How I See It
by Dorothy Wilkinson
Chair of the West Side Dems
I think a lot about the old union song, “Which Side are You On?” Which side am I on? I believe in democratic and union values. I hate the Trump regime and all it stands for. I believe conservative religious people are mistaken in their beliefs that Trump is right and diversity is wrong. I believe that with all my heart.
The question is: What am I willing to do about it? What are you willing to do about it?
I attended the No Kings rally. I sign petitions and I send a little money – not much because I don’t have much – to Democratic organizations.
But there is more that we can all do. We have, right here in Bernalillo County, a chance to strike against Trumpism. Those of you who live in City Council District 5 know about whom I write. We have a Trumper who would vote to allow ICE to harm our immigrant community. You know the name: Dan Lewis.
We have a Democrat who is well qualified to be a city councilor, and she is the opposite of a Trumpster. She believes that all people deserve dignity and that sexual orientation should have nothing to do with one’s ability to participate in society. She believes immigrants should be accorded the rights that are stated in the Constitution: The right to have a hearing and to have an attorney present when dealing with ICE. You know the name. Athena Allen.
We all need to pitch in to help Athena win the election. I have just volunteered to do extra phone banking, and I am going to send a little more money to her campaign. When we win, when Athena wins and when Dan Lewis loses and Trump loses, I want to be able to say I did my part. Will you also be able to say you did your part? Together we can win, but we can’t win unless we are all together.
Voting Made Simple
WSD members Patty and Bob Kuning in collaboration with the Bernalillo County Clerk have produced a video explaining the ease of voting. Please share this video with your non-voting friends and family.
It’s Your Turn
“It’s Your Turn” is the title of a new column in our monthly newsletter. Each month we will feature an article from a WSD member. If you would like to contribute, send your article to info@westsidedems.org.
Your article can be informational, about something in city, county or state government that you like or dislike, ideas you would like to see WSD implement, or criticisms.
Our first guest columnist is Jennie Lusk. Jenny gives us great insights into how we can all be involved in the fight for the rights of our immigrant community.
It’s Your Turn
by Jenny Lusk
Join Albuquerque’s staunch efforts to support immigrant justice – every single person who can help is needed. Now.
A strong network of organizations in Albuquerque acts in unity against ICE raids, intervenes to help immigrants survive detention and upheaval, and supports families who are uprooted. Of course, more help is perpetually needed. It’s never been more important to reach out and lend a hand – not only for the sake of the people caught in the system but for the sake of preserving our democratic principles.
ICE is active in New Mexico, picking up both undocumented people and U.S. citizens on Albuquerque streets in a malign system that feeds into detention and deportation. At least 30 people have been kidnapped from Albuquerque Walmart parking lots, especially on the West Mesa, in Rio Rancho and on East Central. They wind up in detention, where a Trump policy keeps them locked up rather than released on parole. Most will serve the whole of their cases – sometimes years – while locked up. And only a few will have access to legal or medical support.
Some 1,000 immigrants were detained at the end of August in New Mexico county jails. Core Civic is on contract with 223 beds at Cibola in Grants and 505 at Torrance County in Estancia. Near Las Cruces, Management & Training Corporation (MTC) held 893 at the Otero Detention Center at Chaparral. Reportedly, 90 percent of detainees need health care and medicines they do not receive while incarcerated. The recently enacted Big Beautiful Bill increases the federal budget from 41,000 to 100,000 immigrant detention beds and increases the budget for deportations to $45 billion. Yes, $45 billion. https://wapo.st/4nO67Wk (No paywall.)
Translators, lawyers and doctors are especially needed in these dire times. But beyond these professionals, every willing person is needed to help on the streets here. You can give your time, money and/or food and clothing to support uprooted families, accompany potential deportees to ICE hearings, encourage businesses to advertise that they welcome immigrants, or call detention centers to ask that they provide specific medications for detainees.
And it’s always important to lobby elected officials in D.C. and in Santa Fe – yes, even good Democrats. We’re up against a massive anti-immigrant lobby that makes regular hate-filled calls and can seem to represent a majority of constituents.
Click HERE for specific ways to help with contact information for volunteers:
Join in the food and fun, and at our
Thankfulness Celebration
This Saturday, Nov. 8, at the West Mesa Community Center, 5500 Glenrio Road, NW.
NEW: We will be collecting donations for the Rio Grande Food Project. Details below…
Help Our West Side Neighbors
So many people in our community are in need of food because of the government shutdown and defunding of SNAP. Come to our celebration of Thanksgiving with money or a checkbook in your pocket to contribute to folks who are less fortunate than you. You can make online donations too. At the luncheon, donate and/or volunteer your time to the Rio Grande Food Project.
Rio Grande Food Project (RGFP), at 600 Coors Blvd. NW, has been serving the Albuquerque community for 36 years. Here is what RGFP does:
- The largest pantry on Albuquerque’s westside, RGFP offers free groceries, including canned vegetables, meats, dairy, bread, and produce 3 times per week every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:00-11:00 am Alongside our Food Pantry, we offer bill assistance and community partner services, resources, and education including financial literacy, to help create long-term food security for our guests though our Community Hub.
- Our on-site Urban Garden offers guests a place to learn how to plant and grow their own fresh produce, and everything grown is immediately distributed to our guests.
- RGFP is always looking for volunteer help in our pantry, hub, and garden. Visit www.rgfp.org for more information and to donate to help us continue to provide free groceries to over 1,300 kids, adults, and seniors every week.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
West Side Dems will identify resources for our neighbors who are affected by the SNAP defunding in so many ways. We will post a list on our website and in newsletters. We will let you know when the list is available. When it is, please share with folks you know. We are in this together.
Vote! Vote! Vote!
By Dorothy Wilkinson, WSD Chair
Last day to VOTE is TODAY, 7 am to 7 pm
Don’t cancel out your right to vote. Today is our last chance to choose city councilors, school board members, and the Mayor of Albuquerque.
Click here for voting centers: Election Day | Bernalillo County Clerk.
Let Me Be Blunt
We need a new treasurer. Ken Scott, our current treasurer, is facing serious illness and an overwhelming workload. He has asked to be relieved as treasure of WSD so he can focus on his health.
So we need a new treasurer. We have simplified the job so all the treasurer has to do is record membership applications, keep with up the budget, money coming in and money going out and how much money we have in our bank account. The treasurer will also work with our new membership coordinator and prepare a financial report for the executive committee and the members.
With our new streamlined treasury you should be able to complete your work in about 3 hours every week.
If you have experience in finance or in budgets, you are the person we’re looking for. You would become an officer of WSD, and you would become acquainted with wonderful people who share your Democracy values. If you are can fulfill this position please notify me at chair@westsidedems.org.
Democratic Mayoral Candidates’ Endorsements
WSD has reviewed the websites of our Democratic candidates for Albuquerque mayor to learn which community leaders and organizations have endorsed them. Here are links to their websites; some list their endorsements, and some do not.
Mayling Armijo for ABQ Mayor – Albuquerque Mayoral Candidate
Endorsements — Mayor Tim Keller | Albuquerque, NM
Home – Alex Uballez for Mayor of Albuquerque
HOME| Louie Sanchez for Mayor | A Safer, Stronger Albuquerque
OLE Endorses Daniel Leiva for City Council District 1
Planned Parenthood Endorses Athenea Allen for
City Council District 5
Local Democratic candidates in races on the West Side are invited to submit candidate events to WSD at Info@westsidedems.org by 8 pm Sunday.
Canvass with Athenea Allen to unseat Dan Lewis as District 5 City Councilor
Yard Signs Available for Chris Sedillo for District 3
Daniel Leiva is running for ABQ City Council District 1. More info HERE
Ahren Griego is running for City Council District 1.
State Representative and conservation attorney Matthew McQueen is running for NM Land Commissioner.
Ready to Make an Impact?
Share Your Skills with WSD
WSD is a growing organization in numbers, power and prestige. This is your invitation to become an influential member of our team by volunteering.
If you are tech savvy, volunteer to work with our webmasters. If you take good photos, volunteer to take pictures at our meetings and events. If you are interested in the State Legislature, volunteer to advocate and keep track of legislation. If you’re interested in City Council or County Commission, volunteer to follow their meetings and report to our membership. If you have a little time to call or text, you contact our members about meetings and events.
We need volunteers to help us in our mission to keep the West Side blue and to fight to keep our democracy. If you’d like to write, we have a place for you If social media is your thing, let us know you are willing to help with that. If you’re interested in volunteering in any way, contact chair@westsidedems.org.
Also, if you would like us to cover an issue that we haven’t addressed, contact info@westsidedems.org.
Join Us
Members of West Side Dems are welcome to come to our executive committee meetings. We meet on the first Saturday of the month.
For more information about when and where we meet, contact info@westsidedems.org.
NEW! Protest in Tijeras on Sunday mornings, 9 – 10 am at 487 & NM-333.
NEW! Weekly Friday vigil in Santa Fe, Sandoval, and West Alameda, 12-1 pm.
TESLA PROTESTS IN BERNALILLO weekly Saturdays 9am–10:30am.
Weekly speak-out about Trump, Oligarchs, & Project 2025 in Santa Fe. More info here.
Join People Against Tyranny every Tuesday 11am to NOON protesting the chaos, divisiveness and cruelty of Donny-2-Dolls’ wreckage! We’re in the Northeast Heights at the intersection of Montgomery and Juan Tabo.
There’s plenty of parking in the shopping centers on each corner. Bring your signs, your voices, noisemakers, bodies and souls, and your friends!
Please do not engage with hecklers (we haven’t had many) and allow pedestrians to get through.
Alamagordo 10 am Every Saturday
Honk and Wave Event Otero County — more info here
Members of West Side Dems are welcome to come to our executive committee meetings. We meet on the first Saturday of the month from 2-4 pm. For more information about where, contact info@westsidedems.org.
So you can’t make a meeting? You can zoom the meeting by accessing info@westsidedems.org and requesting a zoom link. A recording will also be available at westsidedems.org
West Side Dems Immigration Info Hub
“If the rights of one person are denied, the rights of all of us are denied. This concept of mass deportation is very frightening. So West Side Dems will develop a hub of information about immigration and mass deportation.”
— Dorothy Wilkinson
Read Dorothy’s editorial on why immigration is so important.
Click here to see our new IMMIGRATION PAGE, with ways to get involved.
“If the rights of one person are denied, the rights of all of us are denied. This concept of mass deportation is very frightening. So West Side Dems will develop a hub of information about immigration and mass deportation.”
— Dorothy Wilkinson
Read Dorothy’s editorial on why immigration is so important.
Click here to see our new IMMIGRATION PAGE, with ways to get involved.
Our Mission
To Serve the 88,000 Democrats
Living on the West Side
Democrats Care!
We encourage and support candidates who will work for the good of everyone in our community. We believe in a government that is truly “of the people, by the people, and for the people”…not just for corporations, Wall Street, or the rich.
United By A Common Goal…
Social justice and human rights are more important than corporate profits. We seek to improve the quality of life for all of our residents through grass-roots support of candidates who listen and work to implement liberal programs and legislation.
Get Involved…
Your candidates can’t win without your help. Canvassing, phone banking, word-of-mouth, volunteering, and donating are all ways to work together to achieve our common goals.