Paul Gessing’s EIB Conflict of Interest Statement Footage (and commentary from American Spectator)
Footage of my appearance before the Environmental Improvement Board on March 1, 2010 is now available (below). Also, Paul Chesser over at the American Spectator blog picked up the story and added his own thoughts.
Malpractice Costly, but not a Silver Bullet in Health Care
Dr. John Vigil was one of two doctors that appeared on a panel with me at Rep. Martin Heinrich’s town hall meeting last summer (video available here). (Remember the good old days when Obama and Congressional Democrats actually cared what form health care reform took rather than just attempting to pass any health care reform they could muster up the votes for?)
Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when I sat on that panel to learn that Rep. Heinrich had not stacked the panel with pro-government reform proponents. Dr. Vigil in particular impressed me. Well, in today’s Albuquerque Journal, Dr. Vigil explains that medical malpractice, while not solving all of America’s health care problems, could have a significant, positive impact in terms of cost savings of $20-$30 billion annually or more.
Tort reform, as one component of other market-based reforms, could have a significant, positive impact on costs and quality, but as we have seen since Scott Brown’s election in Massachusetts, Obama is pushing harder than ever, regardless of what that “reform” ultimately looks like.
Big Bill “Hates” the Food Tax (but not that much)
On this week’s Forum over at the New Mexico Independent, the question was whether or not Gov. Richardson should or should not sign the tax hike on groceries which he claims to “hate.” View my response (and those of other panelists here). As I point out, the decision at this point is a difficult one. No one hates taxes more than I do, but as Terri Cole points out in support of re-instating the tax, this is a broad-based tax.
If Richardson really “hated” the food tax, he might have wanted to consider that before he pushed so hard for/refused to reconsider costly projects like the RailRunner, the Spaceport, and $80 million annually in film subsidies. Even during this legislative session, Richardson refused to get serious about cutting government spending and our bloated state government (including merging agencies as was recommended by his own government efficiency task force).
So, should Richardson sign the food tax hike? Well, since he seems hell-bent on raising taxes, I’d rather have that tax raised than hikes to income taxes or further hikes to the economically-devastating gross receipts tax even further. No matter what happens, it is clear that Richardson doesn’t “hate” the food tax hike enough to actually do something about it.
In: Uncategorized
Congressional District 3 Candidate Forum Video Posted
Last week, the Rio Grande Foundation hosted a candidate forum between District 3 (the norther district) Congressional candidates Tom Mullins and Adam Kokesh. Incumbent Ben Ray Lujan was invited, but did not attend.
The video is split into two parts. Part one can be found here:
Part two can be found here:
Sign Petition to Support Albuquerque Businesses!
The Rio Grande Foundation, in response to the unfair attacks upon them by the Los Angeles-based Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, is urging supporters to actively visit businesses that have been targeted by the Union, to report which businesses are being targeted (for posting at ErrorsofEnchantment.com) and to sign this petition which will be released to the local media in early April and mailed to the union in Los Angeles (all contact information will be stripped from the petition before it is sent).
So, sign the petition and send the names of locations of businesses that have been targeted and thus deserve support. An initial list can be found here:
La-Z-Boy on San Mateo & McLeod
Healthsouth hospital on Jefferson and Ellison
Lovelace Women’s Hospital on Montgomery
Il Vicino at Alameda and Corrales
Hotel Andaluz (downtown)
Hotel Albuquerque on Rio Grande
Support Unfairly Targeted Businesses!
I’m calling for a “buycott.” Not a “boycott,” but a “buycott.” If you read the Business section of today’s Albuquerque Journal, you may have an idea what I’m talking about. You have probably seen the “shame on” banners around town in front of certain businesses. It turns out that an out-of-town union, the Los Angeles-based Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters is behind the “shame on” banners, but they wouldn’t even tell the Journal’s Rivkela Brodsky why exactly they are attempting to give these businesses a black eye.
So, I hope you’ll join me in this “buycott” by actively helping these businesses whenever possible. Patronize them and when you do, tell their employees or a manger if you can find them that you are actively counteracting the union thuggery. An active “buycott” will show these union thugs that they are not welcome in Albuquerque, but we need your help. The unions are not picketing 24/7 and they only picket once in a while — after all, they are hiring minimum wage, non-union workers to do their dirty work.
So, I hope you’ll help me compile a list of businesses that have been targeted by this out-of-state carpenter’s union. If you see these “shame on” banners around town, send us an email at: info@riograndefoundation.org and we’ll post a list of targeted businesses on our websites errorsofenchantment.com and newmexicoliberty.com. Thanks for your help!
Self-Serving Special Interests
I just loved Rusty Schmit’s article on the Environmental Improvement Board’s supposed “need” to cap carbon emissions. According to Schmitt, who happens to run a solar company based in Albuquerque, reducing carbon emissions to 25% before 1990 levels would have an undeniably positive impact on New Mexico’s economy. He cites a study from the liberal “Center for American Progress” to back up his claims.
I read through the CAP study and found nothing convincing to back up Schmit’s claim. Basically, it was a rehashing of optimistic national job growth estimates, most of which have been put together by supporters of wind and solar. What I’d like to know is this: “If the EIB cap of 25% below 1990 levels will be so good for the economy, then why the heck are we stopping at 25% below 1990 levels?” Why not really boost job growth by eliminating carbon usage entirely?
The fact is that carbon-based energy sources, coal, oil, and natural gas, to name just a few, are far more cost-efficient and, because they are cheaper and more reliable, they will raise our living standards far more effectively than a radical shift to “renewables.” There is simply no way for the special interests to refute the fact that doing something for 50% of the cost — and that is being generous to the renewable folks who will have to reach into far less optimal solar and wind sources to build necessary capacity — is worse for the economy than doubling costs.
Of course, when your business depends on government subsidies and intervention in the economy, you can do amazing tricks of logic.
Albuquerque Tea Party Meet and Greet Tonight
Join me tonight at the Albuquerque Convention Center (details below) for a candidate “Meet and Greet” sponsored by the Albuquerque TEA Party. Meet many of our local, state and national candidates personally. Ask them questions. Find out their positions on issues of limited government here in New Mexico and America.
The Rio Grande Foundation will have a table and I’ll be there to meet attendees. Stop by and pick up a “Free Markets” bumper sticker or tee shirt.
There will be tea (of course) and snacks with a cash bar for those who prefer stronger beverages than tea.
At this time, the following candidates have confirmed their presence tonight:
Allen Weh/Governor
Janice Arnold-Jones/Governor
Susana Martinez/Governor
Kent Cravens/Lt. Governor
Jon Barela/Congress – Dist. 1
Adam Kokesh/Congress – Dist. 3
Tom Mullins/Congress – Dist. 3
Spiro Vassilopoulos/Commissioner of Public Lands
Bob Cornelius/Commissioner of Public Lands
Jim Jackson/Commissioner of Public Lands
Wayne Johnson/Bernilillo Co. Commission – Dist. 5
Pat Morlen/Sandoval Co. Commission – Dist. 1
William Kurth/Bernalillo Co. Sheriff
Errol Chavez/State Auditor
Justin Horwitz/State Rep. – District 15
Clyde Wheeler/State Rep. – District 12
Tom Molitor/State Rep. – District 23
Conrad Jame/State Rep. – District 24
Tonia Harris/State Rep. – District 60
KIVA 1550 AM plans to attend and will interview supporters and candidates. The interviews will be broadcast through the following week.
I look forward to seeing you tonight!
$20.00 per person (can be paid at the door)
7:00, Doors open at 6:00
Albuquerque Convention Center
Ballroom “C,” West Building
401 2nd Street NW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Does Size Matter?
Our arch-nemesis, Carter Bundy of AFSCME dismisses our work on New Mexico’s government over-employment problem by saying that large, sparsely populated states naturally have bigger government bureaucracies (as does New Mexico). Our study can be found here and the relevant chart is on page 3. I heard Carter say this on the radio today, so he’s not letting it drop.
First and foremost, Bundy, in his article above, uses incorrect data. His top ten list is from 1970, the left hand column (again, on page 3), not the right hand column which is 2008 data. Utah is not in the top 10 in government employment, nor is Idaho, South Dakota, or Montana. In fact, Carter’s argument that big (in square miles) and small in population states — aside from Alaska which is totally unique because of its massive oil revenues — doesn’t hold water. It may have in 1970, but that is a long time ago. For a full list of states by population density, check this page out.
Now among the top ten in state and local employment are West Virginia, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Sure, these are decent-sized states, but not the largest, nor the least densely populated. Anyway, New Mexico has a problem — the second-largest government workforce by population size in the entire nation.
Tell Mayor Berry What You think of a Taxpayer-Financed Convention Center Expansion
You may have read a few weeks ago in the Albuquerque Journal that Mayor Berry is again considering the construction of a taxpayer-financed “events center”/convention center expansion downtown. While I have made the case against this project repeatedly in the past — the target has certainly shifted — I’ll give the Mayor credit for listening to what average citizens have to say.
Go to this link and take a few moments to submit your comments pro or con. I certainly don’t think this should be a top priority for Albuquerque taxpayers, particularly in light of the long-term decline of the convention business and the $50 million deficit facing the City. So, take a few minutes to make your thoughts known.
