Losing Candidate makes 74th run for Office

John Turmel from Brantford Canada is running for mayor in his home town in Canada. What makes his run special is that it is his 74th run for office. He has an impressive record, He holds the Guinness world record for most elections contested. Even more impressive is that with 74 elections he has never won a race! John's occupation is listed as a professional poker player.

John has advocated for the abolition of interest on loans, and the legalization of marijuana and gambling. He has opened several casinos only to have them raided and shut down. Voters will decide on October 25, 2010 if he will continue his losing streak or finally come up with a win.

As election day nears and New Mexicans grow weary of politics we can still thank god John Turmel lives in Canada. On the other hand he just might make our elections a little bit more fun.

Funny Friday, Blacker Than Obama?

In January Rod Blagojevich was chastised for saying "I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived," Blagojevich said. "I saw it all growing up." Later, Blagojevich said the comment was "stupid, stupid, stupid." He said it was meant as a metaphor for his disappointment with Obama, whom he accused of doing more to help Wall Street than Main Street. In this Funny Friday Video my favorite Obama Impersonator makes fun of the Blagojevich fiasco with this youtube video. Be sure and check out his other great videos under the name Alphacat on YouTube.

Funny Friday. Protect Insurance Companies

Here is a public service announcement parody from comedian Will Farrell’s Funny or Die project. Enjoy.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Ohio Sheriff Gets Flak for Possible Congressional Run

Republican Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones is getting flak from his own party as he announces he is considering running against House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). Sheriff Jones has long been an outspoken Sheriff in illegal immigration issues and has even put up billboards warning employers against hiring illegal immigrants. In an interview with The Politico Sheriff Jones is quoted “The party is in the toilet and in the wilderness. I don’t know where they’re going. Being an incumbent in Washington is not really the best thing right now,” Jones said.










Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones


Rep John Boehner has not faced serious opposition since he was elected in 1990 and Sheriff Jones would be the toughest opponent he has ever had. Sheriff Jones is considered strong in name recognition and well liked in his county who's population encompasses half the congressional district. However, the Sheriff is getting serious opposition from leaders in his own party who feel the Sheriff is premature in challenging Rep. Boehner. They feel the Sheriff should wait it out and run for the position when Rep. Boehner is ready to retire. Party leaders feel a primary battle can only hurt the Sheriff's Standing in the party. The Sheriff is not afraid to challenge conventional Republican Politicos, He once took out an ad in the Cincinnati Enquirer accusing Republican presidential nominee John McCain of being weak on immigration.
























House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio)

This will be an interesting race to watch however the race may never materialize. The Sheriff at this point says he is looking into whether he can raise enough money and support to take on the congressional seat. I think the Ohio Republican party will do all it can to assure the support and money is not found.

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Funny Friday- President Obama Raps About His Problems.

I am a big fan of Alpha Cat, his real name is Iman Crosson and he is a President Obama Imitator who has made a star out of himself on You Tube. I first became a fan of this Video.



Now he is out with a new video that is not only fun to watch but I am thinking of putting it on my Ipod to listen to as well. Here is his new video.



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Democrats Sweep New Mexico!

I have never been more proud to be a Democrat. Congratulations to our next President Barack Obama, Ben Ray Lujan, Tom Udall, Martin Heinrich, and Harry Teague who will all go to Washington to represent us. Congratulations to all the other candidates who won their races across the state and Thank You to those who lost. It is a very hard thing to put your self out to the public and say vote for me. Even those whom I don't agree with their political views, still have my greatest respect. Thank you for putting your self out there to be judged and to be a part of the political process which makes America the greatest nation in the world.

One More Day!

How many of you remember Jan 20, 2007? That was the day Hillary Clinton announced her run for the Presidency of the United States of America. How about Jan 21, 2007? That was the day Bill Richardson announced. Better late than never, Senator Barack Obama announced on February 10, 2007. I have to admit I don't know and decided not to look up when John McCain announced. My point is it has been a long 23 months.

Wow, two years of presidential campaigning. Is anyone really undecided? Tomorrow is election day. I am not sure that means much anymore, There is no longer an election day as early and absentee voting has surpassed election day voting accross America. In 2000 and 2004 we had long lines on election day as each 4 year cycle brought new records in those who show up at the polls. Now in 2008 more people will have probably voted early and absentee than on election day. This trend is bound to continue to the point where eventually I have no doubt that we will just have an election month and election day will only become the final day of voting.

How many of you are ready for the negative ads to end? ( my hand is in the air, harder to type with one hand). I have grown increasingly weary of the increasingly negative ads, why do they work? Those who are supposedly in the know say they work and thats why they are used. I am ready for real change in the way campaigns are advertised. What will you do, what are your ideas and why do you want our vote? Thats what I long for. I feel like sticking my head out the window and yelling I am sick of it and I am not going to take it anymore. Wish I lived in a highrise for proper effect. Oh well, I would stick my head out my kitchen window and yell to my dogs who would probably look at me like I was an idiot if I thought it would help.

I think this decade will be known in politics as the swiftboat decade, when non issues ruled the day. Hopefully the next decade people will look back and say, what were they thinking? All that aside if you have not voted yet then by all means get out and do so tomorrow! And if by chance I am wrong and you are undecided then let me sway you.

GO OUT TOMORROW AND JUST VOTE DEMOCRAT!!!!!

Let me be the last to say, Thank you I am Greg Solano and I approved this message.

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Funny Friday- On a Monday.

Normally I would save this video for Funny Friday but by then everyone on the internet will have seen it else where. If you missed this on Saturday Night Live then you have got to see it now. If you did not see the real interview with Katie Couric then believe it or not this spoof is really not that much different! Enjoy!

Obama Brings Excitement to Espanola

It has been a long busy day and my wife Antoinette and I are headed to the Toby Keith concert so I quickly put up a few pics from the Obama rally in Espanola. It was a full crowd of about 10,000 and very exciting. I will try to post more on it later.




Who would have guessed that right across the street is the Espanola Republican Headquarters!

Lots of News Trucks including CNN.

Larry Behrens From KOAT filming a shot of Ben Ray Lujan pressing the flesh.

Ben Ray Lujan worked the crowd and spoke to this lady who lived accross the street from the rally.

New Mexican Reporter Steve Terrell at his post in the press area.

Governor Richardson Introduces Barak Obama.

My favorite line of Obama's was " McCain said the economy is fundamentally sound, he was fundamentally wrong!"

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Sarah Palin The Victim of Identity Theft, McCain Admits Lying

Sarah Palin has become the victim of Identity Theft. A fellow blogger has assumed her identity and created a blog which on first appearance seems to be an actual blog of Republican Candidate Sarah Palin. Only when you actually read the posts do you begin to realize this could not be real. The blog includes posts from Sarah, guest posts, a bridal registry for her daughter Bristols upcoming wedding, and an email Sarah link. If you look really hard, halfway down the blog page on the left hand side panel in really, really small letters is the sentence

"This site is a work of satire and is not affiliated with Sarah Palin in any way."

This is an interesting way of attacking a candidate and while I am sure it would be legal and classified as free speech it takes politics and political attacks to a new low. Not that the McCain and Palin campaign have not personally taken their campaign to a new low. McCain has even admitted lying in his ads. Remember the day when even if candidates lied they would never admit it? Now lying is tolerated or at least ignored by the public even when a candidate admits they are lying and continue to do so.

I have always felt honored to be in public service and I can only hope that local and state politics do not reach the level that presidential politics have reached. However, the Pierce campaign ads seem to be just below the level of McCains and I have seen other attack ads at the state level as well. Why, oh, why do negative ads work? When will the public teach candidates lessons by saying enough is enough. I hope soon, I know I have had enough. Maybe ads which tell who you are and what you will do are not as exciting but it is what I want to see. I want to know who is the candidate and what are their values and do they understand what American life is really about. Remember George H.W. Bush in 1992, when he was so amazed at the bar code reader in a grocery store? Do our candidates know what it is like to pay their utility bills, buy car insurance, house payments, car payments, buy gasoline, keep their kids in clothes for school and still buy food? Or do they have no idea even how many houses they own?

I know how many houses I own, NONE. Country Wide Mortgage owns my house and each month I pay them for the privilege of letting them do so. At least until the day comes when I might pay them off and then maybe it will be mine. Don't get me wrong, its the American Dream and many other citizens of many other countries wish they had the opportunity I do. But, if you do not know what it is like to try and pay for medical insurance or try and go with out it and gamble on the chance you won't need it for the next year how can you understand why we must fix the health care system in America.

These are the issues we should be talking about, not pigs with lipstick, or lies about teaching kindergarten children sex education. (does anyone even believe for a second that any politician would vote for that!) I would admonish candidates even more but the truth is this will continue and continue to get worse until the public says enough is enough.

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Dear Mario, Keep up with the Blogs!

Apparently a fellow blogger is a little behind on reading my blog, shame on you. You need to keep up if your going to have blog posts that are not behind the times. Way back on June 16, 2008 I endorsed Martin Heinrich in his race against Darren White. A full month later Mario Burgos decides to take issue with that endorsement. Mario Burgos decided to accuse me of being of all things, A DEMOCRAT! Ok, Mario , I admit it, as the Elected Democratic Sheriff in Santa Fe County I am a registered Democrat. I also have to admit that I read your blog, along with 58 others on a daily basis, thank god for Bloglines. For those who don't know what bloglines is, it is a FREE online service for searching, subscribing, creating and sharing news feeds, blogs and rich web content. It allows me to easily keep up with peoples blogs that I am either interested in or want to keep track of what they are saying.

A photo of myself speaking about my endorsement of Martin Heinrich with Congressman Rahm Emanuel, Martin Heinrich, and members of the I.A.F.L. Firefighters Union behind me.

Now I'm not talking about spying but in order to be well informed you need to listen to not only those who share your political philosophy but also those who do not. That is why I read Mario's blog along with many other right wing blogs and websites. Another thing Mario accuses me of is wanting to federalize local police forces. Apparently he is not a regular reader of this blog. Why only last Wednesday August 20th I posted this blog post in which I spoke about my distrust and disapproval of a justice department proposal of a new domestic spying measure designed to allow state and local police to collect intelligence about citizens and share the data with federal agencies.

Apparently Mario just has a hard time believing that I can make a decision based on anything else but partisan politics. Well Mario, I don't expect you to admit it and I don't even want you to admit it, but you are wrong. Darren White has not received my endorsement because he and I have political and philosophical differences that are so far apart I could not endorse him.

The fact remains that successful law enforcement efforts require a nationwide approach and federal grants and funds allow that type of approach to take place. Never was the success of national crime policy more successful than during the Clinton Administration when the COPS programs helped reduce crime and introduce community policing to a nation of police who had no idea what community policing was before these programs were introduced to them. At a time when there are more school shootings, there are less police in the schools as funding for them has been cut to the bone.

These are not just Republican or Democrat issues and I hope readers will take note, what I most fault Darren White for is not using his position and influence in the Bush Administration to address the law enforcement issues we have faced in recent years. On the other hand I have spoken to Martin Heinrich and I fully believe he understands the issues and will go to bat for the safety of our homes, our families and our children.

Democrats Become the Organized Party.

WillRogers

"I don't belong to an organized party--I'm a democrat."

I read this quote sometime back and at the time its seemed very appropriate. At least on the local level and even somewhat on the state and national level it seemed as though the Democratic Party was a million different organizations each doing their own thing and unaware of what the party was doing even in the next town.

Lately I am seeing more and more cohesion and organization than I have seen even in my own lifetime. Act Blue is allowing national fundraising to occur organized and through the Internet. Calling itself the online clearing house for democratic action, the web site allows individuals to choose a race, maybe not even one in their own state, and make a difference for the democratic party as a whole by donating money to key races around the country. It used to be said that all politics is local, and for the most part it still is. However, now individuals can make a difference on a much more national scale.

State wide the same fundraising ability has been set up using Act Blue interface and calling itself True Blue New Mexico. Here you can contribute not only to the congressman in your district but to all democratic candidates for congress throughout the state. This allows a new breed of activism across the U.S. . There was a time that it took some work on an individuals part to see who might need our help across our own state as well as across the U.S.. Now that information is a mouse click away.

Barack Obama has also brought a new level of grassroots, rural and suburban campaigning to our nation. In the past Presidential campaigns opened offices in only the largest cities in our state and tried to get those offices to work the smaller surrounding rural areas. Obama has changed all of that with 20 offices across this state and more being added weekly. Places like Los Alamos, Carlsbad, Raton, Shiprock and Taos are hosting Obama for President offices. This is great for all future campaigns as people who have never had the chance to volunteer in a local office are getting to do so now. I can tell you that it is addicting and once you go out and volunteer for a candidate many do so again and again. It is the epitome of making a difference in your community.

The Internet and new mass communication methods such as text, email, blogs, My Space, Facebook and others have led this new level of organization. Everyone is more organized and organization is easier with cellphones, P.D.A.'s , online calendars, contact lists, and spreadsheets. With all this organization comes more voters at the polls than ever before and a greater understanding of our political process. It is great to see all this happen in my lifetime and I am excited to be a small part of it.

Perhaps one day I will tell the story to my grandchildren about how we used to read about politics in a thing called a newspaper and then actually get in a thing called a gasoline powered automobile and drive to a place known as a polling place. Once there we used to have to make sure we were at the right precinct, stand in line sometimes for hours and then cast a ballot on a piece of paper. I may even explain to my grandchildren what a hanging chad was.

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Maricopa County Democrats go to the Web to Remove Joe Arpaio

I have been receiving a lot of visitors who have found my site via a link on a new website called Joes Got To Go. Apparantly the Democratic Party in Maricopa County has decided to link to a blog post I had back in May where I spoke about Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County Arizona decision to endorse Aubrey Dunn in his 2cd Congressional District primary race against Ed Tinsley. The web site mistakenly says the congressional race was in Santa Fe County and even though I am in Santa Fe County the 2cd Congressional District is in South Eastern New Mexico.

Apparently Joe's endorsement did not work as Republican Aubrey Dunn lost to Ed Tinsley in the June Primary. The controversial Republican Sheriff is facing democrat Dan Saban in the November election for the office of Sheriff in Maricopa County. Dan Saban was a republican when he ran against Joe Arpaio in 2004. Now after switching parties he returns to try and unseat the Sheriff who despite controversy after controversy continues to win re-election every 4 years. In the latest poll numbers on August 6, 2008 the Sheriff was still ahead even though his popularity has slipped in the last year. He remains ahead of his opponent with a 54% to 38% lead in polling numbers. The Sheriff enjoyed a 64% lead in March of 2007. The Sheriff has faced major opposition from Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and Gov. Janet Napolitano, who has withdrawn state funding from the Sheriff's office after the Sheriff started conducting controversial immigration sweeps.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Sheriff Candidate Dan Saban

The battle between the Mayor, Governor and Sheriff Arpaio is based on his controversial program of "Crime suppression sweeps". In the sweeps he and a posse of volunteer deputies show up in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods, stop residents for minor traffic violations and then question them about their immigration status. A recent “sweep” rounded up 27 Hispanics who the Sheriff believes may be in the country illegally. The sweeps have resulted in law suits, rallys both pro and con and sometimes heated demonstrations.

According to a five part investigative series by the East Valley Tribune in Phoenix the result of the massive effort has been slower response times on emergency calls, a slumping arrest rate and, for a time, excessive overtime costs. All while the Sheriff and his deputies wage war on immigrants.

I have always been surprised by the extent of controversy in this Sheriff's career as well as his ability to push the envelope and cross over lines and still remain an elected official. I have never visited Maricopa County but perhaps when New Mexico's Space Port is open I can visit, I imagine it is somewhere in the twilight zone.


P.S. ever wonder what happens to a candidate web site when they lose the election? In the case of Aubrey Dunn he took his campaign web site www.aubreydunn.com and redirected it to a real estate and cattle sale web site. I have been wondering what to do with solano4sheriff.com !

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Martin Heinrich Public Safety Press Conference

Yesterday I attended a press conference for Martin Heinrich congressional candidate in district 1. The conference featured Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, firefighters from the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 244 and myself. I am borrowing photos from the FBIHOP blog flicker page for this blog post.


First to speak was Fire Captain Ahren Griego who explained why the local IAFF was supporting Martin Heinrich. He spoke about fire fighters who are developing lung and other diseases after years of working in and around fires. The fire fighters sometimes develop the diseases after retirement and many times are in a fight to prove thier ailments are work related. Martin Heinrich has vowed to work on this issue in congress.


I spoke next and I am just going to post my speech as I wrote it. I know I did stray from my prepared remarks in a sentence or two.

I want to tell all of you something’s you probably don’t know and something’s that will shock you. Police officers and deputies across this nation are going to work with out bullet proof vests they need to stay alive. They are going to work without enough ammunition to attend needed firearms training. There are thousands less cops in our schools protecting our children than there were just 7 years ago. This year alone New Mexico received a 67% cut in federal funds to combat drugs including Meth, Cocaine, and Heroin.

What happened 7 years ago that began these cuts? President George W. Bush took office in Washington.

I always thought I could support a Law Enforcement Officer going to represent us in Washington. Who better to work on Public Safety Issues? However, after all the destruction the Bush Administration has done to public safety in America one Sheriff not only stood by him but actually was his New Mexico Campaign Chair in 2004. Worse, not once has Sheriff Darren White tried to get his friend George W. Bush to stop the bleeding of our public safety agencies.

But we New Mexicans can do something about this. We can elect a man who has a proven record of working to combat crime and graffiti in Albuquerque as a city councilor. That man is Martin Heinrich!

I am proud to join the Sheriff's from Valencia and Sandoval County in support of Martin Heinrich because I know he will work hard to ensure that Public Safety officials have the resources and tools they need to protect New Mexico citizens. I hope all the citizens in District one will get out to vote and when they are in that voting booth they will choose Martin Heinrich.

I am very proud to introduce to you the next Congressman from District 1, Martin Heinrich

Next up to speak was Martin Heinrich himself who thanked all of us for our support and spoke about working in congress to address the issues our public safety officials have brought to him. He gave a great speech which was well written and thought out. He then introduced Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois. Congressman Emanuel spoke about the Clinton era COPS programs which put 100,000 cops on the streets. He described how the Bush Administration has tried to end the program year after year and now has the program cut to almost nothing. I was very impressed with Congressman Emanuel and look forward to meeting him again.

The event went well and was well attended by the TV news, Print and those whom I recognized from the blogosphere. I look forward to helping Martin Heinrich as much as I can in his race and I feel he is on the road to victory in November.

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Paris Hilton Responds to MCain Celebrity Ad.

We have probably all seen or heard of John McCain’s latest TV ad, which calls Obama a "celebrity". The ad comes complete with pictures of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton and suggests he's not ready to be president. Now Paris Hilton has released an ad of her own.

Martin Heinrich Announces Sheriff Greg Solano's Endorsement

First Congressional District Candidate Martin Heinrich has sent out a press release announcing that two other Sheriff's have joined Sheriff Greg Solano in endorsing him for his race against Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White. Readers (or the reader, lol) of this blog know that I endorsed Martin Heinrich back on June 16, 2008 in this blog post.

Now joining me in endorsing Heinrich are Sheriff John Paul Trujillo of Sandoval County and Valencia County Sheriff Rene Rivera. All three sheriffs come from jurisdictions that reach into the First Congressional District.

Left to right Sheriff Rene Rivera, Sheriff Greg Solano, Sheriff John Paul Trujillo

For me I feel just a little bad that I cannot support Sheriff White but he has always been a staunch Bush supporter and the Bush administration has decimated law enforcement in his last 7 years in office. The really bad part is I have never heard Sheriff White admonish the Bush administration or even lobby the Bush administration to stop the bleeding. Officers across this nation are going with out Bullet Proof Vests, without ammunition for training and with out funding to keep cops on the streets and in the schools. I would love to see a fellow Law Enforcement Officer in Congress, Darren White is just not that officer. Below is the actual Press Release from Martin Heinrich's campaign. I will join Martin Heinrich at a press conference on Thursday August 7, 2008 in Albuquerque. I have not yet received the location but I will update you when I receive it.

Martin Heinrich Endorsed by three Sheriffs of First District

August 4, 2008

Sheriffs Solano, Rivera, Trujillo staunchly back Heinrich's crime-fighting record

The sheriffs are back in town. This past weekend, three central New Mexico sheriffs publicly endorsed candidate Martin Heinrich in his campaign for Congress in the First District. All three sheriff cited Heinrich's crime-fighting record on Albuquerque City Council as a main reason for supporting him in the race for Congress, and all expressed optimism for the future of New Mexican law enforcement with Heinrich acting on their behalf in Congress.

Valencia County Sheriff Rene Rivera appeared Saturday at a Valencia County welcoming event for Martin Heinrich. In his endorsement, Sheriff Rivera said, "I've been in law enforcement for over 19 years fighting against crime and drugs. Martin Heinrich was tough on crime on the Council, and I know he's the right partner in Congress to help keep our streets safe. That's why I'm endorsing him."

"We need Martin Heinrich in Congress," said Sandoval Sheriff John Paul Trujillo in his statement of endorsement. "This is the year to send the right representative to be our man in Congress, our voice for New Mexico law enforcement. Martin Heinrich will fight for critical legislation, like the COPS program. President Bush has succeeded in almost completely defunding COPS, but Martin will fight for the grants and funding law enforcement needs."

Santa Fe Sheriff Greg Solano endorsed Martin Heinrich earlier in the general election, but released an official statement of endorsement today. "This was not a hard decision – supporting Martin Heinrich and endorsing his candidacy," said Sheriff Solano. "I will always support my fellow sheriffs and members of law enforcement, but this year I know the best man to represent us in Congress is Martin Heinrich. As City Councilor he worked to fight crime and meth production in Albuquerque and increase the minimum wage to help out all of us living here. Martin Heinrich will bring the same ingenuity, creativity, and focus to Congress."

In response Heinrich said, "I am honored that Sheriffs Rivera, Trujillo, and Solano have decided that I am the one person in this race they know they can count on to be their partner in fighting crime."

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Drastic Cuts Await Northern New Mexico Drug Task Force

New Mexico is about to swallow 67% cuts in one of the primary funding sources in the war on drugs. The Byrne JAG grant which in past has provided 2.9 million in funding for combating drug dealing in New Mexico has been reduced to 900,000 by the Bush Administration in the 2009 federal budget. Across the nation the grants have been reduced from 520 million to a mere 170 million to be divided up among all 50 states. Since the Clinton administration law enforcement has faced year after year of cuts in every funding source once provided by the federal government.Northern New Mexico which includes Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, Los Alamos and Taos Counties usually combat drug dealers using the Region III drug task force. The Task force is made up of officers from cities and counties in the area and the New Mexico State Police. Each City and County who sends officers to the task force pays the base salaries of their officers. The task force and its federal funding provide equipment, office and civilian support and overtime funding as well as monies to purchase drugs and pay informants. The 67% cuts in funding will create big changes in the way things are done. After a big sigh and a few moments in mourning we will now have to sit down and cope.

Byrne-JAG grants began on February 26, 1988.On that day New York City Police Officer Edward R. Byrne was working witness protection on a witness in a large drug case. While sitting in his patrol car outside the witnesses' home he was ambushed and killed by two gunmen. Police later captured four suspects, the two who ambushed him and two lookouts. The hit was ordered by a gang related drug kingpin from his jail cell.

Later that year the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 was passed. As part of the act the U.S. Government launched a Department of Justice initiative titled the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. Over the years it provided local law enforcement agencies with the tools, money and officers it needed to combat high level drug dealers, gangs and murders.

The region III task force is the best way to combine our forces and deal with the big picture and target the big fish who deal drugs in Northern New Mexico. I believe several of the city and county chiefs and sheriff's along with State Police, will commit to whatever resources are needed to continue the task force but it will not be easy. With costs for officers on the rise, gas prices on the rise, ammunition expensive and hard to get due to the war, law enforcement is really feeling the crunch. It is only a matter of time before the effects are felt both within the ranks and in the public.

Across the nation U.S. Attorneys General, National Sheriff's Associations, The International Chiefs of Police and others have rallied against the cuts. Usually this works in at least restoring lost funds if not getting increases. This year we have all failed Miserably. Our own Attorney General Gary King petitioned congress along with Attorney Generals from 50 states to restore the funding. I personally spoke to Congressman and Senate Candidate Tom Udall about the need to restore this funding however the cuts were recently passed and attempts by some in congress to restore the funding have failed.

(photo from Democracy for New Mexico )


Some of you, whether you believe in recreational or medical drug use or not, may think that this does not affect you. Some believe the war on drugs is a failure and should be abandoned all together anyway. I believe burglaries and other thefts could increase, homicides and gang activities could grow, and innocent people could die. Mexican cartels which already have taken over Meth, Cocaine, and Heroin supplies could grow into todays American Mafia's. The biggest problem with the Mexican cartels is they are not afraid to kill whether it is on American soil or Mexican. Already hit lists of individuals in New Mexico have been drafted by Mexican Cartels who are not afraid of U.S. Law Enforcement. Mexican criminals are gaining power and could end up making Manuel Noriega look like a Wal-Mart shoplifter compared to this new breed of heavily armed criminal.

When I think of the Bush Administrations handling of the war on drugs and law enforcement in general it reminds me of the time President George stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier and declared that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended. All while standing in front of a Mission Accomplished banner. This was five years ago and our troops still die in Iraq as the war rages on. Has President Bush declared victory in the War on Drugs? Maybe the Federal Government has waived the white flag and surrendered? Either way the Federal Government is wrong. We must continue to attack the problems created by drug addiction, not only with law enforcement but with additional treatment and prevention programs. Funding for treatment and prevention is also declining rapidly and is unavailable to many who need and want it.

Many times the pendulum swings from one extreme to the other and I am hoping it begins swinging back to a place where law enforcement is adequately funded. Until then we will hunker down in our fox holes and hold the enemy at bay until reinforcements arrive.

Sheriff Greg Solano Endorses Barack Obama

As those of you who read my blog regularly know, I endorsed Hilary Clinton in the Democratic Primary Election. That election has come and gone and as I stated back in January when I endorsed Hillary, Barack Obama was also an excellent candidate and I would have no problem supporting him should he be the nominee. Well, he is now the nominee and not only do I whole heartily support Barack Obama, I ask each of you to do so as well. We need new effective leadership to undo the pain of the Bush Administration, John McCain is a war hero and has served his country well, I will not deny him that. However, he is not that different in his philosophical beliefs and his ties to the Bush Administration.

This country needs a clean break from the failures of the Bush Administration and no one represents that change more than Barack Obama. My wife and I had a chance to visit with him shortly when he campaigned in Santa Fe just before the June Primary. My wife Antoinette was an early Obama supporter and this was one of the few elections we have ever voted for different candidates. The split between my wife and I was very indicative of the split seen across our entire nation as almost half the nations democrats supported one candidate or the other. When I met him I must say I was struck by his magnetic personality and the presence of greatness I felt when around him. I have met several Presidents and Vice-Presidents and I must say he was different than most in the way he made you feel when you spoke to him. I have no doubt he will continue to have that effect on the public and this will carry him to a landslide victory. Most important is that you get out and vote in November no matter who your candidate is, second to that thought is my hope that you will join with me in electing Barack Obama as our next president.

Barack Obama and Sheriff Greg Solano backstage at the rally in Santa Fe New Mexico.

Antoinette Solano with Barack Obama backstage at a rally in Santa Fe New Mexico

P.S. Be sure and visit my Run for Lieutenant Governor Blog to read about my trip to Las Cruces!

Would you stand in line to vote for no one?

I was checking the results of New Mexico's Democratic Party caucus this afternoon. I was still trying to see if we had a winner although I pretty much knew we would not have a declared winner yet. I have been looking at the results since yesterday evening and it only dawned on me today. 405 people in the state of New Mexico took the time to vote "uncommitted". Now I don't know how many were absentee ballots however I can't help but wonder. Who would take the time to drive to their polling site, stand in line for anywhere from minutes to hours, and then vote for no one? Even if the vote is absentee, who would request an absentee ballot, have it mailed to them, fill it out and check the uncommitted box and then affix a stamp and mail it back?

Don't get me wrong I want everyone to take the time to vote and take part in the democratic process. So maybe if you just can't make up your mind but want to still take part you show up and vote "I don't know". It was very interesting and the hamsters in my head are running at full speed as I ponder the thought.

What if Uncommitted won even one congressional district. Would those delegates to the National Convention get to vote for who ever they want? Or would they have to go and vote "I don't know". Also does uncommitted equate to "none of the above". What if the ballot only had the names of those who remained in the race and no opportunity to vote uncommitted? 4, 500 voters would have had to choose between Hillary or Barak or enter a write in candidate. How much would this have changed this election in which the win hinges on less than 200 votes. Hmmm.

Below is the latest results as of 2-6-08 at 6:04 pm which I got from KOAT's web site. The Democratic party did not have grand totals only county by county, It includes the latest uncommitted votes.

2008 New Mexico Democratic Caucus Candidate Votes Percent Hillary Clinton 66,173 49% Barack Obama 65,963 48% Bill Richardson 1,181 1% John Edwards 2,025 1% Joe Biden 112 0% Chris Dodd 68 0% Dennis Kucinich 499 0% Uncommitted 405 0% Precincts Reporting - 181 out of 184 - 98%

Should New Mexico Return to a Democratic Primary?

My wife Antoinette and I arrived at our polling place, Sweeney Elementary School at about 5:20 pm on Super Tuesday to cast our vote in the Democratic Caucus. As we walked into the door one of the poll workers walked up to me and said "we may need your help, we ran out of ballots and people are getting angry" I began to survey the crowd and see just what I was walking into when a young woman walked in with more ballots. Apparently there was about a 20- 30 minute wait while more ballots were obtained. The lines were long but seemed to begin moving quickly once the ballots arrived. My wife and I got into line and then my son called to say that his truck broke down and he was along side the road. My wife and I left the line and went to go help him.

The three of us returned to the school at about 6:40 about 20 minutes before the 7 pm deadline to vote. Lines were still long but moving relatively quickly. My wife and I had no trouble voting on the old fashion paper ballot. My son was missing from the voter lists and he was forced to file a provisional ballot. We all left about 7:20 and there was still a small line of voters waiting to cast their ballot.

I could not help but wonder what it would be like for all the 22 Santa Fe polling places and the 184 polling places across New Mexico to count and recount these paper ballots. I also could not help but think about all the brand new ballot machines in storage in cities and counties all across this state. They are sitting idle because in 2003 New Mexico decided to have a democratic party run caucus rather than a State run June Primary as was the case in previous years.

After a push by Governor Richardson a state law was passed in 2003 allowing parties to opt out of the primary election and hold their own presidential "caucuses," giving the party control over the date separate from the primary set by law. Governor Richardson and the Democratic party wanted the early February caucus and the Democratic State Central Committee went along with the idea. In the 2004 Presidential Elections New Mexico benefited from a lot of attention brought to our state by the candidates. Now there are 22 states, many larger with many more delegates who now have their elections on super Tuesday along with New Mexico. We no longer stand out and now are just one of the many.

Meanwhile we have given up the opportunity for a professionally run election with modern voting machines which can give near instant vote totals immediately after the polls close. I fully support the democratic party however I do believe elections should be run by county clerks and the Secretary of State. In todays day and age to not walk into a polling place and easily and quickly vote in a modern machine and not have to wait days for meaning full results is not too much to ask for.

It is now 12:44 am and I am watching the sporadic results being posted in between Conan O'Briens interviews and a late night performance by Sheryl Crow. There are 19 counties out of 22 reporting and Obama is ahead by 218 votes. The counting will continue in the counties which have not yet reported however there are almost 17,000 provisional ballots which will not even begin to be counted until later in the day on Wednesday. The election is so close that those ballots will really matter. This election will not be over and final until late Wednesday or Thursday.

Many polling places across the state ran out of ballots just like mine did. In Rio Rancho there was one polling place for what is one of the largest cities in the state. Voters waited up to 3 hours to vote and police had to be called to assist with disgruntled voters. Voters across the state faced long lines and long waits to vote in consolidated precincts. If the County Clerks or the Secretary of State ran elections that turned out like this they would face a hard re-election. I don't blame the democratic party they are not equipped or financed to handle statewide elections. The good thing is that more and more people are voting. We had record numbers in 2004 and It looks like 2008 will break those records. We can not afford to lose the momentum of excited voters getting to the polls. Many disappointed voters headed home and gave up on casting ballots. Will they return in November? Or will they give up on casting their votes? Not to mention that workers were not given time to go vote since this election was not a state run election. How many more would have voted had they had the hour off to go vote? How many voters thought voting was from 7am to 7 pm as it normally is rather than the noon to 7 pm as the Democratically run caucus was? How many showed up at 7 or 8 am and then never returned?

The Democratic Party needs to seriously take a look at the pro's and cons of the February caucus vs the June Primary. I feel the time has come to go back to a state run primary.