Environmentalists refuse to acknowledge reality
Recently, Public Service Company of New Mexico filed an application to charge higher electricity rates to its customers in order to recoup money spent on so-called “renewable” energy projects.
Not surprisingly, the very same environmental groups who convinced policymakers to impose the “Renewable Portfolio Standard” have challenged the rate increase on the grounds that the application “gives the false impression renewable energy is responsible for increased rates.” Of course, as the Rio Grande Foundation has pointed out, the RPS will cost New Mexico utility rate-payers $2.3 billion over the next 10 years if it is not altered.
The chart below illustrates how the cost differentials stack up:
In: Uncategorized
Las Cruces Education Forum Video Posted
The Rio Grande Foundation hosted a forum on K-12 education reform in Las Cruces on Jan. 12. Forum participants included Paul Gessing of the Rio Grande Foundation, Sen. Steve Fischmann (D-Las Cruces), Tracey Bryan of the Bridge of Southern New Mexico, and Robert Carreon of Teach for America.
Watch 1-12-12 Education Forum Las Cruces.wmv in Activism & Non-Profit | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
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Is sanity a prerequisite for legislative service?
Apparently not, if we are to take left-wing Democratic Rep. Miguel Garcia at his words and again here. I’m not sure if this is a desperate cry for help or attention or if he really believes half of what he says, but it looks like “the Mexican on the 4th Floor” was just a prelude for the really crazy stuff.
No wonder New Mexico has survived rather than thrived. It would seem that too many of our representatives have no grasp on reality.
Volunteer doctors? Thanks, but no thanks.
We all know that health care is a major issue in America. I met a very interesting man named Stan Brock recently who works to bring medical care to those who cannot access it. There is a great “60 Minutes” story below:
Unfortunately, one detail that “60 Minutes” left out is that Remote Air Medical won’t come to New Mexico and most states besides Tennessee because doctors from other states are not allowed to volunteer their medical services in states in which they are not licensed. Yet another way that licensing fails to serve those who it is theoretically supposed to protect.
Anyway, if any legislators out there are interested in sponsoring legislation to allow volunteer doctors from out of state to serve in New Mexico, we’d be happy to help.
Kodak and the Post Office (and the government schools and health care…)
Thomas Sowell has an excellent column discussing the different ways in which time and government policies have impacted the Kodak company (which recently filed for bankruptcy) and the Post Office.
Of course, government never innovates and always responds first and foremost to political rather than economic and market forces. So, all of the problems faced by the Post Office are only multiplied when one considers that there are no viable, large-scale competitors to our government schools (yes, there are private schools, but people who send their children there must pay twice) and the health care system once ObamaCare is fully implemented (per Obama’s own rhetoric).
So, while we are using smaller, higher-resolution digital cameras that forced Kodak out of business (due to a failure to innovate), the government continues to keep our children in failing and outdated schools (without even the hope of real competitors like FedEx and UPS) and stands poised to completely take over our health care system.
In: Uncategorized
You know your (government) job is secure…
There are plenty of good government workers out there, but how secure is your job when the firing of three City workers is front-page (above-the-fold) news? Certainly, fraud and all of the abuses of power that were apparently taking place are big issues that give cause to the firings, but does anyone in government ever get fired for mere incompetence?
Of course, we expect that the government workers union will find some reason to challenge these firings and will make the process far more costly for taxpayers (and lengthy) than it should be, but we applaud Mayor Berry and his staff for taking firm action when needed. The City of Albuquerque is slowly become a more efficiently-run, less corrupt place due to his efforts.
Talking tax cuts
Gov. Martinez has discussed ways in which she’d like to reduce New Mexicans’ tax burdens by tackling aspects of the gross receipts tax. This is a good thing.
I discussed some of the preliminary reform ideas with the Santa Fe Reporter which portrayed my views towards the reform in a largely negative light. However, that is not the case. We at the RGF are very enthusiastic about the Governor’s proposal to eliminate the GRT on small businesses. Taxing these tiny, single-person, and often part-time businesses creates more hassle than it is worth in terms of revenue.
However, there is a legitimate discussion to be had over whether the GRT is worth saving or whether the best way to eliminate its worst aspects is to create carve-outs that attempt to eliminate “pyramiding.” This is where the negative nature of my comments comes through in the article. The GRT is meant to be low and broad. It has become a tax that is charged at a high rate with many carve-outs included. Martinez’s well-intended effort to eliminate pyramiding COULD result in higher rates down the line, especially if spending rises.
How is your child’s public school doing?
New Mexico’s Public Education Department has released its first-ever batch of A-F grades for public schools around New Mexico. The data relies on several measures to better understand and give parents and students the information they need to see if schools in their community are doing the job and whether student performance is improving or declining. This tool idea was brought to New Mexico by the Rio Grande Foundation as part of the “Florida Model” for education reform.
If that isn’t enough for you (would you rely on just one data source before buying a new car?), check out the recent school analysis tool that was created by the New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools.
Double-dipping legislators
The Rio Grande Foundation has been a leader in bringing attention to New Mexico’s pension problems. Dan Boyd of the Albuquerque Journal recently wrote an interesting column on legislators and their “double-dipping” in the State’s pension system in which he quotes me. Rob Nikolewski over at Capitol Report New Mexico has an excellent overview of the situation as well.
The problem is real and demands reform. However, the problem is inherent in New Mexico’s pension system and the fact that it is underfunded and unsustainable. I would have zero problem with legislators (or anyone else) “double dipping” if they actually owned and managed their own retirement savings in a 401K-type account. Far from being a crazy idea, Michigan has done this and has saved taxpayers billions of dollars while giving government workers personal ownership and control over their retirements.
Michigan’s reforms have also eliminated many controversies over pension problems like the one outlined above.
In: Uncategorized
Farmington pursues greater transparency
The Rio Grande Foundation has been using a new state law to request and post payroll information for city and county governments statewide (we are working on school districts). Despite having posted payroll information for Farmington and several other major cities statewide back in August, the effort has only started to make waves over the last few days. Check stories here and here.
The good news is that political leaders in the City of Farmington are planning to take the initiative by posting this (and perhaps other) information online in a further effort to improve transparency. So, kudos to those in the City who are attempting to give taxpayers a better idea of how their money is being spent!
