New Mexico League of United Latin American Citizens

Dennis W. Montoya, J D
State Executive Director
P.O. Box 15235
Rio Rancho, NM 87174-0235
(505) 328-1867
(505) 212-0567 (Fax)
denniswmontoya@yahoo.com


Enrique Kiki Vigil Ralph D. Arellanes, Sr.
NM State Director Immediate Past State Director

J essica Inz Martinez
Deputy State Director

October 7, 2014

Mr. Brent Wilkes
Executive Director
LULAC National Office
1133 19
th
Street, NW Suite 1000 via email to: bwilkes@lulac.org
Washington, DC 20036

Ref.: National LULAC Board Meeting in Washington, DC, October 2-4, 2014

Dear Mr. Wilkes

The purpose of this correspondence is to document New Mexico LULACs
position with respect to the recently-transpired National LULAC Board Meeting in
Washington, DC. I write to you in my capacity as State Executive Director for our
New Mexico state LULAC organization.

Pursuant to his authorization and delegation of authority, J essica Inez Martinez,
Deputy State Director, attended the National Board meeting in lieu of our State
Director, Enrique Kiki Vigil. She has advised us on what transpired. In short, it
was "very disappointing!!" Deputy Director Martinez took three (3) days off of
work for this purpose and her sacrifice was in complete vain. She now clearly
understands why our Immediate Past State Director, Ralph Arellanes, refused to
participate in these meetings. It was reported that the meeting was completely an
exercise in futility and nothing substantive was accomplished. National LULAC
REF.: NM LULACs position as regards the recent LULAC National Board meeting
Page 2

has clearly become a dictatorship, and during the Friday session, Past National
President Margaret Moran, who purported to have the right to preside over the
meeting, went unchallenged with respect to her being termed out under the
LULAC National Constitution and Bylaws. There was a question of not having
the votes necessary to mount this challenge on Friday, but because the challenge is
based on the clear letter of the Constitution and Bylaws of LULAC, the challenge
should have been made for the record.

Instead of challenging the legtimacy of the Board Meetings leadership, time was
wasted on disputing the minutes. J essica has advised us that she did abstain from
voting on several items because neither she nor NM LULAC were ever privy to
what transpired in these meetings. As a result, she believed that it was not prudent
or ethical to vote on any item concerning pending or potential litigation or on any
subject for which NM LULAC was never directly a party or present at past
meetings.

By way of historical context, Kiki Vigil, NM LULAC State Director, sent a letter
to you, Mr. Wilkes, on J uly 15, 2014, providing you with our official position.
This letter discussed the existence of a New York state court Temporary
Restraining Order (TRO), which was entered prior to Texas TROs later, obtained
by members of LULAC not directly a party or adversely impacted. The New
York TRO did not allow the previous National President, Ms. Moran, to cancel
the National Convention arbitrarily. Instead, this TRO prohibited Moran and her
legal team from abusing their power and authority with respect to Rules 12 and 21
of the National Convention Rules that were being proposed and that have been
enforced in previous conventions. Subsequently, Rosa Rosales, former National
President, and the Texas State Director, Elia Mendoza, filed a TRO on the newly
elected National Officers. This TRO has flaws. Specifically, how do Rosales and
Mendoza have legal standing and how were they threatened with irreparable harm,
which are conditions required to seek a TRO? It was reported by several Texas
LULAC Members that the San Antonio J udge that issued the order is closely
aligned with LULAC Council 2 and is a close friend of the Morans and Rosales.
This TRO mandated that, until a hearing is set, LULAC must maintain the "status
quo." It must be noted that 5 of the national officers are termed out. The LULAC
Constitution and By-laws provide that it is a gross violation of the Constitution
should anyone desire to serve in an elected or appointed position past their allotted
terms. Maintenance of the status quo does not include violation of LULACs
central documents. No matter what scenario we entertain, termed out officials
cannot continue to preside over LULAC affairs. Maggie Rivera was duly elected
at the last LULAC National Assembly and is recognized by New Mexico LULAC
REF.: NM LULACs position as regards the recent LULAC National Board meeting
Page 3

as the duly elected President of our national organization. If the TRO in question
prohibits Maggie from assuming office, pending further proceedings, it does not
allow Margaret Moran to remain in office past the time that is permitted by our
organizational Constitution and Bylaws.

Being fully cognizant of these facts, the National Board, in order to avoid any
potential violations of the Court Orders and Constitution, should have appointed
an interim president to preside and act on behalf of the League until these cases
are resolved.

J essica and the NM LULAC Board are fully aware of and voted to approve Kiki
Vigil's letter to the effect that NM LULAC does not recognize Ms. Margaret
Moran as the LULAC National President. Our position was made clear by our
State Director, Enrique "Kiki" Vigil in J uly 2014. NM LULAC has not changed
that position.

Unfortunately, the current rogue national leadership has no respect for the rule of
law, much less Robert's Rules of Order. They continue to run this organization
amuck. Ms. J essica I. Martinez, who has many years of experience with LULAC
national governance, has never seen the League governed this badly. Because we
do not recognize Ms. Moran to be our National President, Ms. Martinez refused to
participate any further in these meetings in which Ms. Moran was acting as the
Chair. It is Ms. Martinezs belief that participating further only would give Ms.
Moran undeserved credibility and empower her rogue behavior and that of her ill-
informed and misguided supporters. Ms. Martinez further advises us that Moran
refused to recognize Board Members desiring to speak and make points of order.
She allowed her termed out Parliamentarian (who cannot legitimately occupy her
office, as she is a New Mexico LULAC former member who has not paid NM
State or District Dues, nor participated in NM LULAC) to take over the meeting
and make numerous erroneous rulings that are not supported by the Constitution,
much less Robert's Rules of Order.

In the aftermath of these abuses, NM LULAC will no longer participate in any
further National Board meetings, until such time as Ms. Moran is no longer given
control or power to supersede the will and supreme authority of the National
LULAC Assembly. We firmly believe that several board members present at this
last meeting were not acting in good faith and in the best interest of the League. A
significant number of these individuals have private agendas and were aligning
themselves for political control purposes and out of promises of "quid pro quo"
favors in exchange for votes to empower people for the wrong reasons. No one is
REF.: NM LULACs position as regards the recent LULAC National Board meeting
Page 4

asking the hard questions on the Pre-2014 National Convention law suits; i.e.,
Arizona, California, the Texas Housing debacles; and the financial status of the
League? These are the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of every Board
Member. Lastly, what about the issues facing our community? We are so caught
up on internal grid lock that we are losing sight of our purpose and we are quickly
losing credibility with elected officials and Corporate America. J essica reported
that the visits to Capitol Hill have diminished considerably over the last four (4)
years. What were once substantive visits with actual members of Congressional
Delegations and Cabinet Officials have diminished now to visits with assistants to
the assistant.

NM LULAC will continue to provide our entire membership with current
information. However, we refuse to participate or subject our state leadership to
this abuse of power where we do not benefit and our voice and vote are not
respected. We make expenses with limited resources just to be denied our
fundamental rights by a select few and their cohorts. This is a waste of time and
energy. Unfortunately, it will take the intervention of our courts to determine the
outcome. LULAC National needs an overhaul in leadership at all levels.

NM LULAC will continue our efforts locally in the tradition under which our
founders operated, which is serving our community and fighting for our own
issues. J essica will provide a report of what transpired to the full state board.

Sincerely Yours,


Dennis W. Montoya
New Mexico Executive Director

cc: New Mexico State Board