Monday March 6th, 2006, the online edition of the Taos News quoted comments critical of Dem State Party Chair, John Wertheim, made during that County's Pre-primary Nominating Convention last Saturday.
The comments were made by Democrats angered at the Chair's belated announcement to hold the State Platform meeting in Albuquerque on the 4th of March--the same date Taos County Democrats had announced several weeks prior they would be holding their Pre-Primary Nominating Convention. This snafu made it impossible for the County with the highest performance for Kerry in 2004 from participating in the policy formulation of the Democratic Party at the statewide level.
The article in the Taos News, by Cornelia De Bruin, described criticism of the State Party Chair as having stemmed from statements reportedly made by Wertheim to Los Alamos County Chair, Stephen Fetig--an outspoken advocate of enforcing Party by-laws requiring platform hearings to be held in each of the state's three congressional districts.
According to De Bruin, Wertheim told Fetig "that the Democrats' platform would give Republicans fodder to use in criticizing the opposition party, suggesting that a party platform not be used [held?] for that reason."
Democratic State Central Committee members involved in efforts to have the State Party arrange the required regional platform meetings described similar conversations with Wertheim, as well as the Party's Executive Director, Matt Farrauto. In an email exchange in early January with an SCC member in the 1st CD, who had expressed concern at the party's apparent lack of planning for the meetings, Mr. Farrauto was asked what the DPNM staff was doing to facilitate the process. Farrauto responded:
MF: So how's this for a proposal? There will be a meeting January 14th in Socorro, January 15th in Albuquerque, and January 16th in Santa Fe. If you want to hold a meeting in Roswell or farther south on 1-25, that would be preferable, but I am skeptical about turnout. Regardless, you are being asked to find free rooms in each CD and reserve them. I believe Jason Bousilman already has an available location for Albuquerque. Let me know where those locations are and I will inform Committee members and the media. You are appointed Resolutions Committee Secretary for the purposes of the meeting and I will circulate any report you submit upon the conclusion of these meetings.
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SCC Member: As you well know, it is not my responsibility (nor that of any other SCC member generally) to book rooms or organize the CD platform conventions. The Party leadership and Platform and Resolutions Committee were directed to set these up according to Party rules and the motions setting a deadline for holding the meetings. The deadlines were proposed and approved by the SCC in order to try and assure that these meetings are scheduled and held. The motions received widespread support because the required CD meetings have not been held for years. I don't understand why you are being so obstinate about complying with these requirements and trying to shift what is the responsibility of Party leaders and staff to members.
MF: You have been appointed to the Regional Resolutions Task Force and you are being asked to arrange for the rooms. I look forward to hearing back from you. You ought to receive an official letter from the Chair in the near future. Best, Matt
According to these same SCC members, it was in this out-of-the-blue fashion that Mr. Fetig and others were appointed to a Regional Platform Planning Committee. In the case of Mr. Fetig, his appointment to the previously non-existent committee included the party delegating to him the entire responsibility for organizing and holding the 3rd CD platform meeting, despite Fetig having informed the DPNM Chair and Executive Director of prior arrangements that would have him out of the Country for much of March.
Delegates to the County Convention explained that it was in this context that Taos County Party Chair, Billy Knight, was paraphrased in the Taos News as being "angry about a statement made by State Democratic Chairman John Wertheim. Knight told county convention delegates that Wertheim stated recently that he didn’t think the Democratic Party’s rules were a set of guidelines to follow in governing the party," comments the State Chair made to the Albuquerque Tribune in 2005.
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