Read more about the article Minimum Wage
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Minimum Wage

A study by Washington University on minimum wage was very enlightening.  From an employer’s perspective, each $1/hour increase in minimum wage costs the employer approximately $2,600/year per employee.  So if New Mexico’s statewide minimum wage increases from $7.50 to $10, it will cost employers $6,500/year per employee in those brackets.   

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February 8, 2019
Read more about the article Raiding the Permanent Fund – Keep your hands out of the cookie jar
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Raiding the Permanent Fund – Keep your hands out of the cookie jar

There have been lots of attempts to raid the State Land Grant Permanent Fund and that's nothing new.  You can read more about this ongoing issue here and here.

Here are a few important points to consider:

1) The fund was established with New Mexico's statehood to provide for education and a few other beneficiaries, like some hospitals, in perpetuity. That means FOREVER!   It doesn't mean this should be everyone's personal bank account for their every whim. Look at this creative way they'd like to raid the fund here. 

2) We have increased education spending over $900 million in the past 12 years and our results are still dismal. Is more money the answer? Absolutely not.

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February 7, 2019
Read more about the article Voters in the ABQ area have spoken!
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Voters in the ABQ area have spoken!

All three Albuquerque Public School (APS) ballot questions received a loud NO vote on Election Day. What this means is that property taxes won’t increase and because the existing bond issue was defeated, property taxes should decrease slightly for property owners in the APS school district. 

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February 6, 2019
Read more about the article APS property tax ballots mailed to inactive voters
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APS property tax ballots mailed to inactive voters

By now, if you live in the APS area (including Bernalillo County and parts of Sandoval County) you should definitely have received one of these ballots in your mailbox. These must be returned by February 5th. We encourage you to vote, but before you do, consider whether APS needs more of your tax dollars or to better manage the money they get now.  What does NMBC think?

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February 1, 2019
Read more about the article Albuquerque home owner sounds off on APS Tax Increase
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Albuquerque home owner sounds off on APS Tax Increase

NMBC received some great information on the APS tax election from one of our followers.   The below information was written by Amy Horowitz, a retired businesswoman who is a homeowner/taxpayer in Albuquerque:

Albuquerque property taxes are out of control!

If you haven’t bought or sold a home lately you may not grasp the magnitude of Albuquerque’s property tax burden.  Nobody wants to talk about it and the numbers aren’t easy to find.  But here are five things you really should know before you vote – either personally or as a legislator -- on any tax increase.

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January 28, 2019
Read more about the article Does APS think money grows on trees?
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Does APS think money grows on trees?

NMBC supports improved pay for teachers, well maintained schools & proper security for our kids. But here's a question:

Does APS think money grows on trees?  It doesn't and their harvest of our tax dollars needs to be carefully scrutinized.  APS wants to deny the truth, but when publicly questioned, they find it hard to evade the facts: 

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January 17, 2019
Read more about the article APS tax increase: Bailout or Ballot?
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APS tax increase: Bailout or Ballot?

Tuesday, 1/8/19, is the last day to update voter information or get registered to vote before ballots mail for the APS special election.  Make sure your mailing address is correct HERE.

APS claims they desperately need more of your money or they won’t finish projects under construction or repair leaking roofs. 

Really?

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January 7, 2019
Read more about the article Mandated wages, tax increases?
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Mandated wages, tax increases?

NMBC is working hard on a voter education effort on a proposed 19% mill levy increase that Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) is seeking. The decision has already passed the school board and will go to voters via a mail-in election in early 2019. The proposed 4.7% property tax increase would occur annually in addition to the 3% property value increase that causes property taxes to go up every year. 

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December 17, 2018
Read more about the article Have you been paying attention to the riots in Paris?
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Have you been paying attention to the riots in Paris?

Mainstream media hasn't been covering it much, but it could come down to this locally if we aren't careful. New Mexico political officials who plan to raise fees, taxes and increase…

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December 14, 2018
Read more about the article Where do we go from here?
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Where do we go from here?

Congratulations to all those who took an active part in this election. Thank you to those who were candidates and worked day and night for a seat, those who stood by them every step of the way, and those who voted for the first time in many years because they cared. 

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November 7, 2018