and said, “She will” The homeless man walked away when my Good Buddy told him, “Not while I am standing here.” 2) Throw the bums out and I don’t mean the homeless.

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.

Haaland seizes control of Native American lands, rekindling past conflicts

8 Comments / Opinion / By Mick Rich

Washington Democrats were surprised Native Americans were not rejoicing with them when U.S. Department of the Interior Interior Secretary Deb Haaland seized control of the Navajo Nation land surrounding the Chaco Culture National Park in northwest New Mexico. They were shocked when members of the Navajo Nation kept Secretary Haaland from celebrating her actions at Chaco.

What will Washington Democrats be if the Nation Navajo files suit against Secretary Haaland and her seizing control of land belonging to the Navajo Nation?

In my forty years of experience working with members of the 19 Pueblos, Hopi, Dine, and Apache, I learned of the many challenges they faced individually and as communities.

I quickly became acquainted with the competing interests within their communities, among the surrounding native communities, and with local and state governments. I learned never to become enmeshed in Native American Politics.

Secretary Haaland’s unilateral actions rekindled the conflict between the nineteen Pueblos and the Navajo Nation when she seized control of the land surrounding Chaco.

The image to the left is a full-page advertisement in the June 11, 2023, edition of the Albuquerque Journal.

In 1853 the federal government forced the Dine off their land, and they marched over four-hundred miles to an unfamiliar land in the dead of winter. The Dine still referred to this as “The Long Walk.” In 1868 Washington allowed the Dine to return to eastern Arizona, also home to the Hopi people. What was once a friendly relationship between Hopi and Dine became bitter rivals. It took almost 150 years, hundreds of millions of dollars, and thousands of acres of land to settle the conflict between the Hopi and the Dine that the federal government created. Now Deb Haaland, Secretary of Interior, is behaving with almost just a heavy.

Secretary Haaland rekindled old conflicts between the nineteen Pueblos and the Navajo Nation when she unilaterally seized control of over 350,000 acres of Navajo Nation Land and BLM land surrounding Chaco on behalf of nineteen Pueblos on June 2, 2023. UNESCO website states, “Chaco Canyon, a major centre of ancestral Pueblo culture between 850 and 1250, was the focus for ceremonials, trade and political activity for the prehistoric Four Corners area.”

The nineteen Pueblos and the Navajo Nation have been discussing how to manage energy development in the area surrounding Chaco and protect the rights of the Dine who live on those lands. Secretary Haaland usurped the ongoing discussion and seized control of the land, which favored her Laguna Pueblo and the other eighteen Pueblos.

Secretary Haaland has demonstrated that she is no different from any other Secretary of Interiors who preceded her. She seized control of native lands without regard for agreements and Native Sovereignty. This is why Native American leaders have not approved of her actions. They understand they could be next.

Washington leaders, bureaucrats, and lobbyists still view the West and its inhabitants in terms of 1800 caricatures, and they believe they are as benevolent as the Wizard of Oz, which could not be further from the truth. This needs to change now. Joe Biden should start by rescinding Secretary Haaland’s unilateral order and encourage the Navajo Nation and the nineteen Pueblos to create an agreement that addresses their competing interests on their lands. Joe Biden should continue with President Donald Trump’s decentralization of the Department of Interior.

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.

Lujan Grisham’s new abortion hotline cloaked in secrecy

12 Comments / New Mexico, News, Opinion, Politics / By Piñon Post

The far-left Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham administration recently unveiled its new abortion hotline that is purported to support women’s access to “reproductive health” despite abortion forcibly ending the reproductive process.

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) website claims it is meant to “help when looking for abortion information.” The hotline is likely to push abortion businesses like the Albuquerque-based Southwestern Women’s Options, the Las Cruces-based “The Pink House West,” and Planned Parenthood locations littered across the state.

No information about life-affirming options other than abortion is noted on the NMDOH website despite many of these pro-life pregnancy resource centers offering free help for women in crisis pregnancies.

The website reads, “Help is available for people of all genders and ages. We can help people from any state. You will not be asked any information about citizenship,” apparently showing an aim to push abortion on illegal immigrant women and attempt to service the “trans” community.

“According to state data, there were more than 11,000 reported abortions statewide last year compared with nearly 4,900 abortions reported in 2021,” wrote the Associated Press.

According to a KOB 4 report, “A spokesperson from the governor’s office says the hotline is run by nurses already working at the Department of Health. They’re from the Epidemiology Division [and] helped with the COVID-19 hotline…. The governor’s spokesperson says the hotline is also meant to connect women with housing and transportation needs as well.”

“Call the NM Reproductive Health Hotline for help when looking for abortion information. Your safety and health are important. We do not share your information with anyone. The hotline is staffed by nurses who can answer questions and connect you to health care. The hotline is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. MST and weekends 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” reads the website.

NMDOH also notes, “You can schedule an appointment with a provider to discuss your options. Please call NM Reproductive Health Hotline (1-833-76REPRO) in order to get information about clinics in NM, as well as wait times.” This appears to indicate abortion facilities are the main push of the hotline, contradicting the governor’s spokesperson.

Despite little to no information available about the hotline, it is prominently featured on the NMDOH website. The hotline remains cloaked in secrecy, but no doubt it is meant to continue pushing abortion up-to-birth in the state where no limits whatsoever exist on abortion, including no standards of care to protect pregnant women or their babies in the womb.

Gaslighting from Soros-backed MLG on election integrity reaches new levels

27 Comments / Opinion / By Erin Clements

Recently, Democrat New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham tweeted out a link to a story from NPR titled, “How the Far Right is Making Voter Fraud Easier,” with an at-a-girl message for New Mexico’s corrupt SOS, Maggie Toulouse Oliver:

The Tweet garnered 80 retweets – 60 of which were hidden by Twitter – all of which are skeptical of the linked article and the governor’s assertion that the Secretary of State supports a strong voting system and accurate election in New Mexico.

“You’re joking, right?” asked one Twitter user. Another simply stated, “crook.”

A screenshot of a social media post Description automatically generated with medium confidence

One particularly informed Twitter user asked the Governor, “Without ERIC, Dominion couldn’t do what you all need it to do, no?”

The linked audio story from state-sponsored NPR decries a recent exodus of nine states (Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia) from the program called ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center), and naturally, they blame the “far right” and their “conspiracy theories” as the reason ERIC is crashing and burning.

Not to be carried away by the radical left’s emotional name-calling, let’s take just a moment to examine the facts surrounding ERIC:

Since 2012, ERIC collects member states’ registration data to supposedly collaborate with other states to clean voter rolls and reduce fraud by cross-checking data across states and alerting states of duplicate registrations. At its height, ERIC had 31 members. ERIC charges each of its members a hefty annual fee. New Mexico had its first year’s fee of $75,000 paid for by the leftist Pew Charitable Trust as an enticement to join.

A less-advertised feature of ERIC is that they cross-check data with other sources, such as each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) database, to look for people who may be eligible voters but are not registered. Then they send lists of eligible but unregistered voters to the election jurisdictions, who then send out mailers at taxpayers’ expense to those people inviting them to register to vote.

An obvious problem with using DMV data to try to find new voters is that non-citizens are often in these databases. ERIC has a strange rule that states, “Under no circumstances shall the members transmit any record indicating an individual is a non-citizen of the U.S.” So, ERIC wants DMV data, but they don’t want the data to indicate which people are citizens and which are not as they compile their lists of potentially eligible voters.

Can we trust our election officials to filter the lists they get from ERIC so that they only solicit people to register to vote who are citizens? Apparently not. The SOS of Colorado was caught sending invitations to register to vote to 30,000 non-citizens. She claimed the mistake occurred because of a “database glitch,” but that “database glitch” may very well have occurred because of ERIC and its process of identifying adults over the age of 18 in each state.

What has become clear in the last few years as citizens across the country have investigated the accuracy of their voter rolls by door-to-door canvassing is that ERIC has not “cleaned” the voter rolls in any state where it is present. The voter rolls in every ERIC state have only grown since they joined ERIC, and the data is a mess.

The Otero County Audit conducted last year in New Mexico included a random survey of over 2,000 residences and found that 30 percent of those residences had people registered who were not actually living at those addresses – and 40 percent of those cast ballots in the 2020 election. The canvass found a German man who was surprised he was being surveyed as he had never registered to vote, knowing he was not eligible as a non-citizen. How did he end up on the rolls? Did it have anything to do with ERIC? Our SOS has expressed no interest in finding out.

If ERIC isn’t really cleaning voter rolls or keeping them accurate, what are they doing? To answer that question – it’s necessary to investigate the origins of this shady program:

ERIC was founded by a Democrat election attorney named David Becker. The initial grant to create ERIC was provided by none other than George Soros’ ultra-radical Open Society Foundation. After Becker had gotten ERIC on its feet, he established another leftist non-profit called the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR) in 2016.

A researcher named Peter Bernegger discovered in April 2023 that ERIC was passing voter information directly to its sister non-profit, CEIR. CEIR works with another company called Catalist, which claims it “compiles, enhances, stores, and dynamically updates data on over 256 million unique voting-age individuals across 50 states and the District of Columbia.” Essentially, they have the goods on every human in the U.S. over 18. They also say, “Our data and models are continually improved with the data returned to Catalist by our partners and clients. This virtuous circle ensures the national file is more accurate and more powerful for our clients.”

And who are Catalist’s clients? According to their website, “Catalist works exclusively with Democratic and progressive organizations that share [their] values.” These include political campaigns, Planned Parenthood, the American Federation of Labor, America Votes, and others.

So, states pay ERIC tens of thousands of dollars per year for the privilege of having data on virtually all their citizens and non-citizens harvested by a Soros-funded organization. This organization then passes along this data to CEIR, which has an intimate relationship with Catalist, which compiles data on essentially every voting-age adult in the country. Catalist, in turn, provides high-quality data exclusively to Democrat politicians and organizations.

Since we know no state has ended up with cleaner voter rolls after becoming an ERIC member, we can safely assume that the purpose of ERIC and all its incestuous relationships with the radical left is to inflate voter rolls across the country and provide Democrat candidates and organizations an unfair advantage with the data it harvests at the taxpayer’s expense. Citizens of all ERIC states should be outraged that their election officials are participating in this obviously biased scheme to provide an unfair advantage to one party.

So why would Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse-Oliver join NPR to defend the indefensible? Maybe because, like ERIC, they are both sponsored by George Soros and are staunch advocates of everything the radical left wants to do to unfairly tip the political landscape in their favor to enact its radical policies.

The data cataloging the political donations made directly by George Soros include only about 165 officeholders or candidates in the last 13 years. Maggie Toulouse Oliver and Michelle Lujan Grisham were both recipients on this exclusive list.

Contrary to the Governor’s Tweet and attempt to shield the Secretary of State from justified criticism – ERIC does not exist to keep elections free and fair. It doesn’t even do what it advertises. Rather, as all 80 people who responded to the Tweet have figured out – the real reason for the existence of ERIC is to keep the voter rolls as large as possible. That way, Democrats like Grisham and Oliver have plenty of available votes to work with throughout the Election Season to ensure they maintain control over the serfs.

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.

Wagyu beef and cocaine hot dogs

15 Comments / Opinion / By John Block

Over the past few months, New Mexico has been getting quite a lot of media attention for unfortunate reasons, including a recent biker gang shootout in Red River over Memorial Day weekend, a Sonic hot dog found with a bag of cocaine in it, and Democrats’ extremist abortion up-to-birth policies, to name a few.

Jeffrey David Salazar, 54, of Española, faces felony charges after he “lost” his bag of cocaine during his shift at Sonic, where a woman found the drug bag in her hot dog.

“(Salazar) stops cooking and appears to be frantically searching the area as if he lost something,” a detective wrote in the affidavit.

This made national news.

Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s move to try and ban localities from halting abortions in their communities and pushing “gender-affirming care” on children via H.B. 7 recently made national news also – further enshrining New Mexico as the abortion capital of the United States. This sad record was affirmed by another bill that will harbor criminal abortionists in New Mexico who are wanted in other states.

A biker gang’s recent shootout in Red River, killing three and injuring at least five, made national news also, with Democrats almost in unison, using the dispute to push for extreme anti-gun laws. It splashed the headlines of national news outlets for days.

These are just national headlines from the past few weeks — not counting the other horrible things New Mexico is now known for under far-left, failed leadership that has failed to prevent such tragic stories.

We also make national headlines about our most prolific export — box-checking Washington, D.C. bureaucrats like Deb Haaland, who can’t even form a coherent sentence in a U.S. House or Senate hearing, much less run a federal agency. More national shame and embarrassing headlines.

Instead of helping quell the illegal drug trade in New Mexico, Democrats have repeatedly refused to increase sentences for drug possession and trafficking, even fentanyl — leading to “COCAINE HOT DOG” being plastered across even international headlines as far-reaching as India

Democrats couldn’t stand not having any protections whatsoever for babies, women, or doctors, as passed in a 2021 law legalizing abortion up to birth. They wanted to push abortions and transgender surgeries/hormone blockers on children also. Now, New Mexico is Texas’ back-alley abortion mill.

And instead of New Mexico legislators passing laws preventing crime by punishing thugs who break the law, three are now dead due to the recent Red River shootout.

In recent years, New Mexico has grabbed national headlines for things such as Democrats working to weaken the state’s election laws to open the floodgates to fraud, Albuquerque Police officers fleeing the state amid anti-police policies, as well as the governor’s lavish spending on booze and Wagyu beef, not to mention her $150,000 crotch grab payout to a former campaign staffer.

Other headlines focus on New Mexico’s worst education system in the entire country, the state’s wide-open southern border, deadly crime statistics, and the worst state for drug use in the entire country.

By electing the same people and the same failed weak-on-crime, anti-moral “leaders,” New Mexico will remain in the same sad place, with headlines focusing on our failures instead of our successes, which are few.

People need to start waking up, or else we will remain in the cadaver state (for all the children we kill via abortion, not to mention those being slaughtered through assisted suicide), biker gang shootouts, taxpayer-funded Wagyu beef steaks, and, embarrassingly, cocaine hot dogs.

We can do many things to start fixing New Mexico, including signing a referendum petition to help stop the extremist laws recently passed in the 2023 Legislature, making sure not to stay home during ANY election, staying informed by reading what is happening in New Mexico in places like the Piñon Post, and by seizing upon every opportunity to take action in the state.

It can be as simple as sending an email to a lawmaker or more involved, such as knocking on doors to support your local anti-Critical Race Theory school board candidate. It’s not that hard. We need to fight even harder to reclaim this state because it is a very achievable goal. We love New Mexico. Now, let’s fight for it.

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