Gen X Politics

\ Aug 19, 2004

6 min read

In the article “Wanted: Young Albuquerque Voters!” in the July 15-21 Alibi, I was misquoted regarding outreach to young voters. I am grateful for this opportunity to set the record straight. Young people are a crucial part of the Romero for Congress campaign, as a visit or call to our campaign headquarters will quickly prove. On a daily basis, high school and college-age volunteers and other young people dedicate their free time to help out with mailings, phone calls, events and outreach to their own friends and neighbors. Nearly all of their activities lead to opportunities to register new voters, build support and enlist additional volunteers. Richard Romero attracts young people to his campaign because as a father, a veteran and a former high school teacher and principal, he has demonstrated his concern for young people and the issues they face. His campaign reflects his desire to work with everyone to find common solutions. In Congress, Romero will represent all his constituents well. I know first hand, he listens to those of us under 30.

A Conflict Of Interests

Has the New Mexico Bush-Cheney camp found a questionable way to influence the 2004 election in Bernalillo County?

“When they brought me on, it was plain and simple: They said we need to win Bernalillo County.” Darren White, the Bernalillo County Chair of the Bush-Cheney '04 Re-election committee, and a member of the National Bush-Cheney '04 First Responders Leadership Team spoke these words in April 2004. Therein lies the problem, because Darren White also happens to be the sheriff of Bernalillo County. And as sheriff, White is currently conducting an investigation into what he terms “suspect” voter registration forms that have been submitted to the Bernalillo County Clerk's office.

White states, in the Albuquerque Tribune, that he received copies of “fishy” voter registration forms from a “concerned citizen,” whose name he will not disclose. White does go on to state, “they were sent to me with the intention of me making a possible investigation.” White says that the majority of the forms being investigated were from voters who did not want to state a party affiliation.

Not so, according to the reporter handling the story for the local NBC affiliate station. He says that all of the voter form copies he received from the County Clerk's office were from people who had registered as Democrats. Not content to handle the investigation internally, White has requested that U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, a Bush appointee and known Patriot Act enthusiast, open an investigation into the matter.

In this hotly contested election year, there has been a record number of voter registration forms filed in New Mexico. What assurance will Democratic registrants have that their voter registration form will be processed at all, when the man who has pledged to help Bush and Cheney win Bernalillo County in 2004 takes it upon himself to conduct an investigation that is, in fact, not the responsibility of the Sheriff, but the County Clerk?

Of course, investigating possible voter fraud in Bernalillo County isn't the only thing Sheriff White is doing these days. On Saturday, he took some time out from his investigation to head a Bush rally in Albuquerque, N.M., where he spent most of his time distorting Sen. Kerry's record to a room of Bush supporters. I am not accusing Sheriff White of any impropriety. But if, in fact, there is a problem with voter registration forms in Bernalillo County, this should be investigated by someone without a partisan political agenda. As it stands, that cannot be said about either White or Iglesias.

The Mean Streets Of Taylor Ranch

I find the city naming a proposed city street near Taylor Ranch “Squaw Road Northwest” to be quite offensive. Visit me at my place of work and call my female Native American co-workers that Squaw and you just may find yourself driving around in an ambulance looking for an emergency room willing to take your bloody arse.

Nukes In The Duke City

In the last few weeks the New Mexico threat level has been elevated but no clear reason why has been given. It has been suggested that banks may be the target, but there is much reason to suspect that the target in New Mexico is the large stockpile of weapons of mass destruction near the runways of the Albuquerque Sunport.

It takes no leap of imagination to realize that terrorists could crash a large aircraft into the bunker of 2,000 WMD by the runway and cause a horrible amount of radiological damage to this city and its business and community. It is feared that Osama bin Laden wishes to build a dirty bomb. If a non-nuclear explosion occurs at the weapons storage complex, uranium and plutonium particles could be dispersed and we would have a dirty bomb effect that far outdoes anything that Osama bin Laden could imagine. Is it any wonder that Albuquerque was the city that received the honor of having the first federal dirty bomb drill?

The people of Albuquerque have not been informed of this danger in their midst. They have not been informed of safety procedures and they are not aware of evacuation procedures. It seems that the families of Albuquerque are viewed as expendable.

On Aug. 16, City Councilor Miguel Gomez introduced a safety resolution regarding WMD stored at Kirtland. A good number of City residents are happy that the City Council is examining ways to protect Albuquerque families from possible tragedies involving these weapons and applaud City Council for their consideration of this resolution.

The truest solution to this perilous state of events must happen at the federal level and involves the removal and disassembly of the WMD at Kirtland. To date, 4,600 signatures have been collected on a petition calling for the removal/disassembly of these weapons. (For more information on this petition, see www.StoptheWarMachine.org)

Where are our federal representatives and officials? What are they doing to remove this bulls-eye from our city?

Xxx?

[RE: Music to Your Ears, Aug. 5-11]I couldn’t help but notice when you referred to me as “Wade XXX.” WTF? I mean, I don’t go around calling you gay-sounding, made-up wrestler names like “Captain Poo Alibino,” do I? Oh shit, wait. Yeah, I do …

Letters

Michael responds: That's your porno name.

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