PDACNM Community Gathering
Welcome to the Monthly Community Gathering of Progressive Democrats of America, Central New Mexico Chapter
Wednesday March 10, 2020
Program is 6:00-7:45pm

Join Zoom Meeting
By Lance Chilton
New Mexico may not be at the top of all lists, but it is very near the top in its excellent legislative website, nmlegis.gov. Here’s a little of what you’ll find there, and at the bottom of this list, you’ll find a link to more complete guidance as to how to use our great site.
So that’s the basics. There will be more here. Or just noodle around. The site is very intuitive; a real joy to use.
Indivisible Nob Hill is hosting a 4-hour seminar on Bystander Intervention
training. The emphasis will be on effective communication and Bystander Intervention. What to do when you’re alone and see someone being harassed. What do you do when the someone being harassed is YOU? Participants will learn and gain practice in specific skills and tools that are useful both in conflict intervention situations and in daily life.
Below is information on this workshop which will be over Zoom. The tuition is fee-scaled from $40 to zero. They may add a second session if this one fills at 100 participants.
SCHEDULE: SUNDAY MARCH 21
Start time: 1:00 pm MT
Break at: 3pm: 30 mins for lunch/downtime
Resume: 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Ask Governor Lujan Grisham to commit to take actions this year to phase out private prisons in New Mexico. Remind her that in a few years, due to changes in federal contracts and a declining New Mexico prison population, the state will not need more than 80% of the private beds it currently permits.
We want MLG to lead the shift away from private detention in New Mexico beginning today!
PDA Central New Mexico Chapter hosted the second CD1 Candidate Forum on Wednesday February 10th with 8 Democratic candidates. The format included 5 open-ended questions and a whole series of Yes/No questions. These Yes/No questions were based on submissions by PDA and INH members and citizen input emailed to organizers after the first forum on February 4th, and also emphasized the PDA national pillars.
It is interesting to note that ALMOST all of the candidates reply with similar answers. One forum participant dropped in the event chat it seemed we all “thought alike” about these progressive topics. Others noted that we had a powerful slate of candidates who espoused progressive policies. And some thought this Y/N question format did not elicit enough difference among the candidates.
How can we use this information?
While the data does not allow for clear discernment between candidates, it is a starting point for your investigation of candidates’ websites, socials, platforms and policies for more specifics. The questions and responses might encourage citizens to contact candidates directly for follow-up dialogue. This information can also be a powerful tool for accountability that we use with the candidate who ultimately wins the seat. We need to hold all our elected officials accountable to their statements, promises, policies and platforms.