Politics

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

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

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

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

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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Gov. MLG continues assault on oil and gas with new ‘gift to radical environmentalists’

On Thursday, embattled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s New Mexico Environment Department released another extreme anti-oil and gas proposed rule. The rule aims to decimate further the energy sector, which has already been crippled by Lujan Grisham’s policies, such as the Energy Transition Act (the Green New Deal), among other radical financially ruinous measures.

According to a press release from the Department, “Once finalized, the new rule will reduce emissions of ozone precursor pollutants – volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen – by nearly 260 million pounds annually and reduce methane emissions by over 851 million pounds annually. The rule will apply in New Mexico counties with high ozone levels. Currently, this includes Chaves, Doña Ana, Eddy, Lea, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, San Juan, and Valencia counties.” 

“In addition to taking this significant step in solving our ozone problem to protect public health, this rule also puts us on course to reach the climate goals we set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions statewide by 45% or more by 2030 by reducing over 851 million pounds of methane emissions,” said Secretary Kenney, referencing the Green New Deal. “This amount of methane is equivalent to the energy needed to power 1.2 million new Mexico homes for an entire year.”

As well, the proposal will eliminate “all exemptions for stripper wells and facilities formerly classified as ‘low potential to emit’ that had been included in the previous draft” of the proposal.

Additionally, the proposed rule sets “foundational requirements for all oil and gas operators to calculate emissions and confirm their accuracy through a professional engineer, perform monthly checks for leaks and fix them within 15 days, and maintain records to demonstrate continuous compliance. Building on the foundational requirements are stricter standards for equipment and processes that can emit larger quantities of pollution.” 

The Governor touted the Department’s job-killing, economy-crippling proposal in a video posted on Twitter, where she claimed: “children and seniors, as well as communities of color, are more significantly negatively impacted by poor air quality.” She also claimed her proposal is like “taking eight million gas-guzzling vehicles off the road every year.” It is an interesting point since oil and gas is the only reason many communities across the state have survived at all. That includes anti-oil and gas hotbeds like Santa Fe, where residents get their food and supplies to live from oil and gas via trucks that deliver supplies, electricity in homes, and almost everything used in daily life. The new prposal would drive prices up and harm the poorest New Mexicans the most. 

Opponents of the radical rule have a much different thought process on Lujan Grisham’s punitive measures toward industries in the state. Larry Behrens of the pro-energy group Power The Future said, “This proposal proves the Governor didn’t keep her word. The Governor promised to work with our energy workers, instead she puts forth a proposal that is a gift to radical environmentalists.” 

“Just like Joe Biden, the Governor is trying to hurt our energy workers by taking executive actions. This rule will close many wells that are still productive, raise costs and ultimately bankrupt many smaller producers, which is the goal of the environmental community,” said Behrens.

He added, “Apparently, the governor isn’t satisfied that gas prices are up more than 65 percent over the last year or that unemployment in New Mexico is at its highest in 30 years instead, she continues to appease her radical environmental supporters with this proposal.”

Gov. Lujan Grisham’s big donor, the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, took a neutral stance on the extreme Green New Deal and did not fight an extreme gas tax on the poor during the 2021 Legislative Session. The effective Democrat “oil and gas” arm of the Democrat Party made the following statement following the rule proposal:

“NMOGA and our members are committed to protecting the health and environment of the communities where we operate, and we support sound, science-based regulations to reduce methane emissions and ozone levels. Throughout this two-year process, we have been dedicated to working with regulatory bodies to share our industry’s scientific and environmental subject matter expertise. As we review the rule in detail, we will look for opportunities to engage the department with industry’s technical professionals to encourage greater innovation and cost- effective solutions, consistent with other regulatory requirements. New Mexico should be a leader in responsible energy development, and an appropriate regulatory framework will allow oil and natural gas to continue to deliver enormous fiscal and economic benefits to all New Mexicans while reducing emissions, safeguarding natural resources, and improving our environment.”

Before taking effect, the new rule must be considered by the seven-member New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board. A public hearing before the Board is expected this fall. For more information or to submit public comment, that can be accessed here.

Alexis Martinez Johnson running for mayor of Santa Fe

On Thursday, the former congressional candidate for the Third District, Republican Alexis Martinez Johnson, has announced her run for the mayorship of Santa Fe.

“I believe in the potential of this city, but only if we abandon the divisive rhetoric and join under common goals like having safe infrastructure,” she said in a statement. “As the next Santa Fe Mayor, I will prioritize safety, responsible modernization, and cultural heritage.”

According to the Albuquerque Journal, She’ll also begin the process of collecting enough nominating signatures and $5 contributions to meet the city’s candidate qualifying requirement while signing the paperwork on Thursday to become a candidate.

During the nomination for CD-3 in 2020, she only received 11% of the party insider vote from the GOP convention. Still, she earned enough signatures to appear on the ballot and ended up winning the Republican nomination. Although she was unsuccessful in her run against Democrat Teresa Leger de Fernandez, she garnered the third-highest percentage of the vote by a Republican in the District’s 38-year history with 41.4%. 

Martinez Johnson now joins two other candidates, incumbent Mayor Alan Webber and city councilor JoAnne Vigil Cobbler for the spot. Webber is a far-left extremist who sat idly by and instructed city police to stand down while domestic terrorists toppled the 152-year-old obelisk in Downtown Santa Fe. Vigil Coppler opposed the Mayor’s actions and supported Hispanic culture, unlike Webber, who partnered with Marxist anti-Hispanic hate groups.

In her 2020 run for Congress, Martinez Johnson was supported by conservative Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ), who said at the time, “Elites from the east and west coast want to determine the fate of New Mexico’s elections. I want you to know that Alexis will bring true conservative representation to New Mexico’s 3rd District. Choosing to support Alexis in the General Election will help fight off the elites from the east and west coast.”

Martinez Johnson has stood up for many commonsense principles on the campaign trail, such as family values, pro-life positions, and support for Northern New Mexico’s mixed cultural heritage. 

Gov. MLG lets D.C. mayor join Dem. Governors Assoc. despite it not being a state

On Wednesday, embattled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham who was accused and later settled $62,500 in campaign cash for sexual assault, went on CNN to announce that she had adopted the far-left Democrats’ radical and unconstitutional agenda trying to make the District of Columbia a state. She was joined on the interview with Democrat D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

During the interview, the Governor announced she had invited Bowser to join the Democrat Governors Association (DGA), which she chairs. Bowser said, “What is missing is two senators to represent us in the Senate.” 

When asked by CNN’s Alisyn Camerota why Bowser is allowed to join the DGA, Lujan Grisham responded, “Uh, well, she’s an executive leader, uh, working on all of the things that Democratic governors are responsible. From continuing to save lives, get folks vaccinated in our fight against COVID, to every other meaningful issue from voting rights protection, health care reform and access, educational investments for every single one of her constituent (sic) and families.” It should be noted all the things Lujan Grisham mentioned are in the scope of most mayors in the country, of which Bowser is–a mayor of a district, not a governor of a state.

The Republican Governor’s Association clapped back at Gov. Lujan Grisham’s latest stunt, writing that what she actually meant was “permanently changing the U.S. Senate’s partisan composition, securing a liberal majority for decades to come and devaluing the vote of New Mexicans on the federal level. Thanks for clearing that up, Mayor.”

In a press release, Lujan Grisham wrote, “Democratic governors are national leaders in expanding voting rights and on the frontlines of stopping Republican voter suppression, and we are honored to fight for D.C. statehood by welcoming Mayor Muriel Bowser to the Democratic Governors Association.”

She added, “We must especially take this important stand, as Republicans across the country continue their ongoing efforts to restrict our freedom to vote and suppress the voices of people of color at the ballot box. There’s no better way for a state to protect voting rights than to elect a Democratic governor – and that’s exactly what the people of D.C. deserve.” 

However, Republicans are not working to hamper Americans’ voting freedoms. In states like Georgia, Republican legislators are expanding voting access that both ensures a fair process and makes it easier to vote. 

Democrats allegedly stole the 2020 presidential election due to swaths of illegal absentee ballots mysteriously being counted in the dead of night and days after the election commenced. Despite Republicans winning in massive numbers across the country, including picking up legislative seats and local races up and down the ballot, Democrats “won” with statistical impossibilities in states like Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

“Governor Lujan Grisham knows there is no good reason for Washington, D.C. to be a state other than to cement far-left liberal policies into law,” said RGA spokesman Will Reinert. “Governor Lujan Grisham’s support of the Green New Deal, gun grabs and radically higher taxes are what today’s invitation to Mayor Muriel Bowser should mean to New Mexicans.”

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MLG admin. staffer who worked on ex-porn actor’s campaign given massive $32k raise

New Mexicans are still suffering due to embattled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s strict lockdown orders, which she changes every once in a while on her COVID rainbow, also known as her “red to green” framework for reopening. While New Mexicans are uncertain if their businesses will be forced to cut staff or change inventory levels due to the ever-changing color trajectory, Gov. Lujan Grisham is delving out massive raises to partisan staffers in her administration.

According to one report, Justin Garoutte, a special assistant to New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney, was given a gargantuan $32,000 raise, boosting this individual’s salary to $87,000 on a 40-hour-a-week schedule. That’s a 58% increase.

Garoutte has described himself as a “genderqueer gay” person. He previously worked on porn actor-turned New Mexico state representative Roger Montoya’s campaign as a “field director” and Montoya’s nonprofit group “Moving Arts Española” as a “development assistant” from March 2020 to July 2020.

During Montoya’s campaign, he used a charity donor list from Moving Arts Española to solicit campaign donations for his run. 

According to his LinkedIn page, “Justin (pronouns: they/he) is from Antonito, a small town in southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley,” the LinkedIn page states. “Their areas of interest are environmental health, health equity, Latina/o/x health, LGBTQIA+ health, community building, social determinants of health, and community-based participatory research.”

Garoutte will now be director of strategic initiatives, leading “our science, innovation, collaboration and compliance cross-cutting portfolios,” said Kenney.

This gender-confused individual is not the only person in the Lujan Grisham administration to get a hefty raise in recent months. Garoutte’s massive pay increase comes just 3 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).

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 appears to be another “let them eat cake” sentiment to once again kick New Mexicans while they’re down.

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. 

Larry Behrens of the pro-energy group Power The Future said, “I can’t think of anything more pathetic than radical environmentalists handing themselves massive raises while New Mexico’s families suffer under the worst unemployment rate in 30 years. I guess leaders in this administration feel if you’re going to continue to attack New Mexico’s energy workers it helps to have a 5-person media relations office. The message is clear: if you’re part of the eco-left inner circle, there’s plenty of green for you because the taxpayers are footing the bill.”

Gov. MLG tries to squash nonprofit groups’ lawsuit over her lockdown orders

On Tuesday, embattled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who was accused and later settled with $62,500 in campaign funds for sexual assault, was reported to be trying to have the court throw out a lawsuit brought by the nonprofit fraternal organizations the New Mexico Elks Association, the New Mexico Aerie of the Brotherhood of Eagles, and the New Mexico Loyal Order of the Moose over lockdown orders that have shuttered the organizations’ operations.

The organizations run multiple clubs and bars across the state and they are directly impacted by the Governor’s strict lockdown policies which have shuttered them for months.

The groups argued in their lawsuit that “the state has acted arbitrarily and capriciously by requiring their lodges to remain closed while establishments offering similar services — such golf courses and country clubs, gyms and restaurants — have been allowed to reopen under capacity limits and guidance for public health.” 

In the complaint, they write that they “can implement the same safety precautions, policies and procedures that similar organizations were able to implement in order to resume organizational operations.”

However, Lujan Grisham’s attorneys had a different way of spinning the story, writing, “Plaintiffs’ members are allowed to assemble and fundraise at various capacities depending on the county’s status,” The attorneys added, “They are only prohibited from offering alcohol service in Yellow and Red counties.”

“Plaintiffs’ members are allowed to assemble and fundraise at various capacities depending on the county’s status,” the state’s filing argues. “They are only prohibited from offering alcohol service in Yellow and Red counties.”

“The governor argued that the state’s public health orders, which have been upheld in unrelated cases, do not discriminate against fraternal organizations versus other businesses, eliminating their equal protection claim,” according to the Las Cruces Sun-News

“Regarding why bars are treated differently than where other alcohol is served, the Governor’s attorneys wrote, “…people cannot simultaneously drink and wear a mask. Further, a bar presents a greater risk of COVID-19 transmission than other businesses like restaurants because it is an enclosed space where people socialize without masks due to consuming alcohol for an extended period of time, whereas restaurant patrons typically conduct the limited activity of eating a meal.”

“Further, they stressed that the public health orders do not infringe upon any fundamental rights, due process rights or freedom of association; that the governor and state Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins are both named as defendants in their individual but not their official capacities; and that even if there were a valid claim, Collins and Lujan Grisham would be protected from liability by qualified immunity, a legal doctrine shielding government officials unless their conduct violates ‘clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known,’” the report reads.

Dems eating their own: Legislator taking Gov. MLG, Health Sec. Collins to court over ‘retaliation’

On Tuesday, it was reported that state Sen. Jacob Candelaria (D-Bernalillo), who has alienated both Democrats and Republicans, is now planning to sue Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her Health secretary, Dr. Tracie Collins, over what he describes as “retaliation” for his Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) requests.

Collins filed an ethics complaint in March against Candelaria for alleged violation of the state’s Governmental Conduct Act by voting on a bill during this year’s 60-day legislative session while representing legal clients who “would be substantially affected by the outcome.”

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Collins “noted a lawsuit he had filed on behalf of the client, New Mexico Top Organics-Ultra Health, over reciprocity in the state’s Medical Cannabis Program, in which people from out of state who are authorized patients of other cannabis programs can enroll in New Mexico’s program. The legislation in question, Senate Bill 340, would have amended the state’s medical cannabis law to define a ‘reciprocal patient.’” 

Ironically, other similar ethics complaints have been filed against individuals such as Speaker of the House Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe), who was accused of benefitting off of the passage of H.B. 4, dubbed the “Civil Rights Act,” which would bankrupt local communities with frivolous “civil rights” litigation claims. Egolf’s firm is now directly benefitting from the new law, signed by Gov. Lujan Grisham, as 60% of its business comes from civil litigation. 

In Candelaria’s complaint, he says Collins’ claims are “without merit, defamatory in nature, and swiftly dismissed on jurisdictional grounds by the [New Mexico] Ethics Commission six days later.”

Nora Sackett, Gov, Lujan Grisham’s press secretary, insisted that “No such ‘retaliation’ ever occurred, and it’s troubling that this legislator continues to be seemingly motivated solely by his own personal animus.”

“I will also be filing an ethics complaint against the governor for the same behavior,” said Candelaria.

Candelaria previously requested “a large trove of emails pertaining to how the governor and her senior staff have handled various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and also with respect to how federal funds are being spent or appropriated or moved between agencies,” according to the New Mexican.

After the mammoth request, which he was told would be delayed due to the large volume of emails he asked for, he claims Majority Leader Peter Wirth and then-Senate Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen requested a meeting with him at his Albuqerque office. 

The New Mexican writes:

According to Candelaria, Wirth started the meeting by saying they were there because the governor and the Governor’s Office were “furious” that he had submitted the public records requests.

“Peter stated to me that the message he was there to deliver from the executive was that unless these [public records requests] went away, there would be quote-unquote escalating consequences for me,” he said.

In an email, a spokesman for Senate Democrats said Wirth confirmed he and Papen met with Candelaria last fall at his law office in Albuquerque “to discuss internal caucus matters.” Neither Wirth nor the spokesman responded to Candelaria’s allegation that he was warned of “escalating consequences.”

Candelaria said he was “terrified” and decided to withdraw his requests after his meeting with Wirth and Papen.

But he said there was still fallout, including being told that his requests for records were a “determining factor” in him not being appointed to certain legislative committees.

The report says Candelaria has no plans to settle with Collins out of court or to settle the suit he plans to bring against the governor. “I fully intend to take both of these cases to a judge or jury,” he said. 

Previously, Candelaria and Wirth got into a shouting match on the Senate floor, where Wirth told the Albuquerque-area senator to “f**k off.” Last year, Candelaria disrespected police officers after making a big deal over a few phone calls he received from a constituent, which he claimed threatened his life. Once officers got to his house and told him there was not much they could do, he kicked them out and threatened to call the Governor on them. Now, it appears, Lujan Grisham is no ally of Candelaria. 

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