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Good evening Members, Familia, and Allies of the Coalition for Fire Fund Fairness,
On behalf of the Coalition for Fire Fund Fairness, please see the 3 items that this newsletter will cover:
Section Uno - FEMA Town Hall on Tuesday 02-13-2024
Section Dos - Letter Writing Campaign Update
Section Tres - Senate Bill 174 Update related to Gross Receipts Taxes
SECTION UNO 1:
FEMA Town Hall On Tuesday
02/13/2024 at Mora High School
4 PM Meet & Greet with Founder of CFFF Manny Crespín Jr.
The Coalition for Fire Fund Fairness wants to alert you that FEMA is holding a Town Hall on Tuesday, February 13. This is an opportunity to pose questions or hear FEMA’s responses to questions from the audience at a town hall.
The event will be held this coming Tuesday from 5:30-7:00pm at the Mora High School Lecture Hall located at 10 Ranger Road, Mora, NM 87732.
We encourage you to attend this FEMA town hall and arrive early at 4:00pm if you would like to meet, visit, or share ideas and collaborate efforts with me. As always, I will be on site advocating for just compensation for all the victims impacted by the fires to include non-economic damages.
If you cannot attend in person, please see link below:
ZOOM LINK: fema.zoomgov.com/j/1609681230
PASSCODE: 1234
SECTION DOS 2:
Letter Writing Campaign 01-29-3034 Through -2-29-2024
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONTACTING NM CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
Senator Ben Ray Luján: Online Form Link
Senator Martin Heinrich: Online Form Link
Representative Leger Fernandez: Online Form Link
Representative Melanie Stansbury: Online Form Link
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING ONLINE FORMS:
1. CLICK Each Link – This will allow you to send each member a separate message.
2. Fill Out Entire Form – Input your name, address and all your contact information.
3. Message Topic – When asked for a topic, please select “Environment” in the issue area.
4. Message Subject (enter into subject line on form) – No More FEMA Bureaucrats; Appoint a Retired NM Judge to Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office Director Position
5. Copy and paste the below LETTER into the “message box” –
6. We would like to track our progress. When complete, please forward a copy of your letters to Manny Crespín at mannycrespin@gmail.com
LETTER:
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján
498 Russell Senate Office Building
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510 Washington DC, 20510
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez
District 3 (Representing fire victims)
1432 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC, 20515
Rep. Melanie Stansbury
District 1
1421 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC, 20515
Gabe Vasquez Gabe Vasquez
District 2
1517 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC, 20515
(*Please Note that Congressman Vasquez accepts Snail Mail Only if you live outside of the District so you can't leave an electronic submission. If you know someone who lives in Congressman Vasquez's district, have them send one electronically on your behalf as a caring family member.)
Dear New Mexico Congressional Delegation,
First, thank you for your efforts to compensate victims of the Hermit’s Peak/ Calf Canyon fire. Congress’ passage of the Hermit’s Peak/ Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act (the Act) and President Biden’s promise to make victims whole were important first steps, but the FEMA bureaucrats charged with administering the Act have failed us. The Coalition for Fire Fund Fairness (CFFF) has learned of the former Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office Director Angela Gladwell’s departure from the post. We are encouraged that you are listening to our concerns and we are sending this letter to reiterate our request that you appoint an outside and objective individual to lead the claims office. This individual must be a non-bureaucrat, must have a substantial legal background, possess a deep understanding of New Mexico’s culture and history, and must not be a current political appointee. The community will accept nothing less. Below are names of individuals that the community will accept as knowledgeable and objective to lead the claims office:
Tim Garcia, retired Judge, New Mexico Court of Appeals
Richard Bosson, retired Justice, New Mexico Supreme Court
Judith Nakamura, retired Chief Justice, New Mexico Supreme Court
Linda Vanzi, retired Chief Judge, New Mexico Court of Appeals
Alan Mallot, retired Judge, New Mexico District Court
Michael Aragon, Judge, New Mexico District Court
Further, we would encourage you to direct the team at the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office and the newly appointed director to conduct meaningful community outreach. Meaningful outreach should encompass the obligatory deference, compassion and cultural acknowledgment necessary to effectively communicate with victims who have survived the fire, have been traumatized by aftermath of the fire, and have been strained by the currently broken claims process.
We believe that fire victims and our community deserve a fair, efficient and transparent process. We hope that the New Mexico congressional delegation will continue listening to victims, local leaders and community members and institute the meaningful changes outlined in our correspondence to you. On behalf of the fire victims and the community, we implore you to appoint an objective individual (non-bureaucrat) who is also a competent former judicial officer familiar with New Mexico law, to direct the claims office and conduct sincere and meaningful outreach to victims and the community. The Coalition for Fire Fund Fairness is a group of over 500 dedicated individuals and organizations that have organized in resolute commitment to restoring the lives and wellbeing of those affected by the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.
SECTION TRES 3:
Senate Bill 174 Update related to Gross Receipts Taxes
I proudly lobbied on behalf of Coalition for Fire Fund Fairness Members along with other supporters and it passed the Committee Unanimously
Next steps TBD
For more details and to know exactly what Senate Bill 174 is and how this will benefit you as a fire victim, continue reading below.
SB0174
SENATE BILL 174
56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2024
INTRODUCED BY Senator Leo Jaramillo
AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION; PROVIDING A GROSS RECEIPTS TAX DEDUCTION FOR THE SALE OF LEGAL SERVICES TO RECOVER COMPENSATION PURSUANT TO THE FEDERAL HERMIT'S PEAK/CALF CANYON FIRE ASSISTANCE ACT.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. A new section of the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act is enacted to read:
"[NEW MATERIAL] DEDUCTION--GROSS RECEIPTS--LEGAL SERVICES TO RECOVER COMPENSATION FROM THE FEDERAL HERMIT'S PEAK/CALF CANYON FIRE ASSISTANCE ACT.--
A. Gross receipts from the sale of legal services rendered to and at the request of a person eligible to receive compensation pursuant to the federal Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act may be deducted from gross receipts; provided that the legal services are directly related to recovering the compensation.
B. As used in this section, "legal services" means services performed by a licensed attorney or under the supervision of a licensed attorney for a client, regardless of the attorney's form of business entity or whether the services are prepaid, including legal representation before courts or administrative agencies; drafting legal documents, such as contracts or patent applications; legal research; advising and counseling; arbitration; mediation; and notary public and other ancillary legal services performed for a client in conjunction with and under the supervision of a licensed attorney. "Legal services" does not include lobbying or government relations services, title insurance agent services, licensing or selling legal software or legal document templates, insurance investigation services or any legal representation involving financial crimes or tax evasion in New Mexico."
SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2024.
I will provide more of a comprehensive update for Senate Bill 174 in the next email update as soon as new information becomes available.
Please forward this email to anyone you think would benefit from updates regarding the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon efforts. As always, please reach out if you have any questions or if you would like to share a story.
Adelante Mi Familia,
Manny Crespín Jr.
Founder for Coalition for Fire Fund Fairness
575.621.5683
Empower Change, Inspire Hope.
Join CFFF for real impact today!
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