You're invited to a very special event

During our campaign, you may have noticed we used some fairly non-traditional campaign approaches to engage voters and build support for our Campaign for Change.

As some of you already know, these approaches were conceived and run by Faith McKenna, an independent political consultant based in Santa Fe & Los Angeles, who specializes in teaching advocates on both sides of the aisle how to more effectively persuade in ways that are based in empathy and respect.  

As our successful campaign shows, these tools work.  And now we want to share them with you, so that you can use them to better advocate for the candidates and causes you're passionate about (like maybe the presidential election!).  

We invite you to join us on Sunday, July 8, for a very special presentation of these tools. 

 
If you haven't yet attended one of Faith's presentations, get ready for an afternoon of revelations and insights you simply won't find anywhere else.  And if you've been to one of Faith's presentations in the past, this one will include new material and will also review some of the key info just in time for campaign season.  

Here are just some "insider secrets" that Faith will share with you...

• An issue-by-issue review of why the most popular Democratic arguments often persuade voters to vote Republican
• The real reasons voters make decisions (it's not about "the issues").
• The crucial step that most political messaging skips (it's so obvious most people miss it).
• Practical, empowering strategies that you can use to more effectively reach "across the aisle" on any issue, from financial reform to immigration to global warming and beyond.
• And lots more 

  

Here's what a few past participants in Faith's presentations have said:  

  

"Expert, unique and thought provoking!"

"I've been raving about your presentation ever since you gave it!  I will definitely be there and hope to pass this along to those who missed it the first time - or who didn't.  THANK you for sharing this with us!"

"... invaluable in voter contact work."

"Thank you for the presentation!  It has opened my mind in a way that I hadn't realized was so closed. I am considering how I can use the tools you presented to become a better advocate, and I find that this is so basic it can be applied across the board in almost any situation. I feel that I am already a more compassionate, effective listener, as well as more passionate about how I communicate to others."

Get the inside scoop and get powerful!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Main (Downtown) Library Community Room

145 Washington, Santa Fe, NM  87501

Free admission 

Reservations requested, but not required to Jenna@FMJ-Communications.com

What's next for our Campaign for Change

 
As we celebrate Father's Day here in our community, it's fitting to reach out and let you know what the next steps in our Campaign for Change will be -- and how much we need you to be a part of it.

So much of what needs to be done is about creating a better future for our families and children.

Our win in the primary means that the work we've set out to do is just beginning.   After Election Night, so many of you reached out to say how excited you are about the opportunity for change, and asked us not to forget our passionate commitment to bring the Democratic Party here in New Mexico back to the people again.

We won't forget.  In fact, we've already started. 

Yesterday morning, I took your message to the Democratic Party of Santa Fe's Unity Breakfast, where I made it clear that our goal -- first and always -- is to represent the people, to take your ideas to the floor of the legislature, and to restore the Democratic values of fairness, justice and inclusion to our party.

I won't forget.  And now I'm asking for your help to continue that work.

First and foremost, we need to repair the damage that was done by the involvement of uninvited and unwelcome corporate PAC money in the final days of the election.   

This PAC involvement meant that a lot of people in our community who don't yet support our campaign likely believe a lot of misinformation about who we are and what we stand for.  

We need your help to fix that, because we want and need the voices and ideas of everyone included in the discussion.    

So we're asking you to help in two ways:  

1.  Host a Listening Party.  If you have friends, neighbors and coworkers who aren't yet supporters of our Campaign for Change, please consider hosting a Listening Party so they can meet Carl in person.  It's easy to do -- just invite over a few friends and we'll take care of the rest.  For more information, email us at Campaign@CarlTrujillo.com

2.  Contribute financially.  We still need financial contributions through November's election to help us get the word out about our campaign, repair the damage done by corporate PACs, begin to connect with the community in advance of the legislative session, and to pay off our campaign debt.  We've always been supported by individual contributions, so every little bit helps. To contribute, click here.

Thank you, everyone!

Thank you everyone!  Come visit our 2012 Campaign for Change photo gallery here.

If you have photos from the campaign, you'd like to add, email them to us at campaign@CarlTrujillo.com and we'll be happy to upload them!

A good day for the People

As you may have heard by now, the totals are in and our Campaign for Change was successful.

I want to thank our many supporters, volunteers, our dedicated campaign staff and, of course, my family for their hard work and courage on what is certainly a very un-traditional campaign.  Our Campaign for Change was a team effort and I'm so proud of everyone who helped us reach out to the community.

I would also like to offer a thank you to my opponent, Santa Fe mayor David Coss, for his gracious phone call to me last night. I realize this campaign was a contentious one, and I am looking forward to finding a way forward with Mayor Coss and his supporters that is grounded in building bridges, not walls. 

I am humbled by the trust that the people have placed in me by voting for our Campaign for Change to represent our community in the legislature.  As a citizen candidate, my priority has always been to represent the people, and that singular mission will continue to be our focus.  

Our campaign will continue doing what we've done over the past two years -- we'll be working hard to reach as many of you as possible, knocking on doors, attending Listening Parties and reaching out to all the people of our community.   

This was a primary election, and of course, the general election is in November.  While it was appropriate for Democrats to choose their nominee (and inappropriate for corporate PACs of any party to get involved in this race), now that the selection has been made, it's equally appropriate and important for those individuals in our community who are not Democrats to have the opportunity to participate in selecting the person who will represent them in the legislature. 

     

That means we'll be reaching out to those of you who we haven't yet met with personally, including Democrats who voted for my opponent, as well as members of our community from all political parties, including the ones who are not in line with our campaign's positions.   

Together, we can all work together to bring the best of all of our ideas to the legislature.

Yours truly,

Carl Trujillo

Citizen Candidate

Democratic Party Nominee, State Representative District 46

Now's Our Time!

Today is Election Day.

Over the past two years, our Campaign for Change has worked hard to do everything we can to restore your voice to the legislature.  And we're going to work hard right up until the last minute today.

  

We need your help today to get us over that final mountain.

   

It's looking good for our campaign, but it's going to be close.  As close as last time.  Maybe closer.

     

In 2010, we came within 70 votes of winning.  And afterwards, we heard from at least 70 people, "If I'd known it was going to be that close, I would have voted."

Let's make sure this time is different! 

Here's what you can do to put our Campaign for Change over the top today:

 

1.  Vote. 

This is one election in which every vote really will make a difference.  Don't risk being one of those "if only I would voted" folks. Seriously.  :-)

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  To find out where your polling place is, click here:  https://voterview.state.nm.us/   

If you need a ride to the polls, please call us at 699-0239 or 699-7372 and we'll be happy to drive you to your polling place (and home again). 

  

2.   Get your friends and family to vote.    

See above about how every vote matters!

3.  Help us make phone calls.  

If you have even an hour of extra time today, come on down to our Get Out the Vote headquarters and help us make easy, fun "get out the vote" phone calls.  We'll have good food, great company and a lot of fun.  For directions, call Jordan (699-0239) or Kevin (699-7372).

4.   Join us for our Election Night Party at Carl's home.   

Everyone is welcome!  For directions, call Jordan or Kevin (#'s above).     

With your help, working together, today can be the day we finally restore the people's voice to our government.    

  

Now's our time!  

****

   

A Personal Message from Carl Trujillo: 

  

Over the last two years I've been blessed with the opportunity to visit with so many of you in your homes and businesses, at Neighborhood Listening Parties, at community events.  I've been honored by the trust you've placed in me in sharing your thoughts, your concerns, your ideas -- and with your help, I will take those ideas to the floor of the legislature and fight for our shared values and priorities.    

I'm especially proud that we've run an ethical and honest campaign that put the people of our community first.  We've heard from so many of you that you're proud of that, too -- and it's my hope that our Campaign for Change will be able to show good people -- especially our kids -- that it's possible to be involved in our political process in a way that's healthy, respectful and inclusive. 

  

I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of our campaign -- my family, our staff, our volunteers, and most of all, all of you.  It is because of your enthusiasm for a different kind of government that represents the people over career politicians that we've come so very far.   

Whether you put a sign in your yard, came to a Listening Party, made phone calls, or talked about our Campaign for Change with your friends and family, I'd like to offer my most sincere and humble appreciation and gratitude. 

  

Thank you to all of you.  Now let's head for the polls and put our Campaign for Change over the top!   

Yours truly,

Carl Trujillo

Citizen Candidate

Additional Statement RE: Reform New Mexico

FROM: Carl Trujillo’s Campaign for Change
DATE:  Monday, June 4, 2012
RE: Reform New Mexico

We are an inclusive, citizens campaign built on listening to the ideas of the community and that means that we welcome input from all people, including legitimate community/cause groups dedicated to making our community better -- even when those community/cause groups have different opinions from our own.

What we don’t welcome is the interference of corporate & political front groups like Reform New Mexico seeking to influence the outcome of an election, whether those groups are Republican, Democrat or some other affiliation.  

If we want a government that’s of, for and by the people, then it needs to be the people’s voice shaping our dialogue.

So to be clear, myself as an individual and our campaign have no affiliation what so ever with Reform New Mexico or any other corporate or political front group, nor do we welcome nor seek the support of such groups.  Furthermore, while I am a citizen candidate, I and our campaign have strong views on vital issues -- positions that are in strong opposition to those expressed by Reform New Mexico, particularly when it comes to reforming our educational system and protecting our environment.  I am a passionate supporter of environmental protection and alternative, green energy, and unequivocally do not stand with the big oil and gas lobbyists who support Susana Martinez.  I do not share their political agenda nor their point of view.

Further, I as a candidate am strongly opposed to such corporate front groups being able to influence our election, which is why I’m an active member of Money Outta Politics, a grassroots Santa Fe community activist group seeking to overturn Citizens United, limit the corporate and “soft money” influence in our politics, and return our government to the people.

Mr. Coss, Mr. Egolf and I have significant differences in this primary campaign, but we stand together in opposing the agenda of Reform New Mexico and on calling on Reform New Mexico and other corporate and political front groups to stop interfering with the election so that the people’s voice can be heard.

Yours truly,
Carl Trujillo
505-699-7717
www.CarlTrujillo.com
campaign@CarlTrujillo.com

Statement re: Reform NM & Other Soft Money Groups

One of the greatest things about this campaign has been the outpouring of support from the people of our community who are committed to working for a better future.

But sometimes we get support from organizations who may have agendas that are likely to be at odds with our interests. And sometimes they may do things on their own, without our knowledge or our consent -- whether it's putting up a sign, sending out emails, making a financial contribution or something bigger.

This week, we had a few interesting examples. Organizations that have independently done things without any involvement from us. For example, two organizations sent out mailers that were negative to our opponent. We had nothing to do with them, but there’s nothing we can do to stop them.

Unfortunately, the opposition has been using slimy tactics to insinuate that we are somehow connected to these organizations and that’s proof that we have some kind of secret evil agenda. Our agenda is not secret; it is clear. There is only one interest that I seek to serve, and that is the very special interests of the people in the community that I grew up in, that my family has lived in and raised our children in for 400 years-- the people of District 46.

Some may ask why organizations like Reform New Mexico or the Business Alliance want to support our campaign in opposition to the entrenched machine candidate David Coss. They sent out their mailers without our involvement or approval, and we don’t know their reasons.

Perhaps they have their own genuine, legitimate concerns about Mr. Coss, because while David Coss and I, as fellow Democrats, may not be that far apart in our specific stands on specific issues, we seem to have very different views about the political process when it comes to fairness, openness and transparency. 

For example, I’m on the record for being willing to listen and include everyone in the dialogue, whether we agree with them or not, and my belief that if we're going to get government unstuck, we're going to have to start talking with and listening to each other. Yes, even across the political divide, perhaps especially where we have strong differences. 

This does not mean that I don’t have strong views on vital issues which are often in opposition to these big special interests-- especially when it comes to issues like protecting our environment, helping our families survive and prosper free from the ravages of substance abuse, violence and unemployment, providing better education for our children so they can have a better future, and helping local business to succeed in this difficult economy.

So, while we can't stop organizations from doing certain things like sending out mailers, we can and do return checks from special interests that aren’t in line with the priorities of our community. Because there's only one special interest that I'm looking to serve and that's the people of the 46th District of New Mexico.

Yours Truly,

Carl Trujillo

I'm supporting Carl Trujillo because...

Our Campaign for Change is different than most political campaigns -- since day one, listening to and representing our communities has been priority number one and we're proud to say that days before the election, we’re harder at work than ever engaging with community members to hear your thoughts, priorities and ideas. We've had a policy throughout the campaign not to actively seek endorsements from groups, organizations, political leaders, etc., so that we could spend that time instead out in the community.

That's why today, we're proud to announce these two very special citizen endorsements from two active community advocates in Santa Fe. Both Rick Lass and Paul White have dedicated themselves to bettering our communities for our families and neighbors, and we're proud to call them supporters of our Campaign for Change.

Rick Lass: We need a fresh voice to Represent our communities...

I am supporting Carl Trujillo because I am tired of politics as usual at the Roundhouse. Carl will bring fresh ideas and new energy to our legislature which is in desperate need of leaders who will promote quality education, good paying jobs, and green energy. A vote for Carl Trujillo is a vote for meaningful, positive change in Santa Fe and New Mexico.

Rick Lass

Paul White: Carl Trujillo is a Citizen Candidate...


Politicians these days seem more concerned with playing petty political games and advancing their own personal and political agendas than about listening to the people. Some career politicians put on a decent act during election season, but tune out the voices of the communities that they are supposed to be representing as soon as they get to the Roundhouse. Our communities can’t afford to elect another career politician that has become detached from the very communities they are supposed to be representing.

I’ve been an active member of the Santa Fe community for quite some time now. And although I don't speak as a representative of the many community organizations and County committees that I'm a member of I know that they support the kind of openness and transparency that Carl would bring to us as our representative.

I can tell the difference between a career politician going through the motions and someone who is passionate and cares about the issues that our communities face.

Carl Trujillo is of the latter group. Carl believes in the concept of a citizen-legislator—he knows that his job is to listen to our communities and after that, be their voice and representation in the state legislature. Carl knows how to research issues and will make informed decisions on our behalf.

From multiple interactions I’ve had with Carl at community meetings--of those that I am a member of and many others that I’ve attended--I know that Carl actually cares about the problems facing our communities and will put listening to our communities voices and solving those problems as his number one and only priority.

It's time for a change, the status quo is not working and we need representation that will listen to our hard-working communities. Carl Trujillo is the man for the job and that is why he has my full support.

Paul White
Community Activist

Fight for Our Nation's Veterans

On Monday Carl attended the Memorial Day Event at the Santa Fe National Cemetery.  Hundreds of people attended from all over the state to honor our military and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s safety and freedom.

While we have Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day to recognize our men and women who serve us, we must also appreciate them on a daily basis.  Veterans and their families need the support from our communities to help them adjust back to civilian life. Their skills and discipline make them a perfect fit for many job opportunities here.

There are many veterans among us in our Northern New Mexico Communities.  Take the time to say “Thank you” for everything they have done for us and our nation.

Now's our time to fight for those that fight for us!

I'm supporting Carl Trujillo because...

I worked for the State of New Mexico for over 20 years. During this time I've headed a number of government posts, including the Director of Child Support Services, Director for Administrative Services and Inspector General for the State Human Services Department.

Like Carl, Mayor David Coss is a good friend of mine. And my family will continue to support him as our Mayor. Yet the clear-cut conflict of interest that accompanies holding two elected offices is too much for me to support. It is fundamentally wrong; I strongly believe that a citizen should only hold one elected office, anything more than that threatens our democracy.

During my time in State Government, I dealt with many elected officials, some good, some bad. I have complete confidence that Carl Trujillo will represent District 46 with honesty, fairness and compassion. Carl Trujillo will continue to fight for openness and transparency in Government and he will always put the voices of our communities first and foremost. I've always been impressed with Carl's work ethic and I know that he will be a tireless voice in the Roundhouse for the communities and families of District 46.

Ben Silva

Another great Listening Party!

This weekend Carl attended yet another listening party at the home of a community member.  

We've been attending these parties throughout the campaign -- small groups of people gathering in homes and sharing their thoughts on what's working and not working with state government.  And though Carl does take a few minutes to introduce himself and talk a bit about what he stands for, the main focus for all of these events has been on you. Your thoughts, your ideas, your concerns.  That's the kind of candidate Carl is and that's the kind of legislator he'll be -- the kind that listens to the needs and ideas of the people and carries those ideas to the floor of the legislature where they can really make a difference in making our community better, healthier and more inclusive.

At this particular party, people shared their ideas and concerns on everything from making our schools better to preserving our acequias.

There's still a little bit of time to host a Listening Party of your own -- if you're interested, or if you have any ideas of your own you'd like to share with our Campaign for Change, we're always here to listen.  699-7717 or campaign@CarlTrujillo.com.

The Journal North Endorses Our Campaign for Change!

We're happy to announce that the Journal North has endorsed our Campaign for Change. So far, two out of three of the major newspapers in our community have endorsed our campaign, and even the New Mexican, which endorsed our opponent, called Carl and "appealing" and "talented" candidate with "roots deep in the north, he understands the culture and ways of rural Santa Fe County" and expressed serious concern with Mayor Coss' desire to hold two elected offices at the same time.

Here's the full text of the endorsement:

In this hotly contested, two-way race, one candidate has the backing of the Democratic “establishment” and the endorsement of the retiring incumbent, veteran House Speaker Ben Lujan, who has served in the Legislature since 1975.

 The other, Carl Trujillo, is the young upstart who almost defeated Lujan in the last election. As in so many other races in northern New Mexico, the June 5 Democratic primary is the deciding arena — no Republican is running in this heavily Democratic district.

 Trujillo has his own political connections — one of his uncles currently represents Santa Fe in the Legislature. He has deep roots in Nambé, just like Lujan. With that background, we’d have expected Trujillo to be more inured to the contentiousness of political campaigning, and to have been more willing to join the fray. Instead, he’s absented himself from most of the campaign’s public forums, for which his opponent rightly criticizes him.

 But Trujillo has some reason to be disgruntled with the Democratic Party establishment. He came within 80 votes of defeating Lujan in the 2010 election, suggesting that he has a real understanding of, and popularity in, the Pojoaque Valley that still comprises most of the newly redrawn district. Nevertheless, Lujan and his son, U.S. Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, are endorsing Coss.

 Trujillo has been a small-business entrepreneur since early adulthood and still runs a home building company. He pursued an education in engineering and then went to work in Los Alamos National Laboratory’s materials science division, where he has stayed for more than 20 years. He’s active in his community, having served as coach for any number of sports.

 A life-long Democrat, Trujillo generally follows the party line on most of the issues. But his independence from insiders in a party lately associated with numerous public corruption rackets both large and small encourages us and, as the 2010 election results showed, also strikes a chord with District 46 voters.

Elect Trujillo and break from the past

Community member Will Schmitt explains why, even though he's a personal friend of our opponent, he still supports Carl--largely due to his concerns about Coss' two-office power grab and history of ethical problems. You can read the full article below or on the New Mexican site here:

I joined Carl Trujillo's campaign to win the District 46 seat in the state House of Representatives several months ago, before Mayor David Coss announced his candidacy.

I decided to do this because I fundamentally dislike the level of corruption that appears to surround retiring House Speaker Ben Luján. I met Trujillo and liked what he had to say about issues that I am concerned about as a liberal Democrat, such as the environment, education, immigration, health care, women's rights, and the economy and its relation to all of the above.

When Coss announced his bid for the seat, I almost quit the Trujillo campaign because I have known Coss to represent many of the things that I like about Carl Trujillo. I decided to stay with the Trujillo campaign after considering whose horse Coss hitched his wagon to. If Coss wins, I believe he will be obligated to Speaker Luján. Coss is surrounded by controversies like the suppression of the cost of the annexation before the recent bond election, the evolving parking-meter scandal, campaign money from Advantage Asphalt, and most recently, the $5 million borrowed to buy and renovate space in the Railyard for city office space that many see as a sweetheart deal to bail out a developer, as well as his intention to keep his job as mayor should he win the election.

All of this looks like business as usual in the Democratic Party and in Santa Fe, and yet we Dems wonder why our base is eroding in New Mexico. This was described very succinctly by Orlando Romero in his May 29 column, "It's hard to be a Democrat."

I am convinced that Trujillo will make the best legislator representing our interests. He is smart, honest, energetic and genuinely concerned. He can be trusted to serve our common good as an honest broker. 

Trujillo represents a clean shift from the past, and I give him my enthusiastic endorsement.

Standing up for Inclusiveness

Campaign Manager Faith McKenna "My View" was recently published in the New Mexican in response to our opponent's smear campaign. You can read the full article below or that the New Mexican website here:

Regarding Marcos Trujillo's May 14 letter, "keeping company," that calls me an "out-of-state operative" who has "worked with Republicans": 

First, it's important to note that Trujillo conveniently fails to disclose that he's our opponent's, Mayor David Coss', campaign treasurer, so his letter isn't a letter from some ordinary citizen expressing a concern. It's part of an ongoing dishonest smear campaign.

As to his "accusations," as Carl Trujillo's campaign manager, I have never made a secret of working with candidates and groups on both sides of the aisle, from Republicans to progressives, who sought a more respectful, more inclusive way to engage in our political process. I believe that my work and the work of others who try to build bridges, not walls, represent the best of what our democracy can be -- dialogue instead of argument, collaboration instead of combat.

Hyperpartisan political rhetoric already demonizes people just because of their political affiliations. Now it seems we've moved to a new level of intolerance and bigotry that demonizes people for even associating with people who have ideas we don't agree with. How very sad for our democracy if we're not even allowed to communicate with anyone who doesn't share our point of view.

Also, this is exactly the sort of partisan nastiness and bigotry that drives good, honest people out of the political process. The more we leave things to the Swift Boat campaigns, the Karl Roves, Koch brothers and the Marcos Trujillos of the world, the less likely it is that good people like Carl Trujillo and his supporters will be willing to be part of the process.

But come to think of it, maybe that was the real agenda behind Marcos Trujillo's letter, to discourage anyone besides the career politicians and their cronies from participating in our government. How very sad that would be in a city that calls itself progressive. As to the "out-of-state" part, I certainly can't claim to have been part of this community for 400 years like Carl Trujillo's family can, but I did grow up in New Mexico and have lived in Santa Fe since 2007.

New Mexican columnist comments on Coss' robo-calls

Orlando Romero of the Santa Fe New Mexican believes Coss' robo-calls to be improper and disrespectful of the Hispanic community. You can read the full article below or at the New Mexican website here:

For any Northern New Mexican as old as I am and, for that matter, any young progressive Democrat who has "Occupy Movement" sympathies and is confronted with the terms "Democratic Party establishment" or "the machine," it is synonymous with the same-old, same-old. In other words, the same old party hacks who would control your future through the pay-for-play tactics of powerful lobbyists would be back in power.

A friend called me recently and asked what Carl Trujillo stands for. The issues seem fuzzy. I wanted to say, excuse me, the main issue in this state is corruption -- political shenanigans, bullying, abuse of power -- what issue could be more important than that to the health of a true democracy? For years, this state has been run by Democrats, especially up north, who act more like Hugo Chávez than true representative government. Why do you think Gov. Susana Martinez won?

My last column, in which I stated that it's become an embarrassment to say one is a Democrat in Northern New Mexico, drew an enormous number of responses to my email address. Yet, few of them appeared as letters in this section. That in itself should tell you something. Are they afraid of reprisals? Then, as I was writing this column, I get the same robo-call poll from the David Coss Democratic machine that I've answered before. But the most amazing thing is that the poll begins with the question, "Do you support Gov. Martinez's denial of driver's licenses to illegal aliens?" What in the world does that have to do with the race between Coss and Trujillo? Is it implying that Trujillo is a conservative? It's a totally unethical question, especially in regard to the subsequent questions.

For example, the robo poll asks: "Do you have a favorable impression of Coss; press one if yes. Do you have a favorable impression of Trujillo; press one if yes." Then there's this winner. It asks, "Some people have an unfavorable opinion of Coss being both mayor and state representative; do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion; press one," etc., etc., etc. Then to the most obnoxious question: "If you are Hispanic, press one; if you are Anglo press two."

I have had this robo call before, but it never mentioned this conflict-of-interest question, so obviously the Democratic political "machine" must be feeling the heat. But what really is offensive to me is the ethnic card. Is it saying or asking if Anglos are more concerned with democracy than Hispanics or that Hispanics are less capable of understanding a democracy? Shame on you Miss Robo Call operator. I am an American -- my ancestors have been here since 1598 -- and I find your poll truly offensive!

By the way, look who is getting the big bucks and who they are getting them from. Trujillo, as a progressive, should be congratulated. He promised he would not take big-money contributions from lobbyists and political action committees. "His campaign finance report shows he hasn't," as reported by this same newspaper, which failed to endorse him. Let me ask you. Isn't that a real issue? Isn't the fact that Trujillo is not beholden to anyone a real issue? What more do you want in a representative? What you want in a representative is "a citizen candidate, not a career politician," as Trujillo has said on nmpolitics.net, and "I'm seeking to represent the people, not govern them."

Maybe the better word would have been "lord" over them, as many of these career politicians think they are feudal lords. And that we, as peasants, should follow their every whim, especially when it comes to the distribution of pork and other political favors. By the way, at the time this column was written, it was announced that investigative TV reporter Larry Barker was going to do an exposé on "pork" in New Mexico politics. Obviously, this issue of who's getting the pork is still haunting New Mexico politics.

Maybe the real issue is the trouble with Coss wanting to hold two elected positions. As professor Lonna Atkeson, director of The University of New Mexico Center for the Study of Voting, Elections and Democracy has stated, it is"not fair" and "fundamentally problematic."

Carl On KSWV

Always happy for opportunities to reach out and engage with the people of our community, Carl was at KSWV in Santa Fe for a live interview last week.  Here's some of what he talked about regarding the importance of having a state representative who listens to the needs and ideas of the people over his own personal agenda:

El Paso Times cites Coss' "me first" attitude

It turns out that news sources based as far away as El Paso are concerned about Santa Fe mayor David Coss’ attempted power grab. Milan Simonich, chief of the Santa Fe Bureau for the Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership recently published an article about what he calls the mayor's "me first attitude" and that attempting to be “mayor and state representative all at once is wrong because it ignores the public's needs.” The entire text can be viewed here.

The criticism of him is both fair and unfair. Other legislators have held high-stakes public jobs while serving in the Legislature.  Nonetheless, Coss' plan to be a mayor and state representative all at once is wrong because it ignores the public's needs.  

A Democrat, Coss is running for state representative in House District 46. If he defeats Carl Trujillo in the June 5 primary election, Coss says he will continue as mayor when he takes office in the Legislature.  This me-first attitude shows that Coss, a Santa Fe native, has a streak of Huey Long, the Louisiana powerbroker of the 1930s.

 Coss, we should say, has not responded to requests to talk about his candidacy and his plan to be a dual officeholder. The main question he needs to answer is how he could do both jobs effectively.  Legislators go to work in a 60-day session starting in January. Would Coss attend city council meetings that conflict with legislative hearings or floor votes? Which work, the city's or the state's, would be his priority?  Perhaps most important, why does Coss want to hold two political offices at once?

 Is it because he perceives the political bench in Santa Fe to be thin, or because his ego tells him being mayor of the capital city is more prestigious than being a freshman legislator at the Capitol?

Although Simonich seems to miss the mark when pointing out that other legislators currently hold other jobs.   Holding another job is not where the dubious ethics of Coss’ power grab lies. It is the fact that two elected offices can and will conflict with each other. What happens if Coss is in a position where he must vote on a capital outlay project that benefits the City of Santa Fe, but may not benefit or completely ignore the Northern communities? Heath Haussamen addressed this in his blog NMPolitics.net today. That story can be viewed here.

Now’s our time to elect a candidate that will represent us equally and fairly!

Making Safe Neighborhoods a Priority

Recently Carl attended a local Neighborhood Watch meeting where citizens voiced their concerns and discussed how to help each other keep their communities safe.


Our communities in Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico are special places, where people care about each other and get to know their neighbors. Common sense tells us that the more of that we do, the safer we all are.


Recently the Santa Fe Police Department reported that residential burglaries have increased 52 percent the first four months of the year, as compared to the same months in 2011. The men and women of the SFPD are doing their absolute best to address the problem, but they can use our help.


There is no easy answer to combating crime, but together we can do a lot to ensure the safety of our families. We can make our community safer by becoming involved in neighborhood watch groups, making close relationships with our neighbors, and reporting suspicious activity.


Another way we can protect our communities is by supporting candidates and legislators that will fight hard for the safety of our neighborhoods. State legislators may not have direct authority over public safety, but there is still a lot of work that can be done at the Roundhouse to help reduce crime.


This includes giving people more hope of a better economic future, which will in turn give our kids more options beyond gangs and drugs and violent crime. They can support schools so that our graduation rate improves and teachers have all the resources they need to keep students engaged and learning. And anti-drug programs can be supported, which will help reduce the crime often committed by those
struggling with addiction.


Now’s our time to elect candidates that will listen to our concerns and make public safety in our neighborhoods a priority!

The Rio Grande SUN Endorses Our Campaign for Change

We are happy to announce that this week's issue of the Rio Grande SUN contained an endorsement for our Campaign for Change! Below is the full text from the editorial section of the SUN:

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With the retirement of Ben Lujan Sr., District 46 is open for a new representative. Lujan is throwing his support to Santa Fe Mayor David Coss.

Los Alamos National Laboratory engineer Carl Trujillo is taking his second run at the seat. He almost beat Lujan two years ago.

Coss says he’ll remain the mayor of Santa Fe and represent Northern Santa Fe County fairly. We doubt that is possible. The many letters we’ve received asking how Coss can serve two masters are right on point.

We’re troubled Trujillo will not participate in forums or debates but it is part of the political game. He answered the SUN’s questions and they’ll be published next week. He earned the seat two years ago by doing the hard work and taking on an entrenched democratic icon when most Democrats were busy riding both Lujan’s coattails and kissing the appropriate ring.

The representative of this district must remember we’re here and it’s not just Santa Fe. Trujillo will represent the northern parts of the district equitably and with forethought. He’s already proven he is his own person and capable of independent thought, separate from influences.

Vote for Carl Trujillo in the District 46 house race.

Mayor Coss' Campaign is Spreading Misinformation

I'm Carl Trujillo and, as most of you probably know, I'm running for state representative.

Over the past few weeks, my opponent, Santa Fe mayor David Coss and his campaign have spread misinformation and outright lies about who I am and what I stand for.

My stands on the issues are clear -- they've been on my website since the beginning of the LAST campaign in 2010 -- and for Mayor Coss and his campaign to suggest otherwise is dishonest political posturing.  

I’ve been a Democrat since I was first old enough to vote. And I’m proud to come from a long line of Democrats, because I believe in the values that the Democratic Party has long stood for -- chief among them, fairness, honesty, social justice and inclusivity.

My opponent and the Establishment party insiders who back him have seem to have forgotten those ideals.  I haven’t.  And I don’t think the people in our community have, either.

When I got into this race, I expected that it would be a tough campaign and I welcome that. What’s not okay is my opposition’s dishonesty.  Trying to win a campaign through dishonest smear tactics is beneath the dignity of our community. It’s the same tactics used by the Swift Boat Veterans in 2004 or when opponents insinuated that President Obama wasn't born in the US and "obviously" has ties to terrorists because his name sounds Muslim.

The truth is that Mr. Coss and I aren’t that different when it comes to our positions on “the issues”. What is deeply, fundamentally and profoundly different is how we view the role of a representative.  Mayor Coss is a career politician.  I’m a citizen candidate.

That means I’m seeking to represent the people, not govern them. That’s why instead of spending my time arguing with my opponent about “the issues,” I prefer to invest my time in the community listening to what the people think. Because I believe in a government by the people, for the people.

And while we’re on the subject, as a Democrat, I believe that “we the people” means ALL of the people.  Black, Hispanic, Native American, or white, gay, straight or bisexual, old or young, male or female, Progressive, Democrat, Republican, Independent, Green Party, Socialist, Libertarian, Tea Party, Liberal or conservative -- I welcome everyone’s ideas if they will make our community better.  

To my mind, that's what being a representative means.  That’s what being a Democrat means -- being open to new ideas even when we disagree, including every member of our community in the discussion, respecting different points of view, and creating solutions that are based on our shared experience of living in this community together in peace.  

The people I've been listening to in our community have all kinds of great ideas for solving the problems we have here in New Mexico-- teachers and students and parents who have innovative ideas for reforming education that deserve a chance to be heard. Leaders in the alternative energy field, both in the community and at LANL where alternative energy is a particular interest of mine, have some exciting ideas for supporting green, sustainable energy that will uniquely benefit New Mexico.  Local business people struggling to keep their doors open who know first hand what the state could do to help their business so they can hire more people.  

These are the people I seek to represent.   They are all throughout our community and they are ready to have a voice in the Roundhouse. 

So, it’s understandable that Mayor Coss and company would feel the need to lie to win this election.  He’s a career politician with a dubious record when it comes to ethics, candor and transparency in government. Also, he’s backed by the political old boy network and their cronies, who are threatened at the idea of a candidate who is willing to listen to the people and not simply vote as he's told by the special interests and old boy club. It’s understandable, but that doesn’t make it okay to lie.

On June 5, we will all have a choice as to who we want speaking for us in the legislature.  I hope and trust that the people in our community would rather have a representative who doesn't ignore what they think to advance his own personal agenda. 

I believe that the people of our community understand that a politician who is willing to lie about his opponent to win an election is likely a politician who is equally willing to ignore the will of the people once he gets into office. And we all know what it feels like when the people we elect to speak for us vote against the will of the people.  The invasion of Iraq.  Healthcare reform.  The debt ceiling debacle.  Do we really want more of the same or do we want something more in line with our deeper values as Democrats?

Of course, that's a choice we'll all have to make for ourselves.

I'm supporting Carl Trujillo because...

Each day I wake up concerned whether or not my children will have the same opportunities in their futures than I had in mine. Unfortunately, I’m becoming more and more discouraged about the current trend of our state government. Political tricks and games have taken a priority over the future of our children. Throughout the years I have observed career politicians line their pockets and the pockets of their friends while the children, elderly and others in need in our communities continue to suffer.

Like me, Carl Trujillo shares the same concern over the future of our children and our communities. This is why I am supporting him.

Carl and I both grew up here in Northern Santa Fe County. We both care deeply about our communities and its residents.

My family has deep roots in Northern New Mexico. My great grandfather and grandfather were sheep and cattle ranchers and I too grew up working on a cattle ranch. I believe that Northern New Mexico is one of the most beautiful and culturally-rich places on this Earth, which is why after graduating from college I returned to Northern New Mexico to raise my family. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to start a career in Research and Development here in Northern New Mexico.

I have worked with Carl for the past 12 years and during this time I have also come to know Carl on personal level. We have had many discussions regarding our concern that our state government is not providing the foundation for a sustainable, successful community. We both share concerns that our young sons will not be able to secure reliable, well-paying careers here in Northern New Mexico and out of economic necessity will be forced to move elsewhere.

The problems are sitting right in front of us, yet it feels as though our communities do not have a voice. Our communities do not need more of the same corrupt, career politicians. We need a change; we need someone who listens to the residents of our communities; we need someone who will be the voice for our communities and will always work for us and not their own political agenda.

Carl is motivated, intelligent, innovative, ethical and a good person. I feel that Carl will always put our communities and children first—as a lifelong Northern New Mexican community member and father—that is why I’m supporting Carl.

Sincerely,

Thomas A. Sisneros