Michelle Lujan Grisham

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

4 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

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 »

MLG’s scapegoat? Finance chief resigns as NM bleeds cash after Dems’ irresponsible spending

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Late Tuesday, it was reported that Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration, Olivia Padilla-Jackson, will be stepping down from her post as the state bleeds cash due to a sharp fall in oil production. 

According to the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, the oil and gas industry contributes 39% to the state’s general fund, and the industry is hurting due to the impact of an oil price war with the Russians and Saudi Arabia amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The news comes as Lujan Grisham will be forced to deal with the implications of the crisis after she signed a bloated budget of $7.6 billion, which passed on strictly party-lines through the state House, while some fair-weather Republicans voted for it in the Senate. The budget is a 7.5% increase from the previous year’s budget, despite calls of irresponsible spending by Republicans, looking to set aside money for the state’s savings account.

“Because of our undisciplined and reckless spending, the oil and gas industry will collapse and we’ll be in here and it will be even more painful than it was six years ago,” said Rep. Jason Harper (R-Rio Rancho), predicting the inevitable fall of the oil boom, which came not months after the wreckless budget passed.

Now, it appears Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham may be pushing finance chief Olivia Padilla-Jackson out of her role, as the scapegoat for the Governor’s “irresponsible” budget has come back to bite her. The Governor’s office did not comment on Padilla-Jackson’s resignation but did comment on the person she appointed to fill the post in the interim. 

Debbie Romero, who is deputy secretary and a longtime department official, will replace Padilla-Jackson as acting secretary, who Lujan Grisham’s press secretary Norma Meyers Sackett said is “eminently qualified.” 

In recent weeks, the Governor has been increasingly hostile to the press asking questions to her cabinet secretaries, even the extremely liberal Santa Fe New Mexican, which was scolded for reaching out for a comment. Meyers Sackett emailed to the liberal paper, “Media inquiries should be directed straight to me. Do not email cabinet secretaries.” 

In 2019, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pushed out her then-education secretary Karen Trujillo, Ph.D. not six months into her job, who said the firing came out of nowhere. The “Governor’s Office hadn’t raised any issues with her job performance that would make [her] think [her] employment was in jeopardy,” said Trujillo. 

Michelle Lujan Grisham may now be calling a special session to fix her budget woes, as Republicans are ready to work with her in fixing her mess, caused by irresponsible budgeting by Democrats and the Governor’s Administration.

MLG’s scapegoat? Finance chief resigns as NM bleeds cash after Dems’ irresponsible spending Read More »

Grants to reopen Monday despite ‘little dictator’ Gov. MLG’s threats

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On Monday, the city of Grants in Cibola County is set to reopen small businesses after the Democrat mayor, Martin “Modey” Hicks rebuked Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for holding his city hostage, saying, “if Walmart and Smith’s can open with social distancing, then why can’t a clothing store, why can’t a liquor store, why can’t a gun store as long as they follow the same guidelines?”

Hicks continued, “She says they’re not essential. But if that’s the only way these people put food on their family is through that business, then by god that business is essential to them.” He also said, “She wants to be the little dictator, and she doesn’t care.” He also allegedly compared Lujan Grisham sending out State Police to hunt down small businesses defying her order as the Governor’s “Gestapo.”

The move to reopen grants comes after 81 small businesses signed a petition to open up their city, however senior centers and the city library will remain closed. 

Papa’s Pawn Shop owner Diane Rowe told KRQE 13 News, “I don’t agree with [Gov. Lujan Grisham’s] standpoint. All businesses should’ve been able to be open with precautions.”

On Friday, Gov. Lujan Grisham lashed out at Mayor Hicks during her coronavirus briefing, saying, “This notion that you don’t have to comply is wrong. That you can just open up businesses and not worry about public health issues is really quite frankly tantamount to opening up a public pool and having a pee section.” Some may say the Governor’s rebuke gives credence to Hicks’ claim of her dictator-like qualities, given her unwillingness to let local officials control their own towns.

The “left-leaning pressure group,” the Anti-Defamation League stood by New Mexico’s far-left Gov. Lujan Grisham in rebuking Democrat Mayor Hicks, saying, “We urge elected officials and all New Mexicans to stop using inaccurate Nazi analogies when expressing frustration and disagreement over public policy.” 

“I’m standing behind the mayor, as far as him wanting to open the city offices and the golf courses and things like that,” said the small business owner of Sign FX, Jim Stevens, who commented, “Grants is a very, very depressed economy anyway and it’s getting worse.”

Even the State Police may be getting tired of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s militant orders to issue citations to small businesses reopening in Grants. “We’re not going to be sending additional officers,” said NMSP Chief Tim Johnson. “I mean, obviously if an emergency arises where we need to get officers there quickly, we have a plan for that.”

Supporters of the mayor will be assembling at Walmart in Grants between 7:30 and 8:00 on Monday, driving traffic to the small businesses in the city.

Grants to reopen Monday despite ‘little dictator’ Gov. MLG’s threats Read More »

MLG reviles pro-jobs demonstrators—ignores far-left socialists demanding free rent and mortgages

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Friday, New Mexicans gathered at Civic Plaza in Albuquerque to demand Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham open up the state and let working families return to work to provide for their families.

Annoyed by the peaceful demonstrators, Lujan Grisham shot out a ridiculing statement toward their rally, writing, “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.”

But on Saturday, a far-left group, the “Party for Socialism and Liberation” had a protest of their own, demanding free rent and mortgage payments apparently from the government due to “the worst health crisis that we’ll ever experience in our generation.”

The socialist group of protesters had printed signs taped to their cars reading, “If we can’t work, we can’t pay rent or mortgage” with a link to “CancelTheRents.org.”

The demands were written on the website, “Cancel the Rents,” as follows:

1. A national cancellation of all rents, mortgages for homeowners, small landlords and small business, for the duration of the Pandemic.

2. No shutoff of gas, electricity and water utilities, the restoration of utilities for households that are currently shut off for lack of ability to pay, no accumulation of debt.

3. Eminent domain over vacant buildings, homes, hotels, all appropriate structures to house the homeless or people in precarious housing situations, including the undocumented and victims of domestic violence.

The protest by the fringe socialist group appears not to have caught the eye of Gov. Grisham who is a supporter of sanctuary cities and giving rights to criminal aliens, as the socialist group shares in common. 

The Governor’s office could not be reached for comment on the Party for Socialism and Liberation protest, despite her office giving one regarding the pro-business protest on Friday.

MLG reviles pro-jobs demonstrators—ignores far-left socialists demanding free rent and mortgages Read More »

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

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

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.

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

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. 

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

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 »

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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