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  • Couy Griffin on Trial: A Tale of Two Realities
  • Even as fires rage, fireworks ban a tough nut to crack
  • ‘Junior’ budget bills fill in the gaps
  • Straight from Source NM: Dede's article on the 2022 legislative session--The games people play
  • Ten More Doors Excerpt in Jemez Springs Newspaper
  • Ten More Doors Got a Great Book Review in the Albuquerque Journal
  • Ten More Doors: Passing the Torch to a New Generation of Democratic Women
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Member since 10/2005

Hope for 2018-- from the Bottom Up in New Mexico

Need to revive hope in the New Year?   Here are a few of the New Mexico solutions featured in my new book,  Another Way Forward: Grassroots Solutions from New Mexico. I will be talking about others Jan. 13 1-3 at the Los Poblanos Farm Store, 4803 Rio Grande Blvd. in Albuquerque. 

Solution #1: A service corps for young people to provide training in outdoor occupations, a sense of stewardship for New Mexico’s public lands and a leg up to further education.

Solution #2: A farmers market located outside a primary health clinic to offer low-income mothers fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms at affordable prices.

Solution #3: A community land trust to provide affordable housing, preserve a traditional neighborhood, and clean up an old industrial wasteland.

Solution #4: Tele-conferencing to bring the expertise of medical specialists to rural areas and address chronic diseases and opiod addictions.

Solution #5: A new type of experiential museum for all ages that is breaking the traditional mold and creating jobs for young artists.

Solution #6: A small factory that provides quality, on-site childcare for its employees at 25 cents per hour.

Solution #7: A civics program that gives kids a real-world opportunity to write a bill and lobby it through the legislature.

Solution #8: A medical residency program that encourages—rather than discourages—budding health care providers to locate in remote rural areas.

Solution #9: A fire department whose EMTs help 911 callers find services and solve problems rather than just taking them to the emergency room.

Solution #10: A program that matches the savings of low-income families if they take a financial literacy course and use the money for school, a small business or a home.

These are only ten reasons to have hope in the New Year —look around your community for the problem solvers, or just read my book, available through me www.dedefeldman.com/another, at Amazon (including Kindle) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999586408, Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/another-way-forward-dede-feldman/1127525590;jsessionid=E807877B1B77494C2FA174B10F926C74.prodny_store02-atgap05?ean=9780999586402 or BookWorks, where I’ll be having an event Feb. 1. at 6 pm. 

January 04, 2018 in Books, Current Affairs, Economy, Finance, Work, Families, Partners, Food and Drink, Health & Safety, Our Communities, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

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A View from Just Outside the Roundhouse: All Hands on Deck

We Are All Citizens Now

16299845_10211387180376576_4675931363588344921_oPhoto Art by Carolyn Fischman

Jan. 31, 2017

What a difference a few months have made. I remember when I lost my first election in 1995 writing a letter to the voters who had supported me. I said then that the most important office in a democracy was that of Citizen, not councilor, not senator not president. With “alternative facts,” blatantly unethical appointments and rash executive orders, it’s even truer today. But how to keep the momentum from the millions (yes millions!) in the streets and even more on the Internet going in an effective direction?   My suggestion is to keep your eye on the ball—Congress. I’m trying not to pay much attention to Trump’s talk and bluster but to his policies, which must be funded (or defunded) and passed by the Republican Congress.   There are lots of online tools to make it easy to contact your representatives like Indivisible ABQ. But no sense in preaching to the choir. I’m concentrating on moderate Rs who might still have some common sense—Jeff Flake and John McCain in AZ, Susan Collins in Maine. You might even have some relatives or friends outside of New Mexico. Work with them! Yes, many Republicans will say no, or equivocate. But for every elected official, this is a profile in courage moment. Remind them of that.

And don’t forget that letters to the editor, op eds, phone calls and hand-written letters count. Mailbox full? Switchboard tied up? Be ingenious. One friend suggested post cards to Rep. Paul Ryan’s home (Paul Ryan 700 St. Lawrence Ave., Janesville, WI 53545); another suggested filling in required email forms with a zip code from the targeted state. I suggest tea party style town halls in all swing districts. Hey, we might even have to travel. This is what a movement looks like.

Ethics? What Ethics?

President Trump’s unwillingness to divest, to disclose, to remove himself completely from his hotels and businesses guarantees continued conflicts of interest and public distrust. His insistence that the laws don’t apply to him sounds like a central African dictator, who’s squirreling away the country’s money. Even worse are the conflicts that his top appointments brush off so lightly. So what if the new HHS Secretary profited off of pharmaceutical stocks he bought in advance of a vote on RX pricing? Too bad if OMB pick Mick Mulvaney didn’t pay taxes on his housekeeper. Not long ago that was enough to stop Tom Daschle and Zoie Baird, but not this group. Shameless behavior on display here http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/tom-prices-confirmation-hearing-muddies-the-swamp as Republican senators wink and nod at nominees enduring the pesky press and public. Here’s another run-down of all the conflicts:http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/01/trumps-appointees-conflicts-of-interest-a-crib-sheet/512711/?utm_source=eb And is it coincidental that none of the Muslim majority countries where Trump has business dealings are covered by the travel ban?

Friends, if we loose our outrage about the basic principles of ethics and transparency—we’re collaborating. Common Cause, a group I am now connected with, is standing up at the national and state level. Support them. Closest to home, you can contact legislators for a strong ethics commission, disclosure of PAC and lobbyist activities and other reforms. To find out how, go to nm.commoncause.org and scroll down to Democracy Wire, at the very bottom. Common Cause New Mexico has a Face book page, too.

ABQ School Board Elections Tuesday Feb. 7

Lorenzo Garcia, Amy Legant are my picks for the North Valley district. I know, there’s only one seat—but longtime friend Lorenzo G. told me he wasn’t running and I told Amy Legant I’d support her. Darn it! Not much help on this one.

Solutions from the Grassroots

As gridlock—and worse—looms nationally, we need to remember that we have a lot to be proud of here in New Mexico. I am now hard at work on a book featuring some of the solutions that are working here at the grassroots level in health care, housing, local foods, education, and arts. I’ve always believed that real change comes from the bottom up and now I’m exploring that idea. And I’m finding a lot of local heroes here who didn’t wait for Washington to start solving problems. Let me know if you know one.

Repeal and Replace is Really, Really Bad for NM

The Affordable Care Act has cut our 2nd highest uninsured rate by half. Over 266,000 citizens who didn’t have insurance now can go to the doc thanks to the Medicaid expansion. 40,000 more people get it through the exchange, which subsidizes policies and makes sure that they include basic benefits with no lifetime or annual caps and no exclusions due to preexisting conditions. All that will be swept away if there is no replacement, along with a reduction in RX prices for seniors and free screenings for Medicare recipients. I’ve seen estimates that from 6,000- 19,000 people will lose jobs in clinics, hospitals, insurance companies that have benefited from the act.

Fortunately, the NM legislature had the foresight to enshrine some of the ACA insurance reforms in state law, something that I was a part of. For example, under state law, insurers cannot charge women more than men for the same policy, “20- somethings” can be included on parents policies, and 85% of insurance revenues must be spent on care, not profit or admin.  

Republicans are already finding out how difficult it is to replace the ACA. http://wapo.st/2kccZkx?tid=ss_mail Certainly the ACA has not been perfect. Deductibles, premiums and co-pays have gone up. But just wait until you see the death spiral when the mandate is withdrawn. My prediction is that the replacement will be the same sorry health savings accounts or barebones policies that cost more with less coverage. Lifetime and annual limits will be restored. And oh, if we can buy cheaper policies across state lines, kiss our local insurance companies (like Presbyterian) goodbye. Lots of political risk here, but nothing compared to the real lives at stake.

Call members of the U.S. Senate and tell them not to confirm Tom Price as HHS Secretary. Meanwhile,

Keep the faith! With all its perils, we may be entering the most exciting time of our lives since the 1960s (for those of you who remember them).

January 31, 2017 in Campaign Finance & Election Reform, Current Affairs, Economy, Finance, Work, Ethics Reform, Families, Partners, Health & Safety, National Priorities, Our Communities, Politics, the legislature | Permalink | Comments (0)

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For Political Junkies and Last Minute Shoppers

Attention Political Junkies, New Legislators, Lobbyists and Advocates

Special Holiday Sale

$24

      2014 Winner: Best Political Book,  NM-Arizona Book Awards               

Safe_image.php

Inside the New Mexico Senate: Boots, Suits and Citizens

            Order Direct from former Senator Dede Feldman at 505-220-5958 or dedefeld@comcast.net includes shipping, tax and signature. Check, credit cards or cash gleefully accepted.         

 “An insightful and compelling history of New Mexico’s legislative battles. Feldman’s observations are astute and her story well told.” US Senator Tom Udall

“Finally an honest book about the New Mexico Legislature.”Wally Gordon, NM Mercury

“…essential reading for anyone involved with or interested in New Mexico’s Legislature.”  Steve Terrell, SF New Mexican

“Dede Feldman is done mincing words… about the way the process works, and the way it should work.”  Santa Fe Reporter

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 14, 2014 in Books, Campaign Finance & Election Reform, Current Affairs, Ethics Reform, Health & Safety, Our Communities, Politics, the legislature | Permalink | Comments (0)

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In Upcoming Election, Don't Overlook Mental Health Ballot Issue

    This election season, I've been working on two important ballot questions one one whether we should impose a tiny tax increase here in Alb. to provide long-sought mental health programs, and another on decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.  Here's an Op Ed I wrote for the Alb. Journal on the mental health issue last week.  When you go out to vote in the next few weeks, don't forget these two issues at the bottom on the ballot!

From the Alb. Journal Oct. 9, 2014

Evidence keeps mounting that the lack of mental health treatment facilities here in Bernalillo County has tragic consequences for children, families, taxpayers and for the community’s image as a safe place to live and do business. The news surrounding the shooting of James Boyd and the Justice Department’s finding that the Albuquerque police are inadequately trained to handle people with mental illness just keeps on coming. And it is not good.

 For the past 14 years, there have been countless memorials, task forces and studies commissioned by Bernalillo County and the New Mexico Legislature that all say the same thing: Our stopgap system of treating mentally ill people in crisis through emergency room admissions, incarceration and overmedication is not working. I have been involved in many of these efforts.

 Most recently the city-county Task Force on Behavioral Health has recommended what prior task forces have recommended: a centralized crisis stabilization center where people in crisis could be taken to talk to mental health professionals to reduce acute stress. A center like this is far preferable to an already overcrowded detention facility or a hospital emergency room.

 Most often these facilities re-traumatize people with mental illness, and increase the possibility of a violent confrontation further down the circular path. Meanwhile the taxpayer’s bill is mounting. And jails and emergency rooms are not cheap.

 Yet while policy makers, law enforcement officials and other have long known that we need a crisis triage center and follow-up treatment, they have not come forward with the funding to adequately address this problem.

The result is the broken system that creates violent confrontations between the police and homeless mentally ill men like James Boyd. The longstanding situation has disheartened the huge number people with treatable mental illnesses (estimated in two out of every 10).

In addition, it literally strikes fear into the hearts of families who just don’t know what to do – or where to send their son or daughter – when things get terribly out of control.

Now members of the public have a chance to weigh in on this problem and let elected officials know that this is a problem with a solution that has been vetted and must be funded.

In Bernalillo County on Nov. 4, citizens can vote “YES” in support of a 1/8 percent gross receipts tax advisory question (regarding) needed mental health programs in Bernalillo County – programs like the one the Albuquerque Journal in its Oct. 1 editorial urged the Task Force to pursue: a mental health crisis center. Although the measure would not become law upon its passage it would give County Commissioners a push to pass an ordinance which could generate approximately $19 million for mental health services we desperately need.

As a member of the advisory committee to support passage of this advisory question, I encourage you to learn more at www.YesForMentalHealthSolutions.com.

October 17, 2014 in Current Affairs, Families, Partners, Health & Safety, Our Communities, Politics, the legislature | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Dede in Wonderland

Albuquerque's Weekly Alibi just published this review of my book, Inside the NM Senate: Boots, Suits & Citizens.  I'd like to share it with you here.

Dede in Wonderland

BY STEVEN ROBERT ALLEN

Inside the New Mexico Senate: Boots, Suits, and Citizens

Dede Feldman
UNM Press
paperback
nonfiction
$24.95

 

Former state senator Dede Feldman describes her first legislative session in 1997 as “a little like riding a motorcycle in a thunderstorm in the nude.” Sound like an exaggeration? It isn't. Legislative sessions in New Mexico can be terrifying, bombastic and exhilarating.

Inside the New Mexico Senate is an astonishingly honest, entertaining dive into the heart of New Mexico politics. It’s helpful that Feldman once had a long career as a journalist, because she brings a reporter’s eye and ear to the affair. What could have been just a drab schematic of the legislative process turns into a well-researched page-turner populated with colorful personalities, conflicted relationships and plenty of enticing political drama.

Throughout, Feldman makes it clear that she loved being a state senator. “It was one of the most significant and meaningful things I've done in my life,” she said in a recent interview. “It was an honor to serve the people in my community. I made some of the best friends in my life there, common allies in a common cause. That’s a great feeling. Of course, being there could also be frustrating, and you see that in this book. Even if you have the very best of intentions, good people can get trapped in a flawed system.”

The book’s overarching purpose, says Feldman, is to provide progressive advocates with useful advice about how to make the system work in their favor, to protect the environment, improve education, expand health care, decrease poverty and reform government. Sprinkled throughout the book are various case studies designed to illustrate how this is possible.

“(Albuquerque Representative) Gail Chasey was able to ban the death penalty in New Mexico through perseverance, grace and grit over a 10-year period,” Feldman says. “This book explains how that was done and how the advocates won this and other victories. It also explains how some of these battles were lost.”

Both politics and process inside the Roundhouse are notoriously complex. Feldman emphasizes that in a place like New Mexico, the road to political success is often paved with a deep understanding of the intricacies and histories of personal connections. “We are a state based on relationships,” she says. “Here in New Mexico, if you want to make change, you're well-served to map the complex web of relationships of those in power.” Part of the attraction of Inside the New Mexico Senate is it allows the reader to trace that web without getting completely entangled in it.

Steven Robert Allen is the Director of Public Policy at the American Civil Liberties Union in New Mexico. From 2007 to 2011, as director of Common Cause New Mexico, he worked with Feldman to advocate for various government reforms.

 Dede Feldman launches Inside the New Mexico Senate

Rio Chama Steakhouse
Thursday, Jan. 30, 5pm
414 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe 
riochamasteakhouse.com, (505) 955-0765
FREE

Bookworks
Tuesday, Feb. 4, 7pm
4022 Rio Grande NW
bkwrks.com, 344-8139
FREE

 

   

January 23, 2014 in Campaign Finance & Election Reform, Current Affairs, Ethics Reform, Families, Partners, Health & Safety, Our Communities, Politics, the legislature | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Attention Political Junkies and Christmas Shoppers…

Inside the New Mexico Senate: Boots, Suits and Citizens by Dede Feldman is now available for sale directly from the author--- before it hits local bookstores and without the wait for web orders.  It’s the perfect gift!

 

9780826354389
 Dede will be selling and signing her new book at a spur-of-the-season…

 Hot-Off-the-Press Book Signing Party

Friday Dec. 20 5:30-7:30

Downtown Pop-Up Store

105 Gold SW

           Featuring Hot Chocolate, Nog and other gifts from the fabulous Jemez Springs artists whose Gallery is Popping Up downtown from Dec. 6- Jan. 3

 To RSVP or reserve your signed copy for pick up later call Dede at 505-220-5958, or order directly from UNM Press at 800-249-7737.  Otherwise, just show up … with bells on.

 About the book: Published by UNM Press,  $24.95 Paperback  Inside the New Mexico Senate: Boots, Suits and Citizens is a legislative history with a human face. Here maverick leaders, shameless special interests, and earnest advocates clash in the unique arena that is the New Mexico Roundhouse. The New Mexico Senate comes alive, with stories of grit and grace, honor and disgrace. For students of government, advocates and lovers of politics this book is invaluable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 13, 2013 in Books, Campaign Finance & Election Reform, Current Affairs, Economy, Finance, Work, Ethics Reform, Families, Partners, Health & Safety, National Priorities, Our Communities, Politics, the legislature | Permalink | Comments (0)

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