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."