A Costly Ride on the Rail Runner
Like the train has money to burn. How about blowing the annual salary of a teaching assistant on an overnighter to Raton, just to show off? Latest report
on the Great New Mexico Train Robbery at New Mexico Watchdog.org
Use States as Health Reform Labs
Haven’t talked much health care around here recently. That’s in part because things in Washington have slowed down dramatically recently. It’s also because the debate has devolved from one based on ideas to being nothing more than a power struggle with Obama and the Democrats attempting to push something, anything through Congress — even if they have to resort to “Republican” ideas.
Unfortunately, as long as the Republicans and Democrats keep trying to “solve” health care in Washington, they’ll continue to fail. After all, the Republicans have not exactly achieved a stellar track record on health care reform in recent years. The focus, as this recent article from The Politico notes, needs to be on those laboratories of democracy, the states.
Certainly, there are federal issues like Medicare and Medicaid and the tax treatment of care that need to be addressed, but true solutions to our health care problems are not “one-size-fits-all” and they won’t come from Washington. This is one idea that could and should be bi-partisan and would actually improve American health care.
Truth in Government!
Yesterday, I was at the Willie Ortiz Building in Santa Fe to deliver my comments to the Environmental Improvement Board. While meeting in the lobby with our investigative journalist, Jim Scarantino, we both simultaneously noticed this sign:
Rarely are government bureaucrats so honest! Unfortunately, as the Rio Grande Foundation has repeatedly pointed out, government truly is the “Career of First Choice” for all too many New Mexicans. Instead of addressing this over-employment problem during the current, special legislative session, it looks more and more likely that tax hikes are on the way. Only angry New Mexicans can inform their “representatives” in Santa Fe that the private sector, not government, should be the “career of first choice” for New Mexicans.
Incumbents Beware!
As the Legislature moves into a special session with tax hikes on the horizon, I point out in today’s Albuquerque Journal that the political winds have done a 180 degree turn from the leftward lurch of 2008. Only the New Mexico House and the Governor’s office are up for election, but I do believe that there is a strong anti-incumbent undercurrent among conservatives and independents alike. Support for tax hikes during the special session is going to have consequences in November.
Denver’s Transit Debacle
Thankfully, Albuquerque has not gone as far down the transit path as Denver, but this story (from the Economist) about their over-promised, under-delivered transit system certainly sounds familiar.
A Possible “Revenue Enhancer” to Consider?
It is no secret that the Rail Runner has sucked massive amounts of taxpayer money away from New Mexico’s roads and highways. But, the point remains that — regardless of whether we ride the Rail Runner or not — we do all benefit from New Mexico’s road system.
So, as policymakers face a massive budget deficit in the special session, it would seem that Ruben Baca of the New Mexico Petroleum Marketers Association has a point in arguing that “potential tax revenue could be generated through taxation of gasoline purchased on Native American lands.” While I have certainly purchased my share of gas on tribal lands between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, much of the uncollected tax revenues seem to go to tribal authorities, not consumers who purchase gas. Since gas taxes are one of the only taxes that resembles anything like a “user-fee” in New Mexico, closing this tax loophole would be a logical source of revenue.
Of course, this is not to say that we support higher taxes. But at this point, it seems like legislators are hell-bent on raising taxes during the special session. At this point it is just a matter of plucking the goose with the least amount of hissing.
Monday, March 1 is a Big Day: Your Presence is Requested!
If at all possible, I hope you can make it to Santa Fe on Monday to register your comments with the Environmental Improvement Board. Information on the hearing can be found here. Jim Scarantino, our investigative journalist, has been doing a great deal of groundbreaking work on the makeup and political conflicts at the Environmental Improvement Board over at his site.
Once you are done with the EIB meeting, I hope you’ll attend our District 3 Congressional candidate forum between Adam Kokesh and Tom Mullins which is being held from 6pm to 8pm at the Santa Fe Community College.
Oh, and of course you can come up for the first day of the special legislative session and tell your representatives and senators that tax hikes are unnecessary.
Additional details on the EIB meeting can be found here:
* TIME: The EIB will convene its all-day meeting at 10 a.m. Monday, but it will hear comments in opposition to the NEE petition beginning at 2 p.m. Comments in support will be heard from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (If your schedule only permits you to comment in the morning, the EIB most likely will accommodate you)
* LOCATION: The meeting will take place in the State Personnel Office Auditorium, Willie Ortiz Building, 2600 Cerrillos Road.
* PROCESS: Comments will be limited to 3 minutes. Comments will likely be heard on a first-come, first-served basis based on a sign-up sheet that should be available at the comment session. Those who wish to comment are advised to arrive as early as possible.
* FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE: If you find you have a long time to wait for your turn to comment, feel free to utilize the ACI Convenience Room at the nearby Courtyard by Marriott, 3347 Cerrillos Road, about one mile south west of the Willie Ortiz Building. Enjoy comfortable seating, complimentary refreshments and free Internet access. The convenience room will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Making Waves with Alibi Readers
In case you missed it, I took a few thousand words to explain the benefits of free markets to the Alibi generally left-wing readership last week. Not surprisingly — even the lefties at the Alibi understand that controversy spurs interest/attracts readers and thus improves advertising sales — I generated a pretty strong response.
You can read this week’s letters here.
It would be impossible to answer all the points raised in the letters, but here’s a few thoughts. Love Canal was caused by the government, not the market. DDT saves lives and doesn’t inflict great harm on the environment. The regulations now pending before the Environmental Improvement Board are being implemented in an anti-Democratic and incredibly economically-harmful manner. Read the Washington Post to find out more about Wal Mart as a progressive success story.
Attorney General’s Senior Counsel Doubles as President of Law Firm Pushing CO2 Caps
This a a pretty unusual situation. One of the AG’s closest advisors doubles as president of a law firm that sues the state, cities, municipalities, appears before administrative agencies, and lobbies the Legislature. The Environmental Improvement Board is proceeding to hear a petition to cap CO2 emissions statewide. The petitioner is represented by the very same law firm that the AG’s Senior Counsel heads. And it’s the AG who told the EIB they could proceed to hear the petition. Stuart Bluestone is the attorney in question. The law firm is the New Mexico Environmental Law Center. Here’s the New Mexico Watchdog report, our latest in a close look at conflicts of interest on the EIB.
Behind Doors Budget: Should We Care?
This week’s “Independent Forum” from the New Mexico Independent asks whether New Mexicans should care whether their political leaders go behind closed doors to come to a budget agreement. Needless to say, I’m not a big fan of such dealings, but Jim Baca doesn’t particularly care. What do you think? Read the responses and offer your own thoughts here.
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