N.M. CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION UNVEILS RECOVERY PACKAGE RESOURCE GUIDE

WASHINGTON – The New Mexico congressional delegation today unveiled a resource guide designed to help ensure that New Mexico can make the most of the economic recovery package enacted into law last month.

U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, and Representatives Martin Heinrich, Ben Ray Luján and Harry Teague said the guide contains necessary contact information and other key resources New Mexicans will need to tap into recovery funds.

“Our top priority is to help get our economy back on track. That is why we worked to improve and pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a historic $787 billion economic recovery package that will invest over $1.8 billion in New Mexico. For our state, this funding could not come at a more critical moment. Unemployment is rising. Home prices are declining. New Mexico communities, struggling to maintain critical jobs and services, are faced with nearly $575 million in state revenue shortfalls this year alone. Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is intended to help reduce the length and severity of this recession for New Mexico families,” the delegation said.

Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act last month, and President Obama signed it into law February 17. New Mexico will receive nearly $2 billion in formula funding, unemployment insurance, and Medicaid. The state also is eligible to apply for competitive grant funding.

“It is imperative that our families, businesses and municipalities have the information they need to access these funds as quickly as possible. To assist in this effort, and to provide information about the programs and funding opportunities available to individuals, communities and businesses in New Mexico, we have assembled this resource guide to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” the delegation said.

The guide is available at:

Bingaman.senate.gov
TomUdall.senate.gov
Heinrich.house.gov
Lujan.house.gov
Teague.house.gov

Congrats to a Friend

We wanted to post this link to Democracy for New Mexico, to congratulate our friend Javier Benavidez on his new post in Congressman Martin Heinrich's local office. Javier will be the Coordinator of Community Engagement.

Javier has deep roots in City Council District 6 and we look forward to continuing to work with him and the community.

Inspirational Primary

This past Tuesday was an highly anticipated Primary Election for the State of New Mexico and set the ground heading into the November General Election and next years Legislative Session. In an unprecedented year where we have a U.S. Senate seat open, all three U.S. Representative seats open, and many State officials being challenged for their seats, Tuesday was the breaking point for many incumbents and candidates.

In what I view as a true watershed moment in New Mexico, many grassroots campaigns were able get into communities and start the engine for what turned into the locomotive for Community Driven Change in Local Politics.

Voters arrived in high numbers to vote for the community based candidates like; Former City Councilor for District 6 Martin Heinrich, whom won the Democratic Primary for the 1st Congressional District. He now will face Darren White in November.Eric Griego, another former City Councilor, beat incumbent James Taylor for the State Senate seat for District 14. We will see Eric in Santa Fe next year, because he is unopposed for the General Election. The State Senate District 17 seat will now be held be Tim Keller, whom was selected over incumbent Shannon Robinson and like Griego, Tim is unopposed in the General Election. Maybe the most exciting victory was union organizer Eleanor Chavez being voted into State Representative District 13 by beating incumbent Dan Silva. Many viewed it as a major upset but Eleanor was able to gain grassroots support, as well as mobilize new voters which ultimately proved the difference. Like above Eleanor is unopposed for the November election, so we will also see Eleanor in Santa Fe next year.

I would like to congratulate all the winners of the Primaries on Tuesday. It was an exciting and inspirational day for all New Mexicans, especially in the Albuquerque area. I look forward to working with all these grassroots-community based Representatives.

I believe nobody could have summed up "Grassroots-Tuesday" any better than the community lead State Representative Eleanor Chavez, whom told her community supporters on Tuesday night;

"This is not my seat....this is OUR SEAT."


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