COVID-19

Lujan Grisham cries ‘Trump recession’ while NM has 34.5% higher unemployment rate than nation

12 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics published the August unemployment numbers. While the country’s rate has fallen significantly from 10.2% in July to 8.4% in August, New Mexico continues to remain stagnant at 11.3%, which is 25% higher than the national rate, and the sixth-highest in the nation.

While other states’ economies are opening back up, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham still is keeping a tight lockdown, with extremely gradual reopenings, such as at Thursday’s presser where she announced “limited” youth sports to start, ice hockey rinks to open, and pumpkin patches to resume. 

However, the Governor’s lockdown has forced thousands of businesses to close and New Mexico working families to suffer while she has spent away the Federal stimulus funds granted to the state for COVID-19 relief. Last week, she asked Congress for yet another bailout, which was met with fury from local business owners due to her irresponsible budgeting.  

Larry Behrens from Power the future said of the 11.3% New Mexico unemployment rate, “It’s no coincidence that at the same time New Mexico’s unemployment rate is among the highest in the country our energy workers are struggling. Radical environmentalists and their allies in Santa Fe may celebrate when an energy worker loses their job, but behind our abysmal unemployment rate are real families who are hurting.”

On Wednesday, Lujan Grisham attempted to brush off her state’s failed economy under her leadership by blaming what she called the “Trump recession” hurting Hispanic and Latino communities in a tweet. She claimed Trump’s “failed pandemic response” led to suffering in these communities, despite the President taking early action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic while Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden (who Lujan Grisham endorsed) blasted Trump as “xenophobic” for restricting travel from China, where the virus originated. 

Now, while the country is getting back on track to economic progress, Lujan Grisham’s New Mexico lacks behind as the 45th in unemployment, despite her claiming “We’re doing about the same economically as Arizona” in her Thursday press conference. Arizona, led by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, has a much lower unemployment rate than New Mexico. All of New Mexico’s neighboring states have lower unemployment rates, with Arizona at 5.9%, Colorado at 6.7%, Texas at 6.8%, and Utah at 4.1%.

Later on Friday, Lujan Grisham sent out an email to supporters bashing President Trump’s leadership during COVID-19, writing “President Trump has single-handedly botched the coronavirus response, refused to take action while knowing how deadly and dangerous COVID-19 would be – and proclaimed he ‘take[s] no responsibility’ and that ‘nothing more could have been done.’”

Lujan Grisham cries ‘Trump recession’ while NM has 34.5% higher unemployment rate than nation Read More »

MLG’s Health Department singles out NM GOP for non-compliance with her public health order

3 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Wednesday, the Republican Party of New Mexico posted a letter received from New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan  Grisham’s Department of Health claiming that the Party was not adhering to the Governor’s public health guidelines, not pointing to a particular instance of compliance, just speaking in generalities. 

The letter, which was sent by General Counsel and Acting Deputy Secretary Billy J. Jimenez reads, “It has come to our attention these requirements have not been adhered to by parties and candidates. Non-compliance with the operative Public Health Order and related directives will result in enforcement actions including fines or citations.” 

The Republican Party blasted the letter, citing leftist demonstrations, including one in front of the Trump Victory Campaign Office, where the Party claims participants were not social distancing or wearing maks. 

The Republican Party’s statement is below:

Below is a letter sent to the Republican Party of New Mexico from the Lujan Grisham Administration that is both wrong and insulting. While RPNM believes peoples’ health and safety are paramount, to warn RPNM about compliance with the Public Health Order is a clear violation of equal treatment under the law. There have been a number of demonstrations and mass gatherings—most recently a BLM event outside a Trump Victory Campaign Office in Rio Rancho this past weekend that clearly show people not wearing masks or social distancing. 

Mass gatherings in Albuquerque that led to destruction of public and private property have been tolerated where people aren’t complying, and the Governor, herself, broke her own Order by wrongfully and deliberately shopping for jewelry when it wasn’t allowed. To single out RPNM is wrong by the Lujan Grisham Administration. Again, the Governor picks and chooses selected groups—with obvious political implications—that continue to violate the Constitution’s principle of equal protection.

The Governor has used her official authority in multiple cases to “pick and choose” enforcement of her public health orders, including the Lea County Sherriff’s Office, multiple restaurants across the state, the people of Española, and others. 

Despite the Governor’s previous “apology” to Españolans for singling them out for supposed non-complicance, her press secretary Nora Sackett blasted the city’s mayor as “self-righteous,” effectively wiping out any believability in the Governor’s apology.

MLG’s Health Department singles out NM GOP for non-compliance with her public health order Read More »

Gov. Lujan Grisham mask shames Española residents: ‘I didn’t see a single mask, not one’

15 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Thursday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham held a COVID-19 press conference where she announced a few new steps to reopening, such as museums being able to function at 25% capacity, restaurants with indoor dining at 25% indoors and 75% outdoors, among a handful of other lesser restrictions.

While she was talking about how New Mexicans need to keep with her strict policies, she made sure to make an example of Española in Northern New Mexico, mask shaming residents for not wearing face coverings, according to her observations from her chauffeured car. 

“Last week, I traveled to Northern New Mexico, and in traveling to Northern New Mexico, I went through Española. I saw a lot of activity in Española and traveling through Main Street going North. I didn’t see a single mask, not one. Not in a parking lot, not in a grocery store that we passed, not at a convenience store, not at a gas station, not by someone in a car, not hanging on a rearview mirror, not on a wrist, not as people were walking, nowhere! Not one. The only masks I saw were in the car I was in, and we have to do better than that because if we don’t we cannot successfully introduce risk.”

Gov. Lujan Grisham mask shames Españolans at press conference: “by I didn’t see a single mask, not one. Not in a parking lot, not in a grocery store that we passed, not at a convenience store, not at a gas station, not by someone in a car, not hanging on a rearview mirror…”

Her recent criticism of New Mexicans certainly is not a new development, as she previously berated folks for traveling out of state, making examples of restauranteurs in Hobbs who allegedly were not following her indoor dining ban. 

Gov. Lujan Grisham presser reel 1/3: MLG berates elected leaders, criticizes President Donald Trump about masks, shames rural restaurants defying her edicts

Gov. Lujan Grisham mask shames Española residents: ‘I didn’t see a single mask, not one’ Read More »

MLG refuses to reopen NM despite state meeting benchmarks

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

On Tuesday, it was reported that New Mexico had finally hit Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s gating criteria to reopen New Mexico. The criteria require there to be an average of 168 new COVID-19 cases in a seven-day period, which the state has met, hitting 155. 

However, despite KOAT 7 crunching the numbers, the State told them “they are using a different number that is based on the date the actual test was taken, and they could not provide the number.”

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office responded, “We have reached this stage only because of the incredible hard work New Mexicans have undertaken in adhering to the state’s public health guidelines and making the right individual and collective decisions. The gating criteria are not a ‘finish line,’ so to speak, implying that once we reach the gating criteria, we are in the clear.” 

The move by the Governor to dismiss New Mexico hitting the benchmark, while the state refusing to say what numbers they are measuring, shows a lack of transparency and obstruction of critical information New Mexicans deserve to know regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

If the Governor, as she has so often claims, is relying on data and science, then there should be no problem letting the public know what those metrics that she’s measuring are.

Lujan Grisham is set to address the Democrat National Convention tonight, and she is expected to address, at least in part, her “leadership” during the coronavirus pandemic, which has left countless businesses closed and working families devastated.

MLG refuses to reopen NM despite state meeting benchmarks Read More »

Governor releases new video urging citizens to ‘protect New Mexico’ by wearing masks

4 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Wednesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham released a new ad pushing for her mask mandate, which comes with $100 fines and up to 6 months in jail for non-compliance. 

The lighthearted video featuring a female voiceover shows people of all different ages — including a New Mexico State Police officer and a child — wearing masks. 

The ad says, “Masks are mandatory in New Mexico. The men and women called to serve and protect you want to thank you for wearing one. For those of you who are diligently wearing a mask everywhere you go, during every activity… keep up the great work! You’re setting an example by doing your part to stop the spread of COVID-19 and you are appreciated. When you wear a mask, you show support and respect for others. That’s the New Mexico way.” 

The video then shows a young man wearing an American flag cap being cited for not wearing a mask, as the police officer holds up a blue mask and a citation. “Please don’t waste law enforcement’s time. They have more important things to do than cite you for not wearing a mask. Do the right thing. Always wear a mask. Protect New Mexico,” says the ad. 

This is just the latest attempt by the Governor to try and build public opinion for her strict mask mandate, on Tuesday, retweeting a post talking about President Trump touting the use of masks as “patriotic.” She wrote in a presumably sarcastic tone, “Thanks for joining us, Mr. President.”

Governor releases new video urging citizens to ‘protect New Mexico’ by wearing masks Read More »

Hours after Judge’s ruling overturning MLG’s restaurant health order, NM Supreme Court kills it

24 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Monday, it was reported that the New Mexico Restaurant Association had won their lawsuit against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, which accused the Governor of targeting the restaurant industry. 

According to KRQE News, “The lawsuit requested a temporary restraining order that now stops the governor from carrying on with the recently amended public health order. This means for the next 10 days, restaurants can open for indoor dining at 50% capacity. The reason the judge permitted restaurants to reopen for the next 10 days was because the State failed to file any response by the set deadline of July 20.” 

New Mexico Restaurant Association’s attorney Antonia Roybal-Mack said the Governor “is making decisions without fact and as a result of that, those decisions are void,” also saying that the Judge’s order “is the right decision for restaurants.” 

“After the July 30 hearing hopefully (the injunction) can be extended. I think the evidence is going to be clear to the judge and to everybody else that restaurants are not the cause of COVID-19 spread,” said Roybal Mack.

It’s unclear what will happen after the 10-day mark, however, the public health order in question expires on July 30th.

Previously, New Mexico Restaurant Association CEO Carol Wight estimated that the health order would plunge the state’s restaurant industry into further decline possibly wiping out 20% of all restaurants in the state permanently.

After the Court’s decision, New Mexico House Republican Leader Jim Townsend applauded the injunction, saying, “One person cannot make all the decisions for New Mexico, the Governor was elected to work for the people and unfortunately some of her decisions have really hurt New Mexicans.” He continued, “If the Governor and her staff had not made this political, I believe that our state would have continued to slow the spread as we were just a few weeks ago.”

UPDATE, 5:25 P.M.:

Gov. Lujan Grisham petitioned the New Mexico Supreme Court to grant a “Stay of Temporary Restraining Order” following a lower court judge allowing restaurants to reopen indoor dining.

According to KOB 4, “The state Supreme Court granted the stay, and ordered the governor and the suing parties, which including the New Mexico Restaurant Association, to submit their arguments by next week.”

Hours after Judge’s ruling overturning MLG’s restaurant health order, NM Supreme Court kills it Read More »

Democrat NM Rep: ‘Who said the shut down was only supposed to be temporary?’

23 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Sunday, far-left New Mexico state Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces), made startling comments on Facebook targeting small businesses — specifically restaurants — for their alleged “blatant disregard for workers justice” [sic]. 

In her post, she singled out restaurant owner Marci Dickerson of Las Cruces’ “The Game” sports bar and grill, who showed her “true colors YEARS ago.” Dickerson’s restaurant will be participating in the New Mexico Restaurant Association’s protest, happening at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, which will include employees of each restaurant affected standing outside their establishment and holding up a sign with the number of employees hurt by the Governor’s latest lockdown.

Apparently Dickerson’s support for her employees led Rubio to stop supporting any small business that looks to defy Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s latest re-lockdown of the state, which bans restaurants from indoor dining and limits them to only 50% occupancy outdoors. The Governor’s order is estimated to force the permanent closure of 20% of New Mexico restaurants, according to the New Mexico Restaurant Association. 

Rubio did not appear to care that small businesses would be closing and thousands of staff members would lose their jobs. She wrote, “👏🏽 restaraunt’s [sic] 👏🏽 are 👏🏽 not 👏🏽 ‘essential’ 👏🏽 for the 👏🏽 purpose 👏🏽 of fighting a 👏🏽 global 👏🏽 pandemic! 👏🏽.” She continued, “I’ll continue to not support, nor any other business—who supports this catastrophic disregard for public health and safety of our community. I ask you all to do the same. Wow!”

In response to a commenter who was appalled by her disregard for the workers affected by the health order, which was supposed to be temporary, Rubio shot back, “Who said the shut down was only supposed to be temporary?” The comment appears to be an endorsement of the permanent lockdown of New Mexico, but Rubio did not elaborate on her radical-sounding sentiments.

Multiple constituents, many of them being Democrats wrote back to her in anger, one commentator saying, “[g]ood to know your views on business owners…. I’ll make sure to never vote for you and encourage others not to. You obviously care very little for your community… Way to go.” 

Another person wrote, “Every job is essential to families relying on their paychecks. What a shameful post to make tearing down the very businesses you should instead be helping. We will remember this when you are up for re-election.”

Others’ comments mimicked these sentiments, including support for Dickerson. One comment read, “Personally attacking a business owner during a time of crisis incredibly unprofessional. This is a poor example of leadership in a time where we need unity more than ever. I encourage you to take emotions out of this and see what Marci Dickerson has done for the community while we were shut down. While it may not be essential to you, it is to 96,400 people who are employed in the state by restaurant and food service.” 

According to New Mexico Restaurant Association CEO Carol Wight, the re-lockdown is going to be much harder on restaurants than the previous one. “Last time we had PPP money, we had ways to get open, we had some savings left. We have no more savings,” she said. “Our inventory – we’ve got fresh inventory right now we’ve got to get through and three days is not enough. So what are we going to do, right? We’re all just throwing our hands up saying, ‘What can we do?’”

After public fury on Rubio’s timeline, she shared her previous post with a long-winded comment saying, “I hope that the passion you had today, to defend those willing to go against Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, and her attempts to keep us safe and alive, you’ll do the same for workers come January. I’ll be taking note.” In January, the New Mexico Legislature will reconvene, where Rubio will no doubt propose more far-left legislation, as she has in the past.

Democrat NM Rep: ‘Who said the shut down was only supposed to be temporary?’ Read More »

MLG touts her $35M taxpayer-funded ‘free college’ proposal as small businesses struggle to stay afloat

10 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Saturday, the Democrat Party of New Mexico held a virtual “rally” touting their new initiative, “New Mexico for All,” which is a coordinated campaign across the Party to express support for Democrat candidates.

During the call, Democrat U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) promoted Joe Biden’s campaign, saying that “Joe Biden is a person of strong character, a decent man, a man of compassion, someone that will restore competence and sanity to our government.” In recent months, many people have questioned Biden’s sanity, with a recent Rasmussen poll showing 38% of voters holding the belief that Joe Biden has dementia. 

During the virtual “rally,” members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation patted themselves on the back, including Senate candidate Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), who claimed the only way to correct “injustices” was to vote for Joe Biden in 2020. However, Luján did not mention Biden’s abysmal record on race, which even far-left NBC News and New York Magazine called it “problematic.” 

Rep. Xochitl Torres Small did not mention Joe Biden, but repeatedly mentioned how “proud” she was to “be a Democrat,” despite her previous ploys to appear “moderate” and not following the party-line. She also spoke about how she looks to plus orphaned oil wells and invest in “environmental energy.” 

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was not physically on the call, but she did have a pre-recorded message play, in which she touted her expensive social justice programs, her free pre-K plans, and her future “effort well underway to provide universal free college to every New Mexico student.” The plan would cost the New Mexico taxpayers an estimated $35 million annually, but that is a rough estimate. She did not mention how she plans to pay for these costly new initiatives, especially as local businesses, have been forced to close — many for good. 

The Governor recently had the New Mexico Legislature convene to fix her $7.6 billion budget passed during the 2020 Legislative Session, in which millions of dollars in spending had to be cut. However, once the budget reached Lujan Grisham’s desk, she vetoed $23 million meant to go to Tribal communities hurting from the ramifications of COVID-19, and she cut $15 million specifically meant to help other Indigenous communities hurting from the effects of the virus.

According to the New Mexico Restaurant Association, approximately 700, or 20% of New Mexico’s restaurants are estimated to close their doors permanently due to her latest order, and nearly every other industry has been hit hard by the Governor’s strict coronavirus mandates.

MLG touts her $35M taxpayer-funded ‘free college’ proposal as small businesses struggle to stay afloat Read More »

MLG’s new COVID-19 rules estimated to force 20% of New Mexico’s restaurants into permanent closure

55 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Thursday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued new restrictive health orders for the state, which included a restriction for restaurants to only be allowed to serve customers outside and at 50% capacity — a crippling blow to the industry, according to New Mexico Restaurant Associaton CEO Carol Wight. 

Wight estimated that about 700 restaurants (or 20%) will be forced into permanent closure, with little to no safety net to catch the newly restricted businesses. 200 restaurants have already closed for good since the start of Lujan Grisham’s lockdown. “She doesn’t have the latest number but estimates New Mexico will lose 20% of its restaurants – or 700 restaurants – with the new regulations in place,” reports KOB 4. Wight also said “Restaurants aren’t where COVID is being spread. We’re just not the problem, and [Michelle Lujan Grisham] punishing us for it.”

Another startling point Wight revealed was that Gov. Lujan Grisham never even took the time to speak to the restaurant industry before closing it down. “My board is putting together a letter to ask her to sit down with us and really think this out because she never did talk to the industry about this,” she said. 

Now restaurateurs are being forced into a panic, as they previously were allowed to get back to work on June 1st, meaning they had hired back members of their staff and begun regular shipments of food and supplies to their establishments.

According to Carol Wight, it is going to be much harder on restaurants than the previous lockdown. “Last time we had PPP money, we had ways to get open, we had some savings left. We have no more savings,” she said. “Our inventory – we’ve got fresh inventory right now we’ve got to get through and three days is not enough. So what are we going to do, right? We’re all just throwing our hands up saying, ‘What can we do?’”

Lujan Grisham’s latest set of lockdowns includes a 14-day mandatory quarantine for out-of-state visitors, which is already negatively affecting the hotel industry. Joe Schepps, president of Santa Fe’s Inn on the Alameda said, “We had 157 room night cancellations in the 36 hours after the governor’s announcement.”

Jeff Mahan, executive director of the Santa Fe Lodgers Association blasted the Governor’s lockdown, with a similar criticism to Carol Wight’s of the NM Restaurant Association. “Why are you bringing an entire industry down to its knees?” said Mahan. “The data doesn’t justify such a severe 14-day quarantine.”

MLG’s new COVID-19 rules estimated to force 20% of New Mexico’s restaurants into permanent closure Read More »

MLG gives conflicting advice about gathering in groups

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

During Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Thursday press conference, she announced new regressive restrictions on New Mexicans, this time banning indoor dining at restaurants, banning contact sports for kids going back to school in the Fall, forcing people working out to wear face masks (both at in-person facilities and outdoors, and banning out-of-state visitors from state parks. 

During the press conference, she blamed New Mexicans for a recent spike in cases, which Human Services Secretary David Scrase claims shot up 79% in a recent 16-day period. Lujan Grisham said, “Unfortunately, our state’s dramatically rising case numbers reflect that those behavior modifications and precautions have either not been taken seriously or taken up by enough people.” 

The Governor continued, “Too many of us are still congregating in groups, taking risks with our own lives and endangering the health of our family members, our neighbors and our state.” 

However, some of the Governor’s advice seemed to conflict, particularly that about gathering in groups. Lujan Grisham said, “Please wear facemasks. Please don’t gather in large groups without them,” while later tweeting “Wear a mask. Stay home. Do not gather in groups. Take the risk seriously” 

So, which piece of advice are New Mexicans expected to follow? Are they supposed to not gather in groups, or are they supposed to gather in large groups but only if they have a face mask? The Governor’s advice appears all over the place.

The new restrictions come as new cases of COVID-19 appear to be affecting younger populations more, Secretary Scrase saying that dults in their 20s are an increasing share of the infections. 

Coincidentally, protesters, which Michelle Lujan Grisham applauded for protesting for “racial justice,” some in violent means, are still taking to the streets in protest. Just this week, KRQE 13 reported on a Black Lives Matter protest in uptown Albuquerque. But Lujan Grisham vehemently rejects the notion that these protests are spreading the virus, despite indicators showing otherwise.

According to Pew Research, 41% of those who recently attended a protest focused on race were younger than 30. Nationwide, only 19% of people are in this age group, so statistically, they were overrepresented by over 100% at protests. It just so happens that people contracting COVID-19 are in their 20s and 30s, which lights up directly with the spike in recent cases. However, Lujan Grisham denies it being a factor in the spread of coronavirus. And with the Governor’s conflicting advice, it may give protesters and rioters justification for taking to the streets in protest.

Full details about Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s latest restrictions can be found in the press release from her office linked here.

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