The New Mexico Coup d'étate; Taking Control

Here is an issue I would like to bring up for the consideration of all my fellows. It is the State Central Committee, its function and membership to that body. I think this is an extremely important area that must not be ignored, or we will not go far in our Political Revolution.

I attended last years SCC meeting here in Albuquerque. At that meeting the most notable thing to me was the endorsement of Hillary Clinton for nomination as candidate for President. On April 23rd there will be this years meeting and I plan on attending again.



Getting to the point, at that last meeting everyone cheered for Hillary Clinton, and so did I. A lot of water has gone under the bridge for me, and I would imagine for a lot of the SCC members who were in attendance that day. The political scenery has changed radically in the last 12 months. With the rise of the Political Revolution of Bernie Sanders, and the threat imposed by the fascist Trump, I'm sure a lot of people have been and are rethinking their position. I know I sure have.

At the next SCC meeting there will be a gathering of members who will now be a mix of Bernie supporters, and Hillary supporters. I don't want to venture a guess as to the ratio of the mix, but we know what the mix looked like at the Pre-Primary convention.

Each faction will be fighting and arguing for their agenda. The SCC and its members set the course for the direction of the Democratic Party in our state. We must fill that membership with like minded individuals. Then we can set the agenda, and get this revolution to start producing fruit. Just like all the offices of government, we have to purge them of undesirable elements, and replace them with like minded progressives and Democratic Socialists.

We have to plan to take control of all of these positions of power. So the first thing we must do is attend the ward meetings. We must get our people elected as ward chairs and precinct chairs. Then about a month later there will be a meeting to elect a County Chair, two Vice Chairs and well over 100 members to represent Bernalillo County on the State Central Committee. If we can take control of all, or a majority of the County Central Committees in New Mexico by electing our people to chair wards and precincts, we will have total control of the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

We will have to wait until February 2017 to elect as ward chairs and precinct chairs our people, thus starting the peaceful, political coup d'étate.

What is the function of the State Central Committee?

1. They can change the rules for the DPNM. "These rules may also be amended by a two- -thirds (2/3) vote of all the members of the State Central Committee who vote on the amendment at a meeting that has as one of its purposes amendments to rules."

RULE 4. STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE 

4--1. Powers and Authority.

A. General The State Central Committee is the supreme governing body of the DPNM when regularly convened in the absence of a convention in session. It shall have general supervision and control of the political affairs of the party. Members of the State Central Committee shall serve as automatic delegates to all State Conventions, in addition to those state delegates duly elected at the County Conventions, unless prohibited by the rules of the Democratic Party of the United States.

B. Financing The policy of the DPNM is that its business shall be financed primarily by contributions from each of its individual members as their means allow. The State Central Committee has the responsibility of fulfilling that policy by maintaining a systematic program for soliciting and collecting such contributions. It shall have the authority for appropriation of state party funds.

C. Assessments The State Central Committee shall have the authority to levy dues or assessments upon the various recognized party organizations (Rule 24--1) on an equitable basis proportional to the representation such organizations have on the State Central Committee.

Bernalillo County Party Information

"The controlling body of the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County is the County Central Committee, which consists primarily of all the ward chairs and precinct chairs, plus additional elected members from at least 2/3 of the precincts. These members are elected in local ward meetings early (usually February) of odd-numbered years and serve a two-year term.About a month after they're elected these CCC members . . . possibly up to nearly 1,000 of them . . . meet to elect a County Chair, two Vice Chairs and well over 100 members to represent Bernalillo County on the State Central Committee, all to serve two year terms. Other party officers include the Secretary and Treasurer, who are appointed by the County Chair.In addition to the County Central Committee, which is obviously too large a body to meet regularly, some authority is delegated to the Executive Committee, which consists of the five county officers and all the ward chairs. There are two other committees specified in the county rules: The Resolutions & Platform Committee and the Credentials & Rules Committee. These two committees each have one representative from each ward, and are chaired by a committee member selected by the County Chair. The County Chair also has the authority to create additional committees as he or she determines are necessary."

RULES OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO 

"4--2. Members The State Central Committee shall be composed of the following:

A. The Chairperson and First Vice--Chairperson of each county:

B. If the average of the number of votes in a county for the nominees for Governor and President in the most recent election for each office exceeds 2500 then additional members shall be added to the State Central Committee for that county.

B.1 Calculation of State Central Committee Membership

The total number of members of the State Central Committee including the Chair
and Vice--Chair is calculated as follows: Divide the average of the number of
votes in each county for the nominees for Governor and President in the most
recent election for each office by 1000; if the decimal portion is greater than or
equal to .50 then round the result up to the next largest whole number – this
result is the total number of members. Since the whole number obtained includes
the Chair and Vice--Chair subtract 2 from it to obtain the additional members to
be elected to the State Central Committee.

The DPNM Staff’s re-calculation of SCC member allocations must be completed
in each odd-numbered year before the first day of the New Mexico Legislative
session. The DPNM Staff shall inform all County Chairs in writing of their
respective county’s SCC member allocations by that date.

B.2 SCC Elections for County with only one Congressional District
For a county totally contained within a Congressional District: Additional
members shall be elected by the County Central Committee according to Rule
19--5.B.2. There shall be equal numbers of men and women (within a variance of
not more than one) among the members of the State Central Committee from the
county; and the voting procedures of Appendix A relating to equal division of men
and women apply.

B.3 SCC Elections for a County with more than one Congressional District
For a county that has been apportioned into multiple Congressional Districts: The
total number of State Central Committee members calculated in 4--2.B.1 above
shall be apportioned to each Congressional District based on that districts
percentage contribution to the average of the number of votes in the county for
the nominees for Governor and President in the most recent elections. After
adding up the whole member numbers calculated for each district: if the county is
entitled to one more member then the district with the largest fractional part of a
member shall receive an additional member; if the county is entitled to two more
members then the two districts with the larger fractional parts shall each receive
an additional member; etc.

Before electing the additional members to each district the Chair and the Vice
Chair shall be subtracted from the additional members required for the district in
which they each reside.

The County Central Committee within each district shall nominate and elect their
own additional State Central Committee members according to Rule 19--6.B.2.
There shall be equal numbers of men and women (within a variance of not more
than one) among the members of the State Central Committee from each district
within the county; and the voting procedures of Appendix A relating to equal
division of men and women apply.

C. Such other members appointed by the State Chairperson with the consent of
the State Central Committee only as necessary to achieve equal numbers of men and
women, within a variance of not more than one, after the election of members of the
State Central Committee by the respective County Central Committees.

D. National Committeeman and Committeewoman, the State Chairperson, Vice-
-Chairpersons, Secretary and Treasurer.

E. Two members from each of the New Mexico Senate and House of Representatives who shall be selected by the Democratic caucus from each legislative body.

F. Two members selected by and from the New Mexico Young Democrats
affiliated organization.

G. Two members selected by and from the New Mexico Federation of
Democratic Women.

H. Two members selected by and from the Native American Democratic Caucus
of New Mexico affiliated organization.

I. All statewide elected Democratic officials and United States Representatives.

J. Two members selected by and from the Democratic Labor Caucus of NewMexico.