Editorials

BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION In June 2023, a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility exploded in Cameron, Louisiana, leading to an evacuation of the entire town of 219 people, and rolling blackouts in the area. New Mexico Gas Company (NMGC) wants to build an LNG facility...

The following letter was sent to the editor of the Rio Rancho Observer, and the paper has failed to print it. Therefore, the letter is being published here to let Sandoval County Democrats know that the allegations of election fraud are unfounded. Dear Editor, After...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Re-printed from the Rio Rancho Observer with permission. On Dec. 13, the Observer posted an article to its website about the surge of patients pushing hospitals beyond their licensed capacity. The cause? A “triple-demic” of flu, COVID...

But we must guard against the anti- democratic behavior of the Republican PartyBy Senator Fred Harris In the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln spoke not only about our government of the people and for the people, but also by the people, reiterating the fundamental...

The Albuquerque Journal’s endorsement of Mr. Ronchetti for Governor would be funny if the consequences weren't so dire.  "A Republican political neophyte with zero management experience."  ".....has not served on a county commission, in a state cabinet post, in...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Republicans didn’t have a party platform in 2020 because electing Donald Trump was their platform. If Republicans revealed what they really stand for, it would be a recipe for defeat, so don't look for one in 2024, either. But Sen. Rick...

Joe Biden delivers while Yvette Herrell says “NO!” By Nandini Pillai Kuehn, Ph.D., MHA, Retired Health Care Consultant, DPSC Ward D Chair On August 14, two letters appeared in the Journal. One was from Democratic Senator Ben Ray Lujan touting the CHIPS Act—spelling...

A version of this letter appeared in the June 12, 2022 edition of the Rio Rancho Observer. The author, an active Democrat and teacher, gave permission to the Democratic Party of Sandoval Count to use his letter. Editor: On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote his wife,...

By Jessie James Casaus, Sandoval County Sheriff As Sandoval County grows, it’s essential that public safety enforcement agencies and community stakeholders work together to build positive interaction experiences. We continue to follow a positive team approach, which...

A version of this letter appeared in the June 12, 2022 edition of the Rio Rancho Observer. The author, an advocate for common sense gun laws, gave permission to the Democratic Party of Sandoval Count to use her letter. Editor: Your editorial headline on May 29, 2022,...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Re-printed from the Rio Rancho Observer with permission. The leak of the draft Supreme Court decision is a wakeup call that a handful of right- wing Christian theocrats are about to pull the plug on abortion rights. Denying women...

From: Alexandria PILAND <alexpiland@msn.com>Sent: Monday, May 23, 2022 6:15 PMSubject: Condemnation of Treasurer, Tim Eichenberg's Actions For Immediate Release: Letter to the Editor Contact: Alex Piland, Call or Text: 505.350-6590 Email: alexpiland@msn.com...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Medicare Advantage—private insurance with much looser rules than Traditional Medicare—can be enticing. Compared to Traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage offers lower costs and extra benefits such as vision, hearing, and dental...

By Daymon Ely, NM State House Representative House District 23 I have served in the legislature for the past six years.In that time, I saw two major changes: 1 - a change from a Republican administration (Gov. Martinez) to a Democratic administration (Gov....

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Russia has silenced independent media, and journalists are fleeing the country. The Russian people have virtually no access to fact-based, objective reporting. But lest you fear that Russians aren’t hearing Western voices, rest assured...

Young leader offers pride and hope to Democrats By Jaden Chavez, Freshman, Political Science Major, UNM The world is used to telling people like me that our passions, priorities, and proposals don’t matter—or what’s almost worse, that they can simply wait. After all,...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Test your knowledge of New Mexico politicians.Match the quote with the speaker and be reminded once again why it’s critical to vote Democratic up and down the ballot. Download the document to test your skills.

From the Santa Fe New Mexican - February 11, 2022

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary In the past, far-right-wing extremists were viewed as a fringe element that could be contained. But Robert A. Pape, political science professor at the University of Chicago and director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats,...

All New Mexicans deserve quality healthcare By Ann E. Kepley, Precinct 132 Chair, DPSC All New Mexicans deserve a home- grown health care system that reflects our unique healthcare needs. New Mexicans deserve an affordable plan that provides coordinated preventive...

This letter to the editor appeared in the Dec. 26, 2021, issue of the Rio Rancho Observer Dear Editor, On last week’s editorial page of the Rio Rancho Observer, one of the newspaper’s reporters explained what the Democratic Party of Sandoval County needs to do to win...

Published on November 14, 2021 in the Rio Rancho Observer The letter of Charles Sullivan of Albuquerque in the Rio Rancho Observer of Nov. 7, 2021, disappoints. Some of the presented “facts” have some basis; some have some basis but are used misleadingly; some are...

Published on November 14, 2021 in the Rio Rancho Observer For a variety of historic and geographic reasons, New Mexico struggles to overcome a legacy of poverty, lagging educational achievement and sluggish economic growth. Last week’s letter to the editor by Charles...

By Hannah Grover This story originally was published by the New Mexico Political Report and is republished with acknowledgment....

By Gail PinkepankArticle appeared in the ABQ Journal Opinion Section on November 15, 2021 It’s no wonder that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham recently appointed Jason Bowie,who was serving as Deputy Chief of the Rio Rancho Police Department (RRPD), asSecretary of the...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Remdesivir is the COVID-19 drug that can shorten hospital stays. Gilead, its developer, received $162 million in federal funding for clinical trials and other assistance to accelerate its market availability. Gilead also benefited from...

By Katherine Bruch, Sandoval County Commissioner, Dist. 1 This summer, smoke from wildfires as close as the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and as far away as the Sierra Nevada’s, blanketed New Mexico.  Ongoing drought and heatwaves are threatening public safety and...

By Trip Jennings, New Mexico In Depth- October 30, 2021This story was originally published by New Mexico In Depth - https://nmindepth.com/2021/10/30/trying-to-understand-fear-of-critical-race-theory-and-diversity-programs/ I’ve been watching school board races across...

School boards can have significant implications for our children’s education, which is why voters in Rio Rancho School District 1 deserve a serious discussion of the vastly contrasting positions of myself and my opponent. Yet Robyn Schmalz’s letter in last Sunday’s...

It’s no wonder that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham recently appointed Jason Bowie,serving as Deputy Chief of the Rio Rancho Police Department (RRPD), as Secretary ofthe New Mexico Department of Public Safety. To help prevent the violent incidents wehave seen around...

The Rio Rancho Observer in its Oct. 10 editorial and opinions page threw its policy out the window that banned publication of letters that tout or attack specific candidates for election. The attack came against Gary Tipp in a nonpartisan election for Rio Rancho...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary We are advised to consult our doctor if we have concerns about getting the COVID-19 vaccination. But what if your doctor is a politician who promotes misleading information about vaccines and masking? What if your doctor advocates not...

While Governor Lujan Grisham is Endorsed by the NEA, GOP Candidates Support Policies that Harm Educators Today, National Education Association-New Mexico (NEA-NM) endorsed Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for a second term, touting her moonshot investment in New...

A Dedicated Lifelong Educator Squares Off Against a Right Wing Extremist The following letter is Gary Tripp’s response to Brenner’s baseless accusations (click here to read selected Brenner tweets) that the Rio Rancho Public Schools are teaching critical race theory....

By Melissa Fernandez I was heartened to read Gary Tripp’s letter in the Rio Rancho Observer. His good ideas for improving our schools were a much-needed antidote to Patrick Monroe Brenner’s willfully ignorant screed published the week before. No, critical race theory...

Insults and complaints demoralize dedicated, hard-working teachers Billie Helean, 1st Grade Teacher, Rio Rancho School Employees Union President, Labor Employees Union President, and Labor Liaison to the DPSC Executive Committee When we finished the last school year,...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Democrats have proven we can overcome voter suppression through the strength of our ideas and organizing energy. But Republicans are not deterred in their efforts to undermine democracy. They are now positioning themselves to nullify...

Indigenous educators must ensure Indigenous knowledge and ancestral wisdom are perpetuated By Jon Ghahate, Cultural Educator, Indian Pueblo Cultural CenterRe-printed from the Green Fire Times with permission. Each of the 573 U.S. federally recognized Indigenous...

From the Rio Rancho Observer Sunday, August 8, 2021. Reprinted with permission of the author. https://rrobserver.com/letter-to-the-observer-vote-on-unmasking-people-is-reckless/ Given that transmission rates are through the roof and case count rates are spiking, the...

On July 29, news broke that the CDC had become exceptionally alarmed about the extreme danger of COVID’s Delta variant. On the same day, Senate Republican Leader Sen. Greg Baca (District 29-Bernalillo and Valencia) and Senate Republican Whip Sen. Craig Brandt...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Before last February, Miss Information had not set foot in her neighborhood Walmart. Her stance was a protest against Walmart’s notoriously poor treatment of its employees. That changed in February when the New Mexico health department...

The Rio Rancho City Charter should be amended to require the Rio Rancho Municipal Judge to possess a law degree from a school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), and be a member, in good standing of the New Mexico State Bar. New Mexico does not currently...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Republicans promised the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) would pay for itself by stimulating economic growth. They argued that federal tax revenues would rise because of higher wages, increased investment, and higher corporate profits....

By Isaac Chavez, Vice Chair DPSC First the good news, and there’s lots of it! We improved our winning margin by two percentage points compared to President Biden's in the Sandoval County portion of CD1! We flipped five precincts that Trump won, and we improved in...

By Fred Harris, Former U.S. Senator from Oklahoma After the South Carolina primary, as it became increasingly clear that Joe Biden would be the Democratic presidential nominee, he and the country began to realize that his inauguration would produce a "Franklin...

By Judy Gordon, DPSC Secretary Republicans and the media are quick to point the finger at expanded unemploymentbenefits for employers’ current hiring woes. The Albuquerque Journal asserted, “We’re competing with unemployment,” claiming that the $300 weekly...

Our New Mexico legislature made Zoom access available during their 2021 NM Legislative session.  I found this great because the public could so readily be part of the NM House and Senate committee hearings, and full House and Senate votes, and for me specifically on...

The Rio Rancho City Charter should be amended to require the Rio Rancho Municipal Judge to possess a law degree from a school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), and be a member, in good standing of the New Mexico State Bar. New Mexico does not currently...

From the ABQ Journal - May 22, 2021 DURING A recent forum Republican candidate Mark Moores described his ancestors as having “civilized” our ancestors, the Indigenous people who lived here. Ironically, he is running against Melanie Stansbury for the seat vacated by...

From the ABQ Journal - May 26, 2021 THE ALBUQUERQUE Journal endorsement for CD 1 was disappointing. New Mexico needs new voices and fresh thinking to solve the problems facing the state. Melanie Stansbury is a native New Mexican who will pursue what is best for New...

From the Rio Rancho Observer - May 9, 2021https://rrobserver.com/letter-to-the-editor-a-better-way-to-spend-money/ Rio Rancho city officials in preparing the municipal budget for 2021-22 should invest resources in future growth and development, instead of increasing...

The Special Election campaign in Congressional District 1 (CD1) is going full speed toward June 1—regular voting day. Early voting has already begun! Time is running out to get solid, factual information regarding candidates in order to make a positive choice for New...

Black Lives Matter Protesters Were Extraordinarily NonViolent This summer’s Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests were overwhelmingly peaceful. But the Republicans’ blatantly false talking points claim that BLM protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd were...

Published in the May Sandoval Signpost New Mexicans elected large Democratic majorities to the State House and Senate, sending the clear message that all citizens deserve a better, fairer, and brighter future. And the state legislature delivered! We now have the...

From the Albuquerque Journal - April. 27, 2021 AFTER HEARING Sen. Mark Moores’ ad in which he says that Rep. Melanie Stansbury did not help pass legislation for exempting state income tax on Social Security payments in the 2020 legislative session, I knew I had to...

From the Rio Rancho Observer - April 4, 2021 Last week’s Observer provided a valuable service by publishing two opinion pieces and a feature article asking lawmakers of both parties to briefly share their views on the recent legislative session and their hopes for...

From the Rio Rancho Observer - March 9, 2021 https://rrobserver.com/letter-to-the-observer-writer-opposes-brandts-education-stance/?fbclid=IwAR12uv9uRairnOgsbwkfL2InTh28_ESOqWjWr1AcR1XYg5tCesQ3qcOPPds Describing state Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, as a proponent of...

From the Rio Rancho Observer - Feb. 28, 2021 State Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, professes grave concern about the quality of New Mexico’s educational system and can’t wait for schools to open for in-person learning. Yet he recently introduced legislation that...

From the Rio Rancho Observer - Feb. 21, 2021 - https://rrobserver.com/letter-to-the-editor-republicans-failure/ While Republicans claim to espouse old-fashioned traditional values, the failure of Republican senators to convict former president Trump for fomenting the...

By Judy Gordon The Trump-incited insurrection that took place to prevent Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote for President-elect Biden was appallingly predictable. Since he began campaigning in 2015, Trump has been a threat to American democracy. He...

Published in the Rio Rancho Observer Jan. 17, 2021 The horrifying scenes of the Jan. 6 attack on our nation’s Capitol are indelibly etched in our psyches. Those powerful images of destruction and terror coming from within our populace will become iconic reminders of...

  By Delbert Schfer Published in the Rio Rancho Observer Jan. 17, 2021 A letter to the editor submitted by Mr. Moulton printed in the Jan. 10 issue of the Rio Rancho Observer painted a bleak political future that he alleges stems from Democratic Party evilness....

Check out this editorial from Rich Lowry that also appeared in the Albuquerque Journal on December 28, 2020. https://coastalcourier.com/opinion/no-joe-were-not-in-a-climate-crisis/ My response? The article by Rich Lowry on Monday December 28, 2020 makes it sound like...

Albuquerque Journal - October 6, 2020 THE PRESS is to impel, steam roll and provoke issues and opinions of the people who have access to the bully pulpit. Currently the press is liken(ed) to a Nerf ball that has for 3½ years been tossed around like one would...

By Pat StoverSeptember 15 I memorized the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence as a grade school student: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that...

By Deb DapsonSeptember 15 I was an attendee at the Changes Rally in Rio Rancho on Saturday, September 12, 2020, and would like to express my rally thoughts. The Black New Mexico Movement organized this rally to begin a discussion concerning Black Lives Matter in the...

By Alexis JimenezSeptember 15, 2020 All lives Matter! I believe this. That’s why I joined my neighbors at what is being called the Black Lives Matter protest here in our city of Rio Rancho. Imagine my shock when I walked up to what was supposed to be a peaceful...

By Judith Gordon / Bernalillo Resident Published: Saturday, September 12th, 2020 at 12:02am Updated: Saturday, September 12th, 2020 at 10:06am In the Albuquerque Journal I am a retired federal senior executive who worked for 20 years for the inspector general of the...

ANN E. KEPLEY BernalilloABQ Journal, September 9, 2020 I AM responding to the Aug. 23 news article “House passes bill to reverse USPS changes.” The mission of the U.S. Postal Service is to provide the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service. Our...

William Bumgarner, Albuquerque Journal, Guest Column, August 19 … Most of us don’t want to think about the next pandemic. But we should. Climate change, industrial animal agriculture and deforestation increase our risk for new pandemic diseases, and these problems...

Gary Tripp, Albuquerque Journal, Guest Column, August 19 Amidst a global pandemic and economic catastrophe, we the people are coming to recognize our shared humanity, common values, and mutual interests. Rather than letting demagogues divide us, we are uniting,...

Friday, August 7th, 2020 As Election Day approaches I want to reach out to our independent voters in New Mexico, also known as declined-to-state (DTS) voters. I have been both a DTS voter and a Democrat. My take is that most DTS voters don’t want partisan posturing or...

Monday, August 10th The Observer editorial of Aug. 2, entitled “Injustices Served for RR” highlights the selective memory of the newspaper’s editorial staff and is the latest example of its bias in favor of Republican candidates and elected officials. In the...

Published in the Rio Rancho Observer on August 2, 2020 Governor Lujan Grisham announced that her administration is directing New Mexico public schools to delay the start of in-person classes. This decision is the right move. The governor's primary responsibility is to...

Published in the Albuquerque Journal, July 28 With images of heavily militarized Homeland Security agents on the streets of Portland tear-gassing and grabbing peaceful protesters and trying to incite violence, we may be seeing democracy dissolving before our eyes. We...

Published in the Rio Rancho Observer, July 26 How would you judge a father who withholds life-saving treatment from a child with a serious disease? How would you judge a father who is more concerned with his stock portfolio and golf swing than his child’s suffering...

By GAIL PINKEPANK My family has experienced a tough, tense week. My niece recently returned to work in the office of a professional design firm, after a few weeks of working from home. She has been careful to wear her mask at work, and to try to maintain social...

The Albuquerque Journal recently reported that Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce and his fellow Republicans have joined a lawsuit against the Governor by business owners that challenges the lawful fines the businesses incurred for violating the public health...

ABQ Journal Sunday, April 19, 2020 We can deal with the budget in June when numbers are clearer BY REP. DAYMON ELY - CORRALES DEMOCRAT We are living in unprecedented times. It has been over 100 years since our state has faced a crisis that threatens not only the lives...

I would like to address the OP-ED article by Diane Dimond published (in The Albuquerque Journal) on Saturday March 28, 2020 titled “Take a breath: COVID-19 sickens but rarely kills.” This article apparently is intended to try to make us feel better about the current...

By Mitchell Freedman(The RR Observer published is editorial on March 15) There are misconceptions regarding New Mexico’s "red flag" gun law. The law is designed to reduce gun suicides and gun-based domestic violence, the latter mostly against women. Eighteen States...

DESPITE HOLLOW presidential assurances to the contrary, the coronavirus is likely to proliferate in the United States. The unfortunate condition of our country’s health care system will exacerbate the damage. The coronavirus will not spare any demographic group. This...

The following was published in the Rio Rancho Observer on Sunday, February 23, 2020. The author is Judy Gordon a member of the Sandoval County Precinct 74 Committee. Dear Editor: Kudos to our Democratic governor and New Mexico Legislature for their action to prevent...

For Rio Rancho ObserverPublished February 17, 2020 There are four early state Presidential election contests.  Taken together the first four contests may be representative of a broken system. The first and second contests are biased in a way that knocks too many...