Politics

Disgraced radical enviro group blames failing NM schools on oil and gas industry

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The disgraced far-left environmental radicalism group “WildEarth Guardians,” headquartered in Santa Fe, has begun a renewed assault on the critical New Mexico oil and gas industry, claiming the state is “shackled” to revenues from oil and gas production.

In this renewed effort by the group to petition legislators to reject oil and gas, they claim, “If oil and gas were the key to New Mexico’s prosperity, the state would be one of the most prosperous in the United States. It’s not even close.” 

“The state ranks last in quality of education, has the second highest poverty rate in the United States, and was recently ranked the third worst state in the nation,” claimed WildEarth Guardians.

The group appears to be blaming New Mexico’s failing education system on oil and gas, despite basic logic proving otherwise. 

If that claim were true, then Texas, which is benefitted by $502.6 billion of economic impact from the oil and gas industry, or 30.5% of the state’s gross domestic product, would be also failing in education and poverty.

However, Texas is ranked significantly higher than New Mexico on national surveys, such as the U.S. News and World Report, where Texas ranks 34 in education versus New Mexico at 50. New Mexico ranks extremely low for poverty 48th lowest with 18.6% of residents in poverty compared to Texas’ much lower 13.7% poverty rate and rank of 35. 

WildEarth Guardians is well-known for its extremist views on the environment and its incessant lawsuits filed against federal agencies to stymie the United States’ goal of energy independence. 

The organization receives federal and state contracts. According to InfluenceWatch, “WildEarth Guardians reported allegedly fraudulent overbilling by a longtime employee Jim Matison, director of the restoration program, and outside contractor, Jeff Hamm of Colorado-based Timberline LLC., to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque in May 2019.” 

“The fraud reportedly occurred in state and federal contracts awarded to WildEarth Guardians, for projects such as planting native cottonwoods and willows, reducing water temperatures and preventing damaging algae. The organization completed all the contracted work, but then fake work was added. Horning said the group also reported the matter to inspectors general for the U.S. Interior and Agriculture departments and the Environmental Protection Agency, which had awarded contracts to the group.” 

Now, the flailing organization is continuing its record of controversy by claiming, “The oil and gas industry has wielded undue political influence to cover up its true costs.” WildEarth Guardians demands New Mexico lawmakers “make a just and equitable transition” from oil and gas a “priority.” 

According to a 2012 study by Americans for Prosperity, a moderate group, “a total of some $4 billion in economic impacts would result if the WildEarth Guardians were to achieve all of their stated goals with respect to the protection of wildlife through the complete elimination of grazing, coal mining, and drilling on public lands.” That $4 billion economic impact is likely much more today.

WildEarth Guardians “will continue to present a clear and present danger not just to the court system, and to the Western economy and way of life, but to the taxpayers who unwittingly bankroll its monkey-wrenching of the West,” concluded the report.

In the 2020 fiscal year, the oil and gas industry contributed $2.8 billion to state revenues, making up 33.5% of state spending. Without the critical industry, New Mexico would not survive, at least not without extreme cuts to government spending. 

Recreational weed supporters claim the term ‘marijuana’ is racist

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On Sunday, the Las Cruces Sun ran an article talking about Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s recreational marijuana legalization push and the terminology that the dope industry has been using to euphemize marijuana: “cannabis.”

The article claims that many industry leaders prefer the term “cannabis,” which is the drug’s scientific term to “marijuana” “given the term’s association with criminality as well as racist animus toward Latino and other non-white social groups.”

“It played into branding immigrants as a problem and it played into branding people of color as a threat to white America,” claimed New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce executive director Ben Lewinger. He added, “I think we absolutely need to stop saying ‘marijuana’ — today.” 

Lewinger also claims that using the term “recreational” is also discriminatory, saying, “Some advocates say the crude distinction between ‘recreational’ and ‘medicinal’ use has the effect of stigmatizing those who use cannabis without a physician’s signature or a state-minted medical cannabis card.” 

“I would say a lot of people who use cannabis ‘recreationally’ are using it to help them sleep, or for stress relief, or for anxiety reduction, or for pain management even if they’re not enrolled in the medical program right now,” Lewinger said. 

Regarding the terms “black market,” “illicit market,” or “illegal market” marijuana, Lewinger claims that what makes these terms offensive to him is the fact that “what is illicit or unlawful gets decided by who writes the laws — i.e., who holds power.” Essentially, he thinks that because white men hold places of power in government, the very act of not legalizing recreational weed is racist. 

“The medical cannabis industry, which is largely owned by white men — they’re still engaging in federally illegal activity right now,” Lewinger said, “but we don’t talk about it in the same way that we would of a person of color growing and selling cannabis.”

“When we talk about undoing the harms of the war on drugs that has disproportionately impacted Black and brown people in the United States, part of that is acknowledging that it’s very much those people of color who are now in jail who are the trailblazers for cannabis in the United States,” says Lewinger.

Previously, while speaking on the “New Mexico Grass” podcast, Lewinger said that the left-wing social justice aspects of a marijuana bill are “super important” and “absolutely required” for the bill. He said, “We absolutely have to do that.” 

He also said that he thought the Democrats’ recreational marijuana bill had an 88% to 100% chance of passing during a special session of the New Mexico Legislature. 

Gov. Lujan Grisham has announced a special session to commence on March 30 to hash out the marijuana bill, as well as an economic development program, which is likely to extend through Holy Week ahead of Easter. 

Santa Fe City Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler to challenge embattled Mayor Alan Webber

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On Sunday, it was reported that City Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler of Santa Fe has announced that she will run for mayor of New Mexico’s capital city, challenging incumbent Mayor Alan Webber, who has a well-known record of failure in the city.

Vigil Coppler told the Santa Fe New Mexican, “It’s gotten to the point where I think we can do better,” Vigil Coppler said. “We can be more united, and I think people want a change. I want to be the change that they want to see.”

“Currently working as a Realtor, Vigil Coppler said she didn’t intend to use the City Council as a launchpad to the mayoral seat when she was elected and didn’t begin to seriously consider a run for mayor until around last year, when she began receiving calls from constituents about the state of the city,” the outlet reported.

Webber, an out-of-state failed candidate for New Mexico governor, was “elected” to the mayorship with the help of attorney Teresa Leger Fernandez and Judge David Thomson, who successfully forced through undemocratic “ranked-choice voting.” Shortly after their work to install ranked-choice voting thereby leading to Webber’s ascent to the mayorship, Leger Fernandez was elected to Congress in the Third District and Thomson was appointed to a vacant seat on the New Mexico Supreme Court by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. 

During his time as mayor, Webber worked alongside far-left anti-Hispanic hate groups, including the “Red Nation” and the “Three Sisters Collective” to rip down Spanish statues and historic monuments in Santa Fe. Notably, Webber told officers to stand down while domestic terrorists toppled the 152-year-old obelisk in the heart of the Santa Fe Plaza. 

He then removed the Don Diego de Vargas statue from Cathedral Park while also attempting to remove the Kit Carson obelisk sitting in front of the Federal Court House at the behest of the fringe anti-Hispanic hate groups he had consulted with. 

His allowance of and support for ripping down these sacred statutes resulted in vandals defacing the Cross of the Martyrs, dedicated to priests slaughtered by bloodthirsty killer Po’pay. These same anarchists vandalized a statue of Fray Angélico Chávez, which stands outside of the Museum of New Mexico History. 

Vigil Coppler has long been a critic of Webber’s actions to tear down monuments without even the consultation of city councilors or the public. Webber’s monument desecration along with his mismanagement of city budgets are sure to be topics of discussion in the mayoral race.

‘Superspreader’: Deb Haaland wanted to throw a party—Biden shut it down quick

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On Friday, it was reported that newly sworn-in Department of the Interior secretary Deb Haaland tried to hold a party to celebrate her ascension to the command of the Department. Apparently, Jennifer Van der Heide, the Interior chief of staff, wanted to throw a “Southwest-themed” party for 50 people to commemorate the event. The event was scheduled to be held at 4:00 p.m. in the library of the Interior Department on March 16, 2021. 

But before invitations could be sent out, “The White House eventually got wind of the planned event, and the Office of Cabinet Affairs ordered it shut down.” They reportedly feared it could “ become a superspreader event.” 

“In addition to concerns about the size of the party in the middle of a still-virulent pandemic, White House officials expressed consternation about the political optics of hosting such an affair while the administration was urging Americans to be responsible about public health,” reports POLITICO. 

“The secretary and Interior leadership have diligently observed Covid protocols both in and out of the building,” said an Interior spokesperson in a statement. “That includes implementing a first-ever mask mandate for the agency, a stringent telework posture, and multiple communications to staff assuring them that their health and safety is a critical priority. What this shows is that junior staff made soft inquiries for something that never happened. That the new team conducted research and gathered estimates for potential future events and opportunities should not be shocking. There was no event at Interior.”

The POLITICO report also noted that “This is not the first time that Van der Heide has attracted negative attention for her work for a boss. In 2015, the Office of Congressional Ethics said that Van der Heide, when she was chief of staff for former Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), had appeared to have run afoul of ethical guidelines that separate government activities from campaign activities. One example was how she emailed a campaign staffer asking the person “how are we doing to outreach to them for $?” for a State Department event that Honda co-hosted in 2013.” 

If the party was allowed to go forward, it would have directly violated the Biden administration’s March 8, 2021 guidelines recommending people “[a]void large events and gatherings, when possible.”

“Another Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) webpage, updated Feb. 18, says: “As much as possible, avoid crowds and indoor spaces that do not offer fresh air from the outdoors.” The D.C. public health emergency’s latest notice, issued last week, also says that indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people,” the report reads.

Also, the Biden administration’s Interior Department coronavirus workplace safety plan issued at the beginning of the year explicitly states that “no DOI indoor workplace or visitor experience facility, venue, or other areas where visitors typically congregate in large crowds should operate above 25% of normal occupancy standards during periods of significant or high community transmission as defined by CDC.”

“The party also seemed to violate the spirit of the Covid-19 telework and travel guidance for the White House issued to Cabinet agencies. ‘Remember that you and your senior staff are setting an example, not only for your agency staff and the rest of government, but for the American people,’ the guidance advises,” according to POLITICO. 

Haaland appears to be starting her tenure at the Department of the Interior much the same as she did while she was in Congress, where she repeatedly disgraced her office by claiming Antifa terrorists were “peaceful protesters” and demanding she will hold onto power while claiming President Trump is a “dictator.”

State Sen. Mark Moores wins GOP nomination to replace Deb Haaland in Congress

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On Saturday, the Republican Party of New Mexico State Central Committee met to consider the candidates running to replace former U.S. Congresswoman Deb Haaland in the First Congressional District, which encompasses most of Albuquerque and a large swath of Torrance County. 

Haaland, a far-left extremist member of Congress who repeatedly lied to constituents about countless issues, will now carry out Joe Biden’s assault on the energy industry in her new role as Department of the Interior under the allegedly fraudulent administration.

After some discussion and the final vote, moderate state Sen. Mark Moores, who was endorsed by many of his fellow moderate legislators, including Rep. Kelly Fajardo (R-Valencia), Sen. Ron Griggs (R-Doña Ana, Eddy, and Otero), and Sen. Greg Baca (R-Bernalillo & Valencia), won with 49 votes to the closest competitor garnering 34 votes.

Moores said during the meeting that he has already raised over $225,000 and is ready to get television advertisements in the works by tomorrow. He also claimed to have support from the Right to Life Committee of New Mexico and the National Rifle Association. 

Sen. Moores will now face off against the Democrats’ nominee, who will be picked on March 30, 2021. Candidates on the Democrat side include former UNM Law professor and state Sen. Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez, Reps. Georgene Louis, Melanie Stansbury, and Patricia Roybal Caballero, as well as former Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham staffer Victor Reyes, lawyer Randi McGinn, activist Selinda Guerrero, and Francisco Fernández. 

The apparent favorite on the Democrat side by the far-left Working Families Party is Sen. Sedillo-Lopez, followed by Rep. Stansbury. The Democrats will hold a candidate forum on Sunday ahead of their vote. The special election will be held on June 1, 2021.

NM pot org chief: ‘social justice’ provisions of special session weed bill ‘absolutely required’

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On Thursday’s episode of a startup podcast called “New Mexico Grass,” the show featured the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce executive director Ben Lewinger to talk about marijuana legalization and his thoughts on New Mexico politics. The Chamber’s members include Big Pot donors to many legislators’ campaigns, such as PurLife and Nature RX.

During the interview, Lewinger was asked why it has taken so long to get close to a recreational marijuana bill passing. In his answer, he characterized rural areas of the state that lean Republican as stigmatized, claiming, “New Mexico is a hard blue state — a very progressive state, but once you get out of the urban areas of Las Cruces, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, New Mexico is rural and conservative. And I think still the stigma around cannabis as an illicit substance is very much alive and well.”

He also blasted New Mexico’s citizen legislature, saying, “You know, for several reasons, New Mexico is not a state that is one that is set up to get things done quickly. Right?! We have — we’re the last state that has a volunteer legislature. If you look at, like, you know, California, those are full-time jobs.”

He added, “We’re the last state with volunteer legislators, and they meet 30 and 60 days alternating each year compared to California where it’s like Congress where they’re in session most of the year, and they can just get a lot more done.” 

“I think New Mexico still very much suffers from this idea that we don’t have the same ability to create our own reality as other states do,” said Lewinger. 

Regarding the marijuana proposal’s left-wing social justice aspects, Lewinger said these portions of the bill are “super important” and “absolutely required” for the bill. He said, “We absolutely have to do that.” 

“The way we’re trying to do it creates a mechanism for us to incorporate a lot of the very important social equity pieces, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the easiest way to do it. And that’s why, you know, we worked for several years to figure out how to create this legislative vehicle to get it done,” he said. 

Later in the interview, Lewinger said that he thought the Democrats’ recreational marijuana bill had an 88% to 100% chance of passing during a special session of the New Mexico Legislature. 

When asked about cannabis legalization on the national level, Lewinger said that he doesn’t expect Joe Biden to legalize cannabis nationwide. However, he says he will take it off the “schedule,” thereby decriminalizing it.

Lewinger then said, “I think the next Democratic president — Kamala Harris — will probably legalize cannabis.” 

Gov. Lujan Grisham has announced a special session to commence on March 30 to hash out the marijuana bill, as well as an economic development program, which is likely to extend through Holy Week ahead of Easter.

Read more about Big Pot’s donations to legislators’ campaigns here.

Congresswoman Herrell, GOP reps. talk oil and gas in Artesia amid Biden assault on energy industry

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On Thursday Congresswoman Yvette Herrell of New Mexico’s Second District and three of her Republican colleagues from around the country, Reps. Ronnie Jackson (R-TX), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN), to discuss protecting the oil and gas sector. 

The delegation met with industry leaders in Artesia, which is in Eddy County, New Mexico’s second-largest oil-producing county, and especially hit hard by Joe Biden’s drilling ban on federal lands. 

Rep. Herrell said, “We had a great roundtable with several of the (oil and gas) stakeholders this morning so we could understand the challenges unique to the industry.” 

She also challenged Joe Biden to visit Artesia to “show him firsthand what is happening.” 

Rep. Stauber, who is the Ranking Member on the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, spoke about how his district is reliant on oil and natural gas, saying, “We’re not only an iron ore mining district but we’re also critical minerals, there’s a lot of pushback of mining critical minerals just as they are oil and gas production down here.” 

He added, “Meeting the environmental and labor standards and I think it brings good paying jobs to the community here. It helps with the schools. It brings money to the local communities and I think as we go forward, we have to recognize not only energy independence but dominating the energy sector.” 

Rep. Tenney said, “We have a moratorium in New York and we’re not allowed to access in many cases a lot of that shale and I just wanted to learn and listen how the energy sector affected the economy here.” 

“We’re grateful to learn and thank you Artesia to the wonderful people we met here. We’re very proud of their community and we are just grateful to hear from them and hear their concerns and take them back to Washington,” Tenney continued.

Rep. Jackson, whose district spans from Amarillo to Wichita Falls, Texas said that “It’s really interesting to hear the discussions we had today and I’ll just say, I think it’s really important how people in New Mexico need to know, especially people in urban areas, they need to know how important oil and gas is to their livelihood.” 

The delegation also visited a production facility to see first-hand the critical industry that is at stake if Biden continues his assault on the oil and gas industry. The four members of Congress toured an EOG Resources facility, where they got a hands-on look at the resources they are working in Congress to protect.

Stauber applauded Herrell in a tweet about his visit, saying, “When Biden issued bans on oil & gas development, she led the charge against his harmful action.” He also wrote, “I am proud to join her in defending American energy independence and our overall way of life!” 

Rep. Herrell, other members of Congress to hold Thursday oil and gas roundtable in Artesia

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On Wednesday, it was reported that Congresswoman Yvette Herrell (R-CD2) will be holding a roundtable with members of Congress from across the nation in Artesia focusing on oil and gas. 

Herrell has been pushing back, along with other Republican members of Congress, against Joe Biden’s extreme anti-energy agenda, including his moratorium on federal drilling permits. Herrell has urged other members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation to join her and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in urging Biden to exempt New Mexico from his corrosive anti-energy policies. 

According to Alex Ross of the Roswell Daily Record, Herrell will be joined in Artesia by Rep. Ronnie Jackson (R-TX), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) to discuss the critical issue. 

Artesia, which is in Eddy County, New Mexico’s second-largest oil-producing county, is especially hit hard by Biden’s anti-energy policies, which Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will no doubt be helping him implement in New Mexico and around the country. 

Herrell has been extremely active in Congress, fighting with her colleagues for many commonsense measures, such as punishment for people who murder police officers, a strong border, a strong agriculture industry, protecting oil and gas, and fighting for free and fair elections. 

On March 16, Herrell joined a congressional delegation visiting the Southern Border in Texas, which included Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX). She also visited the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico, where she pointed out the meager “fence” protecting miles of border, which is allowing criminal aliens to pour into the U.S. 

Rep. Herrell recently opened two district offices, one in Roswell and one in Las Cruces. “My staff have already helped hundreds of constituents before even setting foot in their offices,” said Herrell. “We haven’t missed a beat in being accessible to those needing assistance and in communicating with local leaders across the district.”

New study finds that NM taxpayers get third-worst return on investment

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On Tuesday, it was first reported by The Center Square that New Mexico had ranked very low on a new Wallethub study showing taxpayer return on investment by state.

New Mexico ranked at the very bottom of the list as #48 with only the leftist states of California and Hawaii following the Land of Enchantment.

“Different states have dramatically different tax burdens. This begs the question of whether people in high-tax states receive superior government services,” Wallethub managing editor John S. Kiernan writes. “Likewise, are low-tax states more efficient or do they receive low-quality services? In short, where do taxpayers get the most and least bang for their buck?”

“While New Mexico residents pay the 14th highest local and state taxes among the 50 states, they receive the second worst services,” writes Dan McCaleb of The Center Square.

According to Wallethub, New Mexico is ranked #50 in education, #49 in violent crime, and #48 in resident poverty. 

“New Mexico has the third lowest taxpayer ROI. Although its residents pay fairly high taxes, around $4,600, the state ranks second to last in terms of the quality of government services received,” Wallethub analyst Jill Gonzalez told The Center Square. “Looking at education, New Mexico ranks last for quality of the school system, and has the lowest public high school graduation rate – less than 74%. Moreover, this rate is projected to decrease by 2032 by more than 11%. As a direct consequence of the low graduation rate, the state also has a large share of idle youth – 16%.”

New Mexico has been under heavy Democrat control for most of over 80 years, with taxpayers footing the bill for extreme left-wing policies, however, not getting much in return except a place at the top of just about every “bad” list and at the bottom of every “good” list. Democrats just met during the 2021 Legislative Session to raise taxes on thousands of New Mexicans.

Outgoing NMOGA chief Ryan Flynn leaves behind a record of failure for the oil and gas industry

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Last week, Ryan Flynn, the executive director of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA), announced his departure from the organization, citing personal reasons and that he’s “exploring new opportunities in the private sector,” despite his current contract going through 2024. 

Flynn, a former cabinet secretary under the Susana Martinez administration, joined NMOGA in 2016. Since his ascension to the top of the organization, it has led to crippling defeats in New Mexico for oil producers.

Under Flynn’s leadership, the association took a “neutral” stance on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s “mini” Green New Deal in 2019, a bill that solely seeks to destroy the oil and gas industry in New Mexico under the guise of “environmentalism” and reaching a “net-zero” carbon emissions standard. 

Flynn touts how NMOGA prides itself on its “nonpartisanship.” However, under his leadership, it has almost exclusively given monetary donations to Democrats, including $25,000 to Democrat Speaker Brian Egolf’s PAC in the 2020 cycle, which helped pick off moderate pro-energy Democrats and schlong the GOP in many competitive seats. 

In 2018, NMOGA funneled $5,500 to rabidly anti-energy then-U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s gubernatorial race, helping her reach the governor’s mansion, directly helping the hostile woman take the reins and ram through the Green New Deal.

In October of 2019, after Lujan Grisham’s win, NMOGA had her speak at their annual meeting, where she claimed to support the industry that the same year she worked to undermine and attempt to destroy. 

NMOGA directly funded a party hostile to pro-energy Republicans, and to make matters worse, it defended Democrat former U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small in her fight against current U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell in the 2020 2nd Congressional District race. 

Torres Small endorsed Gov. Lujan Grisham’s “mini” Green New Deal, while Herrell has been nothing but a champion for oil and gas during her time in the state Legislature and on the campaign trail. Under Flynn’s leadership, the association also donated $1,500 to Torres Small’s husband, state Rep. Nathan Small (D-Doña Ana).

Flynn’s defense of Torres Small led to Republican leaders sending a letter lambasting his use of NMOGA as a Democrat political machine, writing, “So, what is Flynn’s motive? We aren’t exactly sure, but this pattern of lies has effectively destroyed any trust we had in him to be a fair advocate for NMOGA.” 

“While we cannot dictate to NMOGA who should be running its organization, we would suggest the association consider putting a person in its leadership who does not spread misinformation and puts personal political preferences ahead of the interests of the oil and gas industry and the workers it supports,” the letter continued.

In January, Flynn praised Joe Biden as he began to dismantle energy producers, cut off the Keystone XL Pipeline project, and cut off federal permits for drilling on federal land. Flynn said he was “encouraged” by these moves.

In this legislative session, Flynn’s NMOGA once again took “neutral” stances on rabidly anti-energy proposals, such as S.B. 11, which would have forced through “clean fuel standards,” ultimately driving up the price of gas on consumers by over 20 cents per gallon. New Mexicans heard crickets from Flynn… 

These costly anti-oil proposals, which big national oil companies can afford to take on for a PR stunt to seem more “environmentally friendly,” will not fare well for smaller producers in our state, as they barely hold on as it is.

After this massive record of failure, not to mention Flynn disgracing the association by getting a DWI while driving under the influence with Susana Martinez’s fundraiser, Jessica Perez, it is a travesty he was not removed years ago.

It is unclear who will now take the reins at the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, but one can only hope it will be an actual champion for New Mexicans and the critical oil and gas industry.

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