More taxes are coming soon...

[kralspaces]

Well, the state is considering taxes as one of the ways to resolve the state budget shortages for 2009-2010, What they should do is focus on how to get the $6B beast ($2B to $6B since Richardson took office) under control and start cutting waste. Sixty percent (60%) of the budget goes to the schools, so I think there is probably more than enough waste there to balance the budget. They are looking everywhere else instead and GRT on food and drugs may be coming back.

I thought is was also interesting that they want to examine some of the funds reserve cash balances and start transferring some of the money to the main budget account. Sound familiar?

What are your recommendations for a balance budget in 2009-2010?

[Zoidberg]

"It's not the fat that ought to worry us, it's the lean."
-Eugene McCarthy, 1980's

[kralspaces]

It won't be long now... you can read the details here: http://www.roswell-record.com/main.asp?SectionID=51&SubSectionID=124&ArticleID=45359&TM=24895.99

When you look at the fact that there was only one (1) new oil drilling in New Mexico last month while surrounding states are drilling a bunch, one has to wonder what the hell is going on. The answer: over regulationed. If the state would make just a few adjustments, drilling could resume in New Mexico and the tax flow to Santa Fe could also resume. However, this is not likely to happen that I am aware of and the citizens will be hit with new taxes at next January legislation session and maybe even some old taxes, such as GRT on food and drugs again.

Note the fund transfers being proposed. Where have we seen this before and what has it done to our city budget?

[Scott]

What should we expect? We are lucky not to be in the shape Califoria is in. NM has becoem one of the largest entitlement states there is. Combine that with the fact that NM has become a safe haven for criminals with all the NM Supreme Court decisions. With goos ole Richardson wanting to be sure every child in NM has health care coverage (God forbid their parents turn off one of their 4 cell phones, high speed internet, or 100+ channel pay television package and pay for it themselves). Maybe these parents could do without drinking beer EVERY night, or could cut back on the cigarette smoking (or worse - illegal substance abuse) and actually pay for this health insurance themselves. Oh wait, taxes, I almost forgot. How long before they start taxing each post on the various forums? Just think of the revenue you could generate with say a $0.01 tax on EVERY post. This might work. That way we don't have to drill and we can keep the price of gasoline up there where it needs to be. :ph34r:

[pdc]

Kral, what specific regulatory changes are you recommending. What is your evidence that differential regulations in NM are accounting for this current disparity?

Scott - Regardless of how much oil is drilled in NM, the price of oil will not be affected - the price of oil is an international issue.

The current SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) operating in NM is a federal law passed with significant bipartisan support (Kennedy and Hatch the primary movers). New Mexico, in particular, should welcome any and all types of federal Medicaid programs they can, as our state enjoys one of the highest "matches" of Federal funds to state funds - approximately $3 from the feds for every $1 dollar of state money.

Beyond Medicaid, New mexico enjoys a significantly positive return on Federal taxes paid - one of the highest in the country....

As for penalizing children because their parents are poor, or even living poor lifestyles, is, to my mind, unnecessarily harsh. And, in these families, the parents do not qualify for any healthcare coverage under the program - just the kids....

[oladcock]

"Sixty percent (60%) of the budget goes to the schools, so I think there is probably more than enough waste there to balance the budget."

I thought the lottery was supposed to take care of that? :)

pdc, "New Mexico, in particular, should welcome any and all types of federal Medicaid programs they can, as our state enjoys one of the highest "matches" of Federal funds to state funds - approximately $3 from the feds for every $1 dollar of state money."

This is just like the drug dealers on the street, they give the kids a "taste" to get them hooked. The feds "give" the states money they took from a single mom working 2 jobs in Kansas and give it to us. Then dictate what we can and can not do using feds funds as blackmail. We need to take care of ourselves and tell the feds to take a hike....O.L.

[mfish]

With a balanced budget constitution, one of two things HAS to happen during times of budget shortfalls:

Programs will be cut, or taxes will be raised.

Neither is a great position to be in for someone who relies on the public to keep their job.

[Scott]

Kral, what specific regulatory changes are you recommending. What is your evidence that differential regulations in NM are accounting for this current disparity?

Scott - Regardless of how much oil is drilled in NM, the price of oil will not be affected - the price of oil is an international issue.

The current SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) operating in NM is a federal law passed with significant bipartisan support (Kennedy and Hatch the primary movers). New Mexico, in particular, should welcome any and all types of federal Medicaid programs they can, as our state enjoys one of the highest "matches" of Federal funds to state funds - approximately $3 from the feds for every $1 dollar of state money.

Beyond Medicaid, New mexico enjoys a significantly positive return on Federal taxes paid - one of the highest in the country....

As for penalizing children because their parents are poor, or even living poor lifestyles, is, to my mind, unnecessarily harsh. And, in these families, the parents do not qualify for any healthcare coverage under the program - just the kids....

I disagree. Parents SHOULD be responsible for their children, not the Govt. Should the children suffer without healthcare becasue the have deadbeat parents? Absolutely. Its called having a deadbeat, dirtbag parent. You can't fix that by giving the children healthcare, or anything else for that matter.

[Neil]

"Sixty percent (60%) of the budget goes to the schools, so I think there is probably more than enough waste there to balance the budget."

I thought the lottery was supposed to take care of that? :)



Someone please explain why whenever there's an article about education in the RDR, Gottlieb thrusts out the begging bowl. At every election there's a bond issue for education. And why there's a constant barrage of television and newspaper ads asking for donations of school equipment.
Will the RISD ever have enough money?

[pdc]

I disagree. Parents SHOULD be responsible for their children, not the Govt. Should the children suffer without healthcare becasue the have deadbeat parents? Absolutely. Its called having a deadbeat, dirtbag parent. You can't fix that by giving the children healthcare, or anything else for that matter.

Sorry - I consider that view to be deadbeat citizenship...

... I also think it's a case of "Pay me now, or payme later".

[mfish]

Neil, to answer your question:
NO. They'll never have enough money as long as they rely on the government to dole it out. If the schools were privatized, they'd figure out real quick what the "real world" is all about because many of them would go broke.

[oladcock]

"Programs will be cut, or taxes will be raised."

Yep, cut the "programs".....

pdc, looks like your attitude and views would excellent citizenship...In France....O.L.

[pdc]

pdc, looks like your attitude and views would excellent citizenship...In France....O.L.

Thank you, sir!

But, why limit it to France? Support of the need for a government that will promote freedom by providing health care and education, and fight the forces of prejudice and ignorance, as I openly espouse, would be a key element of "excellent citizenship" in any democratic society.

Actually, the provision of access to health care to all citizens, not merely children, is standard operating procedure in virtually every modern industrialized democracy (and many beyond that, too, in fact.)

I love America, and it pains me to see our country's heath care delivery system ranked 33rd - I expect America to lead the world!! - and since we already spend more $$$ per capita on our health care than any other industrialized country, I'm shocked to see some opposing a reform to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and reach of our system, and to move us to the forefront where we belong....

[kralspaces]

I love America, and it pains me to see our country's heath care delivery system ranked 33rd - I expect America to lead the world!! - and since we already spend more $$$ per capita on our health care than any other industrialized country, I'm shocked to see some opposing a reform to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and reach of our system, and to move us to the forefront where we belong....

I thought that was our 'public education' delivery system rank 33rd! Or maybe it's worst than that. I'll have to look that up.

As for the disparity of new drilling, I read it in the RDR. They report it monthly. Any new oil is new tax dollar at any market price.

[Daisy]

I think we all know how poorly government run programs function. Yet, some of us want MORE government in our lives. What isn't understood is that we, the taxpayers pay and pay and pay for these programs which are then mismanaged by the government. Most of us get little or nothing for all the taxes we pay.

It's the governments job to govern, not to take care of all those who can't or won't take care of themselves and their families. A little research about how things are actually going in Europe and Canada proves that we should not be modeling ourselves after those countries.

Some people choose to believe the lies and misinformation our government feeds us. Remember the one back in 1935 about how the Social Security tax was to be temporary?? We've been lied too and manipulated for a long time, and I think more and more Americans are beginning to see that.

Those who don't mind the government taking their hard earned money to fund poorly run programs or to give to those who refuse to take care of themselves should be happy with the current administration.

I mind and am NOT happy about it - more taxes are coming soon for sure. Politicians have lost the public trust and rightly so. People are starting to voice that loss of trust in the town hall meetings and in their correspondence to their elected officials.

More government in our lives is NEVER a good thing, but some refuse to see it. Many others are now getting it and are objecting to it loudly - it's their right to do so in America. For now, anyway.

[pdc]

More government in our lives is NEVER a good thing, but some refuse to see it. Many others are now getting it and are objecting to it loudly - it's their right to do so in America. For now, anyway.

Yet people want MORE police, happily drive our roads every day, confidently rely on the fire department, and might not notice that Medicare is as popular as, if not more so than, private insurance. All of these "government programs" successfully replaced failed efforts by private-for-profit operations

It's just a fact that some needs are better met by public programs designed to meet the needs of all the citizens than by private-for-profit businesses. We have a unique health care system in America, given that we have a mixture of private-for-profit insurance (The insurance industry), government-funded insurance (Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP), government-operated health care delivery (Indian Health Service, VA). No one, in their right mind, would design a system like this from scratch; but most, including Obama and each of the bills currently moving through legislative bodies, recognize that we should recognize and build on the strengths of the system we have.

The private-for-profit health insurance industry has had a decade-and-a-half to demob=nstrate it's willingness and/or ability to fill the gaps in the current system. I has not, and likely cannot. The so-called "public plan" (whichever version eventually passes - and one will, because that's what the majority of Americans want now) is designed to fill the gaps that remain in the current system.

IMNSHO, the majority of those most vocally opposing the various reforms out there - certainly the legislators - are opposed to reform in any shape. Republicans had the power for almost a decade, and never pursued the kind of "incremental change" they now vaguely refer to. I also believe the majority of those angrily denouncing health care reform in the Town Hall Meeting held by Democrat legislators never voted for those legislators in the first place. In our system, majority enjoys it's prerogatives, and, at present, the majority has voted for, and supports reform.

I doubt that any "reform" selected will or could be perfect. However, "no change" will result in further collapse of the present structure, increases in the number of uninsured, and rapidly increasing health care costs that our enconomy cannot suatain - something has to give.

No one in America should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick.

[Scott]

Yet people want MORE police, happily drive our roads every day, confidently rely on the fire department, and might not notice that Medicare is as popular as, if not more so than, private insurance. All of these "government programs" successfully...

Some good ole fashioned cradle to the grave thinking right there. I stated it before and I'll state it again, why not have these people pay for their own coverage if it is that important to them? Maybe they could do without the high speed internet connection, multiple cell phones for teenagers, 5 cars in the driveway all with payments and insurance, 100+ channel pay TV, and going out to eat 3 times a week and BUY THEIR OWN INSURANCE?

[pdc]

Some good ole fashioned cradle to the grave thinking right there. I stated it before and I'll state it again, why not have these people pay for their own coverage if it is that important to them? Maybe they could do without the high speed internet connection, multiple cell phones for teenagers, 5 cars in the driveway all with payments and insurance, 100+ channel pay TV, and going out to eat 3 times a week and BUY THEIR OWN INSURANCE?

No, don't take my "Welfare Cadillac"??? :new_shocked:

I've actually worked with some of the children who've received access to care through SCHIP, a lot of folks who have had Medicaid and/or Medicare, and a lot of people in poverty. Your stereotypes do not describe the overwhelming majority of such people.

I' also paid my own insurance when I last changed jobs, because of an "underlap" of coverage - I earn pretty good bucks, and the $600/month for the coverage, and the full proce for medications for three months was a distinct hardship for me - and, I believe, just not an option for many folks....

[Daisy]

Yet people want MORE police, happily drive our roads every day, confidently rely on the fire department, and might not notice that Medicare is as popular as, if not more so than, private insurance.

We all know we need our Police and Firemen. There is a difference between want and need, which some don't seem to grasp.

Medicare - successful and popular??? Really???? Medicare has so many problems, I don't even know where to start............so I won't. Anyone who's interested can do their own research.

I stated it before and I'll state it again, why not have these people pay for their own coverage if it is that important to them?

It's not important enough to them when they think someone else will pay it for them. I worked in the school system for many years and saw all the 'stuff' some of these people had, yet they couldn't seem to afford their kids' clothes. That's what happens when you start doling out the handouts - you really aren't helping the people, you're just making them lazier and giving them a sense of entitlement. Very sad.........

This administration says it wants to take from the rich and give to the poor. That's just BS - how much do ya think will coming out of their own rich pockets?? Uh....none! They put down the rich folk's lavish lifestyle while going on date nights to New York and shopping sprees to Paris and vacationing in Martha's Vineyard. Gimme a break!!! Meanwhile, the media drooled over how cute that was...........:yucky:

Taxes will go up soon and those of you who voted this man in can pat yourselves on the back. :pinch:

[oladcock]

pdc, Oh it needs reform due to the govenments involvment to start with. I'm not opposed to reform, if they go after the actual problems instead of more "control" AND quite lying to us. Surely you didn't use "government" and "efficiency" in the same sentence? :)

"I love America, and it pains me to see our country's heath care delivery system ranked 33rd "

This is one of the lies.......What they are doing is looking at life span. Yes, we average dying younger because we drive cars, jump out of airplanes, go skiing, and dirt bags killing dirt bags, ect...Those other socialist countries the are so broke the "people" can't afford to persue happiness! Has NOTHING to do with the quality of our health care. Pull un-natural deaths out of the stats and we're best in all areas.

Tort reform

Insurance across state lines

No "employer provided" insurance, each buys their own

Catastrophic insurance for the young and dumb

Tax credit help for those below a certain income.

These things will work and cost little to nothing other then ink on paper. The left won't discuss any of these things because it puts you in control instead of them and they'd loss the big $$$ from the lawyers. The first step to socialize a country is to socialize the health care. We've taken too many steps that direction already. It can't go any further....O.L.

PS, quit comparing us to "democracy's"....They never work because the lazy figure out they can vote/force the hard working folks to give them money. We are a republic. The dems love poor people and want to keep them poor no matter what they say, otherwise they'd lose their voter base.....O.L.

[jsatterfield]

I went to the VA clinic in Artesia last week and my Doctor wants me to get a Colonoscopy before I go to NC, I have to get it done before the end of September because the VA will be out of Money the end of this month. So if the Feds can’t take care of a few vets for a year, How the Hell can they take care of the whole U.S. :shoot:

[kralspaces]

Lucky you! At least you will get one. My last one was 11 years ago at 50 years of age with a private doctor that I paid for and Dr. Farmer still won’t schedule my 10 year follow-up. Two months ago I went in for a follow-up for my thyroid count and I told Dr. Farmer that I needed something for a serious acid reflect problem. He told me to change my diet, quickly finished up the visit and said he had other patience to see. I had to get some meds for the discomfort through the Canadian doctor that lives next door. I wonder why he/she is working in the US, if the Canadian Health System is so great. Legal drugs on the ‘black market’? Now there’s a future business opportunity, nurse Jackie!

The US is already short 10's of thousands of doctors, Canada is also. The world is short 100’s of thousands of doctors. Why? Poor old Cuba probably has enough doctors because it is one of those professions where you can actually make enough to put a bottle of wine on the table with dinner. Competition needs to be in place in order to provide the best services. This applies to any business and health care is a business and they will all be taxed. Governments don't tax themselves, so where is all this revenue requirement for national health care going to come from? The VA system has always been short of funds since I have been involved with them back in the early 70's just after Nam. I ended up having all my injuries resolved through private doctors even though I had VA.

[saw]

One of the big things that shortens the life span in the US is WE ARE THE MOST FAT AND LAZY NATION ON EARTH. It is the only place on earth that folks drive four blocks to go to a gym for a workout.

Another big killer, in my opinion, is stress.

We have more motor vehicles per capita than anyone in the world. Japan smokes like a barn on fire and still manages to outlive us. Even though we have cut smoking by about 1/2 in the last 30 years or so lung cancer has just barely decreased.

If our health care is so bad why do I keep hearing about big shots from around the world coming to our privatly owned health care facilites for health care.

Pdc: oil and gas is New Mexico's sugar daddy. The higher crude prices go, the more bucks Santa Fe gets. The more wells that are drilled means more bucks for Santa Fe.

[oladcock]

"One of the big things that shortens the life span in the US is WE ARE THE MOST FAT AND LAZY NATION ON EARTH."

Yep, and the only country on earth with fat "poor" people!.....O.L.

[kralspaces]

Pdc: oil and gas is New Mexico's sugar daddy. The higher crude prices go, the more bucks Santa Fe gets. The more wells that are drilled means more bucks for Santa Fe.

Thanks for the support, saw. I'm glad someone has acknowledged that if there is no new drilling, there are no new taxes. I am in support of alternative energy, but currently it is using up our tax dollars through incentives and NOT returning ANY taxes back to the state.

[Scott]

"One of the big things that shortens the life span in the US is WE ARE THE MOST FAT AND LAZY NATION ON EARTH."

Yep, and the only country on earth with fat "poor" people!.....O.L.

There is so much truth in that! We are all these "POOR" people so darn FAT? I was in Wal-mart last night and this guy was buying NOTHING buy JUNK. Chips, soda, TV dinners, ice cream, JUNK. Finally he whips out his EBT car (mind you this guy can hardly walk because he is so big and unhealthy). He only had $30.00 left on his EBT card so when the total is too high he has the cashier take of the bananas to get the total doen to $30.10. He took the $0.10 out of his pocket.

[kralspaces]

It's November and property taxes are due. If you compare to last year, you will see how the tax rate per $1000 has changed. It doesn't show which one of the many property tax bonds recently passed are included. All rate increases are rolled up into a single rate per catagory. My bill has 11 tax items listed with 2 exemptions (veterans and head of household). Next year, there will be another annual 3% and the remaining bond issues that didn't make it this year.

It's too bad our property taxes don't really reflect the market values because market values have actually gone down this last year. You will never see a decrease in your property tax unless your house burns down and you don't rebuild (just one example of several).

Get ready for more taxes this January... Santa Fe just doesn't want to make the necessary cuts like some of us did to balance our budgets.

[mfish]

Gary Johnson once told the New Mexico Legislature that if they couldn't balance the budget, just send it on over to him, and he'd balanced the budget ... Johnson used his veto pen more than 700 times during his eight years as Governor.

New Mexico's Constitution is like most states - you either balance the budget, make cuts in services, or raise taxes.

[roswelite]

Lets see now Little Billy's Choo Choo benifits what percentage of our state? I deem it the #1 reason were in a shortfall in the firstplace. I proclaim that we should give somebody who can afford it the BIRD (Railrunner) That's about all I got to say about that! FG
Gary Johnson once told the New Mexico Legislature that if they couldn't balance the budget, just send it on over to him, and he'd balanced the budget ... Johnson used his veto pen more than 700 times during his eight years as Governor.

New Mexico's Constitution is like most states - you either balance the budget, make cuts in services, or raise taxes.

[Sabrina]

Thank you, sir!

But, why limit it to France? Support of the need for a government that will promote freedom by providing health care and education, and fight the forces of prejudice and ignorance, as I openly espouse, would be a key element of "excellent citizenship" in any democratic society.

Actually, the provision of access to health care to all citizens, not merely children, is standard operating procedure in virtually every modern industrialized democracy (and many beyond that, too, in fact.)

I love America, and it pains me to see our country's heath care delivery system ranked 33rd - I expect America to lead the world!! - and since we already spend more $$$ per capita on our health care than any other industrialized country, I'm shocked to see some opposing a reform to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and reach of our system, and to move us to the forefront where we belong....

“It's the governments job to govern, not to take care of all those who can't or won't take care of themselves and their families. A little research about how things are actually going in Europe and Canada proves that we should not be modeling ourselves after those countries.” I definitely agree with you, Daisy. The reason we should not be modeling ourselves after those countries is this: I read an article about a young woman (25 yrs old) who had a little girl and was pregnant with a little boy. She was a little over 5 months pregnant when she went into early labor. The hospital was not “allowed” to do anything for this premie baby because their law stated something like any baby born before 25 weeks would NOT be given any type of medical care! That poor mom and baby sat in the room, she held him for 2 hours until he died in her arms! I cry now just thinking of how awful that must have been, not only for the mom, but for the baby to die a slow and possibly painful death! We are very lucky to live in the United States where that part of our healthcare is not run (YET)! In the Presbyterian hospital in Abq. they are equipped to care for an infant that is 22 weeks old! They CAN live if they are given the proper medical CARE! I’m sorry, this just irks me to no end and makes me sick to my stomach. I myself have a 7 month old and a 2 year old. I couldn’t imagine just holding them at 5 months premature and just letting them die in my arms!!! Those countries are sick. We should do everything in our power to take care of our children—they are our future! I’m not saying the adults should get care, but the kids are too young to take care of themselves and unfortunately sometimes they do have deadbeat parents, but it’s not like they could choose their parents, ya know? I truly feel sorry for all these kids who have parents who don’t seem to give a s*%t about RAISING their own kids and relying on the rest of us to do it for them be it healthcare, ethics, or anything else.

Ahhh. Glad to have gotten that off of my chest!

[roswelite]

You are awesome Sabrina, "The Men who hold high places must be the ones to start. To mold a new reality closer to the heart" Amen “It's the governments job to govern, not to take care of all those who can't or won't take care of themselves and their families. A little research about how things are actually going in Europe and Canada proves that we should not be modeling ourselves after those countries.” I definitely agree with you, Daisy. The reason we should not be modeling ourselves after those countries is this: I read an article about a young woman (25 yrs old) who had a little girl and was pregnant with a little boy. She was a little over 5 months pregnant when she went into early labor. The hospital was not “allowed” to do anything for this premie baby because their law stated something like any baby born before 25 weeks would NOT be given any type of medical care! That poor mom and baby sat in the room, she held him for 2 hours until he died in her arms! I cry now just thinking of how awful that must have been, not only for the mom, but for the baby to die a slow and possibly painful death! We are very lucky to live in the United States where that part of our healthcare is not run (YET)! In the Presbyterian hospital in Abq. they are equipped to care for an infant that is 22 weeks old! They CAN live if they are given the proper medical CARE! I’m sorry, this just irks me to no end and makes me sick to my stomach. I myself have a 7 month old and a 2 year old. I couldn’t imagine just holding them at 5 months premature and just letting them die in my arms!!! Those countries are sick. We should do everything in our power to take care of our children—they are our future! I’m not saying the adults should get care, but the kids are too young to take care of themselves and unfortunately sometimes they do have deadbeat parents, but it’s not like they could choose their parents, ya know? I truly feel sorry for all these kids who have parents who don’t seem to give a s*%t about RAISING their own kids and relying on the rest of us to do it for them be it healthcare, ethics, or anything else.

Ahhh. Glad to have gotten that off of my chest!

[kralspaces]

[QUOTE=Sabrina;18777 In the Presbyterian hospital in Abq. they are equipped to care for an infant that is 22 weeks old! They CAN live if they are given the proper medical CARE! Ahhh. Glad to have gotten that off of my chest![/QUOTE]

... and I am sure that Prebyterian Hospital would also try to save a 'premi' prior to 22 weeks as well. That life may end up costing the Hospital a million dollars. Eventually they will run out of money and stop the practice or have to shut down. Then what? This problem applies to any serious medical issue.

Right now the Hospitals are writing this off because they are getting subsidies from the federal government to cover their cost.

New Mexico's Insurance Pool has put on the breaks because they ran out of money. They are victims of the state budget cuts. This program will be asking for that money back and them some next January. Taxes will have to be increased if we want the government to take care of those people who qualify for the program (low income).

Catch-22!

[Daisy]

At the last TRAC meeting, Rep. Kintigh said there are some high caliber people wanting tax increases, so that the funding for their programs won't be cut.

He urged everyone to call or write their representatives and the governor to say NO TAX INCREASES.

Cut the damned government programs and let us keep the money we earn!! We didn't make this mess and we shouldn't have to pay for it......... :flame:

[Neil]

There is so much truth in that! We are all these "POOR" people so darn FAT? I was in Wal-mart last night and this guy was buying NOTHING buy JUNK. Chips, soda, TV dinners, ice cream, JUNK. Finally he whips out his EBT car (mind you this guy can hardly walk because he is so big and unhealthy). He only had $30.00 left on his EBT card so when the total is too high he has the cashier take of the bananas to get the total doen to $30.10. He took the $0.10 out of his pocket.

Bet he didn't walk home from Wal-Mart.
Can't remember the number of times I've gone to a domestic disturbance to find at least 2 late model cars in the driveway, a satellite dish on the roof to feed the 55" big screen, everyone in the house has a cell phone and one partner has been drinking all day. Both subjects are normally either unemployed, legally disabled or on some welfare program.
How are they getting the money to pay for all this? You can't buy alcohol with the EBT card, not sure about gas for the cars or paying the satellite bill.
Sorry to rant but it's just jealousy on my part. If only I knew how to work the system I could spend the rest of the day laying round the house instead of putting myself in harms way to EARN my money.:weep:

[roswelite]

So then just allow more patients to DIE and healthcare costs will go down? You must be in cahoots with COMRAD Obama. I think not I believe the money hungry profiteering Insurance companies and Drug companies should get in the business of healing a curing NOT milking our pocketbooks.
... and I am sure that Prebyterian Hospital would also try to save a 'premi' prior to 22 weeks as well. That life may end up costing the Hospital a million dollars. Eventually they will run out of money and stop the practice or have to shut down. Then what? This problem applies to any serious medical issue.

Right now the Hospitals are writing this off because they are getting subsidies from the federal government to cover their cost.

New Mexico's Insurance Pool has put on the breaks because they ran out of money. They are victims of the state budget cuts. This program will be asking for that money back and them some next January. Taxes will have to be increased if we want the government to take care of those people who qualify for the program (low income).

Catch-22!

[Daisy]

If only I knew how to work the system I could spend the rest of the day laying round the house instead of putting myself in harms way to EARN my money.

You DO know how to work it, you're just too honorable to do so. So am I. I still believe we should work for what we get - not mooch off of the government.

I think not I believe the money hungry profiteering Insurance companies and Drug companies should get in the business of healing a curing NOT milking our pocketbooks.

Now, THAT sounds like the current administration talking!! I have no problem with my insurance company - they have paid exactly what they were supposed too, keeping us from going heavily into debt............a couple times! As for the drug companies, they provide a service and make a profit - that's what they are in business to do. I believe people take way to many drugs they don't necessarily need, just because their doctors prescribe them. I have refused to take several drugs, because I just don't think they are necessary and have cut back on the two drugs I do need right now. You don't have take drugs just because they are prescribed - do the research and decide what's best for you. We're all gonna die of something and I, for one, don't want my body to outlast my mind. :no:

[kralspaces]

So then just allow more patients to DIE and healthcare costs will go down? You must be in cahoots with COMRAD Obama. I think not I believe the money hungry profiteering Insurance companies and Drug companies should get in the business of healing a curing NOT milking our pocketbooks.

That was a stretch. I didn't say to let anyone die. I was expressing that it is a catch-22. This thread was about taxes.

Where is the line between spending millions on one persons life or not. It doesn't matter who provides the money, whether the hospital or insurance companies or the federal government. It appear that Prebyterian Hospital has set at least one line at 22 weeks for premies. Why? Is it to costly? Is it not healthy? This is one of those moral questions, like would you push the botton for a million dollars.

[Daisy]

This thread was about taxes.

Yep, and we have strayed from that topic, as happens now and again. :o

Back to more taxes are coming soon...........:smk3:

[kralspaces]

is 1.3 trillion enough... they just past the house bill for national health care.

[roswelite]

My apologies; Healtcare is nuts and taxes has never helped the Gov't fix anything. I believe Politicians should be limited to two year office and a limit of two terms and never consecutive. Special interest groups and big business shouldnt be the biggest factor for candidates getting elected.

That was a stretch. I didn't say to let anyone die. I was expressing that it is a catch-22. This thread was about taxes.

Where is the line between spending millions on one persons life or not. It doesn't matter who provides the money, whether the hospital or insurance companies or the federal government. It appear that Prebyterian Hospital has set at least one line at 22 weeks for premies. Why? Is it to costly? Is it not healthy? This is one of those moral questions, like would you push the botton for a million dollars.

[kralspaces]

No problem. I just posted over on my facebook account that I now have guaranteed health care until I die and God doesn’t have to make that decision anymore.

Oh wait! I already have guaranteed health care (VA) and the government can keep up with it. I can just imagine what will happen now that they are going to support 96% of the US population.

Unfortunately, My kids will have to pick up the tab (tax) for the cost of national health care.

[Neil]

is 1.3 trillion enough... they just past the house bill for national health care.

Only the beginning.

In 1944 the British Government gave Aneurin "Nye" Bevan the task of creating the National Health Service as part of the "cradle to grave" welfare state.
Doctors were initially opposed to Bevan's plan, primarily on the stated grounds that it reduced their level of independence. Bevan had to get them onside, as, without doctors, there would be no health service. Being a shrewd political operator, Bevan managed to push through the radical health care reform measure by dividing and cajoling the opposition, as well as by offering lucrative payment structures for consultants. On this subject he stated, "I stuffed their mouths with gold". On July 5, 1948, at the Park Hospital (now known as Trafford General Hospital) in Manchester, Bevan unveiled the National Health Service and stated, "We now have the moral leadership of the world".

"The NHS was born out of a long-held ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth. At its launch by the then minister of health, Aneurin Bevan, on July 5 1948, it had at its heart three core principles:

* That it meet the needs of everyone
* That it be free at the point of delivery
* That it be based on clinical need, not ability to pay


Sound familiar?

By 1951 the NHS was struggling for money so the supposedly free service began to charge a small fee for prescriptions, dentures and eye glasses.
This is now a large fee. $12 for prescriptions, $30 for a dental exam, $75 for a filling, $32 for an eye exam. They also charge for parking at hospitals.

In 2002 it was decided to computerise and integrate all the different departments within the NHS. It was given a 3 year completion target and a $3.82 Billion budget. This was stretched to 10 years and a $33.2 Billion budget. After 7 years the system still doesn't work.

Sound familiar?

As with all government Departments, it grows.
In 2005 it employed 1.3 million staff making it the 2nd biggest employer in the World (#1 is the Chinese army). And it has a budget of $156 Billion for this year.

You have to remember that England has a population of about 60 million. To equate it to the US with a population of 300 million gives a staffing level of 6.5 million and a budget of $780 billion annually.

As I said. Only the beginning.:no1:

[pdc]

Uh, the bill just passed does not add ANY medical services provided by the government - the current government-run health servives - the VA, DOD and IHS - remain unchanged....

[ElRipper]

I disagree. Parents SHOULD be responsible for their children, not the Govt. Should the children suffer without healthcare becasue the have deadbeat parents? Absolutely. Its called having a deadbeat, dirtbag parent. You can't fix that by giving the children healthcare, or anything else for that matter.

Actually, minors belong to the state. It's protection for future society which is good. It is a shame there are neglected kids, but that exist all over the world.

[John M. Cleary]

Minors belong to the state.........are freaking kidding me?

Children belong to the parent.

Who is responsible for every bill from baby food to a 17 year old wrecking a car?

The state does not get the bill, the parent does.

Who pays child support, the parent

Finally, the state owns no one.

[Daisy]

EXACTLY right, John!! The thought of the state owning anyone is downright horrible and scary.

We're gonna feel like they own us, though, when they raise our taxes! :fear2:

[pdc]

The idea of anyone owning anyone has been excluded from American life since the Emancipation Proclamation....

Parents are responsible for their children, but those children have rights that the parents cannot contravene. And that's the way id SHOULD be.

The state - that is, us - have a stake in children, as they are our next generation. For the state to provide access to healthcare to children has nothing to do with "ownership"....

BTW, in the United States WE raise, or lower, our own taxes....

[ElRipper]

Minors belong to the state.........are freaking kidding me?

Children belong to the parent.

Who is responsible for every bill from baby food to a 17 year old wrecking a car?

The state does not get the bill, the parent does.

Who pays child support, the parent

Finally, the state owns no one.

I am not trying to argue, I am just spilling an anguish fact. I too thought that was a ridiculous statement, but it's true. The State, referring to the 'States', individually has the right to all minors. The deprtments have changed their names over the last few years (like the fad is now days to decieve folks), but look at the Child Custody Services, - see the name 'services', or Child Protection, etc. They can take a child from a home and put them almost anywhere, and for any reason. Someone can tell a lie about a parent and Zap, they come in and take a child for their own "protection". If a child becomes an orphan, the state will take the child. They use to use wards - a terrible description, now days they will find homes and pay the guardians $$$ to take care of the minor. It is a terrible thing, because the child does not get to stay with that family, but is moved from home to home. I know it sounds like science fiction, but the truth is, the state owns its minors, they have jurisdiction that precedes the parents guardianship. We dont see them taking all the children for their own wellfare and benefit, because 1) they just cant, 2) we have a prosperous society. But I have seen the Child Custody Program take kids away (here in Roswell), from parents who may to you and me live like pigs, or poorly, or with dirty floors. I say so what ! there is still a family unit, they bond, they do things together their way. Those cases do not warrant the State taking those kids as though the parents were making meth or smoking dope with the three year olds. The State can take any minor from any home for any reason ''..they.." deem necessary. Thats the law !:meh:

[pdc]

I can tell you from experience in three counties in SE NM (Chaves, Lea, Eddy) that, while the state (CYFD; Child Protective Services Division) can remove children for homes, they are very reluctant to do so, and, I've seen many cases over the years where they allowed children stay in extremely danderous and damaging circumstances....

It is state law in New Mexico that ANY adult who becomes aware of POSSIBLE abuse or neglect of a minor is REQUIRED to report the information to either law enforcement or the Children, Youth and Families Department.

In the course of my work, coworkers are frfequently the first to be informed of sexual abuse, extreme physical abuse, severe medical neglect, etc. We do report it, and, unfortunately, all-to-often no action is taken; I've also seen the situation worsen because of the inaction.

There are also programs funded especially to facilitate family preservation and to facilitate the family unit succeeding. In fact, IMNSHO, Counsleing Associates in Roswell has one of the best of these programs. The ultimate goal, beyond protecting children, is to preserve the family units....

[kralspaces]

Okay, now that the Child Custody has been resolved, what are we going to do about all the taxes coming our way from the 2010 State legislators this January?

At last night's town hall meeting, our legislators stated that taxes will be coming because the legislators and Governor do not want to cut programs.

If taxes are inevitable, then I hope they stay away from property taxes. There is no way for me to cut back on the usage of my home. The taxes should be on consumer goods so that I have a choice of buying something or not. When the price of gas shot up to $4, I cut way back on usage. When liquor tax goes up, I will stop buying booze. Now I didn’t say I would stop drinking, but I will stop buying. I will never turn down a nice ice cold one if it offered to me.

[Daisy]

BTW, in the United States WE raise, or lower, our own taxes....

There ya go, kral - just stop raising your own taxes.....simple! :pinch:

[kralspaces]

pdc is right, we do raise and lower our own taxes. That is why I am fighting every property tax increase that comes up year after year. Taxes go up when liberals are in office and taxes go down when conservatives are in office. The problem is, we haven't had any conservatives in office since before I was born. I give FDR all the credit for starting this trend.

Here in New Mexico, our taxes have gone from $2B (Johnson) to $6B (Richardson) in just 6 years and I would love to see a chart showing what we got for it. Now the revenue stream has dried up, a lot of it caused by the Richardson Adminstration, and now they want to tap our reserves. The people have to vote for a constititutional change for this to happen and I say 'NO'.

I still say we need to 'drill, baby, drill' for natural gas (and oil). The next Governor has to campiagn on this or they will not get my vote. If the state can't cut expenses, then they need to generate revenue AND NOT FROM NEW TAXES.

[Daisy]

pdc is right, we do raise and lower our own taxes.

I disagree - sure we vote for those in office, but how many times have those politicians lied about not raising our taxes? The problem is, the majority of us believe their words and don't look closely enough at their actions.


I still say we need to 'drill, baby, drill' for natural gas (and oil).

I totally agree. Get rid of the ridiculous regs and drill!

If the state can't cut expenses...

Oh they CAN cut expenses, they just refuse to do so. Can you imagine how many sniveling crybabies have been schmoozing the governor lately, begging him NOT to cut their programs?? He's not strong enough to say it HAS to be done...............Gary Johnson would be cutting programs now and wouldn't have a problem with it.

[Sabrina]

I heard they may be bringing the grocery tax back. Anyone hear anything else about this?

I agree, I do not want the property taxes to be raised!

[kralspaces]

That was discussed early on but it would be bad for the poorest in the state that are not on food stamps. I haven't seen anything in print since then. I do believe income tax will go back up to where it was before Richardson cut it as an incentive to bring higher paying jobs to New Mexico. That did not work out so it probably is still on the agenda.

I think the film industry is going to get hit this time around. They get a 25% credit on GRT while they are fiming in New Mexico. This is one of those catch-22 situations also. The industry finally has taken root in NM because of the tax credit and would they leave if they no longer got the credit. There was an attempt in the last legislative session but it never got out of committee.

The lastest thinking is to tap the state endowment fund. That fund gets it's income from the Gas and Oil Industry, so if this state doesn't do something to encourage more drilling we will be burning the candle at both ends.

[Sabrina]

That was discussed early on but it would be bad for the poorest in the state that are not on food stamps. I haven't seen anything in print since then. I do believe income tax will go back up to where it was before Richardson cut it as an incentive to bring higher paying jobs to New Mexico. That did not work out so it probably is still on the agenda.

I think the film industry is going to get hit this time around. They get a 25% credit on GRT while they are fiming in New Mexico. This is one of those catch-22 situations also. The industry finally has taken root in NM because of the tax credit and would they leave if they no longer got the credit. There was an attempt in the last legislative session but it never got out of committee.

The lastest thinking is to tap the state endowment fund. That fund gets it's income from the Gas and Oil Industry, so if this state doesn't do something to encourage more drilling we will be burning the candle at both ends.

Speaking of Gas & Oil, did you know the Hwy. Dept. also is partially funded by the gas taxes? Since the gas taxes haven't been raised and more people are buying fuel efficient vehicles, we could see our roads slowly begin to deteriorate. And with the State budget the way it is, we could see some HUGE potholes! Get ready to buy some new tires!

[oladcock]

"I think the film industry is going to get hit this time around. They get a 25% credit on GRT while they are fiming in New Mexico. This is one of those catch-22 situations also. The industry finally has taken root in NM because of the tax credit and would they leave if they no longer got the credit."

We can only hope so. I got into it with Senator Adair over this at the townhall. Tax breaks, subsidies, incentives....What ever you want to call them that favors one industry over another is artificial and distructive. If we can't attract industries because our tax rates are too high, well duh!...Lower the taxes for EVERYONE. The corruption we see unfolding at all levels of government is one group, industry, or class seeking favors over another through our politicians. I don't know about anyone else but any politician that thinks it's fair to tax a single mom busting her butt working 3 jobs a higher precentage, then give some lazy jerk like me working 20 hours a week a tax break or a refund......They need to be thrown out on their lips. Senator Adair tried to say that being able to deduct mortage interest was the same thing as giving the film industry tax breaks....???? I sure don't know where that anology came from or it's relevance??? We ALL can take those deductions. If only some could by virtue of their job field of choice, that would be similar...And just as wrong. Governments should not be picking winners and losers, they do so at everyone elses expense....O.L.

[mfish]

Therein lies a problem ...

If New Mexico doesn't provide some tax incentive to the film industry (or INtel, or anyone else for that matter) those industries go to states that will.

Tax abatements to companies moving into communities are also tax incentives. These things are necessary to motivate economic development.

[Neil]

Speaking of Gas & Oil, did you know the Hwy. Dept. also is partially funded by the gas taxes? Since the gas taxes haven't been raised and more people are buying fuel efficient vehicles, we could see our roads slowly begin to deteriorate. And with the State budget the way it is, we could see some HUGE potholes! Get ready to buy some new tires!

Mmmm. a new tax on tires?

[pdc]

Let's just do away with all taxes! Then everyone will be happy.

Privatize everything, because private corporations are so effective, efficient and trust-worthy - especially when they aren't hampered in any way bu silly rules, regulations and laws.....

Life will be grand!!!

[Daisy]

Ah, yes, big bad corporations - the bane of liberals everywhere......how dare they be successful and make a profit!? Everyone knows the government can run things better! :rolleyes:

[Sabrina]

Mmmm. a new tax on tires?

No, I foresee additional taxes on gas. We'll have to wait and see what happens during the January legislation.

[Sabrina]

Here's what I read a few minutes ago. . .

Posted at: 11/19/2009 7:47 AM | Updated at: 11/19/2009 8:17 AM
By: Austin Reed, Eyewitness News 4, and Reed Upton, KOB.com Governor Bill Richardson’s budget task force will be meeting this afternoon to try to come up with ways to bridge the more than a half a billion dollar revenue shortfall facing the state.
The task force will be examining nearly a dozen tax increase proposals including increasing the personal income tax and surcharges on joint-filing couples who make at least $150,000 a year.
Another possibility: reviving a gross receipts tax on food.
The task force has until December 21st to outline the pros and cons of the options and present them to Richardson.

E-mail Governor Richardson with your ideas on how to balance the budget. Remember, he works for us, not vise versa!
His e-mail address is: Bill.Richarson@state.nm.us or mailing address is: 490 Old Santa Fe Trail Room 400, Santa Fe, NM 87501, or phone number is: 505-476-2200, or fax # is 505-746-2226.

[Daisy]

Thanks, Sabrina - I just sent my letter to him......:smk3:

[oladcock]

"If New Mexico doesn't provide some tax incentive to the film industry (or INtel, or anyone else for that matter) those industries go to states that will."

As they should and as they have. Either a business is viable and profitable or it's not. If not it should fail and go under. It's "we" through our politicians that run these companies off so only blame yourself when good jobs aren't available and companies tell NM to take a hike.


pdc, kind of a simplistic approch isn't it? Government has a place in law enforcement and intrastructure that fosters safety and "fair" trade. If they interfer beyond that is when problems start. Of course we need "regulation" to prevent monopolies and unethical practices. It's regs that favor one over another that's got to stop.


I think I'll start a pineapple plantation out west of town. Man it'll be great, I'll employ hundreds of people and I'll make lots of money....What?...You say it won't work and won't be profitable? Sure it will....If it struggles I can get in on the billions of $$ of farm subsidies and emergency drought relief. I can lease government land for half what it goes for in the private market and costs more to administer then they take in. Oh it'll be great! Too bad that mom working 3 jobs in Iowa has to help pay for my short comings as a farmer but we got to promote business with government help!.......O.L.

[oladcock]

Thanks Sabrina, Here's mine: :)...O.L.


Dear Governer, I'm encouraging all my reps to fight ANY tax increases. Lack of revenue isn't the problem, excessive inefficient spending is. Case in point, I understand our school attendance has increased 6% since 2004 yet our school budget has gone up 40% in the same time frame...And our schools still suck. How many 6 figure state employees have you added since getting into office? If we didn't need them before, we don't need them now. Address the root causes of the problems, don't blindly throw our money at it.

[mfish]

"I think I'll start a pineapple plantation out west of town. Man it'll be great, I'll employ hundreds of people and I'll make lots of money....What?...You say it won't work and won't be profitable? Sure it will...."

I laughed at that because it reminded of the "shrimp farm" that actually WAS started up out East of town. I'm not sure if they ever raised any shrimp or not ... but I think they got some start-up money from somewhere ... and then promptly abandoned the facility. If anyone has a better memory of this, feel free to enlighten us all.

[Sabrina]

Thanks Sabrina, Here's mine: :)...O.L.


Dear Governer, I'm encouraging all my reps to fight ANY tax increases. Lack of revenue isn't the problem, excessive inefficient spending is. Case in point, I understand our school attendance has increased 6% since 2004 yet our school budget has gone up 40% in the same time frame...And our schools still suck. How many 6 figure state employees have you added since getting into office? If we didn't need them before, we don't need them now. Address the root causes of the problems, don't blindly throw our money at it.

Yea! Thank you for taking the time to send your opinion to him. If enough of us do this maybe they'll start to listen! As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

[mfish]

pdc, if the govermment (and the unions) would step aside and allow the corporations an opportunity to become viable once again, I think you'd be amazed at the change for the better we'd see in our economy.
A year or so ago EXXON posted a profit of what equated to about 2% - sure, it was billions of dollars, but the profit MARGIN was about 2% .... I'd sure like to see most companies survive on that low of a profit margin ... most restaurants net around 5% or so - most retailers about the same. Any time a liberal starts moaning about the EEEEEEEEvil corporations and all their FIIIILLLLTHY LUCHER that they rip from the hands of Joe Six Pack (because we all know that the liberals have the best interests of Joe in mind at all times, huh?), all I can do is sigh and hope that someday the liberal actually has an opportunity to run a business and make a payroll and pay all the sales and property taxes and regulatory fees and licensing fees and permit fees and employment taxes, etc., etc., etc ... and be educated on the realities of the business world.
That's really all I can offer as a response - without being censored by the powers-that-be who insist we maintain a level of political correctness and politeness on this forum.

[pdc]

Thanks Sabrina, Here's mine: :)...O.L.


Dear Governer, I'm encouraging all my reps to fight ANY tax increases. Lack of revenue isn't the problem, excessive inefficient spending is. Case in point, I understand our school attendance has increased 6% since 2004 yet our school budget has gone up 40% in the same time frame...And our schools still suck. How many 6 figure state employees have you added since getting into office? If we didn't need them before, we don't need them now. Address the root causes of the problems, don't blindly throw our money at it.
Let me help you out with your idea.

Bernallillo County Only - about 25% of state population

SALARIES

Number Welfare (TANF) Recipients (January 2008): 4,206
Average Monthly Welfare Payment: $340.72
Monthly Minimum wage salary (4.3 weeks x 40 hr/wk x 7.50/hr): $1290.00
Monthly difference: 949.28 per "employee"
State Employee Fringe @ 18% (Very conservative estimate): 232.20 per employee

Minimum additional cost of salaries alone: $6,402,373.20 per month

Now, maybe some others with more business sense can can help out:

Office space for 4206 employees:
computers for 4206 employees:
Exercise equipment for 4206 employees:
Insurance for offices and equipment:
Utility costs for offices and equipment:
Insurance for facilities, liability and equipment:

And what else are we talking about, costwise??

[pdc]

pdc, if the govermment (and the unions) would step aside and allow the corporations an opportunity to become viable once again, I think you'd be amazed at the change for the better we'd see in our economy.
A year or so ago EXXON posted a profit of what equated to about 2% - sure, it was billions of dollars, but the profit MARGIN was about 2% .... I'd sure like to see most companies survive on that low of a profit margin ... most restaurants net around 5% or so - most retailers about the same. Any time a liberal starts moaning about the EEEEEEEEvil corporations and all their FIIIILLLLTHY LUCHER that they rip from the hands of Joe Six Pack (because we all know that the liberals have the best interests of Joe in mind at all times, huh?), all I can do is sigh and hope that someday the liberal actually has an opportunity to run a business and make a payroll and pay all the sales and property taxes and regulatory fees and licensing fees and permit fees and employment taxes, etc., etc., etc ... and be educated on the realities of the business world.
That's really all I can offer as a response - without being censored by the powers-that-be who insist we maintain a level of political correctness and politeness on this forum.

I suggested lifting any and all rules, restrictions and laws from the backs of corporations.

What are you complaining about?

[oladcock]

pdc, I'm a simple guy so I'm not sure of the point you are trying to make? Type slow cause I can't read very fast! :)....O.L.

[mfish]

pdc, did you do so with sincerity...? I felt a bit of sarcasm in your statement ... but then, maybe I'm just tuned into the liberal bias a bit more than most ...

If in fact, you were sincere, then I am not complaining at all.

[pdc]

pdc, did you do so with sincerity...? I felt a bit of sarcasm in your statement ... but then, maybe I'm just tuned into the liberal bias a bit more than most ...

If in fact, you were sincere, then I am not complaining at all.

My lips are sealed!!! :locked:

[oladcock]

pdc, you mention "minimum wage"...That along with the unions is another reason this country is in the shape it's in. Employers being forced to pay $8 and hour for a worker that isn't worth $4....The more the liberals try to "help" poor people, the poorer they are going to get. Since 1964 we have spent more money on "poverty" than has been spent on all our wars combined yet the poverty rate hasn't changed a bit. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. The lefts way isn't working nor will it ever.....O.L.

[pdc]

pdc, you mention "minimum wage"...That along with the unions is another reason this country is in the shape it's in. Employers being forced to pay $8 and hour for a worker that isn't worth $4....The more the liberals try to "help" poor people, the poorer they are going to get. Since 1964 we have spent more money on "poverty" than has been spent on all our wars combined yet the poverty rate hasn't changed a bit. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. The lefts way isn't working nor will it ever.....O.L.

Oladcock - I guess I was hallucinating.

The post I thought I was responding to no longer appears to my eyes...

"minimum wage" was in the hallucinated post - not my idea....

... must have been an acid flashback.

[mfish]

pdc, thanks for revealing the truth with your response.

[Daisy]

...without being censored by the powers-that-be who insist we maintain a level of political correctness and politeness on this forum.

Hey, now! Politeness, yes - political correctness, never.......:p


I felt a bit of sarcasm in your statement ...

I felt more than a bit, actually............a whole heap of sarcasm! :rolleyes:

Thanks Sabrina, Here's mine: ...O.L.

Nice letter. Mine was along the lines of cutting unnecessary gov't programs and employess instead sticking it to the citizens who had no say in how inefficiently they spent our money. I also mentioned lifting the sissy environmental oil and gas field regs, so they can get back to the business of drilling. I don't expect my letter will be well received and I sure don't expect an answer. :smk3:

[oladcock]

Hey Daisy, "Mine was along the lines of cutting unnecessary gov't programs and employess instead sticking it to the citizens who had no say in how inefficiently they spent our money."

I was just using those as examples. If the schools really need those $$$, they can cut elsewhere. Just seems odd the numbers don't track? We know he's put in place a lot of high paying appointees. On the news tonight, another close tie has been charged and arrested. I guess they'll have to count on the dead folks to vote for them since all the live ones will be in jail! :)....O.L.

[kralspaces]

I guess they'll have to count on the dead folks to vote for them since all the live ones will be in jail! :)....O.L.

Speaking of dead folks, after years of removing the death tax to allow family businesses to transfer to heirs, there is talk and some action to bring it back again. Death and Taxes... two absolutes.

[Scott]

Is there ANY chance the powers to be will dump an entitlement program or two in liu of raising taxes?

PLEASE!!! Stop the welfare. Stop the propaganda. Way too many free programs in this state. Have we learned nothing from California?

[mfish]

Probably in the not-too-distant future, most entitlement programs will be gone - because of the collapse of the US economy. When that happens, we'll have some riots, and some hardship, and some handwringing (by the liberals), and then we'll either re-build - and do it right this time, with limited assistance for those who truly need it. Or, we'll find ourselves to be an emerging third world country, with our lifestyles resembling those in say, Mexico or India than what we've become comfortable with ...
Our dollar is on the edge of a steep cliff. We no longer manufacture much of anything in this country. We've become a "consumer based" economy that relies on the goods and services of foreign countries.
And all the taxes in the world won't be able to "fix this." That's been illustrated over time.

[Daisy]

I was just using those as examples. If the schools really need those $$$, they can cut elsewhere. Just seems odd the numbers don't track?

I wasn't disagreeing with you, just stating what my letter to the Guv said. I worked in the school system for many years - I know money is misspent and I know that it's all about the money and not about the kids anymore. That's why I got out of there. I'm all for private schools, cuz the public ones are a total mess!

Probably in the not-too-distant future, most entitlement programs will be gone - because of the collapse of the US economy. When that happens, we'll have some riots, and some hardship, and some handwringing (by the liberals), and then we'll either re-build - and do it right this time....

I think that may be what needs to happen, so that we can rebuild and I pray we do it right this time. If and when a collapse does happen, it's gonna be tough, but it may be the only way for people to wake up and understand where this all went wrong. Some will be prepared for the hardships, most won't....:no:

[Neil]

Is there ANY chance the powers to be will dump an entitlement program or two in liu of raising taxes?

PLEASE!!! Stop the welfare. Stop the propaganda. Way too many free programs in this state. Have we learned nothing from California?

"In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other"

Voltaire (1764)

[kralspaces]

Gov. Richardson has finally acknowledged that there is a serious problem with New Mexico's property taxes. Read about it tomorrow in the RDR (I hope). He made the annoucement yesterday, but the RDR didn't pick it up for today's paper.

[mfish]

If it didn't hit the newswires for a cut and paste, it has to wait for the next issue...

[kralspaces]

Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer
"Gov. Bill Richardson is recommending a state constitutional amendment to fix parts of the state's property tax laws that two state district judges have already ruled unconstitutional..."

If you get the Journal, it was in today's paper. Note that the judicial system already determine that HB366 was unconstitutional, as I have been preaching for 4 years now.

I am writing another commentary on property taxes again and this time it has to do with exemptions which are also a serious problem in New Mexico.

[pdc]

Here's another excerpt from the Journal article:
Two District Court decisions say that language in the state Constitution prevents the state from creating a class of people — in this case, those who aren't protected by the 3 percent cap — who are treated differently.

The Constitution makes exceptions for age, income or home occupancy.

Richardson's amendment proposal would remove the language and allow for a class of people to be taxed differently. It would also allow the state to continue protecting longtime homeowners with the 3 percent cap on rising home values, said Rick Homans, Taxation and Revenue Department secretary.

The Legislature would have to adopt the proposed constitutional amendment, and voters would have to ratify it. Richardson also wants a task force to determine how to best fix the inequities caused by "tax lightning."

[roswelite]

I vote the Richarson Reich pack up their bags and go to a state with a budget they dream of. He is the number 1 cause of our states budget demise.

Here's another excerpt from the Journal article:

[kralspaces]

Here's the article and action that has finally gotten the Governor’s attention on the inequalities of property tax in New Mexico.

http://www.koat.com/news/21927090/detail.html

There were 6 House and/or Senate bills in last year’s legislation session that addressed all aspects of the property tax disparity (inequality) created by HB366 on the re-sale of homes after 2001. The Governor and Legislators ignored all of them except one. That bill only required real estate brokers to disclose the tax lightening at closings. A lot of good that law does when the parties are all together with cash in hand and then you spring it on them instead of waiting for the county assessor to spring it on them with our first assessment statement. What a wasted bill. The other 5 bills did address the real problem of the tax lightening disparity, but no one wanted to handle them. The one that people should be concern with is 'decline in value reassessment'.

Then comes the unconstitutional law suite and Bernalillo County takes it seriously by rolling property tax back to pre-HB366 (2001) and only assessing the properties 3% per year from date of purchase just like their neighbors who have lived in their homes pre-HB366. However, the County of Bernalillo is not going to give back any overpayment of taxes unless you file a lawsuit requesting it.

Here’s the Governor’s take on all this. If it is unconstitutional, then we need to change the constitution. No wonder Obama wanted Richardson as Secretary of Commerce.

[kralspaces]

The Governor's hand selected committee has turned in their report on various recommendations for fixing that state budget for the current fiscial year and next fiscial year. There are two items that are talked about all the time in the paper: increase income tax and add GRT on food items. Both of these taxes were in place in 2003 when the Governor took office. The intent was to attract higher paying jobs to New Mexico. This did and did not happen. They came and then they left. What did happen and stayed was that government in New Mexico got much bigger AND got paid much higher salaries. That's a fact, Dick (Gov).

[Scott]

I have to agree with the size of Gevt in NM Kral. Hell, they have a program for EVERYTHING. I could cut the budget in a heartbeat. Los Pasitos = Gone. The program where the STATE pays for your FEDERAL health care premiums = Gone. I could go on and on and on.

[be_mindful]

Yet people want MORE police, happily drive our roads every day, confidently rely on the fire department, and might not notice that Medicare is as popular as, if not more so than, private insurance. All of these "government programs" successfully replaced failed efforts by private-for-profit operations...

As is said in a later post on this thread, Gov. Richardson keeps letting the criminals come into the state. Thus is why we need to increase the numer of our police. If people would get back to the fact that they had children and they are their responsiblity to raise them and teach them how to function in society, then we can certainly get away from more government run programs because people wouldn't be using them. The fact is, having more government in our lives from a different city and a different state telling us how to manage our own community is like a student driver with the teacher having a chance to hit the brakes at any time. What I believe needs to happen is we need to get back to the ideals of community. The defenition of human community is that of having people who have the same ideals, beliefes, and needs. We as a community and state, take the risk of letting our children either run amuck, or be civilized human beings. We as a community need to stand together as one living organism, and one body. When something as aloof in a human body something else starts to hurt or the entire system gets sick. We have noticed that such is in effect with crime rate per capita by 2003 being at a 1.7 times higher then that of the nation.

What really needs to happen, is we need to have very few government run progams, and let the citizens let these criminals know and let these "deadbeat parents" know that to live in our city you have to take care of your children. We need to help each other raise and teach our children in order for them to make it in society. If a child knew that everywhere they went that someone in the community would be telling on them if they were doing something wrong, then that would help with a majority of these situations. We need to work as a whole, and work as a community to not let these problems progress anymore, and if our representation isn't doing the job that we see fit, it is our duty to elect someone who will.

I concur that a 60% funding for that of education is way out of line. We need to educate ourselves and educate our children, but at what cost is this? If we were to work as a community and quit spending money unless absolutely neccessary in order for us to get the basic functions of the city taken care of, and we were to indeed take the city in our control and run it as a family type situation, we wouldn't need all this extra money because neighbor would be helping neighbor instead of carrying the idealistic view of the"I, I, Me, Me" attitude.

[Zoidberg]

As is said in a later post on this thread, Gov. Richardson keeps letting the criminals come into the state.

Call me ignernt, but every time I read or hear about a murder taking place hereabouts, it's a local boy. Wonder if there are statistics on this..

[kralspaces]

I found this interesting. The Gov wants to raise taxes to cover the shortfall in the state buget, but it seems there is plently to cut.

"Based on data from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis, New Mexico's state and local government employed 24.54 workers for every 100 private sector workers in 2007 — or 51 percent above the national average of 16.22. Lowering New Mexico's state and local workforce to the national average would have saved taxpayers up to $2.3 billion in 2007 alone."

State government has only grown since that data was release. However, The Gov is only recommending a 3% cut across the board with temporary tax increases on income, capital gain and a reduction of credits, all of which effect expansion of new businesses in the private sector.

[Zoidberg]

With regard to the above-average number of employees, I'm not sure that's unusually high. NM is a large sparse state with a very small average community size.

Compare it to, say, NJ, where there are much tighter pockets of population, and fewer government services are needed per capita: Fewer streets, highways, and even police because there's less ground to cover. NJ brings down the government number averages, I'm sure.

Still, I'd think that if they moved 1/4 of the junk in Santa Fe to other communities, it'd save a lot more money in rents and salaries than anything else they could get done.

[Daisy]

51 percent above the national average of 16.22. Lowering New Mexico's state and local workforce to the national average would have saved taxpayers up to $2.3 billion in 2007 alone.

51% above the national average is A LOT! I'm all for cutting a boatload of the government employees. There are way too many of them.........in my opinion.

[pdc]

51% above the national average is A LOT! I'm all for cutting a boatload of the government employees. There are way too many of them.........in my opinion.

EDIT (Kral), could you post a link to that information - I went to the BEA Website, and could not locate that amongst the huge amount of data and articles...

Thanks

[ElRipper]

Richardson is just as bad as Obama, what an idiot. Oil went up and he thought NM would be rich, so he went out and spent tons,,,,oil went down and he got caught being a fool and we got stuck holding the bag........"by the fruit they bear"

I dont know if we have too many State employees, but we sure as h**l have too many Federal Employees, programs,, etc. The State is hurting for co-workers in some areas and abundant in others. The riff of employees is laid upon most of the lower end salaries but not the upper salary positions-theyre exempt, ---Richardson what a bafoon.....the democrats are so crooked we need a coup....

I dislike private schools,,,the public schools are having problems but those who ducked their tails and ran, leaving us parents and the like fighting at the front line to get "our" schools and the branches responsible back in order should be shot -we dont need them. All they do is whine and complain from the sidelines like back seat drivers,.....if theyre not going to join the fight and do someting then sit down and shut up S*S

[kralspaces]

EDIT (Kral), could you post a link to that information - I went to the BEA Website, and could not locate that amongst the huge amount of data and articles...

Thanks

What does that EDIT stand for?

Here's were I came across the article while researching everything I could about New Mexico's budget issues. I have worked with Rio Grande on the 'tax lighning' issue for a couple of years and I read their blog to stay current on tax issues in New Mexico.

http://www.riograndefoundation.org/new/articles/?EC=ReadArticle&ArticleID=334

[pdc]

What does that EDIT stand for?[/url]

I mistakenly asked Daisy for the link in my original post, and added the edit in case anyone had already seen that incorrect identification of the original poster....

[Daisy]

Thanks for the clarification, pdc. I was wondering, too, why you quoted my post to ask a question of kral.

[kralspaces]

Richardson aims to save $4 million by doing away with the "double dippers." Those are the state workers who retire only to go back on the payroll and draw both a paycheck and a retirement check. If the double dippers are dumped, the unanimous rejoinder will be: "It's about time." (Joe Monahan)

Horray for Big Bill... I forgot he wanted to get rid of this stupid policy. Roswell needs to also.

[pdc]

Really! If we're gonna cut the state payroll, might as well start with the most experienced....

Actually, I've never liked that policy either - glad to see it go

[Scott]

Richardson aims to save $4 million by doing away with the "double dippers." Those are the state workers who retire only to go back on the payroll and draw both a paycheck and a retirement check. If the double dippers are dumped, the unanimous rejoinder will be: "It's about time." (Joe Monahan)

Horray for Big Bill... I forgot he wanted to get rid of this stupid policy. Roswell needs to also.

Well that sounds all well and good on paper, but it won't save the State any money. The retiree will still earn the same amount from retirment, drawn from a PERA fund that does not cost the state money, and the replacement worker will still be drawing the salary. How will this save money exactly?

[oladcock]

That's a good point Scott...Saw this all the time with military folks walking the door in uniform one day, back in the next in civies in a civil service job..A good argument for doing that is they are more productive from day one and require zero training. Personally I'm not against double dipping and changing the "rules" in the middle of the game is BS.

"Really! If we're gonna cut the state payroll, might as well start with the most experienced...."

As for payrolls, remember the dot com bubble? How about the housing bubble? When things get over priced the bottom will fall out eventually and the free "market" will correct where it should be...Ever seen the minimum wage go down? Ever seen a government salary go down? It would sure be better to have your salary drop 2, 4, 10, or 20% and have a job/benefits then no job at all...There would be whining and crying, all I can say is be more careful who you put in office! :)....O.L.

[pdc]

Post removed by author

Thanks for moving it into the new thread, pdc!

[Daisy]

This quote is from another thread. State or Federal. It doesn't matter, it all eventually comes out of OUR pockets

Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax (Fed)
Federal Unemployment Tax (FU TA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration T ax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

(And to think, we left British Rule to avoid so many taxes)

[saw]

And because business and corporations do not pay taxes just pass them along, all of those taxes are paid by the end user, you and me!

It would be interesting to see how many taxes you really pay on a case of beer.

[pdc]

(And to think, we left British Rule to avoid so many taxes)

Not quite correct - we protested "taxation without representation", not taxation per se....

[oladcock]

Daisy, you can pull the "hunting and fishing" licenses out of there...That's a tax or fee only on the user. No money goes into or out of the general fund for the game dept, they live within their means. They do get some money from the feds but that again is from the "users" with a 11% FET on guns, bows, fishing gear, ect....This is the way ALL non-essential taxpayer enterprises should work. If you want to swim in a pool or golf, break out your wallet...Don't ask those who don't swim or golf to subsidize it. And money for the "arts"....don't get me started!

"Not quite correct - we protested "taxation without representation", not taxation per se...."

I just spent the entire weekend getting some revolutionary war history. Yes, taxation without representation was part of it and the straw pushing us over the edge, meddling in our lives in general was a much larger part and had been building for 100+ years. "Tea" was a luxury most couldn't afford so therefore the taxes didn't effect them. The events that happened April 19, 1775 was by a small minority of British citizens against arrogant tyrants in their government. A small "minority" that day became "Americans", all the rest were loyalists or indifferent. That small minority of shop keepers, bakers, cobblers, common everyday folks who could shoot a rifle well, and just wanted the government to leave them alone, founded and laid the foundation for this country. It's a small minority that believes "these truths to be self evident" that will keep the "loyalists and indifferent" free whether they want to be or not. Those little taxes here and another there, give this or that to this group and not the other, is the tyrants way of meddling and controling our lives.

Someone, maybe in another thread, said something about elections having consequenses in a "democracy".....That's why we are NOT a democracy, or not supposed to be. We're turning into one because our representatives think because they got the "majority" they can do what they want and the constitution be damned. What if 99% wanted to bring back slavery, that is no different then 51% wanting to tax the rich are redistribute to those with less...Both unconstitutional no matter what the "majority" wants......O.L.

[Daisy]

Nah, I'll leave 'em there to show how much we're already taxed and that we don't need more taxes coming soon.....but I bet they're coming anyway. :smk2:

[kralspaces]

OOPS! It looks like the Dem's are considering GRT increases...

Ben Lugan, House Speaker: “He is amenable to an increase in the gross receipts tax of up to half a percent which he says would raise $250 million a year. He says local governments have been raising the gross receipts tax and keeping all the revenues. He believes it's the state's turn." – Joe Monahan

This was my biggest fear. They are saying it is a temporary 'tax' but I think we all know it will never be temporary. The state already get 5% of every dollar in GRT and the County and City get the crumbs left over.

The only GRT tax increase in the last 6 years was the .125% increase by the county (without voter approval) that raised our GRT to the current 7% level. I have tried to encourage the city to increase GRT for first responders and infrastructure improvement since early 2007 following the defeat of the Family Swim Center bond. The finance committee was ‘gun shy’ at that time and missed their opportunity. The voters just approved two others bonds for 'needed' projects (fire house and animal shelter) at the time and if first responders and infrastructure are not needed projects, then I don't understand their thinking.

FYI: It was also Ben Lugan that brought us HB366 back in 2001 that has created one of the biggest property tax messes in the nation.
.

[mfish]

The New Mexico State Constitution is pretty clear on this.
A balanced budget. Period. Either cut programs or raise taxes to accomplish this constitutional mandate.

[saw]

Kral; I don't know when it took place but a tax increase was made when the food-med exemption was implemented by Gov. Bill.

The city does not get 2% of the taxable gross income. It varies a little but for the third quarter of 2009 the city got 42% of the GRT collected in Roswell which equals 2.976% of the taxable gross income in Roswell. One of the reasons for the extra amount is because of the food-med exemption.

The GRT collected in Roswell was $15,748,120. which Roswell got $6,671,433. for the third quarter of 2009.

[kralspaces]

Kral; I don't know when it took place but a tax increase was made when the food-med exemption was implemented by Gov. Bill.

The city does not get 2% of the taxable gross income.

The year was 2003, before my time in NM and food should not be taxed, not even sodas, etc.

I didn't say 2%, I said crumbs and I do mean crumbs. The GRT structure is completely upside down. The local communities should be getting a larger piece of the pie. However, the state takes the bigger piece and tries to redistribute the wealth from SENM to the rest of the state (sound familiar). But wait, this is not going to work much longer because the oil people of NM have stopped drilling in SENM and moved their operation to other states, less regulated.

Marita K. Noon, Citizens’ Alliance for Responsible Energy, wrote a good editorial piece today about the new appointment to the Secretary of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (conflict of interest). The jest of the article is ‘stupid is, stupid does’. She believes the selection has gone from very bad to even worst for any kind of Energy development in New Mexico. Has anyone notice that Boon Pickens is back on TV, this time promoting nature gas instead of wind mills. That man knows how to follow the money.

To summarize my chatter, I believe the tax revenue the state thinks it needs to balance the budget should be coming from the same place it has for years (gas and oil) and not increase the state’s portion of the GRT tax. Leave GRT tax increases to the local communities.

[saw]

Kral; 7 minus 5 equals 2 (the crumbs) but the gets 46% of the 7% the state collects and the county gets almost 1%. which leaves the state about 3% which is the smaller piece of the pie not the biggest.

[kralspaces]

Saw, I do not dispute your numbers.

The law states that the State gets 5% of the GRT. However, when that was implemented, several Counties, including Chaves, got some adjustments grandfathered in. For the sake of my concern about raising the State’s portion from 5% to 5.5%, as Ben Lugan has proposed, I didn’t want the discussion to get bogged down in specific details that do not apply to the entire state of NM. So I left it as crumbs. Some counties get more crumbs then others. My point is that the municipalities should be getting the bigger share. The intent of the original GRT program was that the State would redistribute the 5% to some of the counties with low populations so they could survive. The highest GRT rates in the state are from less populated towns/counties. Now Lugan want to change that intent to balance a big fat government budget in Santa Fe.

An AP story came out about his tax proposals for the budget. There were a number of misleading statements in the article and the one that was most blatant was that NM average rate (6.4) was 28th among the 46 states that have sales tax. New Mexcio does not have a sales tax. It has a GRT and that is not the same thing. Six of those 46 states referenced have GRT. A GRT is applied to both tangible (retail goods) and non-tangible (retail services) transactions, and is almost the same thing as the value added tax (VAT). In other words, if I buy a door at Home Depot, I pay 7% GRT on the door. I then install the door and change you a service fee that includes the door. I have to add 7% GRT to my invoice for the service and the door will be taxed again because it was part of the transaction (materials used).

Having GRT on services substantially increases the amount of tax revenue that is generated in this state. To state that we are 28th in the nation, makes it sound like we have room to increase GRT at the state level to balance the state budget. WRONG! Our GRT structure is already anti-business.

The only GRT increase that I am willing to accept has to be local.

[saw]

Kral: All you have to is issue your vendor a GRT exemption certificate and they will not charge you GRT on an item that is for resale. Roswell's gross reciepts for the third quarter 2009 was $389,131,753 but the taxable amount was only $224,167,535 and the gross tax was $15,748,120.00 of which Roswell recieved $6,671,433.

For instance in the construction busineess, and if it is done right, The painter buys a can of paint which is tax exempt, then he paints a house and charges the general contractor for it which includes the paint and that transaction is also tax exempt, when the contractor bills the final owner he then collects the 7% GRT and sends it to the state. All materials and labor are exempt until it gets to the final consumer as long as it is a permanent part of the construction. The paint brush the painter used is not tax exempt.

In the third quarter the construction business reported a gross of $32,861,536 in Roswell of which $23,268,374 was taxable which netted $1,701,238 in taxes sent to Santa Fe. Another example 21 Painting contractors reported gross receipts of $540,666. in Roswell and of that $196,280 was taxable and they sent Santa Fe $13,740.

PS my statement in a previous about the state being left with 3% is not correct.

GRT in NM is not a value added tax but a tax on the end user in most cases.

[dwizzle40]

51% above the national average is A LOT! I'm all for cutting a boatload of the government employees. There are way too many of them.........in my opinion.

I believe that is a very short sighted statement. I moved from the private sector 2 years ago in the hopes of finding a better salary and benefits for my family, however I have seen only one thing since I became a state employee and that is decreasing pay and benefits. I am sure there are some of the Governor’s appointed employees that could be removed, but to say that government employees in general should be laid off is ignorant. I am a father of 2 small children and I go to ENMU-R in which I will graduate in May, but in the mean time I feel like the red-headed stepchild of the state that keeps beating on me and my family. I have already seen a 1.5% reduction in my pay, my insurance benefits have gotten worse (increasing deductibles and such) even though I am paying the same amount for them, and I have been forced to take 5 days without pay. Yet, all that I am hearing from the legislature is about yet another round of cuts to my pay as well as all the other state employees that are in my position. Mind you that the majority of state employees don't make "good salaries" as some would like to believe. I just think that it is time to start cutting money from entitlement programs before you once again institute another reduction on my household income/well-being. This state budget wasn’t created by me being a state employee, and so it shouldn’t be up to only me to take the brunt of trying to fix it. This is a problem facing the entire state of New Mexico and all of the residents should need to chip in to fix it. So while all of you out there think that you have won some sort of battle if taxes aren’t enacted just know that because you didn’t want to pay some additional pennies on the dollar that my family will lose and additional $100 of monthly income above what has already been taken from us in this past year, but it is evident that most aren’t worried about this issue unless it directly affects them, regardless of if it hurts someone else in the process.

[oladcock]

Dwizzle40, I feel for you, you don't say what you do nor your salery but how do your wages and benefits compare with equivalent civilian jobs? Good on you for trying to better yourself going to school but keep in mind work performance and attitude will serve you better then education.

Governments don't provide or produce anything so what happens when times are good they tend to expand and grow. Then when things go to hell now we're stuck with either laying off folks or cut pay/benefits. I'd bet you've had to cut back on your household finances, no different. That cutting back by you reduces tax revenue.

Personally, I'd rather see them prioritize and eliminate positions instead of cutting across the board. I'd say any programs or agencies that didn't exist prior to 2000 needs to go. If we didn't need them then, we don't need them now. Of course if you are one they would cut, would you rather have no job or still have one at less pay?

" This state budget wasn’t created by me being a state employee, and so it shouldn’t be up to only me to take the brunt of trying to fix it."

Ok....I suspect the taxpayers didn't ask to lose their jobs or lose business either. Which resulted in lower tax revenues. You want those already struggling to pay more so you struggle less? You aren't taking the brunt alone, the taxpayers took the brunt first, had they not, it wouldn't be an issue.

Sorry to be so blunt but from the world I come from if you work m-f, get paid time and a half for anything over 40hrs a week, aren't on call 24/7, and could die at any moment, that's a pretty good deal. Probably boring however!...O.L.

[Daisy]

Sorry to be so blunt but from the world I come from if you work m-f, get paid time and a half for anything over 40hrs a week, aren't on call 24/7, and could die at any moment, that's a pretty good deal. Probably boring however!...

I totally agree. A low paying job is way better than no job - lots of people even take on an extra job (or two) to make ends meet. Most of us have been there when our kids were small and it's tough at times, but we do whatever it takes to provide for our families - it's just part of life.

I don't believe the state should make it harder on ALL its citizens by raising taxes....cut the unnecessary government agencies first. Painful for some, yes, but necessary when the state has overspent and is broke.

[pdc]

Government employees do, in fact, pay taxes just like the rest of us. Also, they contribute to a different retirement system than Social Security.

Most of their benefits, such as health insurance, are better than most, largely because they are part of a huge risk pool - same goes for employees of most large corporations.

Sorry to be so blunt but from the world I come from if you work m-f, get paid time and a half for anything over 40hrs a week, aren't on call 24/7, and could die at any moment, that's a pretty good deal. Probably boring however!...

Once "extravagant" arrangements all negotiated through collective bargaining against strong and focused opposition before they became the norm for employment.

Many of us work for a salary, and never see overtime pay for those overtime hours. (I once had a boss who routinely told job candidates in interviews - "We have a 40-hour work week - and occasionally, some employees actually get their hours down to that level!"

[oladcock]

pdc, "Also, they contribute to a different retirement system than Social Security."

If I'm not mistaken, they contribute to both and draw from both. Is that double dipping? :)......O.L.

[pdc]

pdc, "Also, they contribute to a different retirement system than Social Security."

If I'm not mistaken, they contribute to both and draw from both. Is that double dipping? :)......O.L.

If you pay, you should play....

I am under the impression that when one has a government job and pays into a public employees' retirement system that they do not pay SS tax, and that they do not earn time towards SS benefits. But, I do not know for sure....

[saw]

I am sure that the city employees have PERA and SSI. If I am wrong, somebody let me know.

[oladcock]

I know I couldn't op out of SSI in a federal job.....O.L.

[saw]

I can't think of anyone that does not pay SSI except the folks that work for the railroads and I think that is because the railroad already had a plan before SSI.

[pdc]

I found a couple of items:
Federal Government Employment (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/fedgovees.htm)

Until 1984, employment by the Federal government was covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and not by Social Security. If you worked for a Federal agency during these years, you did not pay Social Security tax on your earnings and those earnings are not shown on your record.

In 1984, a second retirement system--the Federal Employees Retirement System, or FERS--was introduced. People who began working for the Federal government in 1984 or later are covered by FERS instead of CSRS. Also, some workers who had been covered by the CSRS program chose to switch to the FERS program when it became available. Work under FERS is covered by Social Security.

If you stayed under the CSRS program after 1983, you still are not covered by Social Security but you are covered under the Medicare program and you pay Medicare taxes on your Federal earnings.

Exemptions from FICA withholding (http://www7.acs.ncsu.edu/hr/payroll/tax_earnings.asp)

* Federal employees are exempt from social security taxes, but subject to Medicare taxes
* Students with F-1 and J-1 visas in nonresident tax status are exempt for five (5) years
* Researchers with J-1 visas in nonresident tax status are exempt for two (2) years
* Students enrolled at least half time credit hours in the current semester and working less than 30 hours per week
o Undergraduates:
+ Enrolled 6 credit hours or more in the fall/spring semesters
+ Enrolled 3 credit hours or more in each summer session
o Graduates
+ Enrolled 3 credit hours or more in the fall/spring semesters
+ Enrolled 1 credit hour or more in each summer session
o Graduates and Undergraduates enrolled in 10-week summer courses are exempt in both summer sessions.

Anyone exempted from social security taxes

* Is not eligible to apply for unemployment benefits and
* Is not eligible to receive social security service credit toward retirement for that time worked.

[dwizzle40]

If you pay, you should play....

I am under the impression that when one has a government job and pays into a public employees' retirement system that they do not pay SS tax, and that they do not earn time towards SS benefits. But, I do not know for sure....

As a state employee we pay into both our public retirement system as well as SSI.

Daisy, I am just like any other person trying to make a living and make ends meet. I do my part in every aspect of society. My wife happened to be one of those in the private sector who lost their job and has been unemployed for the past 6 months with not so much as a call for an interview from anyone she has applied with. I started my own computer repair business to try and supplement my income (which I pay GRT on) so if you look at it from that standpoint I am contributing to these taxes in multiple forms. I am just at my wits end and it seems that things are only being looked at that directly affect me harder than most others. It just rubs me the wrong way when anyone can make a joking statement about across the board government job losses, as these are good hard working family people that are losing their jobs, not the fat cows up north. Just keep it in perspective. I work for a state agency that has been around for a long time and offers basic everyday necessities that most people use on a daily basis (if they leave there homes). I am also for getting rid of non-essential agencies and services, but those cuts should be made with a fine-toothed comb, not buzz clippers. I am just tired of hearing from the legislature about sweeping across the board cuts, when it should be a more calculated process then that.

[Daisy]

I am just like any other person trying to make a living and make ends meet. I started my own computer repair business to try and supplement my income

Good for you - you sound like a hard working, upstanding young man!

No one here is out to get you, personally. I was talking about cutting unnecessary, non-essential gov't jobs and we all know there are a LOT of those. The people in those jobs would argue that they are needed as much as others are. No one likes to have to cut jobs or have theirs cut, but there are times when it just has to be done because government has become too bloated.

I wish you and your family all the best and will certainly keep you in mind if I am ever in need of computer repairs. :smk3:

[Daisy]

"The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much." ~Ronald Reagan

AMEN to that......and that spending should be cut until we have a balanced budget. :smk3:

It'll never happen unless we get people in there (state and federal) who know what needs to be done and have the stones to do it.

[pdc]

Maybe we should bring back Slick Willie - he balanced the budget...

... unfortunately, Republicans were left to deal with that "problem"....

[Daisy]

Oh, please, no - not Slick Willie!! :eek:

Just cut ALL the unnecessary spending and we would have beaucoup extra dollars.

[oladcock]

"Maybe we should bring back Slick Willie - he balanced the budget..."

Yep, he had to, he had a republican congress. Don't forget pdc, we, or at least "I" am mad at the republican progressive as well. Clinton got his wake up call in 94 after trying left leaning ideas, he was smart enough to move to the center for this is a center right country. This administration, I think they are too far left and WAY out of touch continuing to insult 75% of this country with their elitist crap. The last day or two has been an endless source of entertainment, watching them back peddle and scurry like vermin in a spot light. Wait till November and he'll be serving coffee like Clinton said...Or did you guys miss that? :)...O.L.

[kralspaces]

While catching up on my NM blogs I came across this excellent editorial in the ABQ Journal:

http://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/guest_columns/3121140opinion01-31-10.htm

I have referenced GRT as not being the same as a sales tax and this article does a great job of explaining that difference AND why an state level increase would not be good for NM.

[Daisy]

Thanks, kral - I understand it a little better now.

So the raising of GRTs hurts small businesses and poor people worse - but the Dems keep telling us how much they are 'for' the little guys.

Just more pretense and deception...

[oladcock]

Daisy, they have to have "poor people" otherwise their constituency and grand plan goes away. The war on poverty from the left is nothing more then lip service. We have spent more money on the war on poverty since 1964 then all of our shooting wars in our history, it's done a lot of good for politicians but has done little for the people. Yet they still fall for it, over and over and over......O.L.

[Daisy]

The war on poverty from the left is nothing more then lip service.

Yep, it's like the 'war' on drugs - useless, ineffective and a total waste of American dollars. Hey, but it SOUNDS so good........:pinch:

[saw]

Kral: It left me with the the feeling that pyramiding of GRT is a big item. I don't know of any large scale of pyramiding of GRT as most all goods and services are tax exempt until it reaches the final consumer.

Some figures to chew on: Roswell 2nd quarter in 2009

Gross receipts: $393,267,730
Taxable Gross receipts $226,663,198
Food-Med deductions $29,241,941
7% of taxable gross receipts $15,845,420

After the food-Meds are deduction from the gross receipts that leaves $364,025,789 that leaves some $137,362,591 that does not have GRT applied to it. These are tax exempt sales of goods and services as they are being pass on to the final consumer. When someone buys my services that they are going to resale I do not collect any taxes on that service nor do I pay any taxes on that transaction. If I buy hotdogs to sell, I do not pay any taxes on the hot dog until I sell to the consumer and at that time I collect the 7% GRT and send it to the state and then the state sends back about 40% of the total back to the city of Roswell.

Maybe you can give some examples of Pyramiding of GRT that you are talking about that we can discuss.

[kralspaces]

I had to take a couple of days to calm myself down after the Legislators pass HB119. It is up to the Senate to stop this insanity. This bill will increase GRT by .5% and SENM won’t see a penny of it returned to its citizens. Our local Representatives did vote against it. If I pay an extra .5% on GRT, every penny has to stay in the local economy.

[pdc]

Looks like we're headed to another Special Session, don't ya think?!

[kralspaces]

Maybe you can give some examples of Pyramiding of GRT that you are talking about that we can discuss.

I found this definition from New Mexico Tax Research Institute. I have been reading about a lot of states now adding ‘services’ to their sales tax structures. Seven states currently have GRT structures, mostly the Western States.

(2) Pyramiding
New Mexico’s GRT applies to far more transactions than most retail sales taxes, but is imposed at a substantially higher rate than broad-based business activity taxes in other states. The result is a hybrid, and a tax that brings in substantially more revenue than most states’ sales taxes. Much of the broader tax base is due to “pyramiding” of the GRT. Pyramiding is the term given to sales taxes imposed on business inputs. Pyramiding is both unfair and inefficient because some transactions are taxed more heavily than others simply because of the way a business is structured. For example, a company that elects to purchase certain services from an out of state supplier rather than from an in-state supplier can reduce its tax burden without changing the economic substance of its activities. Economic decisions are distorted, not by considerations of efficiency, but by the uneven imposition of taxes. NMTRI has estimated that as much as 1/3 of the GRT base is derived from business-to-business transactions. A 1997 study of business taxes concluded that the GRT on business inputs more than doubles the effective tax rate on business – from less than 4% to more than 8%. New Mexico had the highest sales tax burden of any of the western states, and its sales tax burden caused the overall tax burden to be significantly above the regional average.

Here’s my real world example. I am now building Murphy Beds and I have cost and labor included in my final product price. My cost is made up of material that is purchased both on-line and locally at hardware stores and lumber stores. Every component that I purchase for this end product is taxed by the State, including the service charge (materials and labor) of have the trim material milled with various profiles. All the taxes are rolled up into the final price of the product and taxed when sold to the end consumer. Tax was paid for every business to business transaction that was required to complete the end product, even the internet purchases. By the way, NM now wants to add tax to online purchases too. This is close to Vaule Added Taxation.

[saw]

Kral: I assume you file a CRS-1 report with the state on the taxes that you collect on each bed you sell. If you go to the back of of CRS-1 filers kit you will be exposed to the nontaxable transaction certificates (NTTC). You will note as a manufacture of murphy beds that you can issue your vendors a NTTC and not pay GRT on the materials and services required to manufacture the bed. If you sell one to a furniture store for resale then the furniture store will issue you a NTTC so that you don't pay GRT on the sale. You will note that column E on the CRS-1 form is for deductions. The taxes will then be collected from the furniture store's customer and sent to the state along with the CRS-1 report. Just remember that you issue NTTC's for screws but not for the screwdriver because it is not a part of the final product.

For instance here in Roswell the retail gross sales for building materials for the 2nd quarter of 2009 was $2,503,878 but the taxable sales were only $1,792,115 which netted some $125,448 in taxes going to the state. This means that some $711,763 were not taxed because NTTC's were issued for those sales or some other non-taxable sales took place. (govermental, non-profits. etc.) When I buy materials for resale I do not pay taxes on those materials. When I purchase services for resale I do not pay taxes on those services. When someone buys my services or materials for resale I do not collect taxes on those transactions.

The total 3rd quarter of 2009 sales for the state were $22,818,000,000 (rounded off) while the taxable amount was less that one-half that ($11,129,000,000) which netted some $757,000,000 in taxes collected which equals about 3.3% of the gross sales which is no where near the reported pyramided figure of about 8%. The average taxes collected in NM are 6.8% on the taxable gross sales.

I am still looking for examples of big tax dollars being pyramided. I can only think of examples of small amounts.

Get yourself some NTTCs and save you customers some bucks.

[Daisy]

Wow, saw, you really know your s**t!! I happen to have a CRS-1 Filer's Kit right here in front of me. (yep, they even make me pay taxes on the piddly little money I make when I sell my pyrography plaques. :no3:)

Right in the back of the kit are the nontaxable transaction certificates, just as you stated. I had never paid attention to all the stuff in the kit, except what I needed.

I'm glad you mentioned the CRS-1........I need to file for Jan - June! :pinch:

[kralspaces]

Billy and I talked yesterday after he read my post. I, like Daisy, failed to read the entire CRS documents. Several people have informed me about the NTTC so I'm glad I decided to post about the subject.

I contacted Richard at the New Mexico Tax Research Institute to asked your question about why pyramiding is a major problem. I used an example based on what you mentioned about deductions on the CRS. He didn't agree that I could do it the way I discribed. I'm not sure Richard understand my comment about deducting taxes paid on material purchased at retail and that's probably why he says I'm a tax cheat.

Here's the entire dialogue we had. Start at the bottom to see my original question... Note: if you want to see the documents referrenced, email me for them. They are large PDF files.


________________________________________
From: Richard Anklam [mailto:Richard.Anklam@nmtri.org]
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 1:22 PM
To: 'Martin Kral'
Subject: RE: GRT pyramiding

You hit it. It’s not about the amount of tax at retail on an invoice, it’s the hidden tax that’s buried in the product prices. You’re right, other states are taxing services more and more. They have to by some arguments as the economy becomes more service based, but it shouldn’t be extended to business services as that is the root of our problem relative to other states (we hit services a long time ago in an effort to tax the federal government activity that occurs here).

Richard

PS – you CANNOT deduct GRT on your monthly CRS report in the way you mentioned. There is no deduction in the law for that and an auditor will disallow it and tax it if they see it. It’s not uncommon for people to try that and relatively easy to spot on audit.

From: Martin Kral [mailto:martin@kralspaces.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 11:45 AM
To: 'Richard Anklam'
Subject: RE: GRT pyramiding

Richard,

I’m not sure this pyramiding is a major problem. I buy wholesale and pay no tax on materials. If I do have to buy something retail and pay GRT, I can deduct that GRT amount on my CRS report for the month. If I pass it on to the consumer, it is absorbed into the finish product price and that could be considered pyramiding, but the customer does not see that on their invoice. What bothers me the most is the GRT on my labor or service. I see that other sates are now starting to tax service also.

Thank You, Martin
www.kralspaces.com
________________________________________
From: Richard Anklam [mailto:Richard.Anklam@nmtri.org]
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 10:31 AM
To: 'Martin Kral'
Subject: RE: GRT pyramiding

Hi Martin,

The issue happens with taxes on directly resold stuff like you’re talking about (yes, it would be worse if you had to pay tax on lumber or electrical subs) but we’re talking also, even mostly, about the indirect effects of taxing business to business transactions in general, particularly those things that are not directly resold. Pyramiding occurs in most sales tax structures as most businesses pay sales-type taxes on things like copy paper and computers, not to mention hammers and saws, and that cost rolls forward into your prices, or reduced wages or profits. NM is different because it taxes more directly resold business inputs than most states (we’re NTTC freaky), and we also tax more things that business consumes while doing business. In the case of the former, in your industry I’m referring to things like architectural and engineering services (where you can’t issue and they can’t accept a type 6 or 7). Only cranes with operators are treated as construction services among the thousands of kinds of equipment you rent or buy. In a grand nod years ago the state gave you “staking” as a construction service that could be acquired tax free with an NTTC, but that’s been it. Joint ventures are now more common as well and can skirt some of the problems but the problem has grown with rate increase. In the case of the latter kind of purchases, most states don’t tax as many services so they don’t extend the pyramiding problem to services your business buys – like accounting or legal or payroll, etc. And the people you buy those things suffer from the same effect. That’s why it’s not at all transparent, but it all results in higher costs and higher prices. I don’t know if you’re in commercial construction, but suppose I buy a building from you (new construction) for my business. I’m going to have to pay you or your competitor more to cover all those rolled up and passed on taxes borne by you and the people you do business with, and they do business with, etc. Then when I buy the building itself, I have to pay tax on the whole thing rather than just the materials, or an approximation thereof like I would in Arizona for instance. Paying more for my building forces me to raise the price of my products or services, or accept less profits, reduce wages, etc. The problem is exacerbated (literally compounded) as we raise rates. I’m not suggesting taxing services is bad (broad base/low rate is our default), but it’s not good policy to tax business inputs and we do it more than most states. Anyway, I’ve had too much coffee and don’t want to appear to be ranting. We’re not an anti-tax organization and the GRT has some very positive features. Pyramiding isn’t one of them.

I’ve attached a study we did in 2005 on the subject. It’s a bit wonky, but since you asked… I’ve also attached a pre-session newsletter we did that has a piece on GRT rate increases and more briefly discusses the implications of that, including pyramiding. If you need anything more please let me know.

Best regards,
Richard

From: Martin Kral [mailto:martin@kralspaces.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 11:11 PM
To: Richard.Anklam@nmtri.org
Subject: GRT pyramiding

Richard,

I read your article in Sunday’s paper and was wondering how GRT pyramiding actually happens? I am in construction and we exempt GRT until the final consumer. Do you have a paper on this subject that I could read?

Thank You, Martin Kral
Kral Spaces, Restorations and Engraving
Hardwood Floor Refinishing, Custom Tile Works,
Decorative Concrete Overlay/Staining, and more...
Roswell NM 88201 - Since 2005
Cell: 575-317-0610 www.kralspaces.com

[saw]

The basic rule of thumb, if you can't see it or know where it is in the finish product it is taxable. Therefore the paint and the paintbrush or the hammer and the nail example.

My main point is if the state only receives 3.3% of the gross sales that double or triple taxes on some items can not be that great in the overall picture. If the pyramiding was that large of an issue the total tax the state receives would be greater than the 6.8% (this includes the hidden tax, the city's and the county's portions)that it receives on the taxable gross.

When food was taxed and we had a food service business we purchased some of our food from Albertsons tax free (had a NTTC on file) but we did have problems with some retailers that just don't want mess with the NTTC. The rule is that they accept the NTTC in good faith for any purchase which takes the burden off of their back. For instance I do not pay taxes on a screwdriver when I buy it from one of my wholesale vendors but by law I have to report it on the CRS-1 on the compensating tax line. You also use this line to report purchases made out state that would be taxed in NM. That includes on line and catalog purchases.

The original sales tax started back in the fourties and was call a school tax which taxed most but not all items at the rate of 2% and it did compound the amount collected to more than 2%. When GRT came along it was supposed to limit the amount of compounding.

Oh well, taxes and death!

When and if the state decides to audit you be prepared for an ordeal. They go over each one of your purchases and your sales with a fine tooth comb and it better show up on the CRS-1 report. But you can always plead the Lovato case, I used it to buy a race car.

[kralspaces]

Not a problem. I have always paid my CRS based on end product which means that my customers have been absorbing the pyramid of taxes. I have only used the deduct field a couple of time for some churches that I did work for. I don't do government jobs.

[saw]

You have to be careful with work you so for a church of a goverment entity.

New construction is taxable for a church or a goverment agency.

For instance when the city builds the new fire station they have to pay GRT on it and then will get a portion of it back. In fact that is the reason the city annexed the waste water disposal plant into the city limits because they could get more of the GRT back. The same is true for the dump.

If you do repair work or furnish parts for repairs they are not taxable.

For instance, If you install a new light fixture in a new location it is taxable but if you replace a light fixture in an existing location it is not taxable for a church or govermental agency. Confused yet?

[kralspaces]

Today’s Editorial: http://www.roswell-record.com/article/not_so_harmless?id=86800

Stated by the editor:

Jennings’ bill may be a harbinger of things to come, though. Local leaders need to consider the possibility that in the next few years they’re going to face losing that money from the state. If that time comes, we hope the state will give plenty of advance notice and work with municipalities on ways to offset the loss of revenue from the hold harmless provision.

Dear Editor,

Consider this your advanced warning.

As for Mr. Henderson and the City Council, I would suggest they start preparing for budget adjustments NOW. The State is already suggesting new taxes on selected food stuff as well as a .5% across the board increase to the GRT to balance the state’s current budget woos. Which means that it probably will not be returned to the local communities for their budget woos. Any increase in GRT must remain in the local community for needed and necessary projects for that communities future existences and growth.

Remember, GRT is a business tax, not a consumer tax. Most people have this misconception that it is a sales tax, but the consumer is not legally obligated to pay it. The business owner is. So we business owners increase our prices by 7% to cover OUR tax obligation.

[kralspaces]

Food tax may be on its way back. That is the what I heard in the rumor mill. Tim Jennings is going to push hard for this instead of the .5% increase across the board. Then the 'hold harmless' entitlement will be properly funded and the local municipalities will still have some local GRT to work with in their budgets.

[kralspaces]

Here's what is being reported on Day 1 of the special session.

http://newmexicoindependent.com/48748/budget-deal-would-raise-grt-allow-cities-to-tax-food#comments

Two Percent GRT on food is a lot of money. I believe it will be more than the 'hold harmless' amount that we get today from the state. It would also be a lot more than the .5% in local GRT that I proposed in my letter to the editor. The one thing that I like about it is that we get to control the amount locally and all the revenue stays locally.

[Rocket88]

"In return for the lost money, the budget deal would give cities the authority to tax food up to 2 percent,"

Councilor Henderson, be careful of what you request.
("Tell Santa Fe to just leave us alone")

The decision to tax or not tax your constituants' food may just land in the council's lap.

Santa Fe could no longer be blamed. My, My.

[saw]

It is not easy to say what effect this 2% will do because the medical portion of the revenues will not change (?),

We have 18 firms reporting as grocery stores and 7 reporting as drug stores.

Most of the grocery stores also have a drug store.

The grocey stores report about 1/2 of their gross as taxable with about 1/3 of their gross being deducted for food-med.

Third quarter of 09 grocery stores.

Gross receipts $32,717,448--taxable gross $16,665,391-- gross tax(7%) 1,166,647--food med tax $335,425--food-med gross $11,020,945. ? how much is food, how much is medical?

Looks like if we tax the food-med gross $11,020,945 at 2% it would be $220,418, way short of the $335,425 food med tax we get now.

Way to early to speculate!!!! The city will not know for sure until the state tells them anyway.

[kralspaces]

You have just explained 'tax lightning'. What I mean is that someone's creativity is going to make this so complex that someone is going to get screwed while others will not. I already suggested that if the state needs this tax money from food, than just repeal the current exemptions and tax all food and drug again.

What I fear the most is that Santa Fe still wants to increase their margin of the GRT. That does not do any of the communities any good because it takes away from their abilitiy to tax locally.

[kralspaces]

If the current budget is sign by Big Bill, we will have a permanent .125% increase in the states margin of the GRT. That is not an improvement over the original proposal to have a .5% increase with a declining .125% each year over the next 4 years until the margin is back to 5%. The reason is that I do not trust the government to reduce the tax each year. A good example of that is the GRT on food returning. There is no such thing as a temporary tax.

The budget also includes a request for Capital Improvement General Obligation Bonds for $175M. These GO Bonds are paid for with property tax increases. I say ‘NO’ to the ‘GO’ bonds. The bonds are for: renovating government buildings $46M (doesn’t say which ones), Economic Development, (Hewlett-Packard $6M, Fidelity Investment $2.5M), and other things like UNM baseball field improvements and purchase College of Santa Fe. Nothing is mention for any project in Southeast New Mexico. Those people up north are just so greedy for tax dollars. It would be nice if they were a little more greedy trying to make a buck the good old fashion way.

[kralspaces]

The budget includes the following tax hikes which are estimated to raise the following amount of revenue:


$.75 cigarette tax hike: $31.3 million;
Reinstate part of the gross receipts tax on food: $70 million;
.25% increase in GRT: $60 million;
Eliminate an income tax deduction for taxpayers that itemize: $66 million;
Clarify that the compensating tax applies to most goods and services purchased by New Mexico businesses: $12 million next year.


In the previous post I stated that GRT was going up .125% across the board. MY BAD! It appears that it is going up .25%, which makes any local GRT increase very difficult to sell for much needed projects and service not provided by the State (or Feds).

[saw]

The gross taxable revenues for 4th quarter was $11,337,344,768. A .25% tax added to this figure would equal a lot more that $60,000,000 per year.

The cigarette tax will never get the $30,000,000 that they project but it will create a new industry call boot-leggin. The Indians will like the way it increases their revenues.

I do wonder from time to time what they are smoking in the roundhouse. They have four or five fat years and because they been spending all of the fat they cannot figure out how you can get by on beans and tortillas just like we were doing four or five years ago.

[kralspaces]

There was a bill to tax what they are smoking up there. They even wanted to tax the beans and tortillas also. The Gov doesn't like the food tax and may veto that. The legislators will have to come up with some other tax OR better yet more reductions. Regardless, they will never be able to balance a $5.6B budget this way. They have to make some decisions about regulations to tap our natural resources and create more job opportunities.

[saw]

Along with the revenue shortage they keep dreaming up tax credits like using natural gas for fuel in your car or for solar, wind, etc. use

Then they throw in so many restrictions on drilling that pretty soon no one can afford natural gas.

With the altitudes here in NM trying to use natural gas in a car will present many problems, like you won't have the horsepower to get to Ruidoso without a turbocharger, etc.

You can run a car on propane but natural gas just don't have the ump.

Roswell invested big bucks to run the first buses on natural gas and I don't think they are even using it anymore.

[Neil]

The gross taxable revenues for 4th quarter was $11,337,344,768. A .25% tax added to this figure would equal a lot more that $60,000,000 per year.

The cigarette tax will never get the $30,000,000 that they project but it will create a new industry call boot-leggin. The Indians will like the way it increases their revenues.

I do wonder from time to time what they are smoking in the roundhouse. They have four or five fat years and because they been spending all of the fat they cannot figure out how you can get by on beans and tortillas just like we were doing four or five years ago.

If you look $10 million is already earmarked for education.
Will the schools ever have enough money?

[mfish]

Here's a thoughtful idea on how to keep states from going completely broke:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/23/changing-the-health-care-game/

[oladcock]

"They have four or five fat years and because they been spending all of the fat they cannot figure out how you can get by on beans and tortillas just like we were doing four or five years ago."



I know it's an anology but guess what?.....They (the government) controls prices on beans and corn also. Those that think food wasn't taxed before, think again...With the farm subsidies we haven't had a free market on food for 70 years or so. What can a government do if they control the food?....O.L.

[kralspaces]

The latest GRT increase startes in July.

Also, New Mexico's homeowners who bought their homes after 2001 have been subsidizing the remaining two-thirds by paying steep tax bills. I wonder how many out there have been getting their subsidy check. In the last 5 years, I have already been hit by ‘tax lightning’ twice, so that makes me one of those subsidizing others. Read more here:

http://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/guest_columns/132110130211opinionguestcolumns05-13-10.htm

I will never vote for any bond issue tied to property tax until this ‘tax lightning’ and disparity in property taxes is resolved.

AND, I will fight any bond issue tied to property tax tooth and nail to make sure it fails. Any and all future bonds should be tied to GRT for all to share.

[saw]

Kral I don't think you are going to have the chance to make sure any bond issue fails in the next couple of years or so.

Unless the economy takes a big turn for the better, The voters in Roswell will not pass a bond issue for anything and for sure anything that is related to entertainment such as the Ceilo Grande park expansion.

The threat of new taxes coming from ever direction is going to put a stop on any local moves to increase taxes along with the fact that it is going to take more bucks for the PD plus other necessary functions of the City.

[kralspaces]

So, you don't think the community will approve a .125% GRT to pay for first responder increases to fight crime? That is the amount that I heard the Mayor referenced recently.

As for Cielo Grande, didn't you hear Dusty Huckabee tell us at the town hall meeting that there is a group of private investors considering the project. I was asked by one of those investors: if I had $10M, would I donate $1M to the project? I had to stop and ponder that one a bit... $10M!!!

[semi cautious]

Neil I agree with you 100%,every time there is any kind of election they throw in some kind of bond issue.
Have you ever noticed when the amount or the time for the issue expires our taxes never go down ,we keep right on paying for that bond issue for ever.

[saw]

Kral I think were are talking about bond issues. The citizens of Roswell will most likely agree to an 1/8% GRT increase if it goes to fight the high crime rate in Roswell but I can not think of a bond issue that would pass at the present time.

No I did not hear Dusty say anything about private investors funding Cielo Grande and can not imagine why they would. Maybe you can tell us why the boys with big bucks would fund Cielo Grande? If you had $10M would you kick in a $1M, that was the question. If we had this grand park at Cielo Grande would the City have the funds to operate it?

Private investors did not even come up with the funds to operate the Girls and Boys Club. It took Will Smith to donate $50,000.00 and then some of the "private Investors" came up with a few bucks along with some taxpayer bucks to keep the club open.

It just don't look like most of the boys in Roswell are big givers. Take a look at the United Way, Roswell comes up with about $450,000.00 per year while Hobbs, a city much smaller than Roswell, donates over $900,000.00. There are some of boys in Roswell that has done more than their share as far as giving. Then there are some like Bill Daniels from Hobbs that builds the Daniels Learning Center at NMMI. The Boys and Girls Club while I lived in Hobbs never lacked for funds.

But back to my question, Why would private enterprize want to fund the Cielo Grande Park?

[saw]

Some facts to mull around, (USA census estimates)

Roswell median household income $35,102---USA $50,007

Roswell Median family income $37,234---USA $60,374

Roswell per capita income $17,901---USA $26,178

Roswell familes below proverty level 19.6%---USA 9.8%

Roswell individuals below provery level 22.7%---USA 13.3%

Roswell's population in workforce 59%---USA 65%

Roswell's population under 5 years old 8.4%---USA 6.9%

Roswell's population over 65 years old. 14.6%---USA 12.5%

Out of the big ten(population plus 25,000) Cities in NM, Roswell ranks #8 in GRT per capita. Clovis and Alamogordo ranks lower but have military bases and large Texas cities nearby.

These figures do not support an expansion in the non-essential wants for the City. It looks to me that the City is going to have a tuff time supporting the non-essential wants that it has on the books now. (golf course, museum, library, zoo, swimming pool, parks, adult center, Yucca Center, Boys and Girls Club, summer programs, plus some.)

According to the census estimates Chaves County is only growing because the birth rates exceeds the death rate. There are more people leaving Chaves County than are moving in.