The Iron Lady of Santa Fe

When Margaret Thatcher became prime minister, she faced a nasty recession and high unemployment just as New Mexico faces today. She took a hard line against unsustainable collectivist policies – so hard, in fact, that she gained the nickname the “Iron Lady.” Our new governor faces the same woefully unattractive situation. Continue Reading

The Kafka budget

The governor-elect, let’s call her M., is struggling to gain access to the mysterious financial authorities of a castle known as the Capitol, who govern the state budget using unknown and surrealistic accounting methods. First the deficit is $260 million; now it’s $450 million. What’s it going to be next? Continue Reading

Do Martinez or Denish have the political will of Chris Christie?

When Susana Martinez and Diane Denish spar in the upcoming debates, when they talk about reform, when they talk about ways to close the budget deficit of the state, ask yourself which candidate has the guts to put aside what she thinks is palatable politically and follow through and deliver on her campaign promises like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is trying his very best to do. Continue Reading

Hayek goes Costco

In his classic “The Road to Serfdom,” F. A. Hayek argues that the pursuit of socialist ideals leads to totalitarianism. Why is it so popular more than 60 years after it was published? I can only surmise that Hayek’s stardom must mean that people are searching for alternative answers to our current economic catastrophe. Continue Reading

Abolish property taxes

The main message people have been telling me as I walk my district is simply that we have more government than we can afford and that the state and counties look to the home and to the homeowner inside to fund its expanding activities. Continue Reading