On Wednesday, it was reported by Politico that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was asked by former vice president Joe Biden’s team to be his Secretary of the Interior in his fictitious cabinet, however, she had reportedly turned down the job, according to three sources. She has been lobbying Biden for a role as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), touting her supposed experience in health care.
Lujan Grisham has locked down the state during COVID-19, which has resulted in high unemployment and countless businesses closed, while COVID-19 case numbers and deaths are through the roof. This alone could disqualify her for HHS. She also grifted the people of New Mexico, along with her close friend and business partner, state Rep. Deb Armstrong, who “won” non-competitive state contracts to handle administrative work for the state’s high-risk insurance pool, despite the program being nullified by the implementation of Obamacare.
Now, the Biden team appears to be snubbing Lujan Grisham after she turned down the Department of the Interior post. Politico reports that the favorite for the role is no longer the New Mexico governor. The publication writes, Rhode Island Gov. “Gina Raimondo is now a top contender to be President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, according to two people close to the transition.”
“Raimondo’s rise comes as New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is no longer favored for the role, according to one of those sources and another familiar with the discussions.”
However, the discredited “news” network, CNN, is still trying to lobby for Gov. Lujan Grisham’s appointment, with their television host Don Lemon, having Grisham on his program to discuss her potential nomination. Lujan Grisham’s close friend–if not family member–Rep. Ben Ray Luján has also been lobbying Biden to nominate the Governor, which appears to have fallen on deaf ears from the 78-year-old former vice president.
Lujan Grisham’s press secretary, Nora Sackett, took to Twitter on Wednesday to blast “national media” for not correctly reporting the Governor’s last name, re-sharing a tweet that said, “Since it seems to be that time again – the governor of New Mexico’s last name is Lujan Grisham. Governor Lujan Grisham. National media I beg of you to just like google this first before you get it wrong plz it’s not hard.”
Voter fraud is being uncovered across the United States, finding massive fraud in the 2020 election favoring Joe Biden. According to recent reports from Trump Campaign officials, New Mexico is also being looked at for potential election violations, which are expected to come out within the next couple of weeks.
Despite some on the left claiming long lines triggered by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s capacity limits for stores as just a fluke because of Thanksgiving, after the holiday, hours-long lines still remain across the state outside of these stores.
As you can see below, these lines are still forming at stores all across the state, and many wrapping around the buildings.
November 28, 2020: Lowes at 407 Lowdermilk St, Española, New Mexico
November 28, 2020: Smith’s on 600 E 20th St, Farmington, New Mexico
November 28, 2020: Walmart on 1400 W Main St, Farmington, New Mexico
2:11 p.m. on November 28, 2020: Target on 3550 Zafarano Dr, Santa Fe, New Mexico
November 29, 2020: Walmart on 901 Unser Blvd SE, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
3:38 p.m. on November 29, 2020: Walmart on 3251 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe, New Mexico
November 29, 2020: El Super on 4201 Central Ave NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 29, 2020: Walmart at 4500 N Main St Ste A, Roswell, New Mexico
November 30, 2020: Home Depot at 10200 Coors Bypass NW NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 30, 2020: Albertsons on 3542 Zafarano Dr, Santa Fe, New Mexico
11:00 a.m. on November 30, 2020: 1400 W Main St, Farmington, New Mexico
November 30, 2020: Target on 4900 E Main St, Farmington, New Mexico
November 30, 2020: Smiths on 8301 Golf Course Rd NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 30, 2020: 460 Nm Hwy #528, Bernalillo, New Mexico
November 30, 2020: 4500 E Main St, Farmington, New Mexico
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office originally said to the press, “The state is not forcing anyone to stand in a crowded line, as you suggest,” saying long lines at stores were just “Republican talking points” that were “politically motivated. Now, Gov. Lujan Grisham’s communications director, Tripp Stelnicki admits there are long lines, but says they are just a “minor inconvenience.”
Many people standing in-line are elderly individuals retrieving prescriptions, and people buying basic needs, such as food and toilet paper. The Governor’s lockdown has even prompted mainstream media to furrow their brows, such as Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, who chided Lujan Grisham for her treatment of New Mexicans on her Monday show.
On Sunday, it was reported that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is in contention for former vice president Joe Biden’s fictitious cabinet, despite him not winning the election and massive voter fraud swinging battleground states, including New Mexico, in his favor, which the Trump Campaign is exposing.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, including Rep. Ben Ray Luján, who may or may not be Gov. Lujan Grisham’s cousin, sent a letter imploring Biden to tap the New Mexico governor for the spot of Health and Human Services Secretary, despite her failed leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the letter, the all-Democrat signers beg Biden to “ensure that your Cabinet reflects the diversity of our nation,” despite most of his picks not reflecting anything more than career D.C. bureaucrats, far-left politicians, and academia of Ivy League universities.
They continue, “As you continue to finalize your nominees, we write to restate our strong support for the first Democratic Hispanic woman elected state governor in U.S. history, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.”
“Governor Lujan Grisham is an extraordinary leader. She has the vision and drive to see through large projects and effectively lead large organizations; and brings the necessary skills to serve our country as Secretary of Health and Human Services,” the letter continues.
However, the Governor’s “leadership” during COVID-19 alone, not to mention her previous stint in Gov. Bill Richardson’s cabinet as secretary of health, has lead to the worst unemployment recovery in the nation, COVID-19 cases skyrocketing, New Mexicans standing in hours-long lines to retrieve basic items like bread and toilet paper, not to mention the suicide rate in New Mexico at one point this year hitting the highest in the nation.
The move by the Congressional Balck Caucus Democrats appears to have been pushed into motion by Rep. Ben Ray Luján, who Gov. Lujan Grisham worked hard to put into the U.S. Senate.
In one instance, the Governor sent an email to supporters claiming President Donald Trump “barged into New Mexico” for a 2019 rally and saying if Luján, it can stave off Republicans from a plot to “rob the soul of our state for their political gain.”
The Governor’s heated rhetoric on behalf of her alleged cousin appears to have paid off, as he is already doing favors to attempt to further her political career by sending her back to Washington, where she previously served as a U.S. Representative from the 1st District.
On Friday, Gov. Lujan Grisham’s office released their new county-by-county “Red to Green” COVID-19 plan, which has been noted is a major flip-flop in policy on her part. Her staff, which has already adopted a general tone of hostility toward all New Mexicans, is now blatantly condescending local news stations, including the liberal KOB 4.
KOB 4 News sent questions to the Governor’s office asking about the new strategy since they were not allowed to ask questions during the announcement Zoom meeting, as reporters usually are allowed to do. (Not the Piñon Post, however, since we have not been granted such access despite multiple correspondences).
KOB Reporter Grace Reader asked simple questions to Gov. Lujan Grisham’s communications director Tripp Stelnicki, was met with pompous and condescending responses. Some responses questioned the reporter’s intelligence, some blasted county officials, and some answers so short that they didn’t adequately provide responses.
Reader asked Stelnicki, “Will county leaders be notified when they’re good to move to the next color via the state? Or do they need to be checking the DOH webpage every other Wednesday?”
Stelnicki responded with:
The map updates every other Wednesday. If county officials care about the spread of COVID in their communities, they are already checking this map regularly to identify the risks to their constituents so they can protect their communities they represent. County leaders are well-compensated and qualified professionals who are more than capable of reading the public health order and communicating within their own communities.
In another question, Reader asked, “For business owners who are going to be monitoring these developments closely to see what they can and can’t be doing, where do they need to be looking? Does the state have any concern that this county-by-county approach will confuse businesses and patrons about what they’re allowed to be doing?”
Stelnicki returned with a more long-winded response full of snark, but this time taking a jab at the reporter, appearing to question her ability to read attachments from the Governor’s news release:
Did you read the attachment to the news release yesterday and find it confusing? Please let us know if we can help you understand it. Three colors is not confusing. Checking a website— or asking your county to check a website—once every two weeks is not difficult. Many other states operate precisely this way. Many communities and legislators, particularly Republican legislators, have been demanding exactly this county-by-county framework for months, please make the time to ask them whether they are glad to see it now and hold them accountable to their prior statements on the matter. These questions assume that this method of enacting and publicizing the restrictions is somehow comprehensively different than what has been the case for the last 9 months. It is not. Businesses and anyone else who wants to monitor these developments can look to the exact same places they’ve been looking. The levels will be clearly demarcated on the state’s websites. We are creating web widgets they can use on their own websites.
Reader then asked, “We noticed that for the first time, close quarters businesses are being asked to open at 25 percent capacity or 10 people, whichever is smaller. Can you tell us what forced the 10 people cap to be added to the capacity requirement? Additionally, did you all consider lifting the 75 person requirement on essential retail businesses (I know a lot of people have been upset about the lines at large box stores)?”
As usual, Stelnicki responded by claiming the hours-long lines New Mexicans have been standing in to get basic goods and food are a “minor inconvenience.”
His response in-full:
A line is a minor inconvenience, for which the state is sympathetic. The state is also sympathetic to the overworked nurses and doctors in the state’s hospitals and the thousands of families who are suffering and grieving right now The state will continue to prioritize saving lives and protecting New Mexicans while providing for as much safe economic day-to-day activity as possible.
The Piñon Post reported on the long lines last week after the Governor’s office told KOB 4 that the lines were just “Republican talking points.” The office also claimed, “The state is not forcing anyone to stand in a crowded line, as you suggest.” Coincidentally, Stelnicki now appears to be punishing the television station (a station that has bent over backward to placate the Lujan Grisham Administration at every turn: see below) with his latest tantrum, throwing not only the reporter under the bus, but also county officials, New Mexicans, and Republicans in general for pointing out the Governor’s massive flip-flop on policy.
.@GovMLG’s allies in the mainstream media are working overtime to deliver the Governor’s scare tactics to the people of New Mexico. Objective journalism? Not.
New Mexicans responded to the Governor’s office’s latest snark-fest on Twitter.
State Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences), wrote, “Just wow! Her SILENCE towards his condescending tone IS AGREEMENT. Apparently we are not ‘all in this together’”
Matt García Síerra wrote, “Hey NM media, kudos for keeping @GovMLG staffers honest. Their petty responses indicate you’re making them do their jobs. You know, the jobs they’re still cashing in on, while New Mexicans are unemployed.”
It should be noted that Stelnicki and his counterparts in the Governor’s office have full funding and do not face budget cutbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On average, the Governor’s staffers make around $100,000 each annually.
Grace Reader herself even took to Twitter, sharing the Q&A article and writing, “As a reporter, it’s my job to ask questions, especially when your livelihood and health is at stake. Today we asked about the next phase of the public health order, here’s how the state responded to those questions”
The condescending responses by Stelnicki are just the latest from him toward anyone daring to offer substantive questions or points he disagrees with. In April, Stelnicki wrote on Twitter that Republicans are a “death cult.” The Governor’s office did not apologize or respond. However, Stelnicki went silent for months, with Lujan Grisham’s press secretary Nora Sackett speaking publicly for the office in the interim.
Sackett is also known for being hostile to the press, such as in September when Española Mayor Javier Sanchez rebuked the Governor for chiding Españolans on mask-wearing despite only observing the alleged non-compliance from the back seat of her chauffeured car.
Sackett said, “Every media outlet that covered the mayor of Española’s self-righteous op ed will now also cover his flagrant hypocrisy and violation of the public health order, right?”
Before the Thanksgiving holiday, Sackett claimed, “New Mexico Republicans want you and your loved ones to get COVID-19 and potentially die” because the Party called out the Governor’s unreasonable 5-person household limit for gatherings.
It should also be noted that every time the Piñon Post has reached out to Nora Sackett or Tripp Stelnicki for comment, we have never heard a word back, and instead have had to use the Information of Public Records Act (IPRA) any time we have had a question regarding the Lujan Grisham Administration. On average, this process takes two weeks to produce information, and it is mostly not adequate due to redactions.
Last week, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called for the state Legislature to convene for a special session for what she claimed is for COVID-19 pandemic relief. A later press release from the Governor’s office lists multiple items she wants to be passed during the special session, including $194 million in direct unemployment assistance, $100 million in grants to small businesses, $15 million in emergency housing assistance, $5 million for “emergency food bank services,” a “$5 million for direct economic assistance to low-income residents, in the form of a one-time $750 disbursement per household, who did not receive an “economic impact payment” from the federal government,” and funding for the implementation of these initiatives.
Now, no one is against pandemic relief for hurting New Mexicans, but the $300 million Gov. Lujan Grisham claims will come from federal CARES Act money appears to be too little too late. Why is this money just now used to help suffering New Mexicans? And where did the other $1 billion appropriated by the federal government go?
Due to the Governor’s multiple and sporadic shutdowns, which have decimated communities and closed countless New Mexico businesses, not to mention infringing on constitutional rights, it’s no wonder New Mexicans desperately need relief. If businesses were allowed to safely open (while following CDC guidelines as applicable), there would be no need for more relief to hurting businesses because they could remain open. There would be no need for unemployment assistance since employers’ places of businesses would not be shuttered, and there would be no need for housing assistance because people would be able to keep their jobs and pay their rent with their paychecks from their employers (who are allowed to remain open).
The problems the Governor is trying to fix with a special session could have all been negated if she did not twice force the closure of our state, resulting in New Mexico being the most restrictive state in the union. The federal government did its part in providing pandemic relief through the CARES Act, but the states were responsible for disseminating funding to those most affected.
President Trump revolutionized the production of ventilators, personal protective equipment, vaccines, and other supplies necessary to fight the virus and provided each state with the tools required to combat the deadly COVID-19. Despite packing it full of pork, Congress passed the CARES Act — helping hurting Americans get through the pandemic with relief checks and other funds.
Like other states that are now doing well, both in health and economic strength, Gov. Lujan Grisham should have used the tools provided her by the White House and Congress to shepherd New Mexico through the pandemic.
However, during her time as governor, Lujan Grisham has scolded New Mexicans, targeted those not following her strict health orders with fines, and locked down businesses time and time again. During the Legislature’s first special session, she vetoed $318 million in federal dollars meant to help Native American tribes and local governments while keeping funding in the budget for her pie-in-the-sky $320 million socialist free daycare program.
Instead of trusting the people of New Mexico with the responsibility of utilizing all the help available and working as a community to stop the virus, she forced people into complete and total lockdown, resulting in people standing in lines for hours to buy groceries, families separated during the holidays, and countless businesses either fleeing to other states or closing for good, leaving economic devastation.
The Governor’s failure to govern during this pandemic shows her ineptitude as a leader, with a desire to accomplish her partisan games with a special session rather than trust the people of New Mexico to work as a community to stop COVID-19. But now, if a Republican member of the New Mexico House or Senate dares question Lujan Grisham’s late-in-the-game COVID-19 package, Radical Democrats led by Speaker Brian Egolf and the rabidly left-wing legislators will brand dissenters as opposing helping New Mexicans with relief before the Holidays.
Unfortunately, it’s the Democrats–led by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham–who have deprived New Mexicans of security and freedom ahead of the Holidays because they have sat on $300 million in federal relief while New Mexicans stood in bread lines, lost their jobs, lost loved ones due to the virus or suicide due to the lockdowns, and have been separated due to cruel restrictions.
Shame on the Governor for putting politics above people during this pandemic, and shame on her supporters who have wilfully and ignorantly given up their rights to a power-hungry tyrant, hell-bent on forging her own political career instead of helping the people of the Great State of New Mexico.
On Monday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sent a letter to employees of the State of New Mexico, urging them not to gather on Thanksgiving with their families. The letter comes as the Governor has closed down “non-essential” businesses during her latest shutdown and limited “big box stores” and groceries from having more than 75 people per store, forcing people to stand in the November cold for essential items and food ahead of the holiday.
The Governor’s letter read, “This is not a normal holiday season. I know we all wish it wasn’t that way. But it is. Gathering for Thanksgiving this year in the traditional manner poses an extreme risk to the health and safety of your loved ones, your friends and yourself.” She added, “the virus is at large. And it is deadly. I am asking you to please take precautions to protect yourself your loved ones and others.”
The letter continued:
I know it’s hard—really. hard. I know we’re all so tired of this. I am too. I want to hug my family more than anything in the world. We all do. But it’s just not worth the risk right now. We can replace Thanksgiving dinner, but we cannot replace one another.
So I am asking you to please stay home this holiday and to limit your celebrations to the people who live in your home. If you’re worried about hurting a loved one’s feelings by telling them you’re taking these precautions, I understand. But taking these precautions is the best way to show you care right now.
Previously during a COVID-19 briefing, Lujan Grisham warned against hugging loved ones, instructing New Mexicans, “no hugging,” and “do not get close to household members.”
.@GovMLG during press conference: "No hugging" when "mixing households" over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday pic.twitter.com/YmWVr3QkXs
In another briefing where the Governor announced a two-week lockdown over the Thanksgiving holiday, she shamed mourners for attending funerals, and at another press conference, she instructed New Mexicans to wear masks inside their own homes. She also instructed Thanksgiving gatherings to be fewer than five people, which she later admitted as unenforceable.
.@GovMLG threatens new lockdowns if people do not wear masks in their own homes “You cannot get close to other humans.” pic.twitter.com/OXvWjmXQEn
The letter from Lujan Grisham to state employees shows her latest attempt at trying to restrict peoples’ freedoms during the holidays, despite COVID-19’s 96% survival rate.
On Sunday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office claimed that people being forced to stand in long lines outside of “essential businesses” such as Walmart, Albertsons, Costco, and other locations due to her public health orders restricting grocery stores were just “Republican talking points” that were “politically motivated.”
The Associated Pressreported, “More than 20 essential businesses across the state were shut down as of Friday, of which nearly half were grocery stores or major retailers. The closures include two Walmarts in Albuquerque, a Walmart in Santa Fe, a Target in Santa Fe, and an Albertson’s in Roswell.” The shortage is causing a backlog at other grocery stores, which are limited by how many people can be inside at any current time. This is forcing New Mexicans to stand in lines outside for up to two hours.
The Governor’s office further claimed, “The state is not forcing anyone to stand in a crowded line, as you suggest.” These claims were untrue and easily disprovable
However, the Governor’s office is dead wrong. Below are countless examples of places across New Mexico where citizens were forced to stand in long lines. Upon the news that limits of 75 people inside each store, retailers pre-emptively began limiting capacities to begin compliance with the mandate. Below is photographic proof of the lines across the state:
November 13, 2020 (before the Governor’s health order took effect): 7800 Enchanted Hills Dr. NE, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
November 13, 2020 (before the Governor’s health order took effect): Costco on 1420 N Renaissance Blvd NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 16, 2020 (before the Governor’s health order took effect): 66 State Rd #344, Edgewood, New Mexico:
November 16, 2020: Sam’s Club on 1421 N Renaissance Blvd NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
4:45 on November 17, 2020 (before the Governor’s health order took effect): Walmart on 3800 N Lovington Hwy, Hobbs, New Mexico
November 18, 2020: Sam’s Club in Albuquerque
November 18, 2020: Lowes Food, 1410 E Missouri Ave, Las Cruces, New Mexico
November 18, 2020: Smith’s on 4800 McMahon Blvd NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico
11:17 a.m. on November 19, 2020: Walmart on 2401 S Canal St, Carlsbad, New Mexico
3:06 p.m. on November 19, 2020: La Tienda Thriftway, Carlsbad, New Mexico
November 19, 2020: Walmart on 604 N 26th St, Artesia New Mexico
November 19, 2020: Fenn’s Country Market, 2001 W Main St, Artesia, New Mexico
On November 20, 2020, it was reported by an Alamogordo resident: “We had to wait in line for 45 minutes to get in – there were about 25 people ahead of us. There are 2 doors, one on each end. The other end had even more people in line. The allowed capacity is only 75 but the guy at the front told us that the store can hold over 1,000 people. They also make the poor elderly people with walkers/canes, etc. stand out there, too – absolutely shameful. Totally ridiculous.”
November 20, 2020: Target on 4900 E Main St, Farmington, New Mexico
November 20, 2020: Walmart on 233 S New York Ave, Alamogordo, New Mexico
November 20, 2020: Walmart on 400 Eubank Blvd NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 20, 2020: Walmart on Main Street, Farmington, New Mexico.
November 20, 2020: Sam’s Club on 4500 E Main St, Farmington, New Mexico
November 20, 2020: Costco on 550 Eubank Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico:
November 20, 2020: Walmart on 2250 Main St NW, Los Lunas, New Mexico
November 20, 2020: Walmart on 66 State Rd #344, Edgewood, New Mexico
November 21, 2020: Walmart on Main Street, Farmington, New Mexico.
One reader reported that on November 21, 2020, they stood in line at Walmart on Eubank in Albuquerque for two hours. They wrote, “Two hours in line to Walmart on Eubank yesterday.”
November 21, 2020: Sam’s Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico:
November 21, 2020: Sam’s Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico:
November 21, 2020: Food King, 930 N Riverside Dr, Española, New Mexico:
November 21, 2020: Walmart, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 21, 2020: Walmart, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: 3:10 p.m. at Smith’s on 751 Trinity Dr, Los Alamos, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: 3:06 p.m. at Walmart in Clovis, New Mexico. The person who submitted these photographs writes, “It’s freezing down here and there are tons of senior citizens who have to stand in line to get their scripts filled. She’s killing us.”
November 22, 2020: Walmart on 1550 Valley Drive, Las Cruces, New Mexico:
November 22, 2020: Walmart on 571 Walton Blvd, Las Cruces, New Mexico:
November 22, 2020: Target on 2541 E Lohman Ave ste a, Las Cruces, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Albertson’s on 2501 N Main St, Las Cruces, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Albertson’s on 1285 S El Paseo Rd, Las Cruces, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Trader Joe’s, 8928 Holly Ave NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Costco, 9955 Coors Bypass NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Walmart, 901 Unser Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
49 degrees, 4:30 p.m., November 22, 2020: 604 N 26th St, Artesia, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Walmart on 2401 S Canal St, Carlsbad, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Walmart on 604 N 26th St, Artesia New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Walmart on 901 Unser Blvd SE, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
4:41 p.m. on November 22, 2020: Walmart, 4500 N Main St Ste A, Roswell New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Walmart at 1021 E Pine St, Deming, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Walmart at 233 S New York Ave, Alamogordo, New Mexico
November 22, 2020: Walmart at 3728 N Prince St, Clovis, New Mexico
November 23, 2020: Smith’s at 1000 Rio Rancho Dr NE Se, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
November 23, 2020: Costco at 1420 N Renaissance Blvd NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 23, 2020: Smith’s at 2110 S Pacheco St, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The other Smith’s location on Cerrillos Road has been closed by the Governor, so this location is extra crowded.
Unspecified date: Albertson’s at 1110 S Main St in Roswell, New Mexico
Unspecified date (last week): Walmart at 3800 N Lovington Hwy, Hobbs, New Mexico
On November 22, 2020, another reader writes, “Just left Sams on Renaissance, we waited about 40-45 minutes to get into a store thee at t was practically void of people! Btw, that was our third store, the lines at Walmart and Costco were longer.”
People are still sending in photographs from across New Mexico, where citizens have, indeed, been forced to stand in lines and wait for anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours just to buy basic household items and food before the Thanksgiving holiday.
The New Mexico Republican Party opined on the Governor’s lie, inviting her to visit grocery stores where New Mexicans are in long lines to get groceries.
"The spokesperson for @GovMLG said the idea of people being forced to stand in line was a 'Republican talking point' & 'politically motivated.'" Hey, MLG: Visit any grocery store in NM & then tell all those people in line that they are just "Republican talking points." Shameful. https://t.co/RD5PQ5nuTU
The statements from the Governor’s office are not only inaccurate, they are ignoring reality. These people standing in line are not “Republican talking points.” It should be noted that people from San Juan County, Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, Otero, Doña Ana, and every other county in-between are suffering due to these health orders, and they are by no means an anomaly. These are real New Mexicans forced to stand in lines because of the Governor’s health order, period.
On Thursday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her call for a special session to address three COVID-19 topics: housing, small businesses, and unemployment.
According to the Governor, the special session will be held on next Tuesday only, but possibly it might spill into Wednesday to work on possible $300 relief checks to individuals, relief for housing, and small business grants.
When asked about the funding of the payouts, the Governor said it would come from federal CARES Act funds.
In September, the Piñon Post sent a letter to Congress urging them not to grant Lujan Grisham any further federal funding due to her irresponsible virus spending during the first round of COVID-19 relief, which she quickly spent, as well as sate funds she spent without the Legislature’s approval. During her last special session earlier this year, Gov. Lujan Grisham vetoed $318 million in federal virus relief for local governments, including “$23 million for tribal governments and another $15 million specifically for counties in the northwest with large Indigenous populations,” according to the Associated Press.
The Governor tried to amplify the severity of COVID-19, claiming more people have died from the virus than strokes and car accidents, while also saying an American dies every second from the virus. She did not provide sources.
.@GovMLG tries to amplify the severity of COVID-19 deaths, claiming more people have died from the virus than car accidents and strokes.
During the press conference, Lujan Grisham warned New Mexicans about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, warning people about gathering together and urging them to buy takeout for their holiday meals — the few that are still open after her lockdown.
“Do not mix up households–coming into contact with non-household members. It is high-risk,” said the Governor. She also barred people from hugging each other.
.@GovMLG during press conference: “No hugging” when “mixing households” over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday
The Governor later tweeted a list of places she deems non-essential and essential for New Mexicans.
On Friday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham held her weekly COVID-19 press conferences, where she locked down the state for two weeks beginning Monday, November 16 and ending on Monday, November 30th. The lockdown coincidentally goes through Thanksgiving weekend.
Only five people can congregate together, and the Governor urged people not to gather whatsoever. The lockdown includes a total ban on in-person dining and a return to “essential” and “non-essential” businesses, with Big Box Stores allowed to stay open, while mom and pop shops will be closed. Houses of Worship can only operate at 25% capacity, and “non-essential” businesses are forced to reduce in-person activity by 100%.
During her presser, she also shamed mourners for attending funerals for loved ones, telling them their attendance of such solemn occasions were a “catastrophe.” She added that they should have said goodbye to dying loved ones over “FaceTime.”
“The funerals [are] hard. You, know. I had to give a eulogy to someone who was really important to me. They did a 5-person funeral,” said the Governor. “We had a contact potential problem in the residence, which I disclosed…. I had to give a eulogy to someone I love while keeping out a family member over a telephone over a microphone,” she added.
.@GovMLG shames New Mexicans for attending a loved one’s funeral, tells them to say goodbye to them over FaceTime
She acknowledged that the holiday quarantine was a “terrible blow” to the hospitality industry, and also acknowledged that her lockdown was hard to enforce. She says “you really shouldn’t be here” and you should “eat in your hotel room” if you are staying in New Mexico over the holiday weekend.
“We hate what it does to our economic partners. They did not create this pandemic. They are caught up in a pandemic with very few tools to reduce the spread,” added Lujan Grisham. Future restrictions will be based on county-by-county gating criteria based on COVID-19 cases and counties’ enforcement measures.
“They aren’t giving states money to support their constituents and residents,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham, bemoaning the Federal government’s inaction to send even more money to the state, despite her squandering the first round of stimulus funds. She said, “Congress failed…. It’s not like they didn’t know.”
The Governor also noted that she hopes for the Legislature to have a special session soon beginning within “days” to grant state funds for “unemployment support in a specialized state program,” among other things.
On Thursday, New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver wrote on Twitter a strange statement defending her office’s work to ensure the integrity of election results. She claimed that it was “next to impossible” to “rig” an election and that there were multiple “safeguards” to endure elections were free and fair.
She wrote, “The layers of transparency, accountability & complexity involved in the election process make the act of “rigging” an election next to impossible. Every ballot in #NM is accounted for & every step of the process is layered w safeguards to ensure accuracy.”
The layers of transparency, accountability & complexity involved in the election process make the act of "rigging" an election next to impossible. Every ballot in #NM is accounted for & every step of the process is layered w safeguards to ensure accuracy.#nmpol#TrustedInfo2020pic.twitter.com/HnTRmeQBKA
The photograph included in the tweet claims that each election has a county canvass, a canvas by the Secretary of State’s office, an independent post-election audit, and a review by the State Canvassing Board, which Toulouse Oliver notes include Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the Democrat Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Michale E. Vigil, and the Canvassing Board.
However, her office’s so-called “layers of transparency” don’t appear to add up, given that in 2018, there were thousands of irregularities in the Second Congressional District race when there was an independent audit done, which her state-run audit did not find.
According to the report conducted after the election, “These anomalies are not simply organic. Reviewing the historical returns in the CD2 district, over the last five election cycles, the same degrees of variation between absentee votes and EV/ED votes do not exist in CD2 in any cycle to the degree found in the 2018 race.”
Other major anomalies occurred, but the most malevolent of them is the 25% of absentee voters who requested ballots in Doña Ana County and never returned them — a number that rarely reaches 5%. According to the report:
“it is probably the strongest purely statistical red flag present in this whole election — of the possibility that someone was submitting absentee ballot applications for Democrats. There is also a significantly high number of duplicate applications — where one voter supposedly submitted more than one absentee ballot application or submitted an absentee application after the absentee ballot had been received, or the voter had voted in person. In many of these cases the signature on the duplicate applications do not match each other.”
No information on these eye-opening irregularities came out in 2018 from the Secretary of State’s office, the state Canvassing Board, or any other supposed group that reviewed the election results, which was only found in an independent candidate-funded audit.
However, earlier in the day, the Secretary of State claimed that “conspiracy theories” needed to be addressed, where she claimed Dominion Voting Systems do not glitch and that such assertions are“categorically false.” She also claimed any issues with Sharpie pens and voting are false.
“The statements being made about Dominion Voting Systems are categorically false. No votes were changed or ‘glitched.’ There’s no secret CIA program for vote fraud. There are no issues with Sharpie pens being used to mark ballots,” she said.
**MISINFO ALERT** Conspiracy theories are hard to address. We don't want to give credence to baseless accusations, but as election administrators we also want you to have the facts about voting/elections. #nmpol#TrustedInfo2020#Election2020 (1/3) pic.twitter.com/QYETWBzYm9
The statements being made about Dominion Voting Systems are categorically false. No votes were changed or "glitched." There's no secret CIA program for vote fraud. There are no issues with Sharpie pens being used to mark ballots. #nmpol#Election2020 (2/3) pic.twitter.com/WBqKtYu0me
