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.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Michael S. Sanchez, D-Belen, just released a statement saying he’s surprised the governor vetoed the food tax—because the guv was in on the plan the whole time.
“I am surprised that the governor has decided to take this action. Had he indicated three weeks ago that he would not support the legislation we would have taken a different approach. He was involved every step of the way.
At no time during the special session did he raise any objections. He was very clear about what he wouldn’t support which is why the legislative and executive compromise we crafted didn’t include an income tax increase or a requirement that all corporations pay their fair share of taxes,” the statement read. (Bolding mine.)
It goes on, but that’s the good part.
Two weeks ago, The Independent reported (“Richardson protests food tax, but one lawmaker questions his sincerity“) that Sen. Eric Griego had made a similar claim on public television:
Sen. Eric Griego, D-Albuquerque, said this week that the governor always knew the food tax was part of an agreed-upon budget package and described the governor’s protestations as a public “dance.”
In an episode of KNME’s New Mexico in Focus that will air Friday night (clip below) Griego said Richardson “specifically declined to put any balanced taxes on there…and he basically said we will have a food tax,” referring to Richardson’s agenda for the recently completed special session.
“In essence, the deal was, we were gonna have a food tax,” Griego told The Independent’s Gwyneth Doland, a correspondent for KNME.
When asked if Griego was saying the governor knew about, and pushed for the food tax, Griego said, “Absolutely.”
Update:
The governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff Gilbert Gallegos sent along a response to The Independent by e-mail.
Gallegos said, “If Senator Sanchez wants to defend the tax on food, that’s his prerogative.”
In addition, Gallegos sent a portion of Richardson’s State of the State address and other public statements where Richardson opposed the idea of reinstating the food tax.
“Nor will I support reinstating the food tax,” Richardson said. “We cannot ask working New Mexicans to pay more for groceries when too many are struggling to make ends meet.”
