Good jobs and clean water: We can do both
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I’ve been disappointed that some members of Congress don’t think we can afford to protect our public lands. Continue Reading
Economic development, tax policy and our budget
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We have 107 holes in our tax code. Looked at another way, each time we pay any kind of tax, we pay 20 percent extra to cover all the special interests that don’t have to pay. Continue Reading
Fact checking the Rio Grande Foundation: Sloppy and deceptive
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The Rio Grande Foundation has launched another series of attacks on workers that are deceptive at best and out-and-out false at worst. Here’s a point-by-point refutation. Continue Reading
The real status of NM’s government workforce and pensions
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Government workers in New Mexico are smart enough to know that they are benefitting tremendously in terms of pay and benefits. Otherwise they’d ask for their $600,000 in political contributions back! Continue Reading
House votes to cap film incentives at $45 million
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UPDATED: After hours of contentious debate, the House approved legislation this evening that would cap payouts under the state’s film incentive program at $45 million annually. Continue Reading
House approves budget; film incentives next
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UPDATED: On a vote of 35-34, the House passed the budget today, sending it to the Senate for consideration. Continue Reading
How to flame your dragon
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Congratulations, administration and its supporters: Through this unwillingness to engage people with actual knowledge of the film industry, you have sent New Mexico plummeting from a globally respected position of leadership straight into the gutter. Continue Reading
In defense of the film compromise
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The recent bipartisan compromise endorsed unanimously by my colleagues and I on the House Taxation and Revenue Committee demonstrates that New Mexico is still willing to incentivize film production in our state but sets a reasonable limit on the annual negative impact to the state’s general fund. Continue Reading
UNM keeps wining and dining legislators
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“Tight budget doesn’t dampen this party,” declared a headline in the Sunday edition of the Albuquerque Journal. It was referring to the University of New Mexico’s continued wining and dining of legislators during the budget crunch. Continue Reading
Blogger raises questions about small business task force
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Clearly New Mexico’s Tracy Dingmann has obtained some interesting documents related to the governor’s “Small Business-Friendly Task Force” and has some revealing posts about them. Continue Reading
Interesting dynamics in play during budget discussions
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While I’ve been in Santa Fe this week, I’ve been talking to people about the state budget and found that there are some interesting and, in some instances, unconventional dynamics in play. Continue Reading
We must allow Americans to go back to work
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Drilling platforms are not simply switches that can be turned on and off at will. They are workplaces, sources of livelihood and security for the thousands of Americans who were once employed there. Continue Reading
Budget is full of goodies – if you live out of state
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Through hard work, we somehow manage to do quite well for a whole range of moneyed out-of-state interests. In these challenging times, New Mexicans should demand that we do at least as well for you. Continue Reading
A promise to future generations
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I look at the New Mexico Land Office and our $9 billion permanent fund as our promise to future generations. If we degrade or sell the land, or squander the permanent fund, we have violated our promise to current and future generations. Continue Reading
Making informed decisions about film incentives
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We need to track actual results from the film incentive program. We can then use that information to make an informed decision about the benefits of the program. Continue Reading