Summary of 2003 Activities

An all volunteer group, we are pleased to report on our accomplishments on behalf of the citizenry of this area.  In 2003, we:

• Organized a City Charter Study Committee of 50+ persons, and after considerable research and public meetings, reported on ten possible amendments to the Las Cruces City Charter. These were discussed by the Mayoral candidates in October.
• Took the lead in organizing a well-attended public panel discussion on the future of Memorial Medical Center. The event was co-sponsored by LOWV, AARP, DAC Advocates, NAMI, DAC Health Council, and Rito Medina Policy Institute.
• Issued Public Resolutions regarding the process, openness and access to information  concerning the MMC issue, and achieved the release of much data by city and county.
• Monitored the public meetings of Las Cruces City Council and School Board, DAC County Commission, and NMSU Regents and communicated process concerns to public officials.
• Examined the records related to the expenditure of federal funds by the City, and expressed concerns regarding public meetings, equity of distribution and conflicts of interest.
• Organizationally, our Board met every month, established a website (www.zianet.com/common) and increased membership by 20%.

In 2004, we plan to:

• Continue monitoring of local government meetings
• Follow up with the L.C. City Charter work
• Monitor the MMC negotiations, with an eye to equity for the County’s many uninsured citizens
• Continue to insist that public records be made available to the press and the public, and that public business be conducted in open meetings with full participation of citizens, and in full compliance with the spirit of NM law
• Expose conflicts of interest by elected and appointed public officials
• Examine local issues as appropriate
• Sponsor public and candidate meetings, debates and discussions
• Foster and expand working partnerships with other local groups
• Expand Common Cause into other Southern New Mexico communities

Governing Board Members are: Dave Almvig, Jane Asche, Phil Banks, Gus Bigelow, John Bloom, Don Brown, AlexBurr, Rose Garcia, Ron Gurley, Dolores Halls, Jim Kadlecek, Robert Lowe,  Mike McCamley, Vanessa Quiroz, Tamie Smith, Charles Welch