"Ain't no power like the power of the people, and the power of the people don't stop" chanted union labor supporters, who attended a lunch-time rally in Albuquerque.
Monday's rally coincided with the commemoration of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Rally leaders said they wanted to honor King’s commitment to help workers earn collective bargaining rights.
Dan Rivera, a retired AFL-CIO pipefitter, and former New Mexico Federation of Labor director, told us he's concerned that unions are being disrespected.
"We're being attacked. We're being spit in the face. We're being disrespected, and it's the people who have to come out and stop it," Rivera said. "It's disgraceful what they've done to organized labor."
He said he's prepared to stand up and fight it.
Listen to my full interview with Rivera on AudioBoo by clicking the blue arrow below.
Rivera says their rally is not just about union workers.
"It’s about the people and about human rights," Rivera said.
Carrying signs, people at the rally gathered at the corner of Central and San Mateo and listened to speeches by Rep. Eleanor Chavez, Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales, and defense attorney Sam Bregman, a candidate for party chair.
Updated: April 4, 2011 at 3:40pm
State Representative Elenaor Chavez, who has represented health workers in the past, and currently represents teachers, agrees with Rivera.
"Workers in New Mexico have a right to jobs with justice, a living wage, benefits and a pension," Chavez said.
Listen to my complete audio interview with her here. I found it interesting to hear what workers did back in the 1980's while Hal Stratton was the state's Attorney General. They created a W.A.R unit, or Workers Against Repression. Interesting history and a good interview.
Sam Bregman says new Gov. Susana Martinez is balancing the state's budget on the backs of union workers. Here's my complete audio interview with Sam. Trust us, you'll want to hear what he says about the lack of a labor board in Albuquerque, more than a year after Mayor Richard Berry was sworn into office. Bregman calls it an assault on the right's of workers and collective bargaining.
April 4th marked the 43rd anniversary of King's death.
Democrat Party Chairman Javier Gonzales has decided to seek re-election to the post.
He become chairman in 2009 after Brian Colón resigned to run for Lieutenant Governor.
Today, he say’s he ready to put his “blood, sweat, and tears” into the party again for the next two years.
Gonzales, a Santa Fe businessman and New Mexico State Regent, will face Albuquerque attorney Sam Bregman who announced last week. Several other names have surfaced as possible candidates for the post.
Political gossip columnist Joe Monahan blogged this morning about the candidate's party support.
Insiders say Gonzalez has solid support among the county chairs of northern New Mexico and can also count on support from a number of state legislators. The state's congressional delegation is also though be with him as is national Dem chair Tim Kaine.
Several names have also been floated on the Monahan's blog as contendors for the chairmanship, including Lawrence Rael and Joe Campos (both 2010 primary candidates for Lt. Gov), but it's unclear if they'll enter the field now that Gonzales is staying in the race.
Gonzales' news release includes a new seven point plan to help elect party candidates in 2012 and “build a better New Mexico.”
Despite election losses in last fall’s general election Gonzales said he’s proud of the work he has done, including raising more than $2 million for the 2010 elections.
“ We stood together and overcame a historic electoral wave, remaining focused and united on what's important -- being a voice for all New Mexicans and assuring a fair and equitable chance at a better future.”
Members of the party's state central committee will cast their votes the last Saturday of April.
Note: We had offered to do a video interview with Gonzales -- similar to our Flipcam interview with Sam Bregman -- but his campaign never called to schedule one. The offer remains open.
Albuquerque businessman and attorney Sam Bregman, who announced his candidacy for chairman of the state Democratic Party this week, sat down with us on Friday afternoon for an exclusive video interview.
Bregman talked about the party’s platform and core values, political fundraising, his ability to attract strong candidates, and about his plans to recapture eight house seats lost in 2010.
Holding no punches, Bregman said new Gov. Susana Martinez “scares” him and he plans to hold her feet to the fire especially when she “assaults the middle class.”
“We now have a Republican who I think is going to assault the middle class time and time again,” Bregman said near the end of our interview. “We’ve already seen her dismantle environmental regulations. Shame on her for that. There are so many different levels that the state chair needs to hold this Republican governor’s feet to the fire when it comes to her rhetoric and when it comes to her actions.”
As Martinez ramps up her new administration, Bregman said his party will have to develop a coordinated strategy to help Sen. Jeff Bingman win re-election in two years, regain the executive branch in four years and win back those eight new republican house seats in 2012.
While Bregman didn’t blame election defeats in 2010 completely on current Chairman Javier Gonzales he did say he thinks the party's leadership needs to change before the next election.
“If we do the same thing, with the same state chair over the next two years, we’re going to get the same results,” Bregman said. “ We’ve got to come back a lot stronger in 2012. That’s something I plan on doing by working with folks in these contested races.”
Bregman said the Dems are prepared to stand up for the middle class and he’s prepare to carry that mission forward.
“We have to stand up for the working class when it comes to education, when it comes to jobs, when it comes to protecting social security and medicare,” Bregman said.
In fact, Bregman says he supports the party’s platform in it’s entirety.
“That’s the job of the state chair,” Bregman said. “The rank and file determine what the platform is going to be. It’s the job of the chairman to advocate for it -- to give it a voice.”
Bregman said both of the state U.S. Senators are his friends, but doesn’t think the men will get involved in the campaign for chairman in New Mexico.
“I’m really looking for the rank and file Democrats,” Bregman said. “If I have their support I know we’ll get our story out, and we’re going to have some effective, strong leadership.”
Bregman said the Democrats can make gains if they’re successful talking about what direction the state and country are going.
“The Democrats are right on every issue just about when it comes to the general public. Unfortunately we haven’t been getting our story out,” Bregman said. “In 2012 we need to come back stronger than ever. If I get the chance as state chairman I’m going to make sure that story is heard.”
A muddy campaign
Chairman Javier Gonzales Chairman Gonzales, who replaced Brian Colon after he announced his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor on our blog in August 2009, told the Albuquerque Journal he wants the campaign to be positive, and urged other candidates not to "throw stones."
But, we received a copy of an email sent out by a DPNM staffer on Monday that could be perceived by some as a negative campaign tactic.
Director of Party Affair’s John Dyrcz urged supporters, in that email, to write letters critical of Bregman to political gossip columnist Joe Monahan.
I am sure you are aware of the Monahan article mentioning Sam Bregmen as a possible challenger to Javier. We're working on getting some folks to write in to Joe questioning Mr. Bregmen's qualifications.
The email included a link to a story in the New Mexico Independent that included a picture of Bregman defending Meyner and Company executive Bruce Mallot in a State Investment Council whistleblower lawsuit.
One day later Monahan published several of the critical comments from Gonzales’ staff and supporters.
I have a major concern with his candidacy in that (Bregman) represented former State Treasurer Robert Vigil. While I understand everyone is entitled to fair representation, I don't want the Republicans using his representation of Robert Vigil on corruption charges and others to say that it is the same old story in the Democratic Party with the leader of the Party defending those in pay-to-play scandals. I believe that every time he would speak on behalf of the Party that the Republicans would raise that issue. It is time Democrats put those stories to rest and we move forward and work on ensuring that the new Administration does not dismantle programs that are important to working families....
And Monahan reader Scott Tillman "piled on" Bregman with this:
Didn't Bregman represent Marc Correra, the guy that made millions off state investments in the form of finder's fees, and is under investigation with all the pay to play allegations? It just seems that with Sam as chair of the Democratic Party, the Richardson scandals that plagued Denish would hang over the Party even longer. The party needs to move forward, and not backward, in this humble dems opinion.
Bregman calls those criticisms “silly”.
“I’m a lawyer doing my job,” Bregman said.”For someone to be that shortsighted is really silly.”
But Gonzales isn’t the only one going negative.
Bregman said he's heard that Gonzales has taken stipends and insists he would never take a $3 thousand dollar a month stipend. Instead, he said he’d make sure the $36 thousand was used in competitive races across the state.
State party officials told us this afternoon that Chairman Gonzales never received any stipends. And, Federal Election Commission and Secretary of state reports confirmed their statement.
Other’s have been vocal and criticized Gonzales’ leadership as an NMSU regent and for his involvement in a proposed Santa Fe movie studio.
The race will be decided on April 30 in Albuquerque. The party has not picked a venue for their two-day state central meeting, but said it’s reviewing bids from three casinos, Isleta, Sandia, and Santa Ana, and one from the Albuquerque Convention Center.
UPDATE:
Heath Haussamen reported on NMPolitics.net that Letitia Montoya, who most recently worked on the losing campaign of former Secretary of State Mary Herrera, is also seeking the chair position.
We plan to interview both Gonzales and Montoya and post the video here in the next few weeks.
Disclosure: Bregman represented us when we were a plaintiff in a civil case several years ago in Bernalillo County.
Yesterday, we were the first to report that former DEA agent Errol Chavez had been recruited out of the Republican primary race for commissioner of public land, by party Chairman Harvey Yates, and into the race for state auditor.
Today, the Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Javier Gonzales sent me an email, bolstered by some top Republicans supporting incumbent Auditor Hector Balderas, and called Errol's announcement "an unfortunate example of the Republican Party recruiting candidates who abandon races as soon as they start them."
“This is the kind of insider maneuvering that New Mexicans are sick of,” Gonzales said. “While Yates and Chavez sit around behind closed doors deciding which job they want next, our current State Auditor, Hector Balderas, has been working hard for the people of New Mexico, fighting government fraud, waste and abuse.
“By instituting the state's first fraud hotline and measures so all governments are annually held accountable for their spending, Balderas has proven that he will find innovative ways to protect New Mexicans," Gonzales continued. "New Mexicans deserve principled leaders who want to serve the public, not politicians who want to serve political insiders.”
Barbara Wold at Democracy for New Mexico reports Chairman Gonzales noted the irony in the fact that several prominent members of the Republican Party recently praised Auditor Balderas on the political blog, NMPolitics.net. Republican political blogger, Mario Burgos, was quoted as saying, “(Balderas) ... is leading the fight to get criminals behind bars. He seems to be doing his job well and with little concern whether the elected criminals have an R or D attached to their name.”
In addition, Republican House Minority Whip, Keith Gardner (R-Roswell), also applauded Balderas’ work, saying, “I may be partisan, but I’m more than willing to put politics aside when someone is doing a great job. Keep it up Mr. Auditor.” Now that's some mighty big praise, especially coming from the R side of the aisle.
In fact, Chavez was recently quoted in the NM Independent, explaining that “he considered running for Congress, but ultimately decided that his executive experience in law enforcement made land commissioner a better fit.”
“With the challenges New Mexicans face today and down the road, we need the proven leadership and experience that Hector Balderas has brought to the State Auditor's Office,” Gonzales said. “This office is too important to be decided by a game of musical chairs. State Auditor Balderas' campaign to aggressively fight government fraud and corruption deserves the support of all New Mexicans -- and that includes Yates and Chavez.”
The Republicans have not announced whether or not they will field statewide candidates for three offices, attorney general, secretary of state, or state treasurer.
