During the ABQ mayoral campaign last year we noted how crime did not appear to have its usual impact and that voters were pivoting to the economy and especially the high cost of daily life. Flash forward and here come the '26 gubernatorial candidates.

Democrat Sam Bregman is calling for a "reimbursement of up to $500 per family member to New Mexico families earning less than $200,000 a year" and financing it with the revenue windfall the state continues to receive from the oil boom. He says:

While Trump’s illegal war in Iran has driven oil prices higher and boosted our state’s revenue, too many families are still struggling to pay for groceries, rent, and gas. When I am Governor, I will return a portion of this surplus directly to the people.”

State revenue would get boosted from the higher prices caused by the war, but they would have to stay high for a matter of months--not weeks--for the money to be realized. 

SWEEPING PLAN

For a more sweeping economic strategy look to Republican Duke Rodriguez. He is now amping up his call for a complete elimination of the state's personal income tax---as ten other states have. He delivers a double whammy by advancing a proposal to abolish the often controversial gross receipts tax on "all retail sales."

Rodriguez

Rodriguez says the gross receipts reform would cost the state "nearly a billion" annually but with Santa Fe carrying annual surpluses three times that amount, he argues it is doable. 

And it may be more politically doable than in the past. After all, since MLG took office in 2019, she has overseen the first state reductions in the GRT rate in over 40 years, winning two cuts that took the state rate from 5.125% to 4.875%. That paves the way for a future governor. 

(Remember, local governments get their own share of GRT. The overall local rates often soar to over 8 or even 9 percent. A bill that would have taken ABQ's rate over 8% was defeated at the City Council this week.)

Leading Dem Guv hopeful Deb Haaland is sticking to a progressive path on the economy, advocating for a higher minimum wage and increases in the child care and working families tax credits. But the GRT is notoriously anti-progressive, hitting lower income families the most. There is plenty of room for Haaland to get on board with a GRT cut.

The sweeping Rodriguez plan may have looked alien a decade ago but with the state's immense reserves, the affordability crisis taking hold and the economy becoming a political football, his plan could be quickly mainstreamed at the Legislature even if his candidacy fails. 

DATELINE SANTA FE (CONT.) 

Mayor Garcia

Comments and observations on the Wednesday blog critical of the performance of Santa Fe Mayor Michael Garcia in his first months in office, including during a local KTRC radio program, drew a lengthy response from the new mayor. Here are some excerpts edited for brevity:

Here are a few highlights of what our administration has been up to:

--Successfully worked to negotiate a land swap deal with the State. This not only required negotiating with the General Services Department, but also required getting the approval of the legislature. This required me to gain support for the proposal from legislators (and)testify in both Senate and House committees. . . I am proud to report that the land swap proposal passed unanimously. . .This land swap will allow for the city to attain land in the Midtown campus. This newly acquired land will be crucial for future affordable housing development. 

 --Began the process of formally reorganizing city government to reduce bureaucratic bloat. It is my priority to build a leaner and stronger city government. This proposal is scheduled to be approved by the governing body next Wednesday. 

 --Addressing the matter of the Soldiers Monument. There were actions that the previous administration did not take, such as formally reaching out to the US Veterans Administration. I am following Judge Matthew Wilson’s order, which requires me to work with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) on the next steps with the monument. I have also been working collaboratively with the state Cultural Affairs Department on this topic. A first step was to pass a resolution that gave the approval to temporaily placethe broken obelisk portion of the Soldiers Monument in the New Mexico History Museum. This resolution was passed March 10. A full proposal will be coming forward very soon regarding my recommendation on how to move forward with the remains of the monument. This is not a unilateral decision I get to make. 

 --We submitted our annual city audit early. This is a drastic change from the previous administration as past audits were consistently submitted late. --Bringing forward a contract for speeding and noise cameras. This will help to address the aggressive driving and excessive muffler noise that is impacting our city. We are planning for an April 8th approval by the governing body. 

I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish in our first 77 days given the circumstances our administration inherited. What I highlighted above does not fully cover all the work that we have accomplished thus far. Our team is working diligently so that city government can earn back the trust of Santa Fe residents. 

Garcia presides over the third largest city in the state. A blog headline over our Wednesday report initially said ABQ and Santa Fe were the state's "two largest cities." 

KELLER RESPONSE 

City Hall spokesman Alex Curtas came with this response to the criticism of ABQ Mayor Keller, also on that Wednesday blog:

Just in the three weeks since I started with the city we've had a $30 million economic development announcement (BlueHalo/AV), a Journal story about Mayor's priorities, completion of phase 3 of Daniel Webster Park, the launch of an important traffic safety campaign (Stop for Everyone), announced the 3 APD chief finalists, launched a major Westside road improvement project, and announced a partnership between APS and the Real Time Crime Center. Phew. If that's sluggish we might have a different idea of that word.

This the Home of New Mexico Politics.