Santa Fe Democrats Add to New Mexicans' Misery   

Media have been combing Solomon Pena's past to uncover who assisted him, whose fault it was, and to taint the Republican Party. The exception was the Albuquerque Journal's article," Family, friends, and records paint complex picture of Solomon Pena." While Republicans are either distancing themselves from Pena or pointing fingers, they are not embracing their greatest strength—Their compassion to lend a hand to those struggling.  

Many Republicans assisted Solomon Pena in his efforts to right his life. In doing so, they risked their reputation, savings, and valuable time without any assurance of success. It now appears Solomon Pena betrayed their trust and will have to defend himself in court. I hope those whose trust was betrayed will "not harden your heart" against those who will need your help in the future.     

Helping someone find the path is harder than it appears.              Photo Mick Rich

I have first-hand experience helping people raise themselves. I have had great experiences to make up for the not-so-great occasions. One young man was exceptional; we sponsored him in an apprenticeship program. He advanced to the superintendent position, but two years later, he was lost to drug addiction, his family lost, we lost, and the community lost. The disappointment of that experience has faded, and the successes shine brightly. I have the good fortune to work with three individuals who have turned their lives around and now have bright futures.

During the 2020 campaign, when we filmed campaign testimonials, one of our company guys asked the director, "Can I give a testimonial?" His response was an unsure yes because our guy was disheveled. But, that evening, they told me; I have never had a testimonial like your guy. He talked about how you believed in him and gave him a job when no one else would. He ended with, "Mick kept my family and me off the street. Mick saved my life." I was speechless.

Jim, Jay, James Rodgers     Photograph provided by the Rodgers.
Over the past thirty years, I worked with three generations of Rodgers at Rodgers Plumbing & Heating. But it was not until three years ago that I discovered there is more to RP&H than a great company. I was attending the Associated Builders and Contractors Apprenticeship graduation. During the program, ABC National debuted an apprentice recruiting video that included a story of Johnnie Sanchez.  As a young man, he made mistakes and paid his debt to society. Then, weeks after leaving prison, he wondered who would give him a chance. Halfway through the video, I realized Johnnie Sanchez was sitting across the table from me, and we had worked together. ABC, Jim, Jay, and James Rodgers gave him more than a chance; they gave him back a future. Today, Johnnie is a plumber, instructor, and inspiration to thousands across the country.

Colette  and Scott Chandler of the Tierra Blanca Ranch    Photograph provided by the Chandlers
I read about Scott and Collette Chandler well before I met them. The two opened their ranch, Tierra Blanca, to families with troubled young sons. The families hoped ranch life, coupled with the distance from their urban setting, would get their sons back on the right path. I learned first-hand the miracles they were performing; I was sitting with three cowboys just as straight and true as Zane Grey's Jim Lassiter of "Riders of the Purple Sage" at an event three years ago. They told me they were with the Tierra Blanca ranch, and yes, they arrived as troubled young men years earlier.

Scott told me of another young man they had helped years ago. Scott, Colette, and his mother pleaded with a California judge not to put him in prison but to place him in the custody of Scott and Collette. The judge did, and the mother's request, "I'll be happy if he gets a GED and a job, even if it is a trash collector." After he graduated from high school, he left the Tierra Blanca ranch. When he turned twenty-one, he called Scott, "If it weren't for you two, I would have been released from prison today. Instead, I am on my way to earning a master's degree." He later obtained a Ph.D., teaching and performing research at a university.     
The Santa Fe Democrats have demonstrated that no matter how much money they collect from the hardworking people of New Mexico, the state government will not help people out of their misery. But, at the same time, compassionate Republicans have demonstrated they know how to end the suffering of those at the bottom by lending a hand.

Last But Not Least
To the Democrats whose homes were targeted, I am genuinely sorry that you and your family experienced such an attack. Nothing that you have done and stood for deserves such a response. Unfortunately, we have seen attacks upon elected and appointed officials nationally and locally. It is time our politicians take the first step in making our neighborhoods safe. End the personal attacks against each other and denounce political (and all forms) violence against persons and property.

Postscript

It is rumored that more classified documents were discovered in Amtrak's Lost & Found. The classified documents had been left on Amtrak's Delaware to Washington run. The FBI and National Archives were relieved that the papers were in Amtrak's secured storage since they had been flagged.

Next Week Article
He has stolen Election versus Un-Fair Election.

Response to the Washington Post article, "Even after New Mexico shootings, little GOP reckoning over election denialism in which I was quoted:

"I'm appalled over the shooting of the homes of Democrats," Rich said.

"But his actions are an outlier. One man does not define a national party."