COVID-19

Freedom, Tyranny and New Mexico’s Fight Against COVID-19

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Unconstitutional Government Overreach by NM Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham

The purpose of my post today is to highlight the continual struggle between tyranny and liberty, and the front lines which are now drawn in New Mexico. While it is evident that COVID-19 is a virus to take seriously, the Governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, has overreached by imposing government control on her constituents with her blanket-approach in closing all NM small businesses, shuttering gun storefronts, and prohibiting the gathering of more than five persons. The constitutional rights of Americans should never be done away with even in times of crisis, and New Mexicans can and should practice the proper protective measures and social distancing while maintaining their ability to live out their lives without government interference.  In addition, Lujan Grisham has closed down the city of Gallup not allowing anyone in or out. This essentially is “martial law” and should never occur in the United States of America. 

New Mexico is currently under one of the most restrictive lock-downs in America due to a public health order issued by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, instituted on March 13, and originally set to expire on April 30, 2020. The purpose of this public health order was to “flatten the curve” so that the hospital system would not be overwhelmed with patients negatively impacted by the COVID-19 / novel coronavirus which was traced to an outbreak in Wuhan, China which the World Health Organization and Chinese government tried to cover up. Due to the lack of knowledge around COVID-19, computer models predicted hundreds of thousands dying in America due to the illness, hospitals being overrun. It increased damage to public health due to a lack of appropriate ventilators. 

Lujan Grisham banned in-person church gatherings and utilized the Amber alert system to warn all residents via text message not to attend church the day before Easter Sunday.  Many congregants at churches were not going to attend services but instead, watch through a live stream option wherein the place of worship may or may not have more than five persons to operate the technical equipment and perform for the community.  Many churches had little notice to come under Lujan Grisham’s orders.

One of the most misguided portions of Lujan Grisham’s restrictive orders was to ensure that hospitals in New Mexico do not perform “non-essential” surgeries and preventive care such as cancer screenings while deeming abortions ‘Essential’. Lujan Grisham’s restrictions on hospital services, coupled with the lack of COVID-19 patients, caused many hospitals to lay off staff and caused extreme financial distress for all hospitals in New Mexico. A report just released stated that rural hospitals in NM lost $250 million dollars in revenue in April 2020.

As part of the public health order, “non-essential” businesses (as defined by the State of New Mexico) were closed. The governor of New Mexico had set up a hotline for residents to report non-essential businesses which were open for business, and as such were in violation of the public health order, which resulted in state police visiting the non-essential business and issuing a citation, a cease and desist order, and/or a $5,000 per day fine.

For the small business owners whose businesses were deemed “non-essential” by the New Mexico Governor, their livelihoods have been put in jeopardy by the Governor’s illegal and unconstitutional actions. The measures instituted by Lujan Grisham are unfair to small business owners — the backbone of American prosperity.

Lujan Grisham “tipped her hand” when she started her belief that “a case anywhere in New Mexico is a case everywhere in New Mexico.” We are now seeing the far-left using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to institute extreme government control and create a society where only government and large corporate retailers exist within the geographic confines of New Mexico. 

Small businesses must be allowed to open with the same safety precautions as “big box stores” such as Wal-Mart. Lujan Grisham’s preferential treatment of “big box stores” and government employees is a calculated political move to drain her opponents: conservatives and Republicans in New Mexico, out of jobs, money, and any valuable resources in her attempt to secure the Vice-presidential/running mate nod from Democrat Presidential front-runner Joseph Biden.

Given the significant problems with the restriction of personal freedom, economic hardships, and inadequate government “solutions”, a discontent among New Mexico residents is rising. 

A Return of the Power to the People

A movement is rising within the United States, Mexico at the forefront due to the draconian measures of the Lujan Grisham which do not align with the rural, diverse culture of New Mexico. Conservatives, many of whom are small business owners, farmers, ranchers, and tradesmen who built America, are tired of their rights being violated by government control in violation of the Fourth Amendment, protection from unreasonable search and seizure, and the 14th amendment, Equal Protection under the Law.  In addition, New Mexicans’ ability to purchase ammunition and a firearm were curtailed by Lujan Grisham closing gun storefronts in direct violation of the Second Amendment of our Constitution. The First Amendment has been violated with the public health order of no gatherings of more than five persons.  All of these constitutional rights should have remained in place with proper safety measures to mitigate contracting COVID19.

As someone who was raised in a small business-owning family and as a rancher in New Mexico, I know first-hand the challenges faced in putting food on the table in New Mexico. After the first couple of weeks of Lujan Grisham’s lockdown, as the science caught up with the media hype and we realized our hospitals were not being overrun, we witnessed conservative activists who were unjustly confined unite through social media and begin organizing “Freedom Rallies” to exercise our freedom of speech, freedom to assemble and to “push back” against the Governor’s unconstitutional actions such as shuttering the gun storefronts.

I live and raise my family in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I am a mother with four children. We attended a “Freedom Rally” in Santa Fe, with multiple cars driving around the Santa Fe Capitol in a “Gridlock NM” event held Saturday, April 18, 2020. I was the only person walking, and my family and I practiced appropriate “Social Distancing” according to CDC guidelines. As I was the only person on foot, The left-wing media of Santa Fe took my photograph and united against me to deride the movement of small businesses, which was gaining steam as a “gridlock without any gridlock.” A mother of four wearing a handkerchief over my face surrounded by NM State Police helicopters circling the Santa Fe “Round House” is an iconic image that defines our struggle for freedom in the times of COVID-19.  

Movements start with one voice and one person. This is the point we must make even in the heart of a Democrat-controlled city and the political and cultural heart of New Mexico–Santa Fe.  The purpose of the expression of the First Amendment was to redress grievances in government that the early Americans were well aware of with the King of England.  The rights of Americans are again being tested; a free America has never tolerated draconian measures.

“Freedom Rallies” began popping up all around New Mexico after the Santa Fe gridlock: on Friday, April 24, 2020, a large group rallied on Albuquerque Civic Plaza, and a car caravan gathered in Los Alamos, New Mexico among other cities throughout the state. I was in attendance in the rally in Los Alamos, and again my campaign practiced proper social distancing, with face coverings and sanitizing spray used continuously.  The narrative that Republicans are a “death cult” such as Stelnicki (Lujan Grisham’s spokesperson) has said, is false for my campaign as a Republican because I take this virus seriously as I take my constitutional rights. So do many New Mexicans. 

The growing social movement against Lujan Grisham’s overreach came to an impasse when the Mayor of Grants, “Modey” Hicks, decided to declare Grants “open for business” in defiance of the Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s public health order. Mayor Hicks ordered all city employees to return to work and, additionally, to open the City-owned golf course. The mayor had the support of local Sheriff Tony Mace, to open small businesses. 

The city was opened on Monday, April 27th, to much anticipation and speculation about a confrontation between city and sheriff law enforcement and state police enforcing Lujan Grisham’s public health order. I attended the opening where I stood with U.S. Military veteran Mayor Hicks. The business of Papa’s Pawn, a pawn shop run by a disabled veteran, was issued a citation and later fined $60,000 for violating the public health order.  Lujan Grisham set out to make an example of a constitutionalist, disabled American veteran. This family will never be able to pay a $60,000 fine — as Lujan Grisham makes that amount in around four months — this family will never be able to. The far-left administration in New Mexico and the far-left administrations of the greater U.S. are out-of-touch with the results of centralized government policies. Their reliance on their own laws to provide them with money and give out money will not be sustainable in a capitalistic society.

I was in attendance at Santa Fe, Grants, and Los Alamos “Freedom Rallies” in support of our constitutional rights as Americans to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. While complying with all CDC Guidelines, I stood as a representative of all small business owners in New Mexico who are fighting for freedom and equal protection under the law. 

Gallup Lockdown/Retribution from MLG

Shortly after these protests, on April 30, 2020, and in response to conservative “Freedom Rallies”, Michelle Lujan Grisham reduced restrictions in NM, allowing retail businesses to operate curbside, re-opened golf courses, and unveiled a “multi-phase plan” to re-open New Mexico. However, she kept all restrictions in four counties of NM around the Navajo (Diné)  Nation. Meanwhile, the New Mexico Attorney General sent a letter to Grants Mayor Hicks and sought an order from the NM Supreme Court to force Mayor Hicks to comply with Lujan Grisham’s public health order. 

New Mexico Republican State Representatives sent a letter to Lujan Grisham’s office imploring her to create a plan, and a plea to Attorney General Barr to enforce protection of our constitutional rights.

On request of the outgoing Mayor, the City of Gallup is currently in a state of emergency based on the New Mexico Riot Act, meaning only residents are allowed to enter the city. All roads in and out are being closed by state police due to the spread of COVID-19 cases in the surrounding Navajo Nation.  The Navajo Nation also experienced 57-hour lockdowns on Fridays at 5 p.m. until Mondays at 8 a.m., and travel is extremely limited, such as requiring a maximum of two people in one motor vehicle.

Due to Lujan Grisham’s action, we will experience the “Law of Unintended Consequences.” The Navajo Nation relies on border towns for basic necessities, including potable water for cooking and cleaning. Navajo Nation members will now have to travel further for their needs, complicating an already difficult situation for Navajo Nation members and possibly furthering the geographic spread of COVID-19.

Flipping New Mexico Red in 2020

I am running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Congressional District 3 to return the U.S. government back to working for the people of New Mexico who are being oppressed by an overreaching state governor. I stand 100% with our President Donald Trump, who, through Attorney General Barr, has stated that governors must respect constitutional rights. 

I encourage all American patriots to keep up their fight against government overreach that infringes upon constitutional rights.  I support opening small businesses safely and responsibly. I am advocating a county-by-county approach that puts decision making into the hands of our local officials such as sheriffs, business leaders, health care professionals, and community leaders with the cooperation of the Governor of New Mexico.  I believe we must focus the bulk of COVID-19 mitigation efforts on the Navajo Nation and areas with the highest risk and transmission. Now is not the time for a top-down, centralized government approach, but reasoned and common sense empowerment of local elected officials in a way that allows small businesses to operate in a responsible, safe manner.  Local officials should interact with the Governor of New Mexico to obtain pertinent information to mitigate COVID19 as well as information on resources that could help stop the spread of COVID19, such as proper protective safety gear.

In Congress, I will work to ensure the constitutional rights of Americans are upheld in a safe manner. The Governor’s actions have set the precedence of a centralized, overreaching government that has done away with the rights of Americans, and unnecessarily shut down the economy and livelihood of many in our state. Lujan Grisham’s’ unwillingness to listen to her constituents has created a foment of dissension among many New Mexicans that can only be remedied by electing conservative officials into positions of decision-making within the US government. Join Americans in expressing your voice, standing up for your rights, and “holding the line” to defend this great experiment — the United States of America.  

Alexis Martinez Johnson is a Republican Candidate for the U.S. House in New Mexico’s 3rd District. More information, please visit www.AlexisJohnsonNM.com.

Opinions offered by Piñon Post contributors in no way, shape, or form represent the viewpoints of the publication or its editorial staff. Submit an op-ed to the Piñon Post at: news@pinonpost.com.

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MLG punishes Cibola County after Grants Mayor disobeys: pawnshop fined $60k, county shut down

45 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Friday, it was announced that Papas Pawn & Gun in Grants, New Mexico was fined a hefty $60,000 fine, which appears to be the highest amount any business has been fined for defying Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s strict orders during COVID-19.

But according to the pawnshop, they have been practicing social distancing with their business and got fined regardless. According to pawn shop owner Diane Row, “On Monday, six or seven State Police officers surrounded my small shop, and it was really upsetting.” She continued, “That was a total show of force. They came to give me a court summons, treated me like I was a criminal, not a shop owner. Later I got a notice from the State that I was being fined $60,000. My husband is a veteran who is disabled and we don’t have any employees. This fine will kill us. It’s the end. I don’t know what to do.”

The Republican Party of New Mexico responded on Friday afternoon, writing, “This was a violation of Rowe’s civil rights and Constitutional rights and another unjust action against businesses trying to survive, both as a result of policies decreed by Gov. Lujan Grisham. Rowe believes her treatment is disgraceful and says other businesses who depend on local consumers will soon be obsolete.”

“The governor continues to show favoritism for big box stores, taking millions of New Mexico dollars out of state, and neglecting the little guy, local businesses who keep our local economies humming. The governor refuses to acknowledge that small businesses, like Papas Pawn & Gun, can provide and maintain social distancing and other health measures just like the national chains, that are packing shoppers in their aisles daily. This is blatant preferential treatment by the Lujan Grisham Administration.”

The news comes one day after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham relaxed some restrictions on New Mexicans, but the news of Papas Pawn & Gun store refutes any progress the Governor may have made in easing New Mexicans’ fury with her administration and their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, Gov. Michele Lujan Grisham ordered a lockdown of McKinley County, San Juan, and interestingly, Cibola County also. McKinley and San Juan are being hit hard by COVID-19, but Cibola, with only 52 positive COVID cases. Cibola, where Papas Pawn is located in Grants, seems to be directly targeted by the Governor. Grants Mayor Martin “Modey” Hicks previously rebuked her strict stay-at-home orders, which appears to be adding to her retribution.

MLG punishes Cibola County after Grants Mayor disobeys: pawnshop fined $60k, county shut down Read More »

MLG caves to public fury—rolls back some restrictions

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At 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham delivered Republicans and the conservative media in new Mexico a massive win with a few rollbacks of her extreme restrictions. The announcement came during her COVID-19 update, where she caved to many demands.

One of the loosened restrictions the Governor announced included the reopening of “nonessential” retailers beginning Friday. During the new restrictions, they can operate with curbside pickup and delivery, if permitted by their licenses.

State parks are reopening, gun stores are open by appointment, golf courses are open for recreation. Mass gatherings are still prohibited.

The Governor announced on Thursday that there are 11 new deaths and 198 new COVID-19 cases, bringing up the state’s death total to 123 and infection total to 3,411.

As of Thursday, there are 760 COVID-19 cases designated as having recovered by the New Mexico Department of Health.

Despite some restrictions remaining, the loosened orders are the closest thing to Gov. Lujan Grisham saying “uncle,” and kowtowing to media outlets such as the Piñon Post and KIVA’s “The Rock of Talk,” Eddy Aragon, who have kept heavy pressure on the Governor. 

It is also a significant win for countless New Mexicans who have reached out to Gov. Lujan Grisham’s office and even taken to the streets to organize against her, as seen in cities such as Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Grants, and others. 

Republicans in the New Mexico House of Representatives also sent a letter to the Governor asking her to modify her public health order.

MLG caves to public fury—rolls back some restrictions Read More »

Grassroots organizers proudly stand up for working families and call for MLG to reopen NM at ABQ rally

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On Friday, a sizeable group of grassroots organizers and concerned citizens gathered at Civic Plaza in Albuquerque to stand up for working families hurting by the Governor’s closure of the state.

Citizens’ signs read things such as “My Small Business Matters,” “Re-Open New Mexico,” and “Fear is the Real Virus” with much support in the form folks driving by, honking their horns in agreement.  

“We can do this in a safe manner. We can open up small businesses, and all businesses in the state, to operate just like the big box stores, with proper safety practices, proper social distancing,” one of the organizers, Kai Sandoval told KOB 4 News. 

“I have a small business and my business deals with essential oils, plants, flowers and so for me and my business it is hard because everything is closed. The way I promote my business is by going out and showing people letting them try out what I have,” Nevaeh Aguilar Rivera told KRQE 13 News.

On the Facebook event for the rally, organizers wrote, “Folks can be on foot or stay in their vehicles. If on foot, masks and gloves are necessary, we don’t want to give any ammo to MLG or her cohorts to use as reasoning not to reopen NM immediately!” It appears all attendees followed the rules, and were careful to follow precautions while demonstrating.

Despite the great care organizers and citizens put into peacefully and effectively lifting up working families and small businesses during their demonstration, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham shot off a statement ridiculing the concerned citizens for calling on her to reopen New Mexico.

Her statement reads, “Mass gatherings are dangerous and in violation of the public health order. We want any New Mexican who is upset about the state’s efforts to limit illness and prevent mass death to find safe and non-dangerous ways to exercise their first amendment right to protest, one of many rights we are all grateful to have, none of which are infringed upon by the necessary actions the state has taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save the lives of New Mexicans. New Mexicans must continue to stay home in order to slow the spread of this incredibly contagious virus – there is no way to safely reopen the state without first doing so.”

Another demonstration outside of the Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Mansion also took place in Santa Fe.

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MLG rammed our state directly into a wall — make sure you are registered to vote Republican in 2020

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The 2020 primary is right around the corner, and this could not be a more important election for our state. 

This election is New Mexico’s last shot at turning our state red, which is why I want to make absolutely sure you are registered to vote this election.

As our state has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen exactly what Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (MLG) and the Radical Democrats will do in times of crisis — take advantage of a deadly plague as an opportunity to force through socialism far and wide and ram our beautiful state directly into the ground. 

As our state has shut down and commerce has ceased, MLG has taken EVERYTHING away from working families — from their jobs that pay the rent, to the places of worship that give communities hope and light. As promised, she rammed our state directly into a wall.

But while the hard-working people of New Mexico are forced to pinch pennies, uncertain if they can afford to feed their children, MLG and the Radical Democrats let big corporate box stores and late-term abortion clinics stay wide open. 

It may or may not be a coincidence that the same places MLG allows to stay open gave thousands in cash to the Governor’s campaign account. Walmart flushed $7,500 toward her campaign, while the abortion industry threw $22,000 her way.

With this crisis, we now know what the Democrats will do if given power. Even before this crisis, Democrats spent money like it was going out of style, funding irresponsible free daycare programs, raising her cabinet’s salaries by 17%, passing New Mexico’s “Green New Deal,” which will gradually erase the critical oil and gas industry, among other dangerous measures.

Other than her reckless spending, MLG tried to force through radical abortion-up-to-birth and infanticide legislation, passed an unconstitutional assault to the Second Amendment in the form of a “red flag” bill, ripped away counties’ right-to-work laws that protect workers, ordered the New Mexico National Guard to abandon the U.S./Mexico border, and so many other foolish actions.

While New Mexico families remain in poverty and starve as MLG lets COVID-19 ravage our state so she can play politics, it is clear that Democrats do not have New Mexicans in mind. Our state has had nearly 90 years of Democrat rule, and it has done nothing but sink to the bottom of the nation, placing 50th in just about everything.

The 2020 election could not be more critical. We cannot afford to allow Democrats any more time in power. They’ve proven without a shadow of a doubt that if given unchecked political dominance, they will pounce on the opportunity to push through their socialist agenda.

This is our absolute last chance to make a difference — and it’s critical that you are registered to vote and that your party registration reads “Republican.”

VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION

The primary election is coming up, and our mandate to send forth the strongest candidates to take on the socialist Democrats should be our highest priority. 

So, please make sure you are registered to vote by clicking this link. Although you may think you are already registered, irregularities are known to happen. Double-checking is an easy way to make absolutely sure you are registered.

If you are not registered to vote, you can easily fill out an online form and register. Please make sure you are registering as a Republican to ensure you can vote in the GOP primary, as well as the general election. The form can be found by clicking this link.

If you are registered as a “Declined to State,” “Libertarian,” “Democrat,” or anything else, please change your voter registration to “Republican” to make sure you can participate in the primary election. You can update your registration to Republican by clicking this link. 

Lastly, If you are unsure if you can make it to the voting booth to vote this election, don’t let that stop you. Order an absentee ballot to make sure your vote is counted! Request a ballot by clicking here.

Together, we can and will turn our state around, and it starts with everyone reading this to share this critical information with your family, friends, and other loved ones so that they can also help us flip New Mexico red in November. As a team, we can get New Mexico families back to work and lift our great state out of this mess.

John Block is the editor of the Piñon Post and a longtime New Mexico political activist. With the Piñon Post, John looks to bring true representation to conservatives in the Land of Enchantment and cut through the mainstream media red tape by providing independent, fair, and conservative journalism to New Mexico. Follow John on Twitter @JohnforNM or send him an email at John@PinonPost.com.

Opinions offered by Piñon Post contributors in no way, shape, or form represent the viewpoints of the publication or its editorial staff. Submit an op-ed to the Piñon Post at: news@pinonpost.com. 

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MLG, City of ABQ deny reports of airlifting AZ COVID-19 patients to NM for treatment

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On Monday, there was confusion on social media about a report from AZ Central claiming COVID-19 patients from Arizona would be air-lifted to New Mexico for treatment. According to the report, patients would be flown in at Mile Stadium in Albuquerque to receive care from New Mexico health care facilities. 

KIVA radio show host Eddy Aragon of the “Rock of Talk” visited the helipad on Monday, getting on video the newly-painted helipad and newly-implemented asphalt parking lines for ambulances. He spoke with some alleged healthcare workers who told him they were from Presbyterian and said he was being “disrespectful” for going to the scene.

But since Aragon’s report, the AZ Central article was updated, claiming patients will not for sure be sent from Arizona, but that “the helipad has been built in case of a surge of patients.”

When asked on Twitter if patients from Arizona would be flown into Albuquerque for treatment, the City of Albuquerque flatly denied the claim, writing, “The news article published regarding this was in error. There are no plans to airlift patients from Arizona to Albuquerque.”

According to a report from KOB 4 News, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office also denied that Arizona patients would not be flown to New Mexico for treatment. “It’s a part of transporting patients within New Mexico when the surge hits,” the spokesperson said.

Presbyterian Hospital spokesperson Melanie Mozes said the Arizona article is grossly inaccurate. “The extra helipad will only be used should a surge of COVID-19 patients happen,” she said.

The helipad is undeniably at Milne Stadium, and the previously published news article did explicitly note that Arizona COVID-19 patients would be airlifted to New Mexico for treatment, but since that has been walked back.

MLG, City of ABQ deny reports of airlifting AZ COVID-19 patients to NM for treatment Read More »

Dem NM Rep. inadvertently blames Dems’ 89-year rule of NM for ‘racist systems’ worsening COVID-19

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On Monday, far-left state Rep. Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque) took to Twitter to place blame for the effects of the novel coronavirus on (you guessed it), “racism.”

A typical play by Democrats, Martinez claimed COVID-19 is hitting New Mexico the hardest because of “[y]ears of policies that uphold historically racist systems like..failures 2 invest land grant fund in youngest kids, failures 2 build water systems in communities w/out, failures 2 build an economy that works for ALL.” 

However, Martinez does not give any detail about his outrage over “racist systems” with any facts. On the contrary, it does not appear that racism has anything to do with land grant funds going to the state’s “youngest kids,” supposed “failures” to build “water systems” or the vague ability to “build an economy that works for all.”

Paul Gessing, President of the Rio Grande Foundation retweeted the post, writing, “And there you have it, Chair of House Tax in #nmleg arguing that if we weren’t so RACIST that we didn’t tap the permanent fund for pre-K minority groups wouldn’t be as impacted by Coronavirus.”

During the 2020 legislative session, the Legislature passed and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law HB 83, which originally would withdraw 1% from the state’s Land Grant Permanent Fund for pre-kindergarten programs, but the final version of the bill passed by a wide margin in both chambers with .5% extraction from the fund.

New Mexico’s current systems, which have been run by Democrats for over 89 years, is fully in the hands of Democrat lawmakers, not Republicans, and so it appears Martinez is blaming Democrats for his perceived failures in the state. Since 1931, Democrats have had a majority rule over the state legislature and most state offices, so by Martinez’s logic, Democrats are 100% responsible for any “racism” in the current system.

Dem NM Rep. inadvertently blames Dems’ 89-year rule of NM for ‘racist systems’ worsening COVID-19 Read More »

GOP Whip Montoya: If state can’t handle jobless claims, let people get back to work with restrictions

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On Sunday, the New Mexico House Republicans shared an article from the Albuquerque Journal regarding New Mexico’s overwhelmed Workforce Solutions unemployment system, and their inability to handle the 60,000+ newly filed cases, where the system was used to 600-800 cases on average per week. The Department of Workforce Solutions is headed by former Rep. Bill McCamley, a failed 2018 candidate for state auditor.

House Republican Whip Rep. Rod Montoya of San Juan urged Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to reopen the economy with the same health restrictions that are currently being observed at big box stores like Walmart. 

“This is what happens when the Governor mandates the closure of every business that she determines to be ‘non-essential.’ If they can’t manage the unemployment system that is overwhelmed by these forced closures, then let people go back to work with the same restrictions as Wal-Mart! It is time to responsibly open New Mexico back up for business,” wrote Montoya.

Gov. Lujan Grisham has come under intense scrutiny for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led her to send out State Police as her attack dogs to hunt down small businesses disobeying her orders and issue citations.

Lujan Grisham also banned church gatherings on the eve of Easter, but is allowing abortion clinics and to stay open, despite the major health risks involved with the elective procedure. 

GOP Whip Montoya: If state can’t handle jobless claims, let people get back to work with restrictions Read More »

Heinrich, Dems play politics with pandemic — use COVID-19 to attempt halt on border construction

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On Saturday, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and fellow hard-left Radical Democrats in the U.S. Congress penned a letter demanding Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, U.S. Attorney General William Barr, and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper halt all border wall construction, using COVID-19 to justify their partisan plea. Retiring Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), U.S. Reps. Deb Haaland (D-NM), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), were some of the co-signers of the letter.

The letter claims the construction of the border wall “places local communities at unnecessary risk,” continuing to say, “Money should be invested in healthcare, small businesses, and fighting the spread of COVID-19, not used to build an ineffective and wasteful border wall that does not solve our immigration crisis or protect our homeland.”

A response to the hyper-partisan letter (that uses not a single statistic or fact-based argument), the ACLU’s Astrid Dominguez responded, “We welcome this letter from Members of Congress, and call on the Trump administration to use this crisis as an opportunity to abandon its wasteful use of precious resources on the expansion of a border wall.” The key phrase to note here is “use this crisis as an opportunity.” The very fact that the left wants to use a deadly pandemic as an “opportunity” to stymie the Trump Administration’s policies says a lot about those signing onto the letter, as well as the fringe-left groups goading on the partisan measure.

“The only way to ensure that New Mexico stays safe during this global pandemic is to stop the militarization of our communities and provide fair and equitable access to healthcare services for all people who need them,” said Johana Bencomo, Executive Director of NM CAFé, a dark-money “non-profit” which harbors criminal aliens in New Mexico under the guise of Catholicism and Christian churches.

The open-borders Democrats led by Martin Heinrich and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, are proving every single day that they do not have the best interest of the state in mind, and would much rather work solely to push forward policies that hurt our state forward. Just as Lujan Grisham irresponsibly pulled the New Mexico National Guard from the Southern Border as one of her first acts as governor, despite hundreds of thousands of criminal aliens attempting to flood into our state, Heinrich’s letter once again just proves the carelessness and disregard Democrats have for our state and for our safety. 

As New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham works hard to keep open businesses who have given to her political campaigns (such as abortion clinics, big box stores, and pot dispensaries), New Mexico’s sad excuse for a congressional delegation is hard at work ramming far-left policies down the throats of average New Mexicans — once again weaponizing a crisis for their own political gain. The disgraceful attempts by New Mexico Democrats should be noted and NEVER forgotten.

Opinions offered by Piñon Post contributors in no way, shape, or form represent the viewpoints of the publication or its editorial staff. Submit an op-ed to the Piñon Post at: news@pinonpost.com.

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Gov. MLG’s comms. director: NM GOP is a ‘death cult’ wanting more New Mexican COVID-19 deaths

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On Thursday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s communications director, Tripp Stelnicki tweeted out a jab at anyone who is trying to reopen New Mexico’s economy — a group mostly led by Republicans worried about fiscal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Earlier this week, the New Mexico Republican Party pushed back on Lujan Grisham sending cease and desist orders to New Mexico businesses staying open to provide necessary goods and services, despite the Governor labeling many businesses “non-essential.”

On Tuesday, the New Mexico Business Coalition unveiled its plan to reopen the state’s economy, beginning with allowing businesses who can operate under the current guidelines of 20% capacity to reopen. “When you look at all the goods and items that can be purchased in a big box store, for example, why could we not purchase those locally? If we were to do that, we would get more businesses open,” said NMBC President Carla Sonntag.

During Lujan Grisham’s Thursday address, she made clear she has no intention of letting up on restrictions yet, saying, “…we are not at a point currently where it would be safe to reopen.”

The same day as the Governor’s address, Tripp Stelnicki wrote up a tweet directly targeting the Republicans who are aiming to help reopen the state’s economy. He wrote, “You don’t have to ask the death cult their opinion or publish their quotes. False equivalence now is actually life or death. There is no “both sides” to this. There is one group preaching accelerated illness & death because they “love” “business” & if you can’t see through that?”

Republican state leaders rebuked Stelnicki’s jab at their concerns as a “death cult,” with the Republican Party responding, “This outrageous tweet, suggesting that Republicans want to get more New Mexicans to contract COVID-19, is shocking and disgraceful. The tweet shows to what lengths the Governor’s Office will go to scare the public and politicize the pandemic. The tweet is disgusting and twisted, and the Governor’s Office is way out of line with this monstrous claim. Nothing is further from the truth.”

Moderate Republican Rep. Rebecca Dow of Silver City suggested Stelnicki’s tweet goes against state laws mandating state employees cannot be “engaging in a political activity while on duty,” citing the New Mexico statute. 

The Governor has not responded to her communications director’s statement, which appears to have violated state statutes barring state employees from political activity while on duty. The Republican Party of New Mexico has demanded an apology from the Governor’s office in response to Stelnicki’s jab at Republicans. 

Previously to working for Gov. Lujan Grisham, Stelnicki worked as a reporter for the left-wing paper, the Santa Fe New Mexican, and has bashed President Trump and Republicans on countless occasions, such as in September 2019 when President Trump visited Rio Rancho, New Mexico for a rally. Stelnicki mocked the President about how he would pronounce “Rio Rancho.” 

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the Governor’s spokesperson, Nora Meyers Sackett, said, “The tweet in question does not reference any person, group, or organization specifically by name — if someone seems to think it’s about them, I’d say they’ve placed that upon themselves.”

Gov. MLG’s comms. director: NM GOP is a ‘death cult’ wanting more New Mexican COVID-19 deaths Read More »

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