What happened here? The race for Albuquerque Mayor is really heating up with this news……

City Clerk blocks Manny Gonzales’ bid for public financing following fraud, forgery claims

Sheriff Manny Responded to these charges in this Facebook post:

Misinformation, misdirection, and deception. That is the Keller campaign legacy.
The Manny Gonzales campaign submitted approximately 4700 signatures in his petition to secure public financing. That’s almost 1,000 more than the amount required. The opposition knows the momentum is on our side. They are scared to death, so they’ve started playing dirty by accusing our campaign of fraud and forgery.
Signature rejections occur in every campaign across the nation…that’s just part of the process. Some of our signatures were rejected for various reasons, but we still crossed the threshold to secure public financing by a wide margin. While the Keller campaign falsely accuses us of fraud, they themselves had HUNDREDS of invalid signatures rejected. They even submitted signatures from people registered to vote in OTHER counties.
That’s right. They submitted names of people in Colfax County, Santa Fe County and Sandoval County.
The current mayor and former state auditor KNOWS these submissions are illegal and cannot be counted as petition signatures or $5 donations.
Did the Clerk deny Keller public financing for this “fraud?” – Of course not. The Clerk was appointed by Keller.
Additionally, on the city clerk’s own spreadsheet, there are NUMEROUS submissions from the Keller campaign which appear “rejected.” According to notes in the spreadsheet, those rejected individuals are listed as “not registered,” but were still “accepted” as valid and counted towards Keller’s total.
We always knew this campaign was not going to be an easy fight. The mayor and his hand-picked clerk are pulling out all the stops to stunt our momentum and stop our movement. We will not stop fighting. Thank you for joining us in this battle – let’s press on. The truth is on our side.

More News from the political front in New Mexico this week:

Today at 2am the Santa Fe New Mexican reported that the efforts of the New Mexico GOP to hold an Extraordinary Session had failed. BUT! It looks like the Supreme Court is the next step to hold the Governor accountable. I am very concerned about the power grab of many Governors and Mayors and of course the Feds during COVID and now into the future. Trillions of dollars have been spent…….for what? To pay people not to work? To see businesses struggle to be at a full staff? To teach people you do not have to work for a living? This is all messed up. The new America pays people to stay home? It seems that everyday now the Feds throw money at something! Trump spent tons of play money and Biden is spending more. It is all fake money. The federal deficit will hit $3 trillion in 2021 for the second consecutive year, primarily because of the national spending blitz in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Congressional Budget Office said Thursday, July 1st. America is broke and spiritually broke… we have drowned in red ink, but this new America acts like a drunken sailor. The Feds spend money like there is not tomorrow. The Governor of New Mexico acts like a Queen. The moral compass is at the bottom of the ocean. I am thankful that the New Mexico GOP is trying to hold the Governor accountable. If not them, who?

GOP effort to convene New Mexico Legislature for extraordinary session fails

This news release from the NM GOP came in late last night, before the Santa Fe New Mexican report:

Republican Leaders ask AG for opinion on MLG billion-dollar money-grab

Santa Fe, NM – As of 4:00 pm this afternoon, the effort to convene the New Mexico State Legislature in an Extraordinary Special Session has drawn bipartisan support, including unanimous support from both the House and Senate Republican Caucuses.  However, we are disappointed that a vast majority of Democrats in the House and Senate, who control both chambers of the Legislature, have chosen to silently stand by and let the Governor usurp the legislative branch’s “power of the purse.” This inaction by majority Democrats will set precedence to transfer the Legislature’s constitutional authority to spend unallocated federal dollars to current and future governors, of any political party, and negates past efforts by bipartisan lawmakers who have fought to preserve this fundamental responsibility of the Legislature.

Last week, Legislative Council Service provided each lawmaker with a copy of a petition to convene an Extraordinary Special Session, and has been collecting the signed copies for the past several days.

In response to this troubling decision by majority Democrats to acquiesce to the Governor’s dubious claim she has sole authority to spend federal dollars, Republican Leadership from both the House and Senate have requested the New Mexico Attorney General to provide a legal opinion regarding the constitutionality of the Governor spending federal dollars in the state treasury without a legislative appropriation. In the letter, Republican Leaders appeal to the Attorney General stating, “We strongly believe legislators have a sworn duty to uphold the Legislature’s inherent constitutional powers, and every action possible should be taken to preserve or exert the institution’s authority to appropriate public money.”

There are 24 House Republican members and 15 Republican Senators and in order to convene an extraordinary special session the petition needs three-fifths support from each chamber or 42 House members and 25 Senators. A copy of the joint Republican Leadership letter to the Attorney General is attached.

I found this viewpoint ( link below) by the Santa Fe New Mexican very interesting. As I have stated a big challenge for the GOP candidates for Governor is name recognition. On the day Rebecca Dow announced she would run for Governor I did my ‘unofficial in-person polling’ the next day and could not find one person who knew who she was, not a large sample size, but I was surprised. Representative Dow has been outstanding in our legislature. As my Pastor friend Paul Holt told me, “Its all about  being a celebrity these days.” Yes, name recognition is a huge deal .I think it also has to do with being from rural New Mexico. Many think the state begins and ends in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Can someone from rural New Mexico win the Governors seat? I am really tired of rural New Mexico being ignored. The Santa fe New Mexican quotes Dow:

Dow told The New Mexican: “I want it to be a message of hope. I really am not running to trash the governor. It’s just time for change.”

That’s up to voters, of course. But at least they will have choices, and that’s how a minority party can remain alive.

Dow off and running; the primary gets interesting

So far Dow is the best bet for the GOP.

Past Posts:

My prayer for America is that this Bible verse will sink into the hearts and souls of all: Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Proverbs 26:4. So many Americans make fools of themselves everyday in their behavior, especially on Facebook, going off into ‘fools land’. It has hurt America so very much. Christians behaving badly, showing an unbelieving world what it wants to see. How do these folks think this will attract people to JESUS? This behavior has caused people to leave the Church.
Anger is also a leading cause of people leaving the Church and believing the Republicans and Dems are both crazy! So many Christians have made politics and politicians a god, even PASTORS!!! God’s Word tells us: Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:31. This is the world you want to hand over to our children?

From Dr. Jim Denison:Kelly Kullberg, editor and co-author of the bestseller Finding God at Harvard, responded: “The Left is attempting to redefine the gospel, using biblical words but not their accurate meanings. If we, as individuals, no longer admit our sin, we no longer turn to Jesus. And he is our actual hope. And biblical truth yields great love for people and great progress for cultures.”Kullberg is exactly right. The paradoxical truth is that we will not turn to Jesus as our “actual hope” unless we recognize that we need what he alone can provide. As we noted yesterday, to fear and revere the Lord is to recognize that he is the true King and Judge of the universe and to admit that we need his forgiveness, grace, and peace.

I woke up at 3am today and the LORD gave me more words to write about New Mexico. Sharon and I love our home here, we love the people. We are so very sad like many of you, in what is happening in our state. It has become anti-life, going against GOD in so many ways. It is so sad to think this is what the majority of the people want!!!??? Can it be????
I added to my post from yesterday.
This is great news for New Mexico! I has asked Representative Dow a couple of months ago if she was thinking of running for Governor! She gave me her answer today! PRO-LIFE!!!! This gives New Mexico a clear choice in where it wants to go with God’s babies and all other matters of the state. Which way you going to go New Mexico? I am an Independent, and I pray that New Mexico lawmakers will see the light and let Independent’s vote in the primary, as many have left the GOP and Dem’s in disgust. New Mexico needs a breath of fresh air. Rep. Dow is one of the better candidates the GOP has put up for governor in my years here in New Mexico. The other one would be Janice Arnold Jones. Susanna Martinez was a disaster, she left the tax payers holding the bag! All of the monkey business of her administration cost us a lot of money! Martinez is one reason many are disgusted with the GOP. I assume that more will enter the race..some have already announced..Two Republicans throw their hat in early for governors race.  Karen Bedonie has announced that she is running. ….let us see what happens. One of the biggest, if the not ther biggest challenges for the Republican candidates is name recognition throughout the state. Then there is this: POLL: Governor Lujan Grisham’s Approval Rating is 50%. Recent history shows that the GOP in New Mexico has a bad record of winning the big races, just look at what happened in the recent Special Congressional race and also Ben Ray Lujan won over Mark Ronchetti. New Mexico voters have elected a governor and legislators who are anti-life and have approved of horrific abortion, assisted suicide, legalized pot and home delivery of booze.  It is so sad what is happening to New Mexico. It is a bitter pill for me to swallow to see this ‘NEW’  New Mexico. Sadly, much of the state has turned against God and His Word. How does the GOP connect with those that are anti-life? Sadly, If GOP wants to win it has to spend more money, as the Dems bury them in advertising all the time. The New Mexico GOP needs to distance itself from all the dysfunction of the National party, needless to say the Dems have more than their share of problems. This dysfunction of the last 5 years or so and then the horrific insurrection of our Nation’s Capitol has left a very sour taste in the mouths of many Americans, like myself and Sharon. Horrible! Satanic! I do not think we will ever know the truth about all of that hell. This is another main reason why many have lost faith in the GOP and Dems and turned Independent. It seems the GOP  wants a get out of jail card on the Capitol insurrection. The National GOP keeps showing Americans bad behavior, how do you win that way? It is like when Christians show an unbeleiving world what it wants to see! NOT GOOD! What ever happened to the words: BEHAVE YOURSELF! When you vote, look for the fruit, vet them with God’s Word, know who their Pastor is. More people of God must stand up and serve in Public Office! New Mexico is blessed with a good core of Christian legislators. I pray they build on that. I pray that the National Party cleans up its act and starts behaving like people of God. I also pray that many Dems will see the light and come to God! Praying for miracles I am! I also pray that people stop making politics and politicians a god!!!!!! That is so ungodly!!!
From Yesterday:
FGGAM NEWS received this news release today:
State Representative Rebecca Dow Announces Run for Governor
Dow’s campaign launch video strikes a firm contrast between New Mexican values and MLG’s lack of character and direction for the state

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES – Today, Rebecca Dow launched her campaign to unseat current Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in a video that praises the character and grit of the people of New Mexico while contrasting the state’s failed leadership and government policies.

Dow’s launch video addresses some “hard truths” including New Mexico being ranked last in the nation in education and child welfare and ranked highest in unemployment. “These are the consequences of bad government,” she says, using as an example Lujan Grisham breaking her own lockdown rules, wasting taxpayer money on lavish things for herself and settling her sexual harassment suit for over $60,000.

This bad governance contrasted with Dow’s job-creating, people-centric career as a businesswoman, child and family advocate and state lawmaker leads to an obvious conclusion for Dow: “Our kids deserve better. That’s why I’m running for Governor,” she says.

In her video, Dow aligns herself and her values with the true character of the people of the state, as opposed to the Governor’s radical agenda. “We are New Mexicans,” she says. “When there’s work to be done, we do it. When there are problems to solve, we solve them.”

“As a state, we have never experienced more dire conditions than we are currently struggling through right now,” said Dow in a further statement. “Our children are going uneducated and unequipped for further schooling or jobs at best, and they are literally dying at worst. I refuse to get one more call that a child died from neglect and poor conditions. I will not let one more business suffer under draconian shutdown measures. I refuse to let power hungry career politicians like our Governor keep dragging us down to the bottom of every list. I know the people of New Mexico, and I know they deserve much better than this, so I’m stepping up to lead us, for the first time in a long time, in the right direction. It’s time for change”

Watch Dow’s full campaign launch video here.

About Rebecca Dow
Dow has represented District 38 in the New Mexico House since 2017. During that time, she has passionately defended New Mexico jobs, fought to stop the overregulation of industries like energy and mining that provide so much of the state’s income, and successfully challenged powerful opponents of basic, inalienable rights, like the Right to Life and the Second Amendment.

Along with co-owning a technology firm, Dow provides consultation services to for-profit and community-based early childhood providers operating in the Rocky Mountain region. As the founder of one of Sierra County’s largest employers, AppleTree Educational Center, Dow worked hard to create more job opportunities for New Mexicans, opposing job-killing regulations and policies while promoting free market solutions.

To help push back on the far left’s radical agenda, Dow built a coalition dubbed the “Save Our Western Way of Life” PAC. This group is comprised of law enforcement, ag producers, outfitters and guides, and hard-working New Mexicans to support pro-liberty candidates for office.

Dow has been a statewide leader calling for a restoration of integrity at all levels of New Mexico’s government. She has opposed the Governor’s endless shutdowns and punitive consequences for citizens who disobeyed her orders. Dow believes that the Land of Enchantment is disenchanted with shutdown orders, social restrictions, and petty politics. Dow is committed to ending shutdowns, to restoring civil liberties, to reopening businesses and the economy, and putting the responsibility of providing high quality education in the hands of New Mexico educators.

Because of her extensive background in both business and childhood education, Dow has been appointed to serve on various economic commissions, councils, and task forces for both Democrat and Republican Governors. She is recognized as a state and national expert on faith-based and early childhood education, called upon to advise and speak to numerous groups around the country. She is the founding member of the New Mexico Early Childhood Alliance and the Early Childhood Caucus, and she founded various educational, recreational and behavioral health services including a private K-12 school and homeschool co-op to fill unmet needs in her community. She is also the founding chair of the Sierra County Juvenile Justice Advisory Council, a member of the New Federation of Independent Businesses, and a member of the Truth or Consequences Rotary Club.

Dow holds an associate degree in Early Childhood from Tulsa Community College and a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Oral Roberts University. She is married to Aaron Dow and they have two children, Jaylah and Seth. Rebecca and Aaron live in Truth or Consequences.

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The following letter to The Editor of the El Defensor Chieftain out of Socorro, New Mexico makes clear the challenges the community of Socorro is facing. I am posting this because it not only takes a look at Socorro, but many of the problems facing Socorro, are the same all over rural America, like declining population. Trying to keep staffing up in positions like law enforcement….extreme poverty, hunger, (Joann Young of the Reserve Food Bank tells me they have never been so busy) child well-being, crime, drug addiction, losing young people to the bigger cities. I was just reading that Las Cruces, New Mexico, one of our bigger cities here in New Mexico, is suffering from a shortage of police as is Albuquerque. This is a huge problem all over America as the progressive movement destroys our law enforcement. Who would want to be a police officer in America? I asked a young officer here in Albuquerque that very question awhile back and he said, “Sir, it is because I want to serve.” That made me choke up with tears…..It’s like being a Pastor, It has to be a calling!

The other point I want make is that a mistake made by many here in New Mexico is that they think the state begins and ends in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Thankfully we have more than a few very strong legislators in rural New Mexico who stand up against that nonsense. The Governor does not focus much at all the problems facing rural New Mexico, she is all tied up in pot being the savior of our state. Huge mistake! What about the suffering of our farmers and ranchers during the extreme drought? If you have heard anything from the Governor on the suffering of our farmers and ranchers let me know!!!! A whole new batch of problems are going to come about because of legalized pot! MARK MY WORD!

I have traveled through Socorro so many times in the last 9 years serving as a circuit preacher at FBC in Reserve. I am impressed with the ‘clean up’ of the town in the last couple of years. The community is served by State Representative Gail Armstrong, she is such a strong advocate for the area!

I have to add in the last month or so Reserve, New Mexico has 3 new businesses, a brand new wonderful hotel, a huge flea market, and a new restaurant! Love it! There are sparks of new life in Reserve! It takes people coming together and working toward the same goal of building up their communities. Amen!

Letter to the Editor: Population decrease Story by El Defensor Chieftain

THE GREATEST PROBLEM AMERICA FACES:

Is humanism the same as today’s progressive movement?

Jul 7, 2021

 Is humanism the same as today’s progressive movement? From the writings of the Rev. Billy GrahamQ: I struggle with living in the Christian world and still being part of the whole world. Is humanism the same as today’s progressive movement? — P.H.A: Humanism is the worship of man. It has taken on the form of religion; glorifying self and taking God out of His rightful place. This has always been prevalent in the world and is called by many different names.A London magazine carried a story that said, “No more subtle enemy has ever faced the Christian church than this one which dethrones her God and replaces Him with His [creation].” Young people today may not know who Julian Huxley was, but he said that if humanism is to acquire a wider appeal, it must become a religion.And so it has. Humanism has become for many a polite name for a vocal and aggressive movement against God’s truth to advance its own brand of social influence. Humanism is not new; it emerged in the Garden of Eden. It is the yielding to Satan’s first temptation of Adam and Eve. He told them they could be gods (see Genesis 3:5).Mankind continually rejects the revelation of the Bible concerning the true and living God, substituting gods of its own making. Many intellectuals have come to believe that the human mind can understand everything eventually. This is nothing but total rebellion towards God and Satan is behind it all. The underlying principle of all the devil’s tactics is deception.

The Bible warns, “The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him” (1 Peter 5:8-9). The Lord will help us stand strong in the face of deception if we will stay in the Word of God and pray that He will give us discerning minds. The important thing for all of Christ’s followers is to live “in Christ” as the Bible teaches.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

©2021 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(c)2021 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

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