I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Gov. Bill Richardson’s budget balancing task force has just released a final report–and it’s a whopping 393 pages. The task force was convened at the end of the 2009 special legislative session to study and provide analysis about various ways the state could raise needed revenue to balance the state budget. There’s a lot of interesting data in the report, including descriptions of the various revenue options and their pros and cons.
For example, New Mexico’s top personal income tax rate is the 37th highest of states that have a personal income tax. Seven states have lower income tax rates. As a percentage of income, it ranks 38th highest.
New Mexico’s average gross receipts tax, also known as a sales tax, is the 28th highest out of the 46 states with a sales tax. But the report notes that the state’s GRT is the fifth highest when measured as a percentage of personal income, “…a result of both the relatively low level of personal income in New Mexico and the broad base of New Mexico’s gross receipts tax.”
The task force was composed of 44 members representing a range of interests, who met five times at various locations in the state.
In addition to the task force on revenue, the governor also appointed a working group to examine to reduce state spending. The “Committee on Government Efficiency” was announced in early December. It has eight members:
Former Governor and Dean of the College of Business at New Mexico State University Garry Carruthers, Commission Chair; DFA Cabinet Secretary Katherine Miller; Willard Lewis, former DFA Cabinet Secretary; John Gasparich, Fiscal Analyst for Senator Stuart Ingle and former State Budget Director; Tres Giron, former Chief Financial Officer for the State Department of Education (now the Public Education Department); Dr. Dan Lopez, President of New Mexico Mining and Technology and former DFA Cabinet Secretary; UNM Executive Vice President for Administration David Harris, former Legislative Finance Committee Director; Chris Krahling, Administrative Assistant to Governor Jerry Apodaca during the state government reorganizations of 1977, and former Cabinet Secretary of the Health and Environment Department (now the Department of Health and the New Mexico Environment Department).
What do you find interesting about the task force’s final report? Let us know by leaving a comment or by sending an e-mail to tips@newmexicoindependent.com.
