If you watch American news programs, you’d never know that the denial of a renewal license for Venezuelan television station RCTV to use the public airwaves is perfectly justifiable and legal within the democratic political system of that country.

You also would not realize that the denial of the license does not “shut down” RCTV. In fact, the station can continue to broadcast on satellite, cable, and internet stations. You would also not know that Venezuelan media is dominated by private news print, television, and radio outlets that are virulently opposed to the government. In other words, the media climate in that country is completely “free” and remains so despite incredible media hostility directed toward Hugo Chavez for years.

Thankfully, we have some media analysis help from our friends at FAIR, detailing the bias on this topic within American media, as well as a history of RCTV’s coup mongering. RCTV, in fact, was an active participant in the failed coup that briefly removed Chavez from power in 2002, and the station went on to encourage a shut down of government in the so-called “business strike” the following year.

Now, imagine if you were watching NBC, ABC, or CBS and newscasters began openly calling for the military overthrow of George Bush during a period in which it seemed like a real possibility. Imagine that you are in an (imaginary) world in which Bush was elected overwhelmingly more than once to the presidency, and a small group including one of these big news stations successfully plotted his overthrow. Then, imagine that when the majority of the population successfully prevailed and reinstated the president, this station decided to air movies and cartoons instead of covering the democratically elected president’s return to his legitimate office. This is exactly what RCTV did. Do you really think our government…that “we” in fact…would let that station continue to use our public airwaves, much less for another five years? No, in this country it would immediately be branded as Treason.

So why doesn’t the American media cover this story in an objective fashion? I could answer it for you but I’d rather hear what you have to say.

But lets’ be clear: the administration of Hugo Chavez is supported by a big majority of the Venezuelan population. We call that “Democracy.” Therefore, the denial of a renewed license for RCTV to use the public airwaves is endorsed by a big majority of the Venezuelan population, despite what the other private media in that country or in ours wants us to believe.

We call this “Democracy.” So, do we believe in democracy? I do, even if I don’t always agree with the actions of my government. Additionally, the denial is perfectly legal within the framework of the Venezuelan system of government, following rules that were in place before Hugo Chavez came to power. We can debate whether or not we think they have a good system in place, but its irresponsible in today’s climate to unjustifiably brand Hugo Chavez a dictator. It simply isn’t true.

-Marjorie

Labels: Hugo Chavez, Public News Networks, RCTV, Venezuela

SWOP's Executive Director Robby Rodriguez was highlighted in a Community Organizers Book called "We make Change." In it Robby talks about his organizing experience with SWOP and how he came into consciousness. Congratulations Robby!

It also highlights many of our allies in our movement for justice and their personal stories.

Here's more from their site:

With two major presidential candidates — Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — offering their experience in community organizing as evidence of their ability to lead the country, many Americans are beginning to wonder just what a community organizer is.

A timely new book by veteran organizer Joe Szakos and writer/editor Kristin Layng Szakos helps to demystify this little-known profession and offer a glimpse into the daily lives of the people who make changing the world their life’s work. We Make Change: Community Organizers Talk About What They Do — and Why is a lively, readable collection of stories and observations by organizers across the United States. The reader will come away with an insight into this fascinating profession and the people who have chosen it.

Community organizers are the people who work, often behind the scenes, to help people come together to effect meaningful change in their communities by building effective community organizations. They are there with the neighborhood group working to bring bank loans to low-income homeowners. They are there with immigrant women organizing to get medical insurance for their families, with small-town environmentalists keeping a toxic waste plant out of their community, with parents trying to get schools to respond to the needs of children with dyslexia, with gay and lesbian students striving to create a safe space in their schools, with groups working to reduce the ravages of racism in their towns and institutions. Wherever there is a well-organized group agitating for progressive social change, chances are there is a community organizer nearby.

Community organizers work at their jobs because they are passionate, because they believe that change is possible, and because they enjoy working with people. Although it’s not an occupation that leads to great wealth, community organizers can make a living at it. Community organizers receive salaries, pensions and health insurance. They raise families and send their children to college. They do well by doing good.

Labels: Organizing, Robby Rodriguez, SWOP, We make change

Bringing a new grassroots vision and innovations to overcome the democracy divide

In remembrance of the courage of the first Freedom Ride that met racist violence in Jackson on May 25, 2006, community leaders again will unite on the People’s Freedom Caravan to promote a new vision of democracy. This is a vision based on human rights, a vision that bridges racial, geographic and cultural divides and moves beyond the status quo ‘pay to play’ politics. From Boston to California, Chicago to Florida, people are getting on buses, vans and cars to share their story as they make their way to the 1st United States Social Forum in Atlanta, Ga. Every one person is a story and the masses of voices are bringing solutions to issues of violence, racism, pollution and poverty. As the freedom riders of the 1960s brought a new vision for the South based on desegregation, the People’s Caravan will demonstrate that another US is possible, one that is based on equality, living wages, sustainability and human rights.

"We are going to Atlanta to build a unified voice of the people! We want to make connections across the country to create a domino effect of action and organizing,” said Agnes Rivera, Community Voices Heard Leader from New York caravanning to the USSF. “On the caravan and at forum, we will discuss social safety net, jobs, and public housing, learn from each other, and strengthen our work for ‘another’ world.”

The southern part of the People’s Freedom Caravan will take off in Albuquerque where organizations are protecting sacred sites and bringing clean water and solar power to unincorporated communities. 100 people will journey to San Antonio to meet another 100 leaders and march for a living wage for all and call for a just, peaceful border. Continuing to Houston, the hub of the oil industry, the group will promote a clean renewable energy for marginalized neighborhoods that struggle against pollution and sickness.

“The stories of Houston will be on the bus, promoting our right and everyone’s right to breathe clean air and live in healthy communities. With 250 people joining us here, the local people can share their vision with this social forum on wheels and get their voices to Atlanta,“ explained Bryan Parras of the Southern Human Rights Organizing Network in Houston.

With over 4 buses, the caravan will stop in Lake Charles, La. to promote education instead of incarceration and protect communities from contamination. In New Orleans, 4 buses will join to highlight the commitment to rebuild, the protection of the right to return, promotion of affordable safe housing and human rights for all workers. The caravan will split as some buses head down the Gulf Coast, tracing the path of the hurricanes, while other head to Jackson to remember the legacy of the civil rights movement and the steps needed to achieve true equality. Converging in Selma, Alabama, the caravan representing young and old, indigenous, migrants, Latinos, African-Americans and Asians will call for a renewed struggle to overcome the democracy divide and recognize the human rights of all people. As over 1000 people head the Atlanta, they will launch the USSF with a march into the city.

"The People's Freedom Ride is our opportunity to find the wisdom in a united struggle for justice. Post-Katrina life in New Orleans has shown that there is no recovery of the Gulf Coast, but only a massive a privatization scheme that takes away our homes, communities, and human rights. Any hope for displaced hurricane survivors to return to our homes with dignity and justice relies on a mass movement that begins with the People's Freedom Ride to the US Social Forum," said Monique Harden, Co-Director of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights.

Route and stops:
• June 22nd – Albuquerque, NM 505.247.8832
• June 23rd – San Antonio, TX 210.299.2666
• June 24th (afternoon) – Houston, TX 318.514.9924 / (evening) Lake Charles, LA 504.606.8846
• June 25th – New Orleans, LA 504.301.9292
• June 26th (morning) – Jackson, MS 601.982.6400 / (evening) – Selma, AL 617.880. 9208
• June 27th – March on Atlanta to USSF

Participating Organizations:

Action for Community Education Reform, Mississippi
Activists With a Purpose, Grenada (MS)
Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, New Orleans (LA)
Ashe' Cultural Center, New Orleans (LA)
Centro de Igualdad y Derechos, New Mexico
Circle of Love Center, Selma (AL)
Citizens for Education Awareness, Mississippi
Coalition In Defense of the Community, Houston (TX)
Committee for Environmental Justice Action, San Antonio (TX)
Community In-Power Development Association, Port Arthur (TX)
Concerned Citizens for a Better Tunica County, Tunica (MS)
Concerned Citizens of Greenville, Greenville (MS)
Enlace Comunitario, Albuquerque (NM)
Elwood Community Church, Selma (AL)
Federation of Child Care Centers of Alabama, Montgomery (AL)
Fourth World Movement, New Orleans (LA)
Friends and Families of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children, Lake Charles (LA)
Fuerza Unida, San Antonio (TX)
Georgia Stand Up, Atlanta (GA)
Houston Indy Media Collective, Houston (TX)
Indianola Parent Student Group, Indianola (MS)
Latino Health Outreach Project, New Orleans (LA)
League of United Latin American Citizens, Houston (TX)
Left Turn, New Orleans (LA)
Lower 9th Ward Health Clinic, New Orleans (LA)
Mary Queen of Vietnam Church, New Orleans (LA)
Millions More Movement, Houston (TX)
MLK Dream Team, Carlsbad (NM)
Mossville Environmental Action Now, Mossville (LA)
Moving Forward Gulf Coast, Slidell (LA)
National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies, New Orleans (LA)/national
New Mexico Acequia Association/Sembrando Semillas, New Mexico
New Orleans Workers' Center, New Orleans (LA)
Nollies Citizens for Quality Education, Mississippi
One Torch, New Orleans (LA)
Parents and Youth United for a Better Webster County, Webster (MS)
People’s Hurricane Relief Fund, New Orleans (LA)
People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, Houston (TX), New Orleans (LA)
People’s Organizing Committee, New Orleans (LA)
PODER, San Francisco (CA)
Project South, Atlanta (GA)
SAGE Council, Albuquerque (NM)
Saving Our Selves Coalition, Alabama
Somos Un Pueblo Unido, Santa Fe (NM)
Southern Echo Incorporated, Jackson (MS)
Southern Human Rights Organizing Network, Houston (TX)
SouthWest Organizing Project, Albuquerque (NM)
Southwest Workers Union, San Antonio (TX)
T.E.J.A.S, Houston (TX)
Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, Houston (TX)
Vietnamese-American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans, New Orleans (LA)
Youth Innovation Movement Solutions, Mississippi
Youth Leadership Organization, San Antonio (TX)
Youth Media Council, Oakland (CA)

Labels: United States Social Forum, US Social Forum, USSF

Rey Garduno - To Get Public Campaign Finance Funding by: suz Wed May 23, 2007 at 15:39:48 PM MDT

( - promoted by LP) If Rey Garduno’s current level of organization is any sign of how he will run his campaign for Albuquerque City Council's District 6 seat, other candidates will have quite a race on their hands. Yesterday Rey turned in exactly the required 271 signatures and $5.00 donations in order to qualify for public campaign financing. Albuquerque City Clerk, Millie Santillanes, said the official announcement won't be made until May 31st, but unofficially Rey's signatures have been accepted. Rey becomes the first person in NM, and Albuquerque specifically, to quality for public campaign financing. He attributes a portion of his early success to his use of a walk-list of voters in District #6. Rey also noted that he was able to turn in the required number of signatures in two weeks, about half the time given to candidates to collect signatures. Rey Garduno said that he delivered the signatures in three batches, an initial set of 90, a second set of 175 and a third set of 28. Rey stayed at the City Clerk's office for the counting and validating or "vetting" of the final batch of signatures. The City Clerk's office went through all of the gathered signatures in each batch carefully and eliminated those that could not be identified as registered voters in District 6. Garduno stated that only 8% of the signatures he turned in were rejected while other candidates had rejection rates between 23% and 40%. He also indicated that if he had fallen short of the 271 signatures needed, several people were waiting in the wings to give their signatures and donations. Rey and Debbie O'Malley, candidate for Albuquerque City Council's District 2 seat, will be guests on the New Mexico Blog Radio show at 4:30 PM Thursday, May 24th to discuss their experience with the new public campaign finance law. Listeners are invited to call in and ask questions during the half hour show. The call-in number is (718) 664-9717. The show will be hosted by Democracy for New Mexico's Barbara Wold, and Suzanne Prescott, who produced the radio show, Insight New Mexico during the NM Legislative session.

Labels: Albuquerque, Albuquerque City Council, City Politics, Clean Elections, Public Financing

We have to keep calling our Senators. This deal is not over and we should not settle for this outrageous bill. I don't believe its better than nothing. It's worse...

**************

Somos Friends,

Below is our brief summary of key points in the Senate immigration bill and an excellent New York Times editorial that mirrors many of Somos Un Pueblo Unido’s major concerns. National allies are working hard to improve the compromise bill on the Senate floor. You can help by continuing to call New Mexico’s Senators everyday this week and focusing on the importance of passing immigration reform that provides for family unification, workers’ rights, and guaranteed path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and future temporary workers.

Call 1-800-417-7666 to be connected to the DC offices or their local numbers (Senator Domenici 505-346-6791 and Senator Bingaman 505-346-6601).

Thank you,

Somos Un Pueblo Unido

Here’s a quick summary of key points in compromise:

1. Restructures future immigration system. Shifts it from traditional family and employment based visa system to a merit-based point system centered on type of job, education level, knowledge of English language and civics, and whether extended family lives in the US.
2. Path to legalization for the 12 million undocumented immigrants in the country. They can apply for renewable Z visas costing $5,000. There is a requirement for the head of household to return to country of origin within eight years, at which time he/she can apply for legal permanent residency (which will cost an additional $4,000 in fees and fines). Legal permanent residency won’t be granted to Z-workers until current backlogs are processed (about 8 years). It appears that they must also be eligible under new point system to qualify.
3. Creates future temporary worker visa program (Y-workers) without a path to legal permanent residency or citizenship. Y workers can only be in the US for two years and then must return to country of origin for one year before being admitted again for another two years. Y workers can only bring family members with them if they have proof of valid medical insurance and if the Y workers’ wages are 150% above poverty level.
4. Requires that border security triggers be met for Z and Y visa programs to begin. Undocumented immigrants currently in the US, however, can obtain probationary legal status while waiting for Z program to start. Triggers include hiring 18,000 border patrol agents, building 370 miles of fencing, and allocating resources to Department of Homeland Security to be able to detain up to 27,500 immigrants per day.
   

THE NEW YORK TIMES

EDITORIAL

The Immigration Deal

Published: May 20, 2007

The immigration deal announced in the Senate last week poses an excruciating choice. It is a good plan wedded to a repugnant one. Its architects seized a once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul a broken system and emerged with a deeply flawed compromise. They tried to bridge the chasm between brittle hard-liners who want the country to stop absorbing so many outsiders, and those who want to give immigrants — illegal ones, too — a fair and realistic shot at the American dream.

But the compromise was stretched so taut to contain these conflicting impulses that basic American values were uprooted, and sensible principles ignored. Many advocates for immigrants have accepted the deal anyway, thinking it can be improved this week in Senate debate, or later in conference with the House of Representatives. We both share those hopes and think they are unrealistic. The deal should be improved. If it is not, it should be rejected as worse than a bad status quo.

The good. Part of the compromise is strikingly appealing. It is the plan to give most of the estimated 12 million immigrants here illegally the chance to live and work without fear and to become citizens eventually. The conditions are tough, including a $5,000 fine, and a wait until certain “trigger” conditions on border security are met and immigration backlogs are cleared. It requires heads of households to apply in their home countries, sending them on a foolish “touchback” pilgrimage. That is a large concession to Republican hard-liners, but they, too, have come a long way: consider that last year the House of Representatives wanted to brand the 12 million and those who gave them aid as criminals. A winding and expensive path to citizenship is still a path.

The bad. The deal badly erodes two bedrock principles of American immigration: that employers can sponsor immigrants to fill jobs and that citizens and legal permanent residents have the right to sponsor family members — young children and spouses, of course, but also their grown children, siblings and parents. The proposal would eliminate several categories of family-based immigration, and it would distribute green cards according to a point-based system that shifts the preference toward those who have education and skills but not necessarily roots in this country. Supporters say that the proposal has been tweaked to give some weight to kinship, and that many immigrants would still be able to bring loved ones in. But the repellent truth is that countless families will be split apart while we cherry-pick the immigrants we consider brighter and better than the poor, tempest-tossed ones we used to welcome without question.

The awful. The agreement fails most dismally in its temporary worker program. “Temporary means temporary” has been a Republican mantra, motivated by the thinly disguised impulse to limit the number of workers, Latinos mostly, doing the jobs Americans find most distasteful. The deal calls for the creation of a new underclass that could work for two years at a time, six at the most, but never put down roots. Immigrants who come here under that system — who play by its rules, work hard and gain promotions, respect and job skills — should be allowed to stay if they wish. But this deal closes the door. It offers a way in but no way up, a shameful repudiation of American tradition that will encourage exploitation — and more illegal immigration.

It is painful, for many reasons, to oppose this immigration deal. It is no comfort to watch as this generation’s Know-Nothings bray against “amnesty” from their anchor chairs and campaign lecterns, knowing that it gives hope to the people they hate.

It is especially difficult because lives are in the balance. The millions without documents live in constant fear: a campaign of federal raids has spread panic and shattered families. Congress’s dithering has encouraged the rise of homegrown zealots: mayors, police departments, county executives and legislators who take reform into their own hands, with cruelly punitive measures. No amount of hostile legislation is going to drive the immigrants away. A collapsed immigration deal could put off reform for years, and encourage more of this cruelty.

It is the nation’s duty to welcome immigrants, to treat them decently and give them the opportunity to assimilate. But if it does so according to the outlines of the deal being debated this week, the change will come at too high a price: The radical repudiation of generations of immigration policy, the weakening of families and the creation of a system of modern peonage within our borders.

Labels: Immigration, immigration reform

Right On Claudia!

Immigrants an Asset to Economy

THE JOURNAL published six letters to the editor May 15 regarding immigration — all of them demonstrating extreme ignorance and lack of understanding of American history, society and economics. There was not a single letter that portrayed immigrants positively or recognized their contributions to our society.

Collectively these letters represent a xenophobic view of immigrants. Even though every wave of immigration has fallen victim to harassment, social isolation and anti-immigrant legislation, the situation is even worse for non-European immigrants who represent by far the largest share of the contemporary immigrant community.

Although pro-immigrant positions were not represented in the barrage of letters from the other day, most Americans realize that we are a country in which very few can claim historical nativity. Our country would not be what it is today without the contribution of immigrants (i.e. our ancestors) — people fleeing economic injustice and political persecution.

More than 19 years of working and living in Albuquerque side by side with other members of the immigrant community has led me to believe that immigrants not only contribute to Albuquerque’s economy, immigrants drive this economy.

The growth sectors of Albuquerque’s economy — service, retail, construction — are indeed the sectors in which immigrants most often work. Domestic household workers, overwhelmingly immigrant, support middle and upper income professionals so that they can fully participate economically. Immigrant farm labor throughout the country keeps food prices low, freeing up disposal income for Albuquerque families to spend locally.

Beyond labor, immigrants provide capital as demonstrated by the many immigrantowned businesses in our community. With their income, immigrants purchase homes, cars, groceries, and other necessities of life, further fueling our economy. Yes, immigrants pay taxes — on their income, purchases and property — and yet are often denied services available to non-immigrants.

The goal for most immigrants is to support their families. Immigrants work hard. They define the American work ethic. Immigrants sometimes compete for jobs with local workers, but more often fill jobs that locals simply do not want.

Congress should understand that immigrants are not our enemy but actually an asset and pass an immigration bill that is comprehensive and recognizes the contributions of immigrants. It should pass legislation based on enlightenment and historical understanding, not ignorance and animosity.

CLAUDIA MEDINA
Executive Director
Enlace Comunitario
Albuquerque

Labels: Immigration, immigration reform

Here is Teresa Cordova's response to the allegations being made that she and her ex-husband Miguel Acosta, used their political power to change their son's grade in order to graduate.

Regardless of who Teresa and Miguel are their son is the one who will suffer the most from this incident. If his parents weren't political figures would this crazy media blitz have happened?

Probably not. In fact, NO it would not have happened. I'll tell you why...

Because this happens, every year, every semester, in every school, in every district and in every state!

11 years ago I too was on the verge of not graduating. I was a good student involved in extra curricular activities, on track to go to a university, and still I was threatened with losing my opportunity to receive my diploma.

I believe most teachers have good intentions and want students to succeed. But, there are some that purposefully make it difficult for students to advance and if a student doesn’t have an advocate then they’re left behind and out of luck.

If it wasn't for my own tearful begging and pleading and my mother’s fighting spirit to make sure she did anything and everything possible for me in order to graduate, I would have been a drop out.

Some say it wouldn't be difficult to go to summer school to make up the work. Sure, maybe it wouldn't be as difficult, but can you imagine the shame and conflict that has now been put on their son? Having to go to summer school with underclassmen because you are a failure? Who wants to sign up for that? Take a moment and think back to what it felt like to be 18 years old.

If he or any student had made it this far why not let them walk? Don't make it any harder than it already is.

It's irresponsible of the teachers union to turn this into a power battle at the student’s expense. If they were really acting on behalf of the student’s best interest, more so should they have not brought it out to the media right before he was about to graduate.

The student’s privacy was violated and leaking the story and information, not to mention showing his back on the news was vengeful.

Bringing out this conflict as he is ready to graduate makes it seem as if their intentions were to stop him from graduating in order to prove their point. They could have waited.

We need an environment that creates success, not one that makes you sink before you swim.

Leave it alone. Let's be happy that over 200 young people graduated and are ready to face this world in triumph.

**************************
BY TERESA CORDOVA

Bernalillo County Commissioner

If I thought that an elected official used political influence to arbitrarily have a grade changed so that his/her son could graduate, then I, too, would be very upset and disappointed. That isn’t what happened — not even close. As someone said to me, “You are not unethical people and anybody who knows you, knows that you are not like that.”

As an elected official, I advocate on a daily basis for my constituents. As a mother, it is my prerogative to advocate for my son when I see that there are issues of fairness and accountability that are affecting him and possibly nearly 50 other students this year alone. No matter who a child is, or who his parents are, that child is entitled to a school working on his/her behalf.

As a parent, I pursued these issues through channels that are open to any and all other parents. First, I went to the teacher twice where I detected a number of issues that needed to be addressed by the student, the teacher and the school. I then went to the principal, who indicated that it was not his role to give direction to teachers. He advised me to contact the cluster leader. I did. What happened after that was based on the cluster leader’s assessment of the situation and an impartial evaluation of the student’s work.

At no point in time did I ask for a grade change! Given what I believed was a certain abdication of responsibilities on the part of the teacher and the school, I asked that the student’s work be evaluated by a disinterested third party. Using a rubric for 12th grade English standards, this impartial teacher determined that the competency was strong.

This was not a case of passing a student without merit. He did the work and deserved the passing grade.

The details of his grades, performance, and evaluation are subject to state privacy laws that protect the student. Personnel at the school who are discussing any details are violating state law.

It is even worse to the extent that they are distorting the information.

Just because I love being a public servant does not mean that I have given up my rights and responsibilities as a parent. I am a parent first. I am not the first parent who has stood up for his/her kid and I certainly hope that I am not the last. The process I pursued is available to other parents.

In fact, it is my deepest wish that I have opened up the door for more parents to exercise their rights and to protect their children’s rights as students. It is also my hope that I have highlighted issues of (poor) graduation rates at Rio Grande High School.

I am a great county commissioner and work hard and effectively for my district. This is not about being a county commissioner. This is about being a mother.

I ask that my constituents continue to recognize the good work that I am doing, to have faith that I have done nothing unethical, and support me and all other parents in helping their children become responsible, successful and happy adults.

My son is a great young man and I am very proud of him.

Please help me in celebrating another South Valley student’s graduation from high school.

Labels: county commissioner, Grade Change, Graduation, Rio Grande High School

Something needs to happen this year on Immigration Reform. With a new president setting his sites on the white house it may be years before the debate gets put back on the floor.

The bulk of the deals this year, is the "Z Visas."
The package includes:
a $5000 fine to get paid back in 8 years
each undocumented person would get a "Z Visa"
each head of household would then have to EXIT the country and then re-enter
After re-entry then they get put on the path to citizenship, by first becoming a resident.

Also - each person would get put on a grade system. Depending on how many points you get based on skills and education, then you either get to stay or you get to leave.

It's still not good enough. There are still too many obstacles, and we are still dividing families.

My personal answer - people want to work, let them work, give them visas and put them on the path to citizenship now. Fines aren't necessary...all that does is pay for bureacracy....the income taxes they pay and don't get refunded are enough to subsidize that.

Don't make them exit - what is that going to prove that they want to get back in? No one trusts the government and even I get the heeby jeebeez crossing the border and I have papers. Sorry that's not going to fly. How can we guarantee they will let them back in without harassment? It's a trap if you ask me.

Some people may grapple with the fact that they did break the law and they have to pay, I think they've endured enough, risking their lives in a death ridden 100 degree desert, get over it. They put themselves as risk not anyone else. Running a red light is more criminal!

This is an economic issue - we need the workforce - and that's the simple truth.

Below are a few writings. There are many questions as to what a good reform would look like and actually what is on the table now. I hope some of these bring some clarity as to what is happening now. One is the article in the Journal this morning about the Media Campaign targetted at Domenici and Bingaman, another delineates some of the issues being debating and lastly there are talking points put out by FIRM (Fair Immigration Reform Movement) Hope it helps.

We're all children of immigrants, some of us have just forgotten.


***************************************
Talking Points: The White House Proposal & the Senate Debate
A Focus on Family

What’s at Stake?

• If Senate Republicans get their way:

o Undocumented immigrants could wait years to receive legal status, and many could be disqualified before they could even apply,

o Hard working temporary workers brought to the United States to fill important jobs would be denied the protections shared by other workers and a path to citizenship,

o US citizens and legal immigrants would be unable to sponsor loved ones – parents, brothers, sisters, adult children – to immigrate to this country.

• The White House wants a “Rich man’s immigration system” that would limit future immigration to only people with money and with college degrees.

• Temporary workers and future immigrants would be judged based on a “point system” in which family bonds could count for nothing.

• America’s family-based immigration system reflects American values – it honors family ties, which promote integration, entrepreneurial ambition and love for this adopted home.

• This is a dramatic change that must not be negotiated in some back room deal, but must be brought into the light of a public debate.

• The White House proposal is un-American, un-democratic, anti-worker, and anti-family.

• For this, the White House is willing to prevent debate even on a comprehensive immigration reform bill that twenty-three Senate Republicans voted for less than one year ago.

• The price the White House wants for a restrictive legalization program is a forced choice between some immigrants versus others, some children versus other children, loved ones versus workers, the undocumented versus temporary workers. The price is too high.

• FIRM stands for a straightforward path to citizenship for the undocumented and for temporary workers, worker rights, civil liberties and families.

• It is time for Democrats and Republicans alike to demonstrate real values and real leadership. The immigrant community and all Americans are watching.

********************************
Local Activists Target Domenici, Bingaman
Comprehensive immigration reform supporters launch media campaign
BY DEBRA DOMINGUEZ-LUND
Journal Staff Writer


Juan Barajas empathizes with the plight of the undocumented immigrant.

After all, Barajas — Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church deacon and director of Hispanic Ministries of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe — immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 1970 to study here as a student.

“I know the challenges immigrants go through,” he said. “That’s why I’m asking our legislators to push for comprehensive immigration reform.”

Barajas was one of eight immigrant rights activists who spoke in favor of reform during a news conference Tuesday at Sen. Pete Domenici’s office in Albuquerque.

Organizers are launching a media campaign urging Domenici, R-N.M., and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., to “lead the charge” for bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform as the Senate debates the issue this week.

The news conference was organized by a number of groups, including the New Mexico Federation of Labor, the New Mexico Conference of Churches, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and the Hispano Roundtable of New Mexico.

Rachel LaZar, director of El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos, said the groups want stronger border security with common sense reform, including “family reunification, respect for worker rights and a pathway to citizenship.”

The media campaign is part of a nationwide effort to pressure those in Congress who are essential to passing comprehensive immigration reform, Somos un Pueblo Unido director Marcela Diaz said.

A representative from Bingaman’s office said the senator does support comprehensive reform, including providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

A representative from Domenici’s office said the senator is working toward agreement on a new bill and has not taken a stand on the comprehensive reform legislation that immigrant rights groups are seeking.

*****************************

Immigrants May Get Legal Status

Senators Agree On Details of Plan

BY NICOLE GAOUETTE
Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON — Senators negotiating a bipartisan immigration reform bill have settled on the details of a plan that would immediately grant legal status to all illegal immigrants in the United States.

The deal on “Z visas” for illegal immigrants is one of several issues where Democrats and Republicans have reached broad agreement.

But as senators emerged from what they had hoped would be a final round of negotiations Tuesday, they indicated that the slow progress would keep them from meeting the deadline set by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to begin debate on a bill today.

Late Tuesday, Reid agreed to push that deadline back to Monday.

“They tell me they’re 80 percent of the way,” Reid, D-Nev., said in announcing the delay. “That’s fine, the other 20 percent is hard.”

The plan to award legal status to all illegal immigrants who meet certain qualifications would occur only after other so-called “triggers” are met. These triggers would require certain border security and work-site enforcement measures be in place before other aspects of the overhaul go forward.

The Z visa plan would start with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States going on a probationary legal status. If the triggers are met — a process that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., estimated would take 18 months — then illegal immigrants who qualify could get Z visas.

Those who have committed felony crimes would not be eligible, Graham said, and all participants would have to pass security checks, pay a fine and a processing fee and pass an English proficiency test.

Z visa holders would be able to apply for legal permanent resident status, a step toward citizenship. But at some point, the heads of households with Z visas would have to return to their home country and then reenter the United States. They would have to take their Z visa, which would include a photo and fingerprints, to the U.S. embassy or consulate and would be guaranteed re-entry, Graham said.

Tuesday’s talks followed two months of negotiations between key senators and administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

“We’ve made a lot of progress,” said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. “There are a few issues outstanding.”

Reid had said that if the negotiators could not reach a compromise, he would start debate on a new version of the immigration bill that the Senate passed last year. Republicans say last year’s bill is no longer acceptable and had signaled that they might block it. With the deadline extended to Monday, chances are better that the senators will be able to reach a deal.

Republicans sounded cautiously hopeful. “I remain optimistic that we’ll be able to put together a bill that can clear the Senate on a bipartisan basis, hopefully an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Democrats were more measured. Reid cited “some areas of accomplishment” but added that the two sides were “a long ways from where we need to be.”

Unresolved issues include the terms of a guest-worker program for future immigrants. Republicans are adamant that any program that imports labor should be temporary and not allow participants to become citizens.

The senators also have to settle on the number of green cards to make available for legal immigrants who want to become permanent residents.

And they will also tackle a larger issue. From its formal beginnings, the U.S. immigration system has been based on family reunification. Republicans want to change that to a point-based system designed to serve the nation’s economic needs. Potential immigrants would be graded based on education and skills.

Senators said they are compromising by combining the family and point system, allocating points for those who have family already in the United States. “It’s not going to be all family, but there will be a family component,” said Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla.

The two sides have come to agreement on the Dream Act, a provision that would allow young illegal immigrants to attend college at in-state tuition rates and eventually gain citizenship. Democrats and Republicans also have agreed on a jobs program for the agriculture industry.

Labels: family unification, Immigration, immigration reform, Z Visas

The Journal posted this morning letters from readers spouting out hateful ignorance on immigration and families looking to provide for their families.

The worst part about it, the title "One Nation Under Siege," and a small title underneath it, "The immigration debate."

Where is the DEBATE - they were all one-sided anti-immigrant letters. The media is supposed to be objective, provide balance and fair news, get both sides of the story.

I hope that tomorrow when Congress starts debating immigration reform, you put out a whole page entitled "THE US NEEDS IMMIGRANTS TO STAY!" and include letters from people supporting immigration reform, and supporting the right to work for all people.

To all the writers of those letters: You cannot prevent migration. It's a natural phenomenon.
Moses and his people migrated to Israel, the Spanish migrated to New Mexico, New Mexicans migrated to California for farm labor, and now many people not just Mexicans migrate to the US to also work.

How many of us have moved, changed homes, changed jobs, moved across the country or across the city to improve our financial situation? We are all migrants seeking the "American Dream."

If you want to end the economic competition and race to the bottom, fight capitalism.

NATIONAL CALL-IN DAYS
Mon, May 14 – Fri, May 25

- Call every-day this week and urge your Senators to support reform!
- Support family unity and protecting our workers.
- It is ok to call more than once per individual.

Your Senator needs to hear from you!
Call this number, and follow the instructions to connect to the offices of your Senators.
1-800-417-7666

Tell your Senators to
ACT NOW IN FAVOR OF COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM!

Comprehensive immigration reform is the solution to fixing our broken immigration system, and now is the time to act. Families, workers, and communities across the country are counting on Congress to get it done, get it right, and do it now. You can help make it happen with your call – join the effort!

Labels: family unification, Immigration, worker's rights

We need something like this for New Mexico. It seems like almost daily there is a new scandal in the paper. Today it's Rutherford's connection that seems kinda fishy with the UNMH expansion. When will it end.....

By Holly Allen, Christopher Beam, and Torie Bosch
Updated Friday, May 11, 2007, at 12:36 PM ET

For an interactive feature on the recent scandals of the Republican party, click here.

Having a hard time keeping track of all 10,000 GOP scandals? Between fired U.S. attorneys, deleted RNC e-mails, sexually harassed pages, outed CIA agents, and tortured Iraqi prisoners—not to mention the warrantless wiretapping, plum defense contracts, and golf junkets to Scotland—you could be forgiven for losing track of which congressman or Bush administration flunky did which shady thing. Renzi—now, was that the guy with the skeezy land deal? Or the woman Paul Wolfowitz promoted?

We're not saying that Democrats never do anything shady. (Cash-stuffed freezers come to mind.) But as the saying goes, with great power come great opportunities to screw up royally. And if your memory is as hazy as ours, you could probably use a handy refresher.

For an interactive feature on the many scandals of the Republican party, click here. For a text version, click here.

Labels: Corruption, GOP Scandals, NM Corruption, Republicans

Hon. Miguel P. García
New Mexico House of Representatives District 14

Albuquerque, New Mexico
May 11, 2007

Luis Posada Carriles committed the worst crime of terrorism in 1976 by
masterminding a mid air bombing of a Cuban airliner killing seventy-three
innocent human beings. These victims were our brother and sisters in
Christ. They left behind a grieving spouse, sons and daughters, mothers
and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, uncles, cousins, friends,
colleagues, and neighbors.

American citizens are freedom loving individuals that deplore the innocent
taking of a life by deranged individuals who have no respect for human
decency. It has come to my attention that the Bush administration has
created a precedent setting act of malfecense in government by objectively
giving Luis Posada Carriles card blance asylum in the United States, knowing
that Mr. Carriles illegally entered the United States in 2005.

Worst of all is the fact that the Bush administration fails to abide by
international extradition laws pertaining to the harboring of terrorists.
Venezuela is rightfully seeking extradition of Mr. Carriles to hold him
accountable for the horrific tragedy of the 1976 incident.

As American citizens, we have an obligation to uphold our constitutional
obligation in upholding the health, safety, and welfare of our communities.
The Bush administration, by refusing to extradite Mr. Carriles, and by
having his presence in our midst, gives us no choice but to side with our
constitution and seek the “citizens arrest” of Luis Posada Carriles.

Freedom loving people in New Mexico and the United States must engage in an
effort to apprehend Luis Posada Carriles and carry out a “citizens arrest”
of the individual. Mr. Carriles creates a serious breach of peace in our
presence with the potential for violent injury to our citizenship given his
terrorist background.

I am committed to do what I can in my capacity as a State Representative to
engage in a citizen to government relation with Venezuela to insure the
return of Luis Posada Carriles to that country for prosecution and
incarceration of his terrorist act. It does us no good to engage in a
“citizens arrest” of Mr. Carriles and turn him over to U.S. federal
officials only to see him go free again in order to see him return to his
mansion in Miami so he can continue watching the novelas on TV and drinking
his rum & coke.

Labels: Cuba, Immigration, luis posada carriles, Venezuela

Don't forget to check out this hilarious play. There are 9 shows and tonight is the first night!

Get your tickets at SWOP - 505-247-8832 or Out ch'Yonda 505-385-5634.

What: We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay!
Written by Nobel Prize Winner Dario Fo

Description: A sidesplitting satire! Laughs are on special when 1997 Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo opens the can on shoplifting. In a new translation by Fo's close collaborator Ron Jenkins, We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! is a side-splitting satire that'll have you rolling in the (grocery) aisles.

Details: Written by Nobel Prize Winner Dario Fo. Directed by Stefani Willis. Music by Enrique Cardiel, Rosina Roibal, Patrick Clark

Cast: Venessa Katzenberger, Cherish Henson, Virginia Hampton, Ife Hampton, Shrayas Jatkar.

“Hunger is the central theme, but it also encompasses the hunger for justice, dignity and love,” explains the director Stephanie Willis. Written in 1974, and adapted for American audiences in 1999 Fo is known to have led the field in political satire in Europe for over 30 years.

“Culture and Arts are vital to the education of young people,” says Rosina Roibal the Jovenes Unidos Organizer. “Especially when it deals with current political issues youth around the world are facing and making sure we connect it to local struggles. Although this play was written over 30 years ago, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina makes this play incredibly relative to young people today.”

Shrayas Jatkar who is playing Giovanni, recalls imagery from the tragedies in New Orleans, “this play reminds me of the footage we saw on the news during Hurricane Katrina; families having to take food from the liquor store in order to survive. The play is funny, but very real.”

When: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
May 11 – May 27th
Fridays/Saturdays 8:15pm, Sundays: 3:15pm
$7.00 General Admission
Seating is limited to 50 per performance

Where: Out ch’Yonda Live Artz Studio 929 4th St. SW · 385-5634

Pre-Sale: SouthWest Organizing Project
505-247-8832
211 10th St. SW (10th & Park) or
Out Ch’Yonda 10-2 Mon-Thurs,1:30-4:30 Sat.

Contact: Out Ch’Yonda 385-5634 or
Rosina Roibal 615-5008 rosina6@yahoo.com

Labels: Dario Fo, grassroots theatre, jovenes, We Won't Pay

Public demands Luis Posada Carriles be Tried or Extradited for Acts of Terrorism

Press Advisory
For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 10th, 2007
Contact: Albuquerque, Louis Head: 505-463-0439, Jo Ann Gutierrez Bejar – 505-247-8832
San Antonio, Che Lopez: 210-378-5132

PROTEST: Friday, May 11, 2007 @ 12 noon
Federal Court House
333 Lomas Blvd. NW (between 3rd & 4th)

The SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP), Albuquerque, NM and Southwest Workers Union (SWU), San Antonio, TX will be demonstrating – in conjunction with similar demonstrations in El Paso, Washington, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Boston, Miami, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal – in front of the US Federal Court House to demand that terrorist Luis Posada Carriles either be tried for his crimes in the US or that he be extradited to Venezuela to stand trial there.

“The terrorist Luis Posada is considered by many to be the ‘Osama bin Laden of the Americas.’ To this we say “Immigrant Families Yes, Terrorists No!” exclaims Louis Head, board member of SWOP.

Posada a Cuban national and naturalized Venezuelan citizen was involved in the mid-air bombing of a commercial jetliner in 1976, bombings of Cuban hotels in the 1990s, and an attempt on the life of Cuban President Fidel Castro in 2000. In 2005 Posada entered the US and spent two months free in Miami before US authorities finally arrested him on immigration violation charges. Posada, a long time US intelligence asset and CIA agent, was charged with illegally entering the US and of lying to immigration officials, not with crimes related to his history of terrorism. He is wanted in Venezuela on charges related to the 1976 plane bombing, which resulted in the deaths of 73 people including part of the Cuban national fencing team and several Guyanese students traveling to Cuba to attend medical school.

Despite an 84-year-old extradition agreement between the US and Venezuela, the Bush Administration refuses to return Posada, who escaped from a Venezuelan prison in the 1980s.

On Tuesday, May 8, 2007 a federal judge in El Paso dropped all immigration charges against Posada, stating that the Justice Department had improperly dealt with his case. He now walks free in Miami.

“The US government is engaged in criminalizing millions of undocumented workers and their families, yet lets a terrorist like Luis Posada roam freely. The United States judicial system needs to try Luis Posada for committing terrorist crimes against humanity, or send him back to Venezuela where he is a wanted man!” states Che Lopez, Co-Director of the Southwest Workers Union in San Antonio, TX.

“According to international law, according to antiterrorism agreements, when there is an attack on a civil plane, the country that has a suspect in its custody and is asked for him to be extradited to another place so that he can be investigated and tried, that country that has him has only two options: to extradite him or, without exception, to try him itself. Posada is not a suspect. Posada was being tried, formally accused over twenty years ago by another Venezuelan government, by other Venezuelan courts that have been demanding him ever since then.” – Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban Parliament.

Labels: Cuba, Immigration, luis posada carriles, patriot act, Venezuela

Bush said it himself - if you harbor a terrorist, you are a terrorist.

With the terrorist free, his impunity is confirmed

Granma (Havana)
May 9, 2007

Judge dismisses immigration fraud charges against Posada Carriles

MIAMI, May 8. - The United States government has taken off its mask
completely. Luis Posada Carriles is free. There will no longer be a trial
for the terrorist on May 11, and his presaged impunity has now been sealed.

On Tuesday, May 8, Federal Judge Kathleen Cardone of El Paso, Texas, threw
out the criminal's indictment for lying to immigration authorities, and he
immediately stated to a Miami radio station: "I'm free," the AFP reported.

According to some sources, the extradition application presented by
Venezuela in 2005 is still pending, as is the possibility that a New Jersey
jury may try him for his participation in terrorist attacks on hotels in
Havana in 1997.

But that is all old news. The decision to free Posada was made a long time
ago by the White House. Prosecutors never charged him for what he is: a
terrorist, and legal devices were used to cover up the judicial farce.

William Delahunt, a Democratic representative from Massachusetts, criticized
the impunity, and called for a Congressional hearing to discuss the U.S.
government's stance on this case. Delahunt said that both Republican and
Democratic legislators agree that the terrorist should not go free, given
his long criminal record, including the mid-flight bombing of a Cuban
passenger plane with 73 people on board.

A letter sent by Delahunt to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales demands an
explanation from the Justice Department about why the Patriot Act was not
used to prevent the freeing of a notorious international murderer, and
specifies that the freeing of Posada calls into question "our commitment to
fighting terrorism."

For the U.S. administration, however, trying Posada Carriles as a terrorist
would be like trying itself.

Labels: Cuba, Immigration, luis posada carriles, patriot act

The lack of equal access and arming security guards only perpetuates fear and violence.

THINK ABOUT IT…..

Military’s Presence on APS Campuses
• We are only turning our schools into prisons and military breeding grounds and our students into inmates and soldiers.
• Recruiters are under pressure of a quota and often make false promises that don’t materialize.
• The presence of people in uniforms on campus adds to a militarized culture and creates an environment of fear.
• Militarized culture also creates interpersonal violence.
• Non-violent conflict resolution is second place in schools.
• Life risks and costs are categorically different than any other life choice a young person can make when going into the military therefore students should be provided with options and information to make well informed decisions.
• Recruiters pray on low-income students of color to fill the front lines of an unjust war.
• Teachers are scared to allow alternative perspectives to the military for fear of repercussions.

Arming APS Guards with Guns
• Violence contributes to more violence so more guns on campus perpetuate violent behavior.
• APS is the only school district in the state to have a Police Department on campuses, isn’t that enough?
• Bringing more guns to the situation doesn’t solve the problem. It is deeper than just arming guards students need support and alternatives. We must be proactive!
• Recent school shootings are a symptom of a violent culture and becoming reactionary does not get to the root of the problem.
• How can we have funding for guns when low-income schools are ten years behind with text books?

Actions to ensure equal access:
Give alternative perspective to the military access on APS campuses. This includes:
• Same space as military.
• Alternative information and materials available to students.
• Physical presence of an organization who can offer alternatives.
• Create a set schedule for any presentation given at schools and have it available to the public including transparency regarding recruiters for when and where recruiters are on campus.
• Set policy of when military recruiters can be on campus so it does not interfere with learning.

The APS School Boards must do the right thing and immediately implement action steps.
Make the correct choice so our students have a choice!
For more info call SWOP 247-8832 or Another Side 268-9557

Actually, SWOP's been at the forefront of this issue for quite some time. Following the tragedy at Columbine, APS also felt the reactionary urge. It comes up every couple of years.

Below are links to a few stories about this round. Following those, I've included a few articles from previous rounds...

Albuquerque considers armed cops in school
Washington Times, DC - 1 hour ago
ALBUQUERQUE, May 4 (UPI) -- The school board in Albuquerque is discussing allowing school police officers to carry guns. Board members decided to revisit ...

Mayor would support arming campus cops - there's a poll here, go there and vote against any guns in the schools.
Albuquerque Tribune, NM - 12 hours ago

Mayor Martin Chavez is siding with school police in the gunfight at Albuquerque Public Schools. "Our kids will be better served if APS police are armed...

Tomas Garduno of the SouthWest Organizing Project also weighed in Thursday with an anti-gun message.

"Arming security guards only perpetuates fear and violence," he said in flyers distributed in the board room.

From 2003:

APS Police Guns Still Locked Up

BYLINE: Andrea Schoellkopf Journal Staff Writer

SECTION: FINAL; Pg. A1

LENGTH: 564 words

Superintendents Must OK Use

The Albuquerque Public Schools police department has had guns since January, but officers still can't carry them.

That's because the four-person superintendent team hasn't authorized use of the guns.

APS Superintendent for Education Elizabeth Everitt said the district has been busy with other matters.

"There were so many things that were going on," she said. "... It hasn't been forgotten."

The school board approved the policy in 2001, after months of heated debate, to allow school officers to carry firearms only before and after school. The guns will be locked in police vehicles during school hours.

The officers have been using the Glock Model 22 .40-caliber semiautomatic pistols for shooting practice and training. Everitt said they may finally be able to carry them on duty as soon as next month, depending on whether the school board wants to review revisions to the firearms manual.

Police would use them during the summer break to patrol APS campuses.

The superintendents also have agreed to review the manual with members of SouthWest Organizing Project, a group that had opposed arming the officers.

Last fall, the board's policy committee delayed arming officers until the district could come up with procedure during critical situations when officers would need guns during school hours.

The issue came up after APS police chief Gil Lovato told the board that officers would not "sit there and watch" if lives were in jeopardy.

The firearms manual was revised several months ago and now says that before officers can use their guns during school hours, they must contact Lovato, who must then notify Lead Superintendent Joseph Vigil.

"There has to be some oversight of that process," Everitt said.

But Lovato said Thursday that an officer would still "react to his training" in an emergency situation even if the gun is locked in his vehicle.

"If a student or a teacher is being shot at, that officer will take immediate action to stop the shooter," Lovato said.

Board president Mary Lee Martin said earlier Thursday that the issue didn't need to come back to the board.

"We settled that issue as far as the board's concerned," Martin said.

The president of the APS police union said officers are questioning the delay.

"If you're going to a dark building, it's a huge issue," said APS officer Kim Murray.

He said weapons training for the officers all of whom have retired from or served in other law enforcement departments is "beyond remedial." The state has required weapons training by APS for the last two years.

"I don't see why it wasn't done a year ago," Murray said. "We've met all those conditions. We've been pushing for this."

Even if the superintendents authorize the guns, police still don't have holsters. Lovato said he needs about $3,000 to pay for holsters, but the money won't be available until July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.

The school board approved $40,000 last fall to fund the policy. About $15,000 was spent for guns, clips and cleaning equipment, and the remainder was spent on training, Lovato said.

But he said the officers who have completed their training and are getting the gun safes installed in their vehicles during maintenance checks would gladly use their own holsters if administrators would authorize the guns.

GUN PRACTICE: Albuquerque Public Schools officer Dave Guzman practices shooting his Glock .40-caliber handgun Thursday at a shooting range near Double Eagle Airport.

PHOTO: b/wPHOTO BY: JESSICA MCGOWAN/JOURNAL

CITY: ALBUQUERQUE, NM, USA (88%);

LOAD-DATE: May 16, 2003

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

GRAPHIC:

Crowd speaks on arming school cops

BYLINE: Jeff Commings, JCOMMINGS@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625

SECTION: Pg. A3

LENGTH: 554 words
The topic of arming school police was not on the agenda for a meeting of the Albuquerque Board of Education, but members of the community spoke out on the issue anyway.

That likely will give the board plenty to think about as it continues to consider whether to give itself or Superintendent Brad Allison the final say on how to implement a safety plan in schools.

In Wednesday's public forum, 17 people spoke passionately to the board.

Of the 17, nine supported arming school police. Of the nine supporters, six were retired or current officers from the Albuquerque Police Department, the Albuquerque Public Schools Police Department or the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department.

Mark Shea, assistant director of school police, defended the force, saying that 27 "well-trained and very professional" officers were on the payroll and that they put the safety of children first. He also described guns as a "traditional tool of law enforcement."

Fernando Abeyta of the SouthWest Organizing Project, a grass-roots social reform group, came before the board again to stress that guns are not the answer to keeping children safe. He also said the discussion has missed a vital part of the community.

"The district has failed to bring young people to the table," Abeyta said. "The only tools (police) need are minds, words and a compassion for young people."

"Guns intimidate students more," said Rio Grande High School freshman Elena Garcia. "They raise the risk of shootings in our school."

Ken O'Keefe, an individual from the community, said he hoped the board would consider the public as an important voice in the discussion.

"We don't want to be cut out of this process," he said.

The board has not yet publicly attempted to connect arming school police with the recent information released about declining violence in Albuquerque schools in the 2000-01 school year. The report states some incidents of violence and vandalism continue to drop, and that fewer gangs are present in schools.

The number of guns reported to have been found in schools dropped from 14 to five in one year, the report says.

Despite the report's findings, board President Leonard DeLayo said he was troubled that some schools prominently, Rio Grande and Albuquerque high schools continued to have high numbers for violence and vandalism and that some are showing a rising trend in reported incidents rather than a decline.

APS Police Chief Gil Lovato said a plan is in the works to bring all of the numbers down and said the board would be presented with those plans soon.

The board will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the John Milne board room at the APS Central Office, 725 University Blvd. S.E., to make a final vote on how authority on keeping schools safe will be allocated in the future to the board or to the superintendent.

The board will vote to give Allison and his staff the final word on how to reduce violent incidents on school property or give itself the final word on how to implement such a plan. Allison has declared himself in favor of providing guns to school police and earlier this month told the board that his contract gives him the authority to implement any plan involving safety of students without necessarily having that plan approved by the board.

From 1999:

INTERVIEW WITH .....GILBERT LOVATO

BYLINE: Susie Gran sgran@abqtrib.com / 823-3682

SECTION: Pg. A6

LENGTH: 1234 words

Where's the safest place for kids? School, says top APSofficerGilbert Lovato has spent more than 30 years fighting crime first on the streets, now in the classroom.

The 54-year-old Lovato has been the chief of the Albuquerque Public Schools Police Department for 10 years. He supervises 25 sworn officers who respond to police calls on campuses throughout the city.

As another school year begins, Lovato said what he likes most about his job "is being able to help kids and being able to provide a safe learning environment for them."

However, he said he's convinced "school safety begins at home, and I encourage parents to spend more time with their children, find out what's going on at school and, if something is wrong, report it to the principal."

Tribune: Safety in schools is among the top concerns of parents. Are their concerns valid?

Lovato: Despite recent occurrences, schools should not be singled out as dangerous places in our communities. Our schools are safe. Just like the safest mode for traveling is still by aircraft, the safest place for our student population during the day is on school campuses. A student is much more likely to become a victim of a violent crime off campus.

While one homicide on campus is one too many, preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Education indicate that less than 1 percent of the 2,500 children nationwide who were murdered or committed suicide in the first half of the school year 1997-98 were on school property, at a school-sponsored event or on the way to or from school.

According to "Not Even One," a 1997 report on children, youth and firearms deaths in New Mexico, our school district is no different. That report shows 248 children and youth dying at the hands of firearms in New Mexico from 1996 to 1998. Forty-two percent of those occurred in Bernalillo County. Not one occurred on a school campus.

This is not to say that it will never happen, and we all need to continue to work to make our school district a safe learning environment.

Tribune: Do you have tips for parents on how they can help keep their children's schools safe?

Lovato: Without safe schools, teachers cannot teach and students cannot learn. The key here is parent involvement. Parents can get involved through their parent and teacher organizations or the school safety committees.

Every school in the APS system has a safe school plan. The community needs to be involved in the design and implementation of that plan. Safe school plans, of course, are only one component to creating a safe learning environment for our students. Parents should also work collaboratively with the school administration on issues such as dress codes, behavior standards, school rules and campus access control.

Parents should review with their children the APS Student Behavior Handbook, which contains a wealth of information for parents. This handbook sets the tone for what is expected of our students along with student rights.

Tribune: Bullying is a problem on some elementary school playgrounds. What advice can you give parents of children who are having problems with bullies?

Lovato: Bullying on campus should not be tolerated. Bullying, if not addressed, can lead to more serious consequences that can result in serious injury to a student. The victim needs to be protected, and the bully needs to take responsibility for his or her action. Parents, staff and students need to work together to make sure that this sort of behavior does not continue.

Tribune: What is the most common crime on the high school campuses, and how are schools dealing with it?

Lovato: Fights and assaults are the most common. However, this is not true at all high schools. APS is dealing with this in a number of ways. The school district has a zero-tolerance policy in place.

Our principals work very hard with their staffs to make sure that schools are safe. While I don't believe any student should be denied an education, suspending a student for violent behavior may be the only alternative. Again, students need to have the best of conditions, which include their safety in order for teachers to teach and students to learn.

The district also has campus security, APS police officers, APD and the Sheriff's Department to assist school staff in not only breaking up these fights but deterring them. We know that most of these fights are going to occur during lunch or at the end of the school day and we concentrate on this issue during those periods of time. I want to emphasize this type of disruption is caused by only a small portion of our students.

Tribune: For years, school police and school officials have been confiscating weapons from students. What is the weapon most frequently confiscated and under what circumstances? Do you feel metal detectors would be a deterrent?

Lovato: Knives, usually pocketknives, are the most frequently confiscated. These are not being used aggressively as weapons by students. Frequently, students have a knife at school because they used it over the weekend and forgot to leave it at home. These knives are reported by other students who observe the knife or while searching students for various infractions.

Most of the firearms confiscations were based on student tips because students want to be safe. I don't believe metal detectors would be a deterrent. Our school campuses have too many entrances. In addition to that, we have to remember that most of our schools are open late into the night for custodial cleaning, extra school activities, etc. I believe that if someone wanted to bring a weapon on campus, he or she could do so.

I think metal detectors would have a serious psychological impact on students and staff creating a feeling that their schools were unsafe. Metal detectors may have a place at events such as school dances, athletics events, etc. where you have received valid threats about weapons being brought to these events.

Tribune: Some school districts have removed lockers in their fight against drugs and weapons. Do you think this is a move APS should consider?

Lovato: I think there are valid reasons for doing this to minimize the transportation and storage of drugs and weapons. The decision should ultimately come from the school administrator and his or her staff who can better assess the need for this at their school. Some principals currently may be considering this move.

Tribune: Has the school police force grown over the years? Are more officers needed?

Lovato We have an allocation of 25 sworn officers. The number of full-time employees has remained the same for the last 10 years. Although we have APD officers and sheriff's deputies to assist us during the day, the school police is the primary responding law enforcement agency to calls on our campuses before and after the school day, on weekends and holidays, including full coverage of summer schools when the APD officers are off.

There are 35 APD officers, one assigned for each high school and middle school during the school year. In addition to responding to calls, the school police maintain the district's intrusion alarm system, provides for traffic control at athletic events, investigates employee misconduct cases and provides training to school personnel. A district this size could always use more officers.Interview With ... appears Mondays in The Tribune

Labels: Albuquerque, APS, Criminalization of Young People, guns on campuses, Police