CCIA Las Cruces Prayer Guide 2024

This Prayer Guide is brought to you by the Las Cruces-based Coalition of Conservatives in Action (CCIA) in hopes that …
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CALL TO ACTION: Parents Severely Outnumbered on Book Review Committee

Dear Las Crucens, We need your help! Las Cruces Public Schools has re-worked the book review regulations and there are …
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Protect New Mexicans Access to State Parks

Despite an enormous state budget surplus of 3.48 billion dollars for 2024, the state is proposing increased fees for New …
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PLEASE HELP: Mayor Enriquez Suppressing Public Input

Dear Las Crucens,We need your help! Public participation at City Council is being suppressed. Will you please email, call, and/or …
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Next CCIA Meeting: 21 March 2024
Rebecca Dow for NM H38 and
Robert Parra, FOP President.
Kitchen Kraft
980 N Telshor Blvd.
jack
Latest News
BethMarch 17, 2024Sound-OffMayor Enriquez, I am one of many who surely have written you voicing concern over the proposal of changing the Council’s agenda and where the public comment will fall.  Mayor, you campaigned claiming you would listen to the concerns and needs of the citizens of Las Cruces. If you change the Council agenda to place public comments at the end of the meeting it will literally hobble the ability for many, if not most citizens ability to attend. That silences a great many voices. Instead of placing the public comments at the end of the meeting with Council comments following  – why not keep public comment where it is, then Council can respond immediately?  It surely will not slow the regular council agenda any more than it already does.  When there are citizens who have public comment on agenda items, the Council already responds directly after at that time. Persons who are needing to present agenda items, and are city officials, can easily stream the Council meeting live and then move to the Chamber when necessary.  City officials jobs are not hampered by this approach – they aren’t ‘docked or shorted’ because of needing to attend the council meeting. Where as private citizens may and are.  Exactly who does the Council want to be most sensitive to? It certainly seems, with what has transpired in the last 5 weeks, the Council needs to be sensitive and respectful of the citizens who placed them in those seats. Alternative methods will be sought when citizens do not believe their elected officials are sympathetic to hearing the issues that affect them every day. They are the ones who deal with the fear, harassment, financial burdens and repercussions from a social system that has gone awry – to no fault of their own.  Please either leave the format alone or structure Council remarks to public comments earlier instead of later. Thank you for your time, Beth Bousquet 5th District, Las Cruces [...] Read more...
CCIAMarch 15, 2024Sound-OffUltra Health CEO Duke Rodriguez questions NM’s cannabis claims March 15, 2024 at 1:44 pm MDT When I saw Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s March 5 press release proclaiming “Cannabis in New Mexico officially a billion-dollar industry” and referring to the “thriving business community” of cannabis licensees, I immediately thought of the movie A Few Good Men. Specifically, I thought of the classic exchange between Tom Cruise’s Navy JAG lawyer and Jack Nicholson’s Marine colonel: “I want the truth!” “You can’t handle the truth!” I thought of that scene because the governor’s press release fails to tell the truth about the state’s cannabis market. I want New Mexicans to learn the truth about their cannabis industry, and although that truth may be hard to handle, we all must face it sooner or later. The truth is that New Mexico’s regulated cannabis market is not thriving, but barely surviving. The truth is that New Mexico’s cannabis sales are likely headed for decline and contraction, rather than growth. Now, it is certainly true the cannabis market has grown since April 2022 in certain places. Smaller towns along the Texas border did see large sales increases over the past two years. However, the central metro areas experienced a much different reality. In April 2022, Albuquerque did $14.9 million in combined medical and recreational cannabis sales, Las Cruces did $3.7 million, and Santa Fe did $3.5 million. Sadly, nearly two years later for the most recent month of February 2024: Albuquerque is flat at $15 million, Las Cruces is down to $3.2 million, and Santa Fe is down to $2.9 million. Those numbers come from the Cannabis Control Division’s own Cannabis Reporting Online Portal. This means that over the past two years, the cannabis market in New Mexico’s three largest and most stable population centers has not grown. It has stayed flat and even shrunk by a million dollars. At the same time, the number of retail locations has exploded. The proverbial pie has not gotten bigger, but the slices for each business have gotten a lot smaller. Every cannabis enterprise must face this truth to responsibly evaluate the trajectory of its business. After two flat years in most places, additional growth is, frankly, not likely. A continued decline in overall cannabis revenue is the more likely scenario. If cannabis licensees do not face this truth—if they cannot handle it—then they will be in for a very rude awakening in 2024, 2025, and beyond. Likewise, municipalities that build cannabis taxes into their budgets need to plan for flat or even declining cannabis tax contributions. If cannabis licensees want to reverse these trends and start growing the pie again, they will need to analyze why overall revenue has stagnated everywhere that is not within fifteen miles of Texas. Inflation in the rest of the economy may mean cannabis consumers spend less on weed. Cheap fentanyl may pull the most desperate into its terrible vortex. Cannabis licensees operating in the red may sell under the table and out the back door. The cannabis trend may simply have peaked. Whatever the reasons, cannabis licensees cannot create solutions to these challenges until they acknowledge the problem. I wish I could look at the world through the same rosy glasses that the Cannabis Control Division wears. But I am like the character in A Few Good Men: I want the truth, and I think that all New Mexicans are entitled to it. On second thought, maybe I am more like Colonel Jessup: I think that a lot of people don’t want the truth because deep down in places they don’t talk about at parties, they fear what might happen to New Mexico’s cannabis industry. Duke Rodriguez is the president and CEO of Ultra HealthCannabis [...] Read more...
sarahMarch 11, 2024Action AlertDear Las Crucens, We need your help! Las Cruces Public Schools has re-worked the book review regulations and there are some serious issues with the new versions. Will you please email the School Board and/or attend the school board meeting on March 19 to make a public comment? See below for more information and potential talking points. THE SITUATION As a result of our efforts, the LCPS Administration was directed by the School Board to revise the book review regulations (KEC (library resources) and KEF (curriculum).There are many improvements in the updated versions, including increased transparency, random selection of parents on the committee, clear definitions for why books can and cannot be removed from schools, the allowance for discussion/deliberation by the book review committee before the vote is cast, and the fact that the votes are no longer going to be cast anonymously.Per the new regulations, the book review committees will be: — KEC: 3 parents, 2 teachers (appointed by NEA), 1 councilor/social worker, 1 school principal, 1 mental health administrator, 1 admin from the Teaching and Learning Division, and 2 students from Student Advisory Council (only for high school level) — KEF: 3 parents, 4 teachers (appointed by NEA), 1 principal, 1 administrator from Teacher and Learning DivisionThere are several areas in which we have significant concerns with the new regulations.— Parents are severely outnumbered on the book review committees. Parents will only be 3 out of 9 members on the committees (or 3 out of 11 for Regulation KEC at the high school level). This is even more important considering that the teachers on the committee will be appointed by the NEA (per the bargaining unit agreement).— Regulation KEC calls for two students to be on the book review committee at the high school level. This could potentially result in students being exposed to age-inappropriate content.— On Regulation KEC, if the book review committee decides to retain the book with full access, that decision is final and cannot be appealed. At any point, if there is a decision to retain the book, that decision is final with no appeal. This is unbalanced and there should be a full appeal process for both KEC and KEF in order for this process to have integrity.For more info, you can download both of the new regulations here: Download Regulation KEC (library books) Download Regulation KEF (curriculum) TWO WAYS TO TAKE ACTIONPotential talking points are at the end of this post. Make sure to send individual emails instead of one group email if you want a response. Please be respectful in your communications for the maximum positive impact.PLEASE EMAIL SCHOOL BOARD AND LCPS ADMINS— District 4 Board President Teresa Tenorio: [email protected] — District 2 Board Vice President Pamela Cort: [email protected]  — District 1 Board Member Patrick Nolan – [email protected] — District 3 Board Member Robert Wofford – [email protected] — District 5 Board Member Ed Frank – [email protected] — Chief of Staff Shirley O’Brien: [email protected] — Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz – [email protected]   All email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT There will be a School Board meeting on Tuesday March 19 at 6pm. We need as many people as possible to attend and give comments on this issue.    WHAT: LCPS Board Meeting   WHEN: Tuesday March 19 at 6pm   WHERE: LCPS Administration Building, 505 S Main St, Las Cruces 88001 POTENTIAL TALKING POINTSHere are some potential talking points about this issue. Please do NOT copy-paste these verbatim. Your communications will be most effective if you add in your own words as well. Please be respectful to make the most positive impact. —Regulations KEC and KEF need to be revised again. Please require these to be revised to make sure that parents have fair representation on the book review committees. —Parents are severely outnumbered in the book committees in your new Regulations KEC and KEF. —Parents should comprise at least half of the book review committees so their voices will have at least as much consideration as LCPS. —Parents are at least as qualified as educators in knowing what is age-appropriate for children. Parents should comprise at least half of the book review committees.— Your new regulation KEC could result in underage students being exposed to age-inappropriate content. Please remove the students from the book review committee. —In Regulation KEC, if the book review committee decides to retain the book with full access, that decision is final and cannot be appealed. At any point, if there is a decision to retain the book, that decision is final with no appeal.  This is unfair and seems intended to shield the Superintendent and school board from ever having to vote on keeping a book.  There should be full appeal processes for both regulations KEC and KEF. —All parents in the school district should have the opportunity to opt-in to be part of the pool of parents from which committee members are chosen. Currently, your new regulations do not have any safeguards to ensure that all parents have a chance to participate in this.   Thank you for taking action on this!Sarah Smith and Juan Garcia 0 [...] Read more...
Rob WoodMarch 8, 2024Knowledge BoxThis is in todays Wall Street Journal.Israel Takes the E Out of DEIT he ideology of “diversity, equity and inclusion” is a direct threat to Israel’s existence. That’s what I learned from Jewish and Arab Israelis during my five days in the country in February. They didn’t only say that DEI goes hand in hand with antisemitism, which it does. They also said it sacrifices the merit that has helped Israel survive in a sea of hostility.I traveled to Israel on a solidarity trip organized by the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. Several professors wanted to support Israel while registering their displeasure with higher education’s largely antisemitic response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack. I joined at their invitation, hoping to learn how Israel approaches the DEI ideology that has swept the Western world.I quickly noticed that Israelis talk about DEI differently, most notably by excluding or redefining the E. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is committed to “diversity and inclusion.” Ditto the Israel Institute of Technology, or Technion. Tel Aviv University keeps the E, but instead of equity, it emphasizes “equality and diversity.”The president of Technion disavowed DEI, telling me that it is an unacceptable answer to the question he asks himself every morning: “Is our work in the interest of Israeli society and Israeli security?”Instead of lowering standards in pursuit of equity, Technion is reaching out to Arab communities to find more qualified students. Its efforts have increased the number of Arab undergraduate students by about 80%, from 500 in 2020 to more than 900 in 2023, while the dropout rate has decreased.At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, I asked an Arab woman who works as a diversity and equity official how her institution understands the topic. She said her school demands equal opportunity, not equal outcomes. The latter, she said, would pit people against each other, deepening divides that Israel has worked hard to close.Michael Halberthal, director general at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, made a similar point. He told us that “people get promotion into their position according to their abilities, not about their religion, not about their gender, not about anything else. And it works.” Mr. Halberthal said that it is the only hospital in the Middle East where an Arab woman heads the nephrology, or kidney disease, unit. After Oct. 7, the hospital’s Arab employees showed up en masse to treat the expected influx of patients. The hospital’s focus on diversity and inclusion rather than equity appears to have united its workforce.The most telling comment came from a lieutenant colonel who briefed us at Nevatim Airbase, a focal point of the country’s military response to Hamas. I asked if the Israeli Air Force has any initiatives to increase diversity in its ranks. The officer chuckled, then said that while there are efforts to recruit a broad swath of Israeli citizens, assignments and promotions are based on ability. A person has to earn the pilot’s seat in an F-35, because when Israel is at war, Israel must win. It can’t afford to embrace such a divisive and destructive ideology. Neither can the U.S., the leader of the free world.Mr. Kingsbury is director of research at Do No Harm. By Ian Kingsbury [...] Read more...
Dave TofstedMarch 6, 2024Sound-OffThe affidavit form used to implement the Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Orders  and a related petition form, under New Mexico’s “Red Flag” law, are the enabling instruments government can use to confiscate an individual’s firearms temporarily or permanently. Yet these forms contain unresolved loopholes that can unjustly affect the reporting party, respondent, or law enforcement officers, including school educators, employers and prosecutors. For instance, every respondent will be immediately registered on the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which could affect their rights to employment and/or community reputation. The initial affidavit form does not explain to the reporting party that they will be subpoenaed to testify at a court hearing in the county where the respondent resides. This form also does not warn the reporting party of the penalties for malicious or deliberately false statements, nor is there any indication that a copy is to be given to the reporting party.  Both forms require detailed evidence of the accused’s firearms and ammunition, their numbers, type and location. These forms, which must be notarized, also require evidence of intimate personal details of the respondent: age, health, personality, criminal record, mental state, including any past, present or future basis for issuing any future protection orders under this law. These forms require the reporting party to indicate who is at risk and invite additional comments and observations in addition to the 30-plus inquiries listed on each form. The reporting party is also expected to divulge any relationship between everyone listed in the affidavit, the petition or court hearing including personal, emotional or legal information. The law enforcement officer and the court then adjudicate the evidence. The process of confiscating the respondent’s firearms and ammunition could be immediate, at the court’s discretion, while notification of the court hearing is only issued to the respondent 10 working days in advance. Such short notice regarding the hearing and possible confiscation of firearms conflicts with the right to sufficient time to obtain legal advice and prepare rebuttal. The obvious threat to the guarantees of the 2nd Amendment posed by this red flag law is manifest in the ease with which the affidavit form may be initiated. Anyone, regardless of their relationship, spouse, family member, ex-partner, employer, co-worker, school administrator, without regard to possible bias, or qualification, may act as a reporting person. [...] Read more...
Rob WoodMarch 6, 2024Sound-OffMayor and City Councilors, Good Morning,As we step into another City Council meeting today these thoughts should be forefront in our minds.Rob WoodExcerpt from “American Paralysis and Decline” by Victor Davis Hansen 2/29/24 ……The crime epidemic is also similar. Everyone accepts that no society can long endure quasi-legalized shoplifting or green-lighting smash-and-grabbers and carjackers to be released without bail.But we assume that such a civilizational implosion will never reach our own sanctuary neighborhoods or safe places of work—at least not yet.  We also know that restoring deterrence by arresting, convicting, and jailing repeat felons will return safety to our streets.  But again, we fear even more that advocating “law and order” will earn slanders like “racist” or “reactionary.” Ditto the homeless. In an age of self-congratulation and hyper-environmentalism, we know that a million homeless defecating, urinating, injecting, and assaulting on our downtown sidewalks and storefronts is medieval. We know that it is illegal to camp out on the street and publicly harass citizens or relieve oneself in public. And we know the cure lies in building and staffing more mental institutions and providing areas far from public spaces where the homeless can find shelter, sanitation, and medical care. But the very idea of removing anyone from his accustomed sidewalk spot, or the notion of the use of force to transport the mentally ill to proper and humane facilities, terrifies us. So we walk around, step over, and ignore those on the street.Societies do not always collapse from a lack of wealth, invasion, or natural catastrophes.  Most often, they know what is destroying them. But they are so paralyzed by their fear that the road to salvation becomes too painful even to contemplate. So they implode gradually, then suddenly.VDH 1 [...] Read more...
CCIAMarch 5, 2024Sound-OffFrom: CCIAWINUSA <[email protected]>Date: On Friday, March 1st, 2024 at 12:34Subject: LCPD Chief’s Message 3/1/2024 “SUMMARY OF NEEDED CHANGES”To: Eric Enriquez <[email protected]>CC: Johana Bencomo <[email protected]>, Kassandra Gandara <[email protected]>, Yvonne Flores <[email protected]>, Becki Graham <[email protected]>, Becky Corran <[email protected]>, Tessa Stuve <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, Diana Murillo <[email protected]>, Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez <[email protected]>, Manuel Sanchez <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, Angelica Rubio <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, Gerald Byers <[email protected]>, Roxanne Garcia-McElmell <[email protected]>, Kimberly Skaggs <[email protected]>, Samantha Barncastle Salopek <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, Sarah Smith <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]> Mayor, Council, District Attorney, Commissioners, Representatives and SenatorsChief Story outlined a very clear plan to address the rampant crime in our community. We support the Chief.  It is now up to you to implement your portion of the plan.  It means you working with each other. This is about protecting the people you are serving.  https://youtu.be/JuATfVK7N2U?si=PGLq6SNoCj45FZ1_Advice on what we can do to help.  We will be watching……And the community is waiting…… Thank You   Juan D Garcia575-449-5821Coalition of Conservatives in Action (CCIA)[email protected]://conservativesinaction.org/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJo7X0StlnZfDJl097ljUA 1 [...] Read more...
Rob WoodMarch 5, 2024Sound-OffCouncilor, etc…..,This has weighed heavy on my heart for some time now as I was one of the people that did the construction work of the semicircular granite monument of plaques at Veterans Park.I hope you will take some time to consider my thoughts. Stolen Valor  I believe that only a war veteran can understand the sense of isolation with their thoughts they feel from such an experience. Occasionally I visit our Veterans Park to walk and sit amongst the thousands of names placed on the semicircular acknowledgement of all New Mexicans that served so I feel a connection that brings me comfort in my isolation.  During my last visit, myself and another Marine Veteran of the Vietnam Conflict found his name and his brothers name on the plaques, and he told me their stories. We walked amongst all the new park structures, some of which I felt were awfully gaudy for such a place of deep internal reflection, but we at last came to the picnic tables and sat looking out at all the plaques full of names looking back at us and I know, in silence, we both felt the honor shared in both directions.  As we rose to leave, I noticed off to one side a granite monument I had not seen before. Upon investigation I felt completely violated by names that had no right to be on this hallowed ground. They were not veterans but civilians that never knew the sacrifice all those thousands of others had made. Yes, they may deserve some minor recognition for the efforts they had made in the acknowledgement of Veterans (like the credits at the end of a film) but, as I have felt over the years, the violation of self by others that climb aboard with us and receive recognition when not deserved in our context lessens the respect Veterans earned. It is that slap on the face I feel when another falsely either intentionally or unintentionally climbs onto our parade in order to steal valor that they can never go back in time and gain thus do not deserve at any level. That ship for them already sailed.  This monument should be removed and possibly placed in another of the City’s parks noting what it is for which may actually direct others to go and visit Veteran’s Park.  It and the names on it have no right to be in a park specifically dedicated to Veterans. It is disrespectful and dishonoring by lowering the standards of the parks intended purpose.  Please respect all Veterans for which Veteran’s Park was created to pay homage to and find a new home for this monument.  Rob Wood USMC Vietnam 1968, 1969 575-635-0803 1 [...] Read more...
Julie PfauFebruary 29, 2024Elected Officials / Sound-OffDear Mayor I am writing in response to the news that the council is considering moving the Public Input section of the meetings to the later or end of the agenda. Though I understand why the meetings are at 1:00pm which is to serve and accommodate the city employees, being from out of state, I come from a city where city councils were held in the evening to primarily serve the public. So, I was quite surprised that here in Las Cruces, only the School Board held their meetings in the evening which are at 6:00pm.Should this idea come from the frustration that people come to the council only to vent, complain or accuse and walk out showing no interest in the city’s business, then this idea is rooted in the foolish notion that you can change human behavior. No more than if you moved all the student presentations and awards to the end, would the parents stay to the end and sit through the city’s business? This decision will have the optics of it being personal not professional.If there were to be any change, voters would have expected it to be a move toward the people and not more restriction for the public to have access to your meetings, their council representatives and yourself. Clearly moving public input to the end adds more restriction to those concerned citizens who already sacrifice by take their lunch time, if working individuals, to bring their concerns and issues to your chamber.As elected officials it is your highest duty to pave greater access to citizens’ voices. A positive decision, if a move is required, would be to put Public Input first on the agenda to show your dedication and commitment to those who have elected you into the seat you hold today.Thank you for considering the citizens and voters who entrusted you with this great responsibility.Sincerely, Julie Pfau District 5 1 [...] Read more...
Rob WoodFebruary 29, 2024Sound-OffGood Evening Councilor (and Mayor) …….,The City has been reimbursing some small businesses for damages they have incurred but you are missing the real point. I am sure along with a City business license you require the business to carry a certain level of insurance. These costs are not some onetime payment and as I explain and for business operating on a small margin, which many in Las Cruces do, any increase due to no fault of their own can push them to close their doors.How does crime and vandalism affect insurance premiums?As vandalism and theft continue to increase in frequency and severity, small business insurance is significantly impacted. Insurance companies must adjust their rates and coverage to account for the heightened risk of these crimes. Here are some ways in which small business insurance is affected by vandalism and theft:  1.     Higher premiums: Insurance companies may increase premiums for small businesses in areas with high rates of vandalism and theft. This is done to cover the increased likelihood that the business will file a claim for damages.  2.     Limited coverage: In some cases, insurance companies may limit coverage for vandalism and theft, especially if the business is located in a high-risk area. Small businesses may need to purchase additional coverage to fully protect themselves against these crimes.  3.     Deductible increases: Insurance companies may raise deductibles for vandalism and theft claims to mitigate the financial risk of insuring a business in a high-crime area. Small businesses may need to pay more out of pocket before their insurance kicks in.  4.     Security requirements: Insurance companies may require small businesses to implement specific security measures, such as installing security cameras or alarm systems, to reduce the risk of vandalism and theft. Failure to meet these requirements may result in higher premiums or limited coverage.  Overall, as vandalism and theft rates continue to rise, small businesses are facing increased challenges when it comes to obtaining affordable, comprehensive insurance coverage. Also, as businesses close due to these unaffordable increases it puts pressure on the entire community financially and creates further escalation of crime.Rob Wood 3427 Chimney Rock Rd 88011 575-635-0803 1 [...] Read more...
sarahFebruary 28, 2024Action AlertDear Las Crucens,We need your help!  Public participation at City Council is being suppressed.  Will you please email, call, and/or attend the March 4 City Council meeting to make a public comment? See below for more information and potential talking points. THE SITUATIONLas Cruces’ new Mayor, Eric Enriquez, is planning to move public participation to the end of the City Council meetings beginning in April.  We have one month and two City Council meetings between now and then to try to put a stop to this.  Whether or not this is intended to suppress public input, this WILL make it much harder for people to make public comments at the meetings since the time for the public participation will be very unpredictable. City Council meetings sometimes end in 2 hours, sometimes they drag on for 4, 5, or 6 hours. By moving public participation to the end of the meetings, far fewer people will be able to participate.  TWO WAYS TO TAKE ACTIONPotential talking points are at the end of this email.  PLEASE EMAIL/CALL CITY COUNCILMake sure to send individual emails instead of one group email if you want a response. Please be respectful in your communications for the maximum positive impact.— Mayor – Eric Enriquez – [email protected] – 575-541-2067— District 1 – Cassie McClure – [email protected] – 575-541-2073— District 2 – Bill Mattiace – [email protected] – 575-541-2068— District 3 – Becki Graham – [email protected] – 575-541-2070— District 4 – Johana Bencomo – [email protected] – 575-541-2071— District 5 – Becky Corran – [email protected] – 575-541-2072— District 6 – Yvonne Flores – [email protected] – 575-541-2069— City Clerk – Christine Rivera – [email protected] – 575 541-2115All email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENTThere will be a City Council on Monday March 4 at 1pm.  We need as many people as possible to attend and give comments on this issue.      WHAT: City Council Meeting    WHEN: Monday March 4 at 1pm    WHERE: City Hall, 700 N Main St, Las Cruces 88001 POTENTIAL TALKING POINTSHere are some potential talking points about this issue.  Please do NOT copy-paste these verbatim.  Your communications will be most effective if you add in your own words as well. Please be respectful to make the most positive impact.—Please do not move public participation to the end of your meetings. This will prevent many people from being able to make comments at your meetings.—The public needs to be able to address the Mayor and City Council at your meetings.  Our concerns are important and you were elected to represent us.—The working people in your community have to miss work to attend your meetings. Moving public participation to the end of the meetings will make it impossible for many people to participate.—We have families and jobs. We cannot afford to sit through many hours of meetings in order to make our voices heard. Do not move public input to the end of your meetings.—The previous Mayor had a good system for handling public input.  By calling out each row, it was simple and easy for people to know when to go speak at the podium.  This system worked well and I ask you to please use the same system instead of changing things in such a way that I will no longer be able to participate. Please take action on this to help us convince the Mayor that it is not right to suppress public input.  Standing with you in solidarity,Sarah Smith and Juan Garcia 1 [...] Read more...
Rob Wood: from GeoPolitical FuturesFebruary 26, 2024Knowledge Box / Sound-OffTo All,In understanding crime one needs to look at the effects Mexico’s is having on us. You are seeing very little coverage of this because the cartels and the Mexican government shut down the news outlets especially along the border to stop as much negative reporting as they could due to the outcry from a once informed public and the tarnishing of Mexico’s image. As Mexico attempts to attract foreign investment it is important to hide the lawlessness and corruption that exists so as to look prosperous in the eyes of the uninformed. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/special/math.html And on top of that, the annual remittance sent to Mexican families from the families both legally and illegally here: https://www.dallasfed.org/research/swe/2023/swe2310# All this goes to show that a lot of money that fuels the Mexican economy arrives without the Mexican government having to lift a finger in creating it. They are not about to make any real effort to stop the flow.The way to impede the crime wave we are experiencing here can only occur if we fix (rethink) our way of educating our young that gives them realistic hope and establish ways that make life enriching opportunity to them available. Rob  January 29, 2024How Mexico Plans to Reclaim Its EconomyThere are competing ideas on how to dislodge organized crime from the formal economy.By: Allison FedirkaIn Mexico, security and economic recovery are intertwined. Politicians and citizens alike understand that the country’s powerful criminal groups threaten both, and though they broadly agree that something should be done, no one agrees on the best path forward.Partly this is because of geography. Throughout history, mountains, deserts, peninsulas and other features have divided Mexico into various subregions, many of which are too remote or too inaccessible for Mexico City to effectively govern. These power vacuums have given rise to independence movements, warlords, revolutions and even parallel governments. Organized criminal groups such as the Sinaloa and the Jalisco New Generation cartels are simply a contemporary expression of a historical reality The problem for the federal government is the power these groups have been able to amass. Ignoring the sheer wealth generated from the lucrative drug trade, one of the biggest contributions to their power is the mass defection of Mexican armed forces. When Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (or PAN) assumed office in 2000, his government fundamentally redefined its relationship with the military, and servicemen lost a lot of the immunities, operational freedoms, financial benefits and social status afforded to them through 70 years of rule under the Institutional Revolutionary Party (or PRI). Whatever their reasons for joining, the cartels’ capabilities improved markedly, gaining the sophistication, organization and discipline typically reserved for the forces meant to police them.More recently, cartels were able to massively expand their local influence at a low cost during the COVID-19 pandemic. In many remote locations, they stepped in to ensure the delivery of basic goods where the national government could not. This allowed organized crime to permeate even deeper into remote communities across the country. Organized crime groups now control large portions of the formal and informal economies. To be sure, they still engage in illicit activities such as human, arms and narcotics trafficking, but increasingly they function like multinational corporations, with chief operating officers earning MBAs from top universities, assuming control over all branches of the business, working with the equivalent of subsidiaries and having strong ties to business in the rest of Latin America as well as Caribbean criminal groups. In the formal economy, they tend to function as adjuncts to government services. They monopolize local control of internet providers, source and provide pharmaceuticals, and engage in legitimate business activities such as manufacturing and selling their own cigarette brands. Nationally, they impose taxes and quotas on the avocado and lime industries, and they have even made inroads in the beer market. The increased presence of organized crime groups in areas traditionally part of Mexico’s formal economy poses a new level of threat to the country. In years past, their presence might have scared off foreign investors or increased security and transportation costs. But now, it raises the question of who controls which parts of the national economy. This is particularly important as the country continues to recover from the pandemic – a tall order in its own right that becomes much more difficult if the government is limited on what it can do with its economy.Politically, there is consensus that regaining control of the economy is essential for economic recovery and requires redefining the role of organized crime in the country. However, Mexican political circles remain divided over what strategy would be the most effective in achieving their goal. The two leading strategies are represented by Mexico’s top two presidential candidates. The candidate from the ruling Morena party, Claudia Sheinbaum, wants to double down on the strategy used by the PRI: a gentleman’s agreement whereby the cartels operate relatively freely within the parameters set forth by the government. The benefit of this strategy is that the government wouldn’t necessarily have to reclaim control of certain sectors or retake territory – both of which would eventuate in violence. Instead, negotiated agreements would enable the government and the cartels to work together on economic matters. The problem, of course, is that this strategy would reward the cartels by giving them power over the government. It would also likely see the weakening of key government institutions needed to subjugate the cartels. Unsurprisingly, there is opposition to this strategy within security and defense circles, which would be inclined to slow implementation or impede it entirely. The second strategy – advocated by opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez, whose view represents the PRI, PAN and the Party of the Democratic Revolution – calls for a strong state offensive to retake what it has lost. The upside here is that it would target corruption and the economic power propping up organized crime, and if it succeeds, it would eliminate a security threat that has plagued Mexico and its economy for decades while giving Mexico City undisputed control over its economy. The downside is that it requires a ton of political capital, which will be hard to come by if the government is purging corrupt rank and file, struggling to keep up morale and buy-in among security forces, and managing the political fallout of what is sure to be mass death and destruction. The latter would scare off the foreign investment the country’s economic recovery depends on. (A similar strategy was tried under President Felipe Calderon, with little success.)Each strategy will shape Mexico’s economic recovery in its own way. The Morena strategy will minimize violence but could hamper national businesses and reduce FDI as investors will find it hard to trust such an arrangement in the long term. The second strategy will require a massive amount of money and resources, increasing the likelihood of economic pain in the short term for potential gains in the long term. Neither strategy will be immune to the vagaries of political implementation. Geopolitically, the fight against organized crime seeks to answer one of Mexico’s most fundamental questions: Can the government find a way to be in full control of its territory and economy despite the country’s geography and history? The Morena strategy essentially wants to work within those constraints, while the other believes Mexico can break out of its constraints – if it’s willing to pay the price.Andres Araujo contributed to this analysis. Mr. Araujo is an intern at Geopolitical Futures and a student at the University of Valle de Atemajac in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he studies international relations. [...] Read more...

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