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Jed RubenfeldAugust 5, 2025Gallery / Knowledge Boxhttps://www.thefp.com/api/v1/post/pdf?postId=169501956 [...]
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CCIAJune 8, 2025Sound-OffThis op-ed was originally published in the Las Cruces Bulletin, 6 June 2025.
At odds with oath of office
Sarah Smith
The right to petition is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, N.M. State Constitution, and Las Cruces City Charter. As part of the Bill of Rights, petitioning is one of the most basic rights that the government is sworn to uphold and protect, thereby providing an avenue by which people can request that the government address concerns and grievances. Our City Councilors and Mayor vowed to uphold the constitution and City charter when they took their oaths of office, yet their recent vote against the Realize Las Cruces petition is at odds with these vows.
Realize Las Cruces, an ordinance approved by City Council in February, is a sweeping policy change that overhauls the longstanding zoning code, removing single family residential zoning across much of the City and instead allowing high-density apartments and some businesses into existing neighborhoods. Per the City Charter, people are allowed to petition to have ordinances placed on the ballot for a vote by the public. To that end, I organized a petition drive to put Realize Las Cruces on the ballot so that the people would have a chance to vote on whether to allow such comprehensive changes to their neighborhoods. Per the City Charter, we were required to collect 3,240 signatures.
From the beginning, the City made the petition process as difficult as possible. They would not allow us to collect signatures electronically. They would not allow petition volunteers to use electronic copies of the 400-page ordinance, so instead all volunteers were required to carry bulky printed copies of the ordinance. That was over 30,000 pages to be printed at a cost of over $1,000.
Of our initial 30-day deadline, the City burned up a week of our time with delays in providing the petition form and providing false information about who was allowed to collect signatures. The City Attorneys finally acknowledged their error, yet they refused to give us back that week of time even though the City was at complete fault for delaying the petition and giving false information. Later, the City refused to provide timely answers to questions about signature collection dates during the allowed petition amendment process, and then they threw out over 1,200 signatures without even checking them on the voter rolls just because of the dates on which they were collected.
Hundreds of other signatures were unjustly thrown out by the City, as well. For instance, some people had a hard time writing due to being elderly or having shaky hands. In those instances, they signed the petition and then the volunteers filled in the address and printed name. These signatures were all thrown out by the City.
Some others signed the petition with their nickname (such as Bill instead of William, Gilbert instead of Gilberto, Fran instead of Francis, or Tim instead of Timothy). In each case, the voter could still clearly be identified in the voter roll by the remaining information provided, but the Clerk still invalidated those signatures. All of these people would be allowed to vote at the polls, yet their signatures were not counted as valid on the petition.
Overall, more than 1,500 people have been disenfranchised by having their signatures unjustly invalidated. We tried to follow the City’s processes, but they provided us with unclear instructions, false information, and a continually moving target. We collected 4,671 signatures, yet the City threw out over 1/3 of our signatures without due process and then ruled that our petition was insufficient. Those oaths to uphold the Constitution by Mayor Enriquez and Councilors Bencomo, Corran, Flores, Graham, and McClure look to be devoid of meaning now.
Sarah Smith is co-leader of the New Mexico Freedoms Alliance (non-partisan statewide grassroots coalition) and vice chair of the Coalition of Conservatives in Action in Las Cruces. She is also a homeschooling mother of two teens, natural healthcare practitioner, and former NASA aerospace engineer. [...]
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CCIAApril 3, 2025Knowledge BoxLas Cruces, New Mexico
City Council District 3
City Council District 5
City Council District 6
School Board member District 1
School Board member District 2
School Board member District 3
Soil and Water Supervisor At-large 3
Soil and Water Supervisor At-large 4
Mesilla, New Mexico
Municipal Judge – Town of Mesilla
Trustee – Town of Mesilla
Anthony, New Mexico
Mayor – City of Anthony
Trustee – City of Anthony
Municipal Judge – City of Anthony
Water and Sanitation Director – At Large
Caballo, New Mexico
Soil and Water Supervisor At-Large
Garfield, New Mexico
School Board Member Position 1
Gadsden, New Mexico
School Board Member District 1
School Board Member District 2
School Board Member District 3
Hatch, New Mexico
Mayor – Village of Hatch
Trustee – Village of Hatch
School Board Member At-Large
La Union, New Mexico
Watershed Director – At Large
Sunland Park, New Mexico
City Council District 1
City Council District 2
City Council District 3
Municipal Judge – City of Sunland Park
Public Waterworks Authority
Lower Rio Grande Public Water Works Director 3
Lower Rio Grande Public Water Works Director 4
Lower Rio Grande Public Water Works Director 7 [...]
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rob woodMarch 29, 2025Sound-OffHi All,I have been thinking about this Department of Eduction fiasco with some historical context. What is concerning is that on the PISA international testing scale the U.S. is 23rd in the world. Of course this does not mean a Sputnik moment where all focus of education turns toward just doubling down on established practices of engineering (which later hindered further movement of education into the computer and data/information processing age) but it does mean that “Houston we have a problem” and local independent thought is not going to solve it as it did on Apollo 11.I feel this WIKI coverage of the Department’s purposes and history brings some of the pros and cons into the light. I fear we will throw out the baby with the bathwater if not careful. At all levels we as a society must be asking, relative to the student futures; “What is the purpose of school?”. That answer should be a vision statement for all departments of education. Here is a tip that it should not be; “That all go on to college” even though that has been the college led mantra that leaves the majority of our students unprepared for the actual realities of post education work and now holding $1.7 trillion in debt obligations. A serious ball and chain perpetuated by middle and high schools that teach to the college admissions test.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_EducationWe need a national assessment and research agency but not one as all encompassing as we have. I just hope someone is considering the bigger challenge at a national level. There is nothing in the Constitution referencing education just as there is nothing referencing which side of the road we drive on. I am sure the Department of Transportation is probably worse in wastefulness than the Dept. of Ed but we are all glad it’s not just left up to the local and state governments to decide left or right even though looking forward most consideration of education is being done by driving into the future while looking in the rear view mirror.I came across this in Jenny Anderson’s “The Disengaged Teen” and felt it highlighted something very important that a federal level office can do research wise and offer such research back to the States and local school districts in hopes that they might see reason to change their methods of practice. Our educational systems obviously have no idea how to fail, pause, reflect and then make the changes necessary. Doubling down on what brought them to this point (19th century methods and content) is not an answer. (I suggest a 1939 coverage of taht found in “The Saber Tooth Curriculum” by Peddiwell.)
Rob Wood [...]
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SarahFebruary 12, 2025Action AlertDear Las Crucens,
City Council will probably be voting on Realize Las Cruces and the comprehensive changes to neighborhood zoning on Tues February 18th. This includes removing single family neighborhood zoning.
If this is important to you, please email, call, and/or attend the Tuesday 2/18 City Council meeting. See below for more information and potential talking points.
Removing Single Family Neighborhood Zoning
Under the final draft of Realize Las Cruces, there are no zones that will be for single family residential neighborhoods.
Apartment complexes will be allowed in all neighborhood zones, with varying density depending on the area. For instance, neighborhoods in Sonoma Ranch and High Range would generally allow apartment complexes with 16-30 dwellings per acre. Neighborhoods closer to downtown Las Cruces would allow apartment complexes with 50-60 dwellings per acre. The overall city map is a patchwork of different zones, but you can look up the proposed zone for your neighborhood at realizelascruces.com. Click on “Documents” and scroll down the map where you can search by address.Local grocery stores and cafés would also be allowed in all neighborhoods.Mobile homes will be allowed in all neighborhoods.Local retail stores and gas stations would be allowed in all neighborhoods with a special permit.
Download Redline Version of Proposed Code
Proposed Zoning Map
TWO WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
Potential talking points are at the end of this email. 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/CALL CITY COUNCIL
Mayor – Eric Enriquez – [email protected] – 575-541-2067District 1 – Cassie McClure – [email protected] – 575-541-2073District 2 – Bill Mattiace – [email protected] – 575-541-2068District 3 – Becki Graham – [email protected] – 575-541-2070District 4 – Johana Bencomo – [email protected] – 575-541-2071District 5 – Becky Corran – [email protected] – 575-541-2072District 6 – Yvonne Flores – [email protected] – 575-541-2069City Clerk – Christine Rivera – [email protected] – 575 541-2115
All 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 COMMENT
City Council will *probably* be voting on Realize Las Cruces at the February 18th meeting. The meeting agenda will be finalized in the next few days.
WHAT: City Council Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday February 18th at 1pm
WHERE: City Hall, 700 N Main St, Las Cruces 88001
NOTES: If you want to make a public comment, you will have to wait until the Realize agenda item is being discussed. Be prepared that you may have to wait awhile before they reach that agenda item.
Usually, public comments are limited to 3 minutes. Sometimes the Mayor reduces the allowable time to 2 minutes or 1 minute, so be prepared to be flexible.
POTENTIAL TALKING POINTS
Here are some potential talking points about the updated proposed Zoning code. 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.
The new code removes single family residential zoning altogether. This is wrong. There are many people and families who want to live in neighborhoods with only homes (with no businesses, apartments, etc).
There need to be some areas of town that maintain the ability to have homes only, without the noise and traffic that come along with businesses and apartment complexes. The traffic of having large apartment complexes, restaurants, and grocery stores in neighborhoods can pose a big safety hazard for young children and the elderly.If the City wants to make housing more affordable, it should focus on reducing development costs, deal with the crime situation, and retain and attract job opportunities. Several builders and developers have spoken at council with concerns that Realize is actually going to increase development costs. They’ve also repeatedly told Council theft of building materials at construction sites is increasing prices for homeowners. Numerous businesses have failed or chosen to leave because of the crime and blight.It is not right for you to change zoning for existing neighborhoods across the City. You can make mixed use zones in new development areas, but please maintain our existing neighborhoods.
REMEMBER WHAT WE’RE UP AGAINST
Thank you for taking action on this!
Sarah Smith, CCIA 1st Vice Chair [...]
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SarahJanuary 24, 2025Action AlertDear Las Crucens,
We need your help! There are over 95+ age-inappropriate, explicit books in Las Cruces Public School libraries. Most parents have no idea that these books are present, nor that they can opt their kids out from being able to check these books out from the library.
Below is a link to a Parent’s Guide to 95+ Explicit Books in Las Cruces Public Schools: How to Protect Your Children from Porn in NM School Libraries.
This booklet is a resource for LCPS parents who want to protect their children from age-inappropriate content.It lists the worst books in each school and gives examples of the content of each book.It includes instructions for parents who want to opt their kids out from these books using LCPS form IJL-E1.
Will you please share this post widely, so more parents will be empowered to protect their children?
DOWNLOAD: Parent’s Guide
Thank you for taking action to empower parents to protect their children!
Sarah Smith
Vice Chair of CCIA
Interim Leader of Education Action Committee [...]
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Sarah SmithJanuary 15, 2025Sound-OffThis column was originally published at https://www.lascrucesbulletin.com/stories/legislature-must-reform-competency-and-direct-treatment,103706 on 8 January 2025.
Sarah SmithGuest columnist
Our communities are paying the price for our broken criminal justice system, which is failing those with mental health problems and/or drug addiction. Shortly, the 2025 legislative session will be underway in Santa Fe. Like many others, I’m wondering whether our legislators will take action to fix the situation.
Here in Las Cruces, repeat offenders are responsible for innumerable crimes. Many repeat offenders are deemed incompetent to stand trial, so they are just released back onto the streets where they commit crime after crime after crime. For instance, from a public records request, one of the top repeat offenders in Las Cruces has over 120 charges for aggravated assault, drug dealing (meth), battery, trespassing, shoplifting and more.
Another top repeat offender has been charged 95+ times, with offenses including criminal trespass, possession of illegal drugs, assault, property damage, indecent exposure, shoplifting, battery on a peace officer and unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon. These are just a couple of examples, but there are dozens more. Twenty-eight of the top 40, or 70 percent, of the top repeat offenders in Las Cruces are homeless, given that Mesilla Valley Community of Hope is listed as their place of residence. I can drive around downtown and see several repeat offenders on the streets on any given day.
Meanwhile, families and businesses in Las Cruces are suffering the consequences. Businesses and homes are being vandalized, windows are being broken, property is being taken and vehicles are being stolen. Homeless people are camping out at businesses and homes, approaching people asking for money, scaring children, threatening people and leaving trash and feces all around. Drugged out people are wandering the streets, harassing people and leaving dangerous needles lying around where children can find them.
My own two teens have often ridden the city bus to a class in downtown Las Cruces. They’ve witnessed men behaving erratically, drug dealing in broad daylight and two vagrants outside their classroom window smoking crack or meth in the middle of the afternoon in full view of children as young as nine years old. Like many mothers, I am concerned for my children’s safety, especially in downtown Las Cruces, parking lots and city parks.
People are being harmed while trying to live peacefully and responsibly, such as Rosa Ortega, who was brutally attacked by a homeless person in broad daylight while walking to the grocery store. Another example is a yoga teacher in downtown Las Cruces, who was attacked with rocks thrown at her car and threatened with being raped and killed. Less than a year ago, LCPD Officer Jonah Hernandez was murdered while responding to a trespassing call, leaving behind his wife and two young children.
It is not compassionate to allow people to continue destroying their own lives and health with drugs; and it is the duty of government to ensure that these people are not allowed to continue destroying our community.
The New Mexico Legislature must enact laws to allow “incompetent” offenders to be directed into treatment, for the good of all. Currently, part of the problem is that the state’s definition for mental disorders does not include substance abuse disorder. This makes it very difficult to direct those who are addicted to drugs into the stabilizing treatment they need.
Furthermore, the current assisted outpatient treatment model is not enough. AOT is voluntary and, while it can work well for some offenders, it’s clearly not working for the top repeat offenders, many of
whom are violent and unstable. Much as we’d like to wish it wasn’t necessary, there must be a mechanism for involuntary commitment and treatment of those who are deemed incompetent.
The upcoming legislative session is a prime opportunity for change. Both Democratic and Republican legislators need to stop politicizing the issues and find common ground so that our communities and our state can survive. Safety across our state should be a top priority for our legislators, but it remains to be seen whether they will actually take any meaningful action.
Sarah Smith is coleader of the New Mexico Freedoms Alliance and vice chair of the Coalition of Conservatives in Action in Las Cruces. [...]
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rob woodJanuary 2, 2025Sound-OffWe are standing at the juncture of a possible whole new Age of Enlightenment but we must choose the right path. AI is not going back into the bottle and as we drag our feet and wait for some outside force to bring order to it the bad actors are doubling down on its use. Enlightenment only happens when a population chooses to gain far more applicable factual knowledge than the preceding generations. The ones that fail to do so are left to the whims of those that do.
Unless we change how we educate our future generations who hope to prosper by playing by the rules, their hopes and dreams will be snuffed by those who did not due to the foot dragging of our institutions of education combined with an entrenched populist backward thinking mindset. They become victims of our desire to not upset the applecart so as to retain the status quo purely because we have gotten comfortable with it.
There is so much food for thought in Sal Khan’s (Khan Academy) recent book, “Brave New Words” that I think it was rewritten since I first read it last month. I will embark on a third reading in conjunction with a reread of both Steven Pinker’s 2018 book “Enlightenment Now” to gain hope and Victor Davis Hansen’s “The Dying Citizen” to confront reality because unless we start connecting the dots and acting on those connections our children and their children will lead lives of not so quiet desperation.
Driving into the future with a major focus on what is in the rear view mirror only leads to disaster. Knowledge is power but only if applied.
Rob Wood [...]
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BethDecember 24, 2024Knowledge Boxhttps://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jesus-augustus
1 [...]
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CCIADecember 12, 2024Knowledge Boxhttps://www.empoweroversight.org/
Empower Oversight Whistleblowers & Research (EMPOWR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to enhancing independent oversight of government and corporate wrongdoing. EMPOWR works to help insiders document and report corruption to the proper authorities while also seeking to hold authorities accountable to act on those reports. [...]
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SarahDecember 5, 2024Action AlertDear Las Crucens,
Although there are many improvements in the newly revised zoning code proposal, there are still some things that you may be concerned about. For instance, apartment complexes would be allowed in any neighborhood.
If this is important to you, please email or call your City Councilor. Please be ready to attend and/or speak when City Council will be voting on this in early 2025 (schedule not yet released). See below for more information and potential talking points.
LISTEN CLOSELY: This is the husband of a Las Cruces City Councilor, explaining his rationale for GETTING RID OF SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS.
CITY VOTING TO END SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS BY ALLOWING APARTMENTS AND BUSINESSES – Sarah Smith
Revised Zoning Code Proposal
The proposed zoning code is still much better than the original draft from many months ago.
No longer allowing cannabis dispensaries, bars, restaurants, large retail stores, or large grocery stores in some of the neighborhood districts (previous version would have allowed cannabis, bars, etc with no buffer in residential neighborhoods)No longer imposing a maximum parking allowance for businesses (previous version would have severely restricted how much parking was allowed)
However, there continue to be issues with single family residential areas no longer being allowed.
With the way the code is currently written, apartment complexes would be allowed in ALL neighborhoods. CLARIFICATION FROM CITY STAFF: “The density varies through each of the residential zoning districts, and it is based on the intensity and the character area. In a NH-1U, the density is 40 dwelling units per acre whereas in a NH-1S the density is 16 dwelling units per acre. This will allow for flexibility within residential neighborhoods and provide the missing middle housing.“For instance, neighborhoods in Sonoma Ranch and High Range would generally allow apartment complexes with 16-30 dwellings per acre. Neighborhoods closer to downtown Las Cruces would allow apartment complexes with 50-60 dwellings per acre. The overall city map is a patchwork of different zones, but you can look up the proposed zone for your neighborhood at realizelascruces.com. Click on “Documents” and scroll down the map where you can search by address.Local grocery stores, cafés, museums, and libraries would also be allowed in all neighborhoods.Local retail stores and gas stations would be allowed in any neighborhood with a special permit.
This chart shows how many apartments would be allowed per acre in each zone. DUA = dwelling units per acre.
For your reference:
Redline version of newest proposed code: RLC_Development_Code__2024.10.15__-_Track_Changes.pdf
Proposed zoning map: Draft_RLC_Zoning_Districts.pdf
TWO WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
Potential 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/CALL CITY COUNCIL
Mayor – Eric Enriquez – [email protected] – 575-541-2067District 1 – Cassie McClure – [email protected] – 575-541-2073District 2 – Bill Mattiace – [email protected] – 575-541-2068District 3 – Becki Graham – [email protected] – 575-541-2070District 4 – Johana Bencomo – [email protected] – 575-541-2071District 5 – Becky Corran – [email protected] – 575-541-2072District 6 – Yvonne Flores – [email protected] – 575-541-2069City Clerk – Christine Rivera – [email protected] – 575 541-2115
All email addresses:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO SHOW CITY COUNCIL THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT AND/OR MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT
There will be a City Council work session in early 2025 where this will be voted on. The schedule has not yet been released.
POTENTIAL TALKING POINTS
Here are some potential talking points about the updated proposed Zoning code. 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.
The new code removes single family residential zoning altogether. This is wrong. There are many people and families who want to live in neighborhoods with only homes (with no businesses, apartments, etc).
There need to be some areas of town that maintain the ability to have homes only, without the noise and traffic that come along with businesses and apartment complexes. The traffic of having large apartment complexes, restaurants, and grocery stores in neighborhoods can pose a big safety hazard for young children and the elderly.To support the varying needs of our community, the City needs to allow both mixed use areas as well as family neighborhoods.
Thank you for taking action on this!
Sarah Smith, CCIA 1st Vice Chair
1 [...]
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BethDecember 4, 2024Knowledge Boxhttps://genflynn.substack.com/p/the-biden-program-of-sabotage [...]
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SarahNovember 27, 2024Action AlertDear Las Crucens,
We need your help! At the City Council meeting on Monday 12/2, they will be voting on legislative priorities for 2025. There are some BIG problems with their proposed list of legislation to support.
Will you please email, call, and/or attend the meeting to make a public comment? See below for more information and potential talking points.
THE SITUATION
When City Council approves their list of legislative priorities, they are telling our State legislators what to focus on for Las Cruces. However, City Council’s list of priorities is missing some very important items and also includes something quite damaging.
The resolution City Council will be voting on says:
The City of Las Cruces generally supports legislation regarding: Affordable housing Animal welfare Paid family medical leave Sustainability
(NOTE: You can view the full resolution here: Resolution No. 25-068 – Pdf)
LCPD Chief Story’s most important crime-related legislation priorities are not on the list, including:
Legislation to address competency restoration for violent felonies and repeat offenders; this is needed in order to stop the current situation where repeat offenders are being released over and over to commit more crimes.Allowing law enforcement to be a petitioner for Assisted Outpatient Treatment, to allow LCPD to get more people into the treatment they needPre-trial detention (bail reform) for violent crimes and repeat offenses while awaiting trialJuvenile justice reform to reduce juvenile repeat offenders
Additionally, it is a huge problem for City Council to be saying it supports Paid Family Medical Leave, which would:
Impose a new tax on every employee in the state, at a time when so many are already struggling with increased cost of livingRequire businesses to pay into a state-managed-fund to provide 3 months of paid leave for any employee; this would place a large financial burden on the businesses, especially small businesses Businesses would then have to allow employees to take several months of leave annually and would NOT be allowed to hire anyone else to replace those on leave; small businesses cannot function in this way
This would be devastating to small businesses in New Mexico and also potentially drive up the costs of goods and services for everyone!
TWO WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
Potential talking points are at the end of this email. 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/CALL CITY COUNCIL
Mayor – Eric Enriquez – [email protected] – 575-541-2067District 1 – Cassie McClure – [email protected] – 575-541-2073District 2 – Bill Mattiace – [email protected] – 575-541-2068District 3 – Becki Graham – [email protected] – 575-541-2070District 4 – Johana Bencomo – [email protected] – 575-541-2071District 5 – Becky Corran – [email protected] – 575-541-2072District 6 – Yvonne Flores – [email protected] – 575-541-2069City Clerk – Christine Rivera – [email protected] – 575 541-2115
All 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 COMMENT
There will be a City Council meeting on Monday December 2 at 1pm.
WHAT: City Council Meeting
WHEN: Monday December 1 at 1pm
WHERE: City Hall, 700 N Main St, Las Cruces 88001
POTENTIAL TALKING POINTS
Here 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.
City Council’s list of legislative priorities does not represent our interests.Please ask the legislature to address criminal competency in the upcoming session. We need this in order to reduce crime by repeat offenders in Las Cruces.Please tell the legislature that Las Cruces supports allowing law enforcement to be petitioners for Assisted Outpatient Treatment, in order to allow more people to be diverted into the treatment they need.Tell the legislature we need juvenile justice reform in order to reduce crime being perpetrated by juvenile repeat offenders.Please tell the legislature that Las Cruces supports pre-trial detention changes (bail reform) for those accused of violent crimes and those who commit additional crimes while awaiting trial.Paid Family Medical Leave would be devastating to NM small businesses. Please do NOT tell the NM legislature that Las Cruces supports Paid Family Medical Leave.
Thank you for taking action on this!
Sarah Smith – CCIA 1st Vice Chair
3 [...]
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Rob WoodNovember 19, 2024Sound-Off“It Doesn’t Hurt To Ask” by Trey GowdyI suggest a lot of books that I feel will help people see a deeper side of situations so they are not just reacting to the daily news flashes that come across our screens. So when I come across a synopsis like this by the author of one of those books I share it because we are all time deficient. I hope some may find the 30 minutes to listen to it. I am so glad 4 years ago Trey did this interview. I read his book “It Doesn’t Hurt To Ask” last year and it is nice to be able to gain a refresher on what he covered which is the practice of expertise in argument and get a glimpse of how the political environment has changed, not for the better in my opinion. We may have got Trump in but I am not very hopeful that the societal divide, which is our greatest challenge, will diminish because of it.https://youtu.be/tRRbONaxWo8?si=VqR9m6hwehKCoko9 [...]
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CCIANovember 18, 2024Education / Knowledge Box / Sound-OffSafe Use of Oxygen and Oxygen Systems: Handbook for Design, Operation, and Maintenance: Second Edition
You can watch the proclamation presentation, which begins at the 17-minute mark, from the City Council meeting of 18 November 2024.
https://www.youtube.com/live/F_DQwMUYdT4?t=1030
Right, Sarah co-wrote the book on oxygen safety. 🙂 [...]
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CCIAOctober 23, 2024Sound-Offhttps://www.lascrucesbulletin.com/stories/this-is-not-the-time-for-las-cruces-to-raise-grt,96894
This is not the time for Las Cruces to raise GRT
Posted Friday, October 18, 2024 2:48 pmSarah SmithGuest columnist
On Las Cruces’ voting ballot right now, the city council is asking us to increase the gross receipts tax. Our GRT is already significantly higher than Albuquerque’s. The proposed increase would make our taxes higher than Santa Fe, Ruidoso, Sunland Park and elsewhere.
This a really bad time to increase taxes. Many families are struggling to make ends meet due to the higher cost of living over the last few years, including higher prices for gas, housing, food, and clothing. The city’s budget has increased by over 40 percent since 2019, yet they are still asking us for more money?
City flyers say higher taxes “will provide increased public safety and improvements to city streets and parks.” These promises are disingenuous, given that the mayor and city council have refused to limit what the money can be used for in any meaningful way. The ballot text could have ensured that the funds wuld actually be used for public safety, streets and parks, but city council did not do this.
Instead, the ballot text includes open-ended wording which would allow the money to be used for essentially any capital improvement project that the city council wants. These taxes taken from the families of Las Cruces could very easily get diverted into things that the people never would have agreed to fund, such as hygiene stations for the homeless (which were proposed by city council last year) or no-sobriety-required homeless housing (like the Desert Hope homeless housing project on the corner of Foster and Pecos, which has devastated the surrounding neighborhood with drugs, crime and violence).
The mayor and city council also could have built in a sunset date on the tax increase, to make sure it does not become a forever tax. But they refused to do this. By state law, the city council already has the power to increase taxes by a smaller amount anytime they want to, without the public voting on it. They are waiting to see how we vote on this tax increase before deciding whether to go ahead and impose their own tax increase. If we vote to increase taxes, city council may see that as a green light to impose an additional tax increase.
I don’t think this is the right time to take more money from the families of Las Cruces. And with three city council positions up for election next year combined with a mayor who has no veto power, they can’t make any guarantees on what the money will be used for. I’ll be voting against the tax increase.
Sarah Smith is Vice Chair of the Coalition of Conservatives in Action in Las Cruces and she co-leads the New Mexico Freedoms Alliance. [...]
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Rob WoodSeptember 24, 2024Sound-OffGood Morning Mayor,
Good Morning Councilor Mattiace
I talk a lot about the problems created by a lack of meaningful economic development in our region. Santa Teresa and El Paso are seeing huge benefits for their people that it appears Las Cruces is unable to connect to. I hope you are aware of this publication as it highlights so much of the potential we can benefit from due to our proximity to the US/Mexico Border.
https://border-now.com/category/bordernow-magazine/
Our West Mesa Industrial Park and our airport are ideal if marketed correctly. I realize the huge accelerator for both locations would be an I-10/I-25 bypass that connects to I-10 near the fairgrounds. As the Union Pacific Rail Terminal north of the Doña Ana County airport continues to expand the necessity of that bypass will become necessary if NM just opens its eyes to a bigger picture. Right now all the growth in the Santa Teresa area actually benefits El Paso more than us to the north especially with the upcoming build of the Border Highway Connector between Santa Teresa and Paisano/375Loop.I suggest getting in touch with Union Pacific Railroad in order to learn about their plans for the Santa Teresa and the Picacho Peak AZ Rail Yards as sorting destinations to offset the lack of capacity in the CA Riverside area.Rob Wood [...]
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BethSeptember 16, 2024Sound-OffDear Editor:
Thank you for such a thorough covering of the Sept 12 public meeting on the shopping cart enforcement plan. With all the outrage that has eaten up hours of City Council time it is a pretty pathetic statement when only 6 people show up. It appears, at least to me, that since the heaviest penalties and costs weigh on the businesses that offer shopping carts for their customers convenience they are no longer the victims of a city soft on petty crimes but have now become the criminals. All those new costs will be added into the stores pricing so the honest consumer pays for them in the name of ridding our city, not of the homeless, but of the eye sore of them using shopping cars laden with their belongings. It does absolutely nothing with regards to the despondent state of those using them as they now appear to have wagons. Who is paying for that upgrade? Where can I get one?As far as those prosecuted for possessing an apparently stolen cart the article states that municipal court is all of a sudden going to get tough on this crime and force people into treatment programs which the cost of will be another burden on the public since most of those on the streets are not financially capable of paying a fine. Inn essence this makes the taxpayer complicit in the crime and thus pay the fine in their taxes as the success rate of forced treatment without long term mandated continual overview is extremely low.Unless the City and its complaining citizens quit focusing on appeasing poverty and turns to focusing on prosperity generating economic development we will continue down this bottomless rabbit hole as is shown by the failure of all poverty eradication programs that billions of dollars have been wasted on over the decades.Rob Wood
575-635-0803
3427 Chimney Rock Rd 88011 [...]
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SarahSeptember 8, 2024Action AlertThe City is accepting comments on the August 1st revision of the Zoning code through September 12th.
If you don’t think retail stores and large apartment complexes should be allowed in all neighborhoods, now is the time to speak up!
See the presentation below for more information on the newest Zoning revision and how to submit a comment.
Zoning-update-Aug-2024Download
Go here to leave a comment on the newest Zoning code revision by September 12th: https://freese.mysocialpinpoint.com/realize-las-cruces-openhouse/ideas#/ [...]
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rob woodAugust 22, 2024Sound-OffAll Children Are Dreamersand then they’re sent to schoolSince all children have grand dreams how about offering two books early on in their education, “The Richest Man in Babylon” by Clason, and “How to Be Rich” by J. Paul Getty. Yes, adults should read them also since they were denied this information in their education.I really encourage all to get a copy either in book form or for free online of John Taylor Gattos “Weapons of Mass Instruction”. Gatto taught from the late 60s into the 90s middle school in high end and low end public schools in NYC and finally in dismay resigned saying he no longer could do this to children. His resignation letter was published in the WSJ. I drove my grandson to school today. He is now a senior at a top performing 20 year old Charter school in San Diego. Here he is after over 11 years of school and he makes the comment to me that it is so discouraging to him that he was left behind throughout the years. I explained that it was not his fault, it is by design of a failed institution that leads to some premise that there is some standard of average it teaches to. I also suggest “The End of Average” by Todd Rose.In 1991 New York State Teacher of the Year, John Taylor Gatto, sent his resignation letter to the Wall Street Journal
I quit, I think
I’ve taught public school for 26 years, but I just can’t do it anymore. For years I asked the local school board and superintendent to let me teach a curriculum that doesn’t hurt kids, but they had other fish to fry. So, I’m going to quit, I think.
I’ve come slowly to understand what it is I really teach: A curriculum of confusion, class position, arbitrary justice, vulgarity, rudeness, disrespect for privacy, indifference to quality, and utter dependency. I teach how to fit into a world I don’t want to live in.
I just can’t do it anymore. I can’t train children to wait to be told what to do; I can’t train people to drop what they are doing when a bell sounds; I can’t persuade children to feel some justice in their class placement when there isn’t any, and I can’t persuade children to believe teachers have valuable secrets they can acquire by becoming our disciples. That isn’t true.
Government schooling is the most radical adventure in history. It kills the family by monopolizing the best times of childhood and by teaching disrespect for home and parents.
An exaggeration? Hardly. Parents aren’t meant to participate in our form of schooling, rhetoric to the contrary. My orders as schoolteacher are to make children fit an animal training system, not to help each find his or her personal path.
The whole blueprint of school procedure is Egyptian, not Greek or Roman. It grows from the faith that human value is a scarce thing, represented symbolically by the narrow peak of a pyramid.
That idea passed into American history through the Puritans. It found its “scientific” presentation in the bell curve, along which talent supposedly apportions itself by some Iron Law of biology.
It’s a religious idea and school is its church. New York City hires me to be a priest. I offer rituals to keep heresy at bay. I provide documentation to justify the heavenly pyramid.
Socrates foresaw that if teaching became a formal profession something like this would happen. Professional interest is best served by making what is easy to do seem hard; by subordinating laity to priesthood. School has become too vital a jobs project, contract-giver and protector of the social order to allow itself to be “re-formed.” It has political allies to guard its marches.
That’s why reforms come and go-without changing much. Even reformers can’t imagine school much different.
David learns to read at age four; Rachel, at age nine: In normal development, when both are 13, you can’t tell which one learned first — the five-year spread means nothing at all. But in school I will label Rachel “learning disabled” and slow David down a bit, too.
For a paycheck, I adjust David to depend on me to tell him when to go and stop. He won’t outgrow that dependency. I identify Rachel as discount merchandise, “special education.” After a few months she’ll be locked into her place forever.
In 26 years of teaching rich kids and poor, I almost never met a “learning disabled” child; hardly ever met a “gifted and talented” one, either. Like all school categories, these are sacred myths, created by the human imagination. They derive from questionable values we never examine because they preserve the temple of schooling.
That’s the secret behind short-answer tests, bells, uniform time blocks, age grading, standardization, and all the rest of the school religion punishing our nation.
There isn’t a right way to become educated; there are as many ways as fingerprints. We don’t need state-certified teachers to make education happen–that probably guarantees it won’t.
How much more evidence is necessary? Good schools don’t need more money or a longer year; they need real free-market choices, variety that speaks to every need and runs risks. We don’t need a national curriculum, or national testing either. Both initiatives arise from ignorance of how people learn, or deliberate indifference to it.
I can’t teach this way any longer. If you hear of a job where I don’t have to hurt kids to make a living, let me know. Come fall I’ll be looking for work, I think.
John Taylor Gatto, The Wall Street Journal July 25th, 1991. Rob Wood [...]
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Jody KincaidAugust 19, 2024Sound-OffCCIA members, we are here because we want to resist the incremental deterioration of our society and the concomitant destruction of our way of life here in America. Juan has invited a speaker on two occasions that touched on the subject of the incorporation of our government, effectively setting aside the Constitution and substituting a non Constitutional entity. As a means of reversing this action, researchers have found that the original Constitutional Republic was never actually closed down or destroyed, but was simply unoccupied. Lincoln essentially declared martial law after the South walked out of Congress without adjourning the session. The government was unoccupied, not ended. The Republic for the United States of America is a movement that is reoccupying the vacated seats and establishing a Constitutional Republic as it was originally intended. When the corporation fails, patriotic citizens will be able to re-establish the Republic that our Founding Fathers by having a real government ready to take the reins. Juan has posted the link to a Rumble video by Lt Col Sandy Miarecki PhD going into detail regarding this subject. We should all watch this and consider if you want to participate in this project. At this time it doesn’t involve time or effort to sign up and register as a supporter of the Constitution. Please watch this presentation and share it with anyone who might be interested. Thanks to all of you- Jody Kincaid [...]
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CCIAAugust 8, 2024Action Alerthttps://www.givesendgo.com/lchomeless
CCIA is raising funds to provide essential carrying solutions (like backpacks, duffels, etc.) for homeless individuals. These replace the inappropriate use of grocery carts for carrying personal belongings. We partner with charities to ensure donations reach those in urgent need.
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Juan GarciaAugust 7, 2024Bulletin Board / Knowledge BoxCCIA is raising funds to provide essential carrying solutions (like backpacks, duffels, etc.) for homeless individuals. These replace the inappropriate use of grocery carts for carrying personal belongings. We partner with charities to ensure donations reach those in urgent need.
https://www.givesendgo.com/lchomeless [...]
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SarahAugust 5, 2024Action AlertLas Cruces City Council PASSED the ordinances against shopping cart possession (to direct people into treatment), soliciting/loitering on roadways and narrow medians, and aggressive panhandling.
THANK YOU Mayor Eric Enriquez, Councilor Becki Graham, Councilor Cassie McClure, and Councilor Bill Mattiace for having the COURAGE to try something different in supporting LCPD Chief Jeremy Story’s ordinances!
If you want to THANK those who voted YES, here’s their contact info:
Mayor – Eric Enriquez – [email protected] – 575-541-2067District 1 – Cassie McClure – [email protected] – 575-541-2073District 2 – Bill Mattiace – [email protected] – 575-541-2068District 3 – Becki Graham – [email protected] – 575-541-2070
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO TOOK ACTION ON THIS! This was a great collaborative effort by several local community groups including CCIA, Businesses for a Safer Las Cruces, and Neighborhood Watch Associations. TEAMWORK!
It’s a small step, but for now we can celebrate this little win towards a better future for our City! [...]
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SarahAugust 1, 2024Action Alert / UncategorizedDear Las Crucens,
We need your help! The two crime-related ordinances proposed by Chief Story will be voted on by City Council on August 5.
Will you please email, call, and/or attend the Monday August 5 City Council meeting to make a public comment? See below for more information and potential talking points.
The Situation
TWO PROPOSED ORDINANCES The Las Cruces police department has developed two new ordinances to help with the crime situation. Snapshots of the ordinances are at the bottom of this email, or you can download and read the proposed ordinances with the links below.Shopping cart containment and retrieval ordinance (DOWNLOAD Ordinance 3079): Requires businesses to be proactive in trying to prevent theft of their shopping carts Makes it unlawful to take shopping carts, possess shopping carts, and abandon shopping carts Imposes penalties such as petty misdemeanor charges and fines
Solicitation ordinance (DOWNLOAD Ordinance 3078): Makes it illegal to aggressively panhandle Makes it illegal to solicit money on roadways with speed limits of 30mph or greater Makes it illegal to stand or loiter on highways or their exits Makes it illegal to stand or loiter on medians less than 4-feet across on a roads with speed limits of 30mph or greater
CITY COUNCIL VOTE ON ORDINANCES
These two ordinances will be voted on at the City Council meeting on Monday August 5. The Mayor is expected to allow the public to make comments at the meeting. Typically, 3 minutes are allowed for public comments, however be prepared to trim your comment down to 1 or 2 minutes if there are many people who will be speaking.
Comments and emails will be most effective if they relate to personal experiences with issues related to shopping carts or soliciting (panhandling) specifically.
NOTES: The meeting agenda includes many other items. If you are going to speak about the ordinances at the meeting, be prepared to potentially stay at the meeting for a long time.
There is usually a public comment period near the beginning of the meeting. The Mayor will NOT allow people to speak about agenda items at that time, but would instead ask you to wait until your agenda item is reached.
TWO WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
Potential talking points are provided below. 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/CALL CITY COUNCIL
Mayor – Eric Enriquez – [email protected] – 575-541-2067District 1 – Cassie McClure – [email protected] – 575-541-2073District 2 – Bill Mattiace – [email protected] – 575-541-2068District 3 – Becki Graham – [email protected] – 575-541-2070District 4 – Johana Bencomo – [email protected] – 575-541-2071District 5 – Becky Corran – [email protected] – 575-541-2072District 6 – Yvonne Flores – [email protected] – 575-541-2069City Clerk – Christine Rivera – [email protected] – 575 541-2115
All email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
PLEASE ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING- WEAR YOUR CCIA COLORS
We need as many people as possible to attend. Even if you are not going to speak, please attend to show support for these ordinances.
WHAT: City Council Meeting
WHEN: Monday August 5th at 1pm
WHERE: City Hall, 700 N Main St, Las Cruces 88001
POTENTIAL TALKING POINTS
Here 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 support the shopping cart ordinance and solicitation ordinance.Shopping carts are being stolen and there need to be consequences.Please make it easier for businesses and families to be safe by approving the solicitation ordinance.NM has one of the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities. Please support the solicitation ordinance to decrease pedestrian accidents in Las Cruces.The shopping cart ordinance does NOT criminalize homelessness. It is already illegal to steal shopping carts and to be in possession of stolen property. The new ordinance will make it possible for the judge to direct the offender into treatment as a form of community service.
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SarahJuly 28, 2024Action Alert / UncategorizedGovernor Lujan Grisham’s Town Hall
Although we have opposed much of what the Governor has done during her tenure, she demonstrated with the Bills she proposed for the special session and her comments at Thursday’s Town Hall that she is ready to work on the crime issues. No matter her motives, we need to take what we can get for better crime laws.
The Governor understands the competency issues, she recognizes that we cannot continue to allow “incompetent” repeat offenders to destroy their own lives and our community, and members of her own family have suffered horrifically at the hands of offenders in NM. The meeting lasted until almost midnight because the Governor allowed everyone to speak.
MORE THAN 5000 DANGEROUS FELONIES HAVE BEEN DISMISSED FOR “INCOMPETENCY” – Gov MLG
NM IS KNOWN FOR PERMISSIVE HOMELESSNESS, PEOPLE COME HERE FOR NO ACCOUNTABILITY – Gov MLG
City Councilors Mattiace and McClure attended the Town Hall. However, as demonstrated in the below Progressive Manifesto, several of our City Councilors (Bencomo and Corran) are not willing to actually engage with the public, hear what people are experiencing, and challenge their own beliefs based on the evidence of what is happening in our community.
What the Governor is calling for is a way to get “incompetent” offenders into the treatment they need. It is NOT compassionate to allow people to continue destroying their own lives with drugs. But Councilors Bencomo and Corran apparently can’t move past their politicized talking points.
Message From the Chair
Capitalize on opportunities
For years, Las Cruces has been overwhelmed by a “blue political tide.” But we finally have a chance to push back. I am not a fan of MLG, but when she began holding the legislature accountable for ignoring public safety, I saw that she shared many of our frustrations. At last Thursday’s Town Hall, she echoed our sentiments.
The Governor’s validation of our concerns about local progressive candidates (incumbents) is an opportunity we can’t miss. The incumbents have consistently ignored and refused to support our small businesses that have been ravaged by crime. We must seize this moment to demand change. Candidates, don’t miss this chance to show your support for our community and our businesses and contrast your message with the progressives.
This billboard is not allowed by the Billboard company, but we can make an impact by posting it far and wide!
Message from the 1st Vice Chair
Op Ed: Both Republican and Democrat Legislators Failed Us
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SarahJuly 15, 2024Action Alert / Uncategorizedby Sarah Smith
Dear New Mexicans,
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is calling the legislature into Special Session on July 18th to focus specifically on crime bills. Although we haven’t agreed with most of what the Governor has done, this is one time when we are alignment, as the Bills she is proposing (described below) have the potential to help our situation with repeat offenders and high crime.
Will you please give 2 minutes to send an email to all NM legislators to urge them to collaborate to make the special session a success?
GO HERE to easily email the legislators: https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=22939
NOTE: Your email will be even more effective if you CHANGE THE SUBJECT LINE so it will stand out in the legislators’ email inboxes.
ABOUT THE CRIME BILLS
Here is a summary of some of the crime Bills being proposed by the Governor.
COMPETENCY BILL – This bill requires judges to order district attorneys to consider filing for involuntary commitment of criminal defendants if their competency is in question and gives the judge the ability to detain the defendant for up to seven days to initiate the petition. The judge would be required to hold the defendant for up to seven days and the DA is required to file a petition for involuntary civil commitment under at least one of the following three circumstances:
Serious violent offenseA felony involving the use of a firearmDefendant has been found incompetent two or more times in the previous 12 months
INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT – This bill would broaden the definitions of danger to self and danger to others in the involuntary commitment statue.
FELON IN POSSESSION – This bill would upgrade the regular felon in possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime law from a third degree to a second-degree felony. It would also establish a new mandatory minimum term of nine years imprisonment for this offense. (Current law provides for “up to” a three-year for regular offenders). The bill would also change the serious violent felon in possession sentence from third to second degree felony with mandatory 12-year prison sentence. (Current law provides for an up to nine-year term).
MEDIAN/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY – This bill would make it illegal to loiter on a median 36 inches or narrower in areas where the speed limit is 30 mph or more.
There is more info about the Bills here:
2024 Special Legislative Session
ABOUT REPEAT OFFENDERS
Here are a few resources if you want to learn more about “competency” and repeat offenders in New Mexico.
Santa Fe New Mexican Op-Ed, “Legislature Must Fix Catch and Release System”Top repeat offenders in Las CrucesLas Cruces Police Chief Story Presenting to Legislature Crime, Courts and Justice Committee about Incompetency and Repeat Offenders
GO HERE to easily email the legislators: https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=22939
Thank you for taking action on this for the safety of our community! [...]
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BethJuly 9, 2024Knowledge Box / UncategorizedI invite all to access this site and consider adding your name to the list of concerned voting citizens who want the SAVE ACT to pass. You can sign up to Join the Movement to Protect the Ballot Box for American Citizens and also, sign the ACTIVIST PLEDGE requesting Congress pledge to stop non citizen voting.
DO IT TODAY!!
https://www.onlycitizensvotecoalition.com/ [...]
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SarahJune 18, 2024Action Alert / UncategorizedDear Las Crucens,
Although there are many improvements in the newly revised zoning code proposal, it still severely limits how much parking businesses are allowed to have.
Will you please submit a written comment about the new code? See below for more information and potential talking points.
REVISED Zoning Code Proposal
A newly revised version of the Las Cruces development code has been released. Improvements in the new draft include:
No longer allowing cannabis dispensaries, bars, restaurants, retail stores, or grocery stores in some of the neighborhood districts (the previous version would have allowed cannabis, bars, etc with no buffer in residential neighborhoods)Added provisions for allowing livestock/animal keeping in the more rural/less dense housing areas (the previous version neglected to allow any livestock keeping at all)Restricting apartment complexes to specific neighborhood districts unless there is a Special Use Permit (the previous version would have allowed apartments in all neighborhoods)
However, there continue to be issues with the proposed changes to the parking code.
With the way the code is currently written, businesses will not be allowed to have enough parking for their customers. This will be especially problematic for restaurants and bars.
For instance, a mid-sized 3000 square foot restaurant could have 100-120 customers with ~20 staff, yet they’d only be allowed 15 parking spaces, which would not even be enough for their employees.
NOTE: City Council is having a work session about this new proposed zoning code on Monday June 24 at 1pm.
PLEASE SUBMIT A COMMENT TO THE CITY
Please submit comments here :
https://freese.mysocialpinpoint.com/realize-las-cruces-comment-wall/ideas#/
CLICK to leave a comment at the City website
Scroll down if you need more info or potential talking points. Please be respectful in your communications for the maximum positive impact.
Make sure to Click on the box that says “3 Zoning Regulations” and then you will be able to make your comment.
NOTE: The comment form only allows short comments. Feel free to LEAVE MULTIPLE COMMENTS in order to make your voice heard.
DOWNLOAD Redline Version of Updated Proposed Code
There will now be a cap on how large parking lots can be at businesses. (Existing businesses would be grandfathered in.)The required minimum number of parking places has been reduced for many types of businesses.Where the minimum allowed parking spaces is 20 or less, no more than 50% over the minimum of parking spaces will be allowed.Where the minimum allowed parking spaces is over 20, no more than 10% over the minimum of parking spaces is allowed (unless there is a parking demand study and approval up to 50% additional parking by the Community Development Director).If you want to see what minimum parking is allowed for different types of businesses in more detail, click the Blue button above to download the draft code and look at pages 196-204.
POTENTIAL TALKING POINTS
Here are some potential talking points about the updated proposed Zoning code. 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.
Thank you for listening to the community’s concerns by ensuring we will not have retail, restaurants, bars, and cannabis in some neighborhood zones.
Please do not add in a parking lot size cap. Businesses need to have the flexibility to determine their own parking needs.
As written, the maximums imposed for parking will make it impossible for restaurants and other businesses to operate sustainably.
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SarahJune 14, 2024Action Alert / UncategorizedOur criminal justice system is failing those with mental health problems and/or drug addiction.
Many of the repeat offenders in Las Cruces are deemed “incompetent” to stand trial so they are just released back onto the streets, where they commit crime after crime after crime. The New Mexico legislature must enact laws to allow “incompetent” offenders to be directed into treatment, for the good of all.
Go here to learn about some of the top repeat offenders in Las Cruces: https://conservativesinaction.org/repeat-offenders/ [...]
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SarahMay 27, 2024Action Alert / UncategorizedDear Las Crucens,
Recently, Congressional Representative Gabe Vasquez (District 2) voted to allow illegal immigrants to vote in Washington DC. This is an affront to the integrity of our elections!
Will you please email and/or call Representative Vasquez to express your concerns? See below for more information and potential talking points.
THE SITUATION
On May 23, the US House of Representatives voted on a Bill that would have prohibited illegal immigrants from voting in Washington DC. Although this Bill passed, our local Representative Gabe Vasquez voted against the Bill. In essence, his vote was the equivalent of saying that it is okay for illegal immigrants to vote in USA elections.
Links for more info:
Vote tally: https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024232Read the Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/192
HOW TO TAKE ACTION
PLEASE EMAIL/CALL REPRESENTATIVE GABE VASQUEZ
Email: [email protected] Cruces office: (575) 323-6390Washington DC office: (202) 225-2365
POTENTIAL TALKING POINTS
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.
Voting is a right for those who are citizens of this country, and not for those who do not have citizenship.Your vote to allow illegal immigrants to vote in Washington DC undermines the integrity of our elections.As your constituent, I am appalled that you voted to continue allowing noncitizens to vote.I disapprove of your recent vote to allow noncitizens to vote in Washington DC. As your constituent, I am asking you to stand up for fair elections and vote against any allowance for noncitizens to vote. [...]
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SarahMay 26, 2024Action Alert / UncategorizedLook for this digital billboard in Las Cruces for the next 4 weeks.
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SarahMay 9, 2024Action Alert / UncategorizedAt Monday’s City Council meeting, two good things happened:
The Mayor made a motion to remove the divisive pro-Palestinian resolution from the meeting agenda. This passed with only Councilor Corran and Mayor Pro Tem Bencomo in opposition.$1.1 million funding for the Real Time Crime Center was passed unanimously.
THANKS to the many of you who emailed, attended, or spoke at City Council about these topics! Your efforts made a difference!
As a result of the City Council voting to remove the ceasefire resolution from the agenda, pro-Palestinian protestors erupted into angry screaming about genocide and “Viva Palestina.” They continued to disrupt the meeting until told to leave by LCPD.
Meanwhile, many other attendees remained calm and waited their chance to make public comments that the City Council should never have even considered this divisive resolution.
Local news coverage of the ceasefire resolution removal and protest:
https://www.lascrucesbulletin.com/stories/las-cruces-gaza-cease-fire-resolution,80162https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/las-cruces-council-meeting-erupts-over-palestine-ceasefire-resolution [...]
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SarahMay 3, 2024Action Alert / UncategorizedSarah Smith, Juan Garcia, and Julia Ruiz
Dear Las Crucens,
On Monday May 6, the Las Cruces City Council will be voting on a Pro-Palestinian Ceasefire Resolution. This is a highly divisive topic that the City Council does not need to be taking a stance on.
If this topic is important to you, please email, call, and/or attend the May 6 meeting to make a public comment. See below for more information and potential talking points.
Image from Las Cruces Bulletin
THE SITUATION
Protesters have repeatedly asked the City Council to sign a pro-Palestine resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Three Councilors (Bencomo, Corran, and Graham) have already spoken in favor of such a resolution, and it is on the meeting agenda for May 6.
TWO WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
Potential 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.
EMAIL/CALL CITY COUNCIL
Mayor – Eric Enriquez – [email protected] – 575-541-2067District 1 – Cassie McClure – [email protected] – 575-541-2073District 2 – Bill Mattiace – [email protected] – 575-541-2068District 3 – Becki Graham – [email protected] – 575-541-2070District 4 – Johana Bencomo – [email protected] – 575-541-2071District 5 – Becky Corran – [email protected] – 575-541-2072District 6 – Yvonne Flores – [email protected] – 575-541-2069City Clerk – Christine Rivera – [email protected] – 575 541-2115
All 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 COMMENT
There will be a City Council meeting on May 6 at 1pm. You can attend either to speak or to show support for others who are speaking. NOTE: The Mayor will likely require people to wait to speak about this topic until that agenda item is reached in the meeting.
WHAT: City Council Meeting
WHEN: Monday May 6 at 1pm
WHERE: City Hall, 700 N Main St, Las Cruces 88001
POTENTIAL TALKING POINTS
Here 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.
The Israel/Palestine conflict is a highly divisive issue. City Council does not need to get involved in this one way or the other.The Israel/Palestine conflict is a distraction from more important local issues.Please focus on the important issues our community is facing including crime, blight, and homelessness.This resolution will cause unnecessary division and tension in our community.Please do NOT pass this and instead focus on finding ways to unite and help our local community.
Thank you for taking action on this! [...]
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SarahApril 26, 2024Action Alert / UncategorizedSarah Smith, Julia Ruiz, and Juan Garcia
Dear Las Crucens,
We need your help! Two new ordinances are being proposed to help with the crime situation in Las Cruces.
Will you please email, call, and/or attend the Monday April 29 work session to make a public comment? See below for more information and potential talking points.
THE SITUATION
TWO PROPOSED ORDINANCES
The Las Cruces police department has worked on two new ordinances to help with the crime situation. Snapshots of the ordinances are at the bottom of this email, or you can download and read the proposed ordinances in full here: https://lascruces.civicweb.net/document/198072/SOLICITATION%20AND%20SHOPPING%20CART%20ORDINANCES..pdf?handle=160DBA1DF7914506AC88FF6ABF5245F0
Shopping cart containment and retrieval ordinance:
Requires businesses to be proactive in trying to prevent theft of their shopping cartsMakes it unlawful to take shopping carts, possess shopping carts, and abandon shopping cartsImposes penalties such as petty misdemeanor charges and fines
Solicitation ordinance:
Makes it illegal to aggressively panhandleMakes it illegal to solicit money on roadways (but does not prevent standing on the medians, as those types of prohibitions have not been upheld in legal challenges)
WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS ORDINANCES
These two ordinances will be discussed at the work session on Monday April 29. The ordinances are the ONLY items on the agenda for this meeting. The Mayor typically allows the public to ask questions or make comments during work sessions.
Comments and emails will be most effective if they relate to personal experiences with issues related to shopping carts or soliciting (panhandling) specifically.
NOTE: The City Council will NOT be voting on the Ordinances at the work session. They are only allowed to vote on Ordinances at City Council meetings (not at work sessions).
TWO WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
Potential talking points are provided below. 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/CALL CITY COUNCIL
Mayor – Eric Enriquez – [email protected] – 575-541-2067District 1 – Cassie McClure – [email protected] – 575-541-2073District 2 – Bill Mattiace – [email protected] – 575-541-2068District 3 – Becki Graham – [email protected] – 575-541-2070District 4 – Johana Bencomo – [email protected] – 575-541-2071District 5 – Becky Corran – [email protected] – 575-541-2072District 6 – Yvonne Flores – [email protected] – 575-541-2069City Clerk – Christine Rivera – [email protected] – 575 541-2115
All email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
PLEASE ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
There will be a special City Council work session on Monday April 29 at 1pm. We need as many people as possible to attend. Even if you are not going to speak, please attend to show support for these ordinances.
WHAT: City Council Meeting
WHEN: Monday April 29 at 1pm
WHERE: City Hall, 700 N Main St, Las Cruces 88001
POTENTIAL TALKING POINTS
Here 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 support the shopping cart ordinance and solicitation ordinance.Shopping carts are being stolen and there need to be consequences.Please make it easier for businesses and families to be safe by approving the solicitation ordinance.
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CCIAApril 21, 2024Education / Knowledge BoxDear Las Cruces area parents,
Many parents are unaware of some important issues and policies affecting students in Las Cruces schools including:
New state laws that allow children of any age to access abortion and transgender healthcare without parental consent or notification (Reference: HB7 Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Care)
o These laws also impose fines of $5,000 on school nurses or teachers who do not facilitate access to this healthcare
Transgender affirmation in Las Cruces schools (Reference: LCPS Regulation JBD – Gender Inclusive Schools)
o Biologically-male transgender students are allowed to use girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms
o Transgender students are allowed to participate in sports in their chosen gender identity, thereby potentially displacing girls by requiring them to compete with biological boys who are naturally stronger and faster
o “Comfort closets” at several schools are being used by students to change their gender appearance at school
Age-inappropriate sexually explicit books in school libraries
o Adult “erotic romance” books are listed in LCPS middle and high school library catalogs
o Such books contain graphic descriptions of sex acts, anal sex, and bondage, including illegal sex acts between adults and minors
o Three examples are Jack of Hearts and Other Parts book in Mayfield High School library. Push book at Organ Mountain High School, and Court of Silver Flames book listed in Sierra Middle School and 3 high school libraries
We have a working group of concerned citizens and parents who are working to increase parent awareness of these issues and push for improvements in LCPS policies.
Three questions for you:
1. Would you be interested in attending a parents’ forum where you can learn more about these issues in LCPS? If so, which of the following are best for availability?
Weekday evening or Saturday afternoonCurrent semester, summer, or next semester
2. Do you want to receive updates about these issues?
3. Are you potentially interested in getting involved in these efforts?
Thanks for your time. Feel free to share this with other parents who may be interested. Please let me know if you want to be removed from this email list.
Sincerely,Sarah Smith
Las Cruces, NM [...]
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SarahApril 14, 2024Action AlertImage from KRWG
Alma d’Arte High School (a charter school in Las Cruces) is facing significant challenges. This charter school has its own school board and does not fall under the purview of Las Cruces Public Schools.
The school board has been making significant changes and is aiming to turn the school around, yet they are facing opposition from students and parents. The school is at risk of losing its state grants and being shut down.
As a community advocacy organization, we are looking for CCIA members to attend the 4/15 school board meeting.
This will demonstrate that the community cares about what happens at this school and allow us to determine if CCIA should involve itself in this issue.
There may be media present at the meeting due to recent increased scrutiny. Juan and Joan plan to attend as well.
WHAT: Alma d’Arte School Board MeetingWHEN: Monday April 15 at 6pmWHERE: 402 West Court Avenue, Las Cruces 88005
You can download the agenda for the meeting here: https://www.almadarte.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/April-Agenda-2024-Final.pdf
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