Contact
Subscribe
|
Tweet
| (7) |
Time for a joint NM House and Senate Democratic caucus
Benjamin Rodefer
I am calling today for an immediate joint caucus of New Mexico’s House and Senate Democrats. There has been too much difficulty and miscommunication surrounding our recent attempts to address the state’s very serious budget woes.
We are all on the same team, and now is precisely the time to start acting that way, working together to address the very serious challenges facing our beloved New Mexico.
We Democrats hold a significant majority in both of New Mexico’s legislative chambers, but such a joint caucus as I am calling for is extremely unusual, having not been called for in years.
Today we will begin considering a budget deal orchestrated in private by the governor and a small handful of legislative leaders. The deal calls for further cuts to schools and also includes several regressive taxes, including an increase to the gross receipts tax and a partial reinstatement of the food tax.
And we are not simply talking a tortilla tax here, we are talking a food tax on everything.
This “deal” gives the rich – to whom Governor Richardson gave huge tax breaks to in 2003 – and large, out-of-state corporations like Wal Mart a complete pass, instead balancing the budget once again on the backs of New Mexico’s middle-class and working families.
The very citizens who are struggling the most now. The very people we are supposed to be reaching out to and helping through these tough times.
This deal, though, is not even close to the will and intent of either Democratic caucus. It is high time that we all get together, sit in the same room, talk this thing through, and work as a team to create a better future for all New Mexicans.
Rodefer is a Democratic state representative from Corrales.
|
Share
Tweet
|
Advertisements
|
7 comments so far. Scroll down to submit your own comment.
Leave a response
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Raising taxes and fees on businesses to close a budget gap is a short-term political fix. In the long-term, higher business taxes drive off employers and ultimately shrink a state’s tax base. Not only does a state lose payroll taxes by driving businesses out of state, but the “knock-on effect,” as economists call it, of those wages not being spent in the state: retail sales, property vacancies and employment.
Just recently, the City of Los Angeles rolled back its corporate tax rate 20% as well as cutting taxes on its small businesses by 20%. Governor Pawlenty did the same thing in Minnesota, saying “tax cuts for businesses will increase private sector investment and create jobs.”
Let’s grow businesses not government in New Mexico!
Hmm balance the budget and do so by attempting to establish fair tax procedures? What a novel idea, except that you have forgotten on thing. New Mexico is an entitlement cultured state and the only way to stay in power is to give, give, give and never take. If people had to actually pay for the services they receive they would choose not to have most of them. Fortunately though, it’s completely acceptable for Dems to have 500 million dollar deficits and provide everything the people ask for. Honestly I don’t know where the credit comes from or how at the end of the year the money is provided for.
More taxes is not the answer. Drastically decrease spending and increase the tax base not taxes. Yep, invest in job creation, more jobs = more revenue. Higher Taxes = a suppressed economy and loss of jobs. This does not require an economics degree.
Ben,
You build a strong argument against your own party:
>We are all on the same team, and now is precisely the time to start acting that way, working together to address the very serious challenges facing our beloved New Mexico.<
By "We" I assume you are talking about your fellow Democrats.
"Astute Observer" is correct in observing you are "lecturing your own leadership."
I'm starting to think you may be a "Dino" – Democrat in name only.
There's still time to switch parties if you have had enough of your own party's back-room deal-making.
Rep Rodefer,
When you have a spare moment, explain to us why you need to meet in secret to discuss the spending of our power and our resources. Provide for our edification, please, a hypothetical example of the conversation about our power and resources, that we should not hear. Tell us what you need to talk about, out of our sight.
So we tax Wal Mart and they’ll just reduce profits? No they’ll pass it on to the people who buy tortillas. I have an idea, lets tax people who live in Corrales, extra, and give a break to folks who live in the South Valley.
Yawn … Watch for the Ds to run a primary opponent against this young, presumptious, upstart. Lecturing the leaderhip? Someone needs to – but they won’t accept it from this guy. Good try though!
The good legislator fails to notice that the Democrats have built a “big tent” and welcomed many not of the “progressive” proclivities to join them. Now he want all to vote, act, and talk with the left side of the tent. Sorry, you gots to dance with those that brung ‘ya. You need to understand how diverse the Democratic Party is these days, they are no longer the old “La Politica” machine from days of yore, and that make it strong and most leaders tout the diversity the party now represents. Seems the good legislator wants to return to the old ways of doing things with patronage, corruption, and power politics ruled by the elites. That would be a grave mistake.