NMPolitics.net (https://nmpolitics.net/index/category/commentary/page/124/)
I am amazed that our elected officials would even consider raising taxes during a time of recession in our state. What the Richardson-Denish administration and the Democrat-led State Legislature fail to see is that higher taxes won’t create more revenue; they will create less. Continue Reading
Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts is just the beginning of an independent movement around the country, including the tea party, that values good, responsive government above all else. This is not a fad. Continue Reading
Today in New Mexico movie production companies receive checks from the New Mexico state treasury equal to 25 percent of their approved expenditures. In fiscal year 2009, which ended June 30, this one program cost you, the taxpayer, $82 million. I believe this program is an abuse of your tax dollars. Continue Reading
Last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling removing restrictions on corporate and union political ads under the guise of free speech flies in the face of every democratic principal I hold dear. Continue Reading
The president declared January National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month earlier this year. My office has been actively involved for some time in raising awareness about all forms of modern slavery. Continue Reading
After the nuclear flash is the wrong time to start planning. We need continuous real planning so we have no more disasters like New Orleans and Haiti. Continue Reading
As we begin the most crucial legislative session that New Mexico has seen in decades, I would like to take the time to dispel a few rumors. Continue Reading
A couple of revisions to Rep. Jeff Steinborn’s webcasting legislation would ensure that unofficial webcasting of committee meetings is allowed and actually require committee chairs to work with Legislative Council Service on producing official webcasts of committee meetings. Continue Reading
It will take time for me to understand the true potential at New Mexico State University. While I am learning from others, I would like to take this opportunity to share just a few of the immediate challenges we face and the approach I hope to take to address them. Continue Reading
State Rep. Jeff Steinborn wants to expand official legislative webcasting to interim committee meetings and make permanent a rule that allows webcasting of House committee meetings during sessions. But legislation he has introduced may need to be reworked if he wants to continue to allow unofficial webcasting. Continue Reading
Our future engineers, accountants and social workers should not have to put off finishing their educations because our state leaders and boards of regents don’t have the political will to say enough is enough to out-of-control administrative salaries. Continue Reading
The politicking and proselytizing of Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson is wrong, but there’s nothing wrong with looking at why a 7.0 quake in Haiti kills 100,000 or more Haitians while a similar temblor in similarly dense Los Angeles kills only a handful of Americans. Continue Reading
Our kids and grandkids will have significantly fewer resources, and most of their lives will be spent dealing with the financial structural flaws of debt we foisted upon them. I wonder if they will even realize that we knew we were doing this to them but did so anyway? Continue Reading
As we enter a new decade, I am optimistic that we “common folks” can take back our state and finally put an end to the political corruption and cronyism that is engrained within our state. Continue Reading
It’s important to take a clear-headed look at the state of transportation funding in New Mexico and acknowledge that the current tax structure is not sufficient to support New Mexico’s road needs. Continue Reading