Politics

New Mexico GOP kicks off Amarillo convention with remarks from SD Gov. Kristi Noem

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The Republican Party of New Mexico began the first night of its 2021 convention in Amarillo, Texas. The press was prohibited from covering the event dubbed “Operation Freedom/Positive Change for New Mexico.” 

However, according to accounts from inside the event, the first night’s speaker, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, started the event with a bang.

In her speech, Noem is reported to have said, “I know your governor. I worked with her in congress. She was mouthy then too.” 

She also is reported to have told the audience, “Republicans, get over yourselves.  Work together and stop getting your feelings hurt.” 

After her remarks, the New Mexico GOP posted on Twitter, “Thank you @KristiNoem for speaking at Operation Freedom tonight. Your words and leadership are inspiring to us, New Mexicans.” 

The second day of the event on Saturday is set to have an all-star lineup of Republicans, including Texas Republican Party Chairman Lt. Col. Allen West, Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson, who represents Amarillo, New Mexico’s Second District Congresswoman Yvette Herrell, and Republican nominee for the First District in the special election state Sen. Mark Moores.

Kimberly Skaggs, the Party’s executive director and the county chair for the Doña Ana GOP told the Santa Fe New Mexican “We didn’t get to make the decision; our governor made that decision for us,” referring to mass gathering restrictions under the state’s public health order.

Ronald Solomon, a pro-Trump merchandise vendor at the event told the New Mexican, “Actually, you’ll see a big cleansing in the party of all these Republicans in name only — RINOs as we call them — coming up next fall,” He added, “If these people somehow think they’re going to survive this, they’re going to be destroyed. As a matter of fact, that’s why I made my ‘It’s RINO season’ T-shirt with President Trump in a hunting outfit with his rifle.”

Heinrich anti-energy bill will keep New Mexico ‘dependent on Washington’

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On Thursday, it was reported that Democrat Sen. Martin Heinrich is planning to introduce “a revenue replacement bill” next week which “would provide a predictable transition for states, counties, and tribes and give those governments time to transition their budgets to more sustainable and reliable sources of revenue,” according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

“The bill sets a baseline mineral revenue amount for each fiscal year based on a historical average of federal mineral revenue, declining by 5 percent each year,” a news release states. “If the regular mineral revenue payment to a state, county, or tribe would fall below the baseline amount for that year, an ‘energy transition payment’ would be provided to make up the difference between the actual mineral payment and the calculated baseline.”

Embattled Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who was accused and later settled with $62,500 in campaign funds for sexual assault, applauded the proposal, writing, “This legislation would establish the kind of support we need to ensure our state revenues are protected as we continue to implement the important work of diversifying and expanding New Mexico’s economy,” 

She added, “I look forward to working with the senator and all of New Mexico’s delegation to get this proposal across the federal finish line.”

Far-left Democrat Rep. Javier Martínez also applauded the radical anti-energy proposal, writing, “I think what the senator is going to be proposing really provides us with a thoughtful revenue bridge, if you will, as that transition happens.” He added, “What happens to state revenues? What happens to funding for schools, funding for infrastructure? And I think that the senator’s plan really provides us with that alternative.”

“The global energy landscape is undergoing a massive transformation, and states like New Mexico need to be ready,” Heinrich told The New Mexican.

“The Schools and State Budgets Certainty Act will provide a predictable glide path for state, county, and Tribal governments to move away from their current dependence on federal fossil fuel revenues and allow a managed transition to more reliable sources of funding,” he added. “If we make the right choices now and invest in new growth opportunities, we can put New Mexico and our energy veterans who have long worked to power our country in the best possible position to thrive.”

The bill aims to move New Mexico from being “dependent” on oil and gas to be dependent on the federal government, which some critics of the radical proposal have taken issue with.

“This proposal is an admission from Senator Heinrich that the wind and solar power being forced upon New Mexicans won’t be enough to financially sustain our state. Instead of allowing the workers in our energy industry to keep their jobs, this proposal proves Senator Heinrich wants to make New Mexico even more dependent on Washington.  It is pure arrogance for Senator Heinrich and Governor Lujan Grisham to artificially prop up unreliable energy sources while destroying real jobs in New Mexico and then have the audacity to call it a ‘just transition’,” said Larry Behrens of the pro-energy group Power The Future. 

Lujan Grisham and Heinrich have proposed and supported proposals for a complete government takeover of health care, education, and many other sectors, while spending billions on far-out “climate change” proposals such as the Green New Deal that would bankrupt the state and the country. 

CDC says no masks indoors if vaxxed but not in New Mexico… yet

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The Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) updated guidelines on Thursday said it is permissible to “resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart” if one is “fully vaccinated except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

That might be well and good for states that trust their citizens with freedoms to make choices about their health (such as wearing masks) by themselves, but not in the Land of Enchantment. Despite what the CDC says, according to the state’s latest emergency health orders, per Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Health Secretary Dr.  Tracie Collins, New Mexicans are warned to not leave their homes and to continue wearing masks. 

From the April 28, 2021 health order:

It remains the core purpose of this Order to emphasize that all New Mexicans should be staying in their homes for all but the most essential activities and services. When New Mexicans are not in their homes, they must strictly adhere to social distancing protocols and wear face coverings to minimize risks. These sacrifices are the best contribution that each of us can individually make to protect the health and wellbeing of our fellow citizens and the State as a whole. In accordance with these purposes, this Order and its exceptions should be narrowly construed to encourage New Mexicans to stay in their homes for all but the most essential activities. 

So despite what the CDC says, New Mexicans are still locked down and encouraged by overlords in Santa Fe to wear masks indoors for now. However, the Governor has adopted the CDC guidelines for fully vaccinated New Mexicans not to wear masks outdoors. 

A spokesperson for the Governor’s office previously told KOB 4, “The New Mexico mask mandate remains in place for the protection of the health and safety of all New Mexicans – any new data or recommendations will be reviewed and evaluated by the state, and we’ll keep you informed of any updates.” The Governor’s State Police are still harassing New Mexican businesses in alleged non-compliance with the mask mandates.

Perennial candidate Brian Colón running for NM attorney general

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On Thursday, the Associated Press first reported that Brian Colón, a perennial candidate for just about every office in New Mexico, announced he would be running for New Mexico attorney general after serving one term in elected office as the state auditor.

According to the AP, “Colón sees the campaign as an opportunity to ‘take the next step,’ saying his motivation is rooted in his experience growing up in New Mexico and his desire to serve his community. He recalled the struggle of being poor and having to take on the role of caring for his mother and siblings when his father died at a young age.” 

Colón would be following in the career path of the current attorney general and his former law firm colleague, Hector Balderas, who mysteriously passed up the opportunity to run for the U.S. Senate in 2022, which he was expected to do. Balderas was the state auditor before becoming attorney general. 

After a stint as Democrat Party of New Mexico chair, Colón ran a failed campaign for lieutenant governor in 2010, then ran a failed campaign for Albuquerque mayor, being beat by then-state auditor Tim Keller. 

In the state’s history, the auditor’s office has been used as less of a regulatory agency for accountability than for boosting politicians’ political careers. In recent history, the auditor’s office has been known for corruption, notably with then-auditor Robert E. Vigil (D) and the state treasurer being indicted on 28 counts of extortion, money laundering, and racketeering by a federal jury. 

Other than generalities about promoting “prosperous” and “safe” communities, it is unknown what platform Colón plans on running on. Another candidate, Albuquerque-area district attorney Raúl Torrez is also a possible contender for the position.

According to the New Mexico Secretary of State, Colón has $366,738.19 cash on hand, which gives him a leg up in fundraising over other candidates. Republicans have held the attorney general’s office three times in the state’s history. Still, if the GOP fields a viable candidate in 2022, the race could very well swing to the Republican column due to it being a midterm with a Democrat sitting in the White House.

‘Illegal terrorist settlers’: Antisemites rallying in ABQ against Israel

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On Saturday, May 15, Antisemitic pro-Palestinian groups are holding rallies against Israel across the country, including in Albuquerque where a “Nakba (catastrophe): Emergency March and Rally” is being held. The rally comes after Hamas terrorists in Palestine shot thousands of rockets at Israel over the past few days. Most of them have been intercepted by Israel’s missile defense system dubbed the “Iron Dome.”

The group apparently organizing the Antisemitic event is the “ANSWERS Coalition,” which has defended Hamas, the Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist terrorist group in the past. 

The march and rally are supposed to take place at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday with a car caravan starting at Walgreens on Central and San Mateo to the main event, which is being held at Tiguex Park, according to the Facebook event organized by “Southwest Coalition for Palestine.”

In one advertisement for the event by one organizer who proudly has “#AbolishThePolice” in his Twitter biography, the individual is asking people to bring Palestinian flags and wear “keffiyeh” scarves, which according to the Jerusalem Post, a pro-Israel publication, “stirs the same emotions in today’s Jews that the swastika must have done to those in Hitler’s Europe.

In the Facebook event, the organizers dub Jewish people as “illegal terrorist settlers” and allege that the Israel Defense Forces have targeted “Palestinian homes.” The group aims to force Congress to pass Rep. Bett McCollum’s (D-NM) bill to cripple aid to Israel based on supposed abuses against the Palestinian regime. 

Previously, Antisemitic pro-Palestinian supporters have rallied in Albuquerque, notably in July 2020 with an event co-sponsored by the anti-Hispanic hate group “The Red Nation” and “Al-Awda,” whose founder compares Jews with Nazis and is a supporter of the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah. 

At the 2020 rally, a handful of people in the caravan of cars held anti-Israel signs, with some shouting out of their cars things such as, “Look at the Nazis! F**k you!” 

The event happening on Saturday in Albuquerque is using phraseology such as “imperialism” and “Zionist extremism” to characterize Israel, which is a longtime close ally of the United States important to America’s Judeo-Christian foundations. 

The news of the event comes just days after a University of New Mexico student was allegedly attacked for speaking Hebrew and left with a black eye and apparent other abrasions on his face.

Biden repeatedly calls New Mexico just ‘Mexico’ in latest series of gaffes

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On a Tuesday virtual call with American governors, Joe Biden repeatedly called New Mexico just “Mexico” while addressing the vaccination efforts across the country. According to Breibart News, the governors involved were Janet Mills (D-ME), Mike DeWine (R-OH), Spencer Cox (R-UT), Tim Walz (D-MN), Charlie Baker (R-MA), and Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM). 

Biden asked embattled Gov. Lujan Grisham how the weather was in “Mexico.”

Throughout the call, he repeatedly referred to New Mexico as just “Mexico,” but finally corrected himself while addressing Lujan Grisham at the end of the call.

During a CNN interview last week, Alisyn Camerota mistakenly said Lujan Grisham was the governor of “New York,” but she did not correct her. 

WATCH Biden’s New Mexico gaffe:

MLG’s State Police, Enviro Secretary let ABQ restaurant stay open following public pushback

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On Saturday, scores of customers came to Backstreet Grill in Albuquerque’s Old Town to support it as it refused to close down following Yelp reviews and a KRQE 13 report alleging that employees were not wearing masks while working outside. 

The massive support for Backstreet Grill came as embattled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s State Police delivered a cease and desist order to the business, which was supposed to shut it down. But the restaurant owner refused to stay shuttered.

Along with multiple State Police officers came Lujan Grisham’s well-paid Environment Department Secretary James Kenney, who spoke with some supporters of Backstreet Grill, including Audrey Trujillo, a conservative activist in New Mexico. Kenny said, “We oversee the OSHA program. Just to make sure the employees are safe. And the lack of employees wearing masks as they’re performing their duties puts them at risk.” 

Another health official, Christopher Hutchinson of the City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department, was short with Trujillo and others, refusing to give them his name despite being present in an official capacity and merely telling them he was there because of a “lack of compliance” from the business. 

“When is this going to end? When are you going to let these people run their businesses?” asked Trujillo to Kenney. “New Mexico is staying in this because they’re getting money. They are getting federal money,” she added. 

“Look, I appreciate the conversation we’re having…. We’re so close. We’re getting very close to being over that edge” of being out of the pandemic, Kenney said. He did not elaborate on when or how that would happen. Shortly afterward, Kenney, Hutchinson, and the Stae Police officers left.

Chris, the owner of the business, said, “We were looking at a potential arrest. We were asked to shut it down even though it’s unconstitutional. The judge has issued a temporary order to shut us down pending even talking to her, which is very unacceptable considering the damage that would do to an already damaged business. On top of that, I just never saw that this would be something that would be an outcome.” 

He added, “I tried to be polite and professional with the sergeant I realized was in command. He was waiting for orders. He was just following orders. They let him use his own decision-making in the field and he said that upon my request to leave, that he would honor that request and he would let us continue doing business.” 

When asked if the massive public turnout to support the grill helped, he said, “Absolutely. Everything helps. Everything matters. Everything helps, and the support that I’ve gotten today is something I never even dreamed of. I feel like I’ve been fighting this fight alone for the longest time. And finally, now, I’m seeing the people come out and step up to the plate and actually stand on-scene and make their presence known. 

ABQ restaurant owner to be served cease and desist order, faces possible arrest

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On Saturday, Backstreet Grill in Albuquerque will likely be served a cease and desist order from Gov. Lujan Grisham’s State Police after the restaurant has refused to stay closed following a previous order shutting it down.

The order was in response to reports from Yelp commenters claiming the restaurant’s staff were not wearing masks while serving food outside.

Now, according to those familiar with the situation, the restaurant’s owner faces possible arrest when the Police show up to serve the order.

One individual writes on Facebook, “Backstreet Grill received a court order today to shut down.

They are going to stand their ground and open up for business tomorrow anyway. There is a very good chance they may try to come arrest Chris (the restaurant owner) the owner tomorrow.

He needs as big of a presence as possible there and lots of people ready with their cameras.

They open at 11am. A fellow patriot needs our help!”

Backstreet grill is located at 1919 Old Town Rd. NW #6 in Albuquerque, NM 87104

Lujan Grisham gives cabinet secretary raise while many New Mexicans remain unemployed

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On Saturday, it was reported that embattled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who was accused and later settled $62,500 in campaign cash for sexual assault, gave her energy secretary, James Kenney, an 8% raise, adding up to $12,480. That boosts Kenney’s salary from $156,000 to $168,480, making him the highest-paid member of Lujan Grisham’s cabinet. Kenney is responsible for overseeing the Governor’s “Green New Deal” implementation by creating anti-energy laws to cripple the oil and gas industry.

Nora Sackett, Lujan Grisham’s spokeswoman, said the Environment Department “has been tasked with ensuring the health and safety of workers and customers statewide, including carrying out tens of thousands of rapid responses, running the state’s wastewater surveillance testing program, and coordinating with businesses to ensure safe practices and establish mobile testing programs, all of which Secretary Kenney coordinated and executed.” 

Sackett is referring to the Governor weaponizing the Energy Department to close down establishments and fine businesses for alleged non-compliance with her extreme public health orders that have locked the state down for over a year. One establishment in Grants was fined $60,000 at the start of the pandemic while churches had $5,000+ fines, and O’Reilly Auto Parts in Santa Fe was fined $79,200. 

The news of Kenney’s pay boost comes just days after Kenney gave an employee, Justin Garouette, an ex-staffer on porn actor-turned state Rep. Roger Montoya’s campaign, a $32,000 raise.

The raises come just three months after it was discovered the Governor’s office handed eight of her own staff members raises totaling $92,000 over the past year, a 10% bump on average, far outpacing the raises more broadly granted state employees.

The raises were as follows:

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).

New Mexico’s unemployment rate is 8.3% and is the third-worst in the nation. It is also at its worst point in 30 years, outpacing even the Great Recession following the housing bubble crash of 2008. State employees generally did not get raises in this year’s budget, while teachers received a 1% raise.

Tucker Carlson rails against ‘deeply mediocre, dumb’ Gov. Lujan Grisham

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Washington D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser appeared alongside embattled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on CNN on Wednesday, where they discussed Lujan Grisham inviting the mayor to the Democrat Governors Association despite D.C. being constitutionally barred from being a state. 

Also discussed was Bowser’s extreme ban on dancing at weddings, with an order saying, “dancing and standing receptions are not allowed.” Bowser defended her ban on dancing, saying she was “absolutely considering opening more activity.” 

Lujan Grisham applauded Bowser for the ban, saying in New Mexico, “if you’re socially distanced, and you’re wearing a mask, and you meet the other requirements with our level of vaccinations,” people are allowed to dance. She added, “I want to give the mayor, uh — it takes courage to be really clear about what constitutes high-risk activities and behaviors.” 

Tucker Carlson of Fox News railed against the measure, calling it “stupid and crazy” while dubbing Bowser an “ayatollah” in determining whether people could dance at weddings.

Carlson blasted Lujan Grisham as “deeply mediocre” and “dumb” for applauding Bowser’s buffoonery. 

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