Wednesday, the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG) voted 14-2 to put a $26 MILLION a year tax increase on the table to pay for the operation of the system (Journal - Subscription).
(Sidebar)The Bernalillo County Commission isn't wasting any time getting the wheels rolling on the Rail Runner tax increase. They're taking the first step towards putting the $26 MILLION yearly tax increase on the ballot tomorrow - just two days after the MRCOG vote. At the unusual hour of 11:00 am, the commissioners will vote on whether or not to publish the required legal notice indicating that they will debate (rubber stamp) the proposed MRCOG Rail Runner tax increase and whether or not it will be placed on the November ballot.
We've often been critical of MRCOG representatives and City Councilors Sally Mayer and Don Harris. Wednesday, they got it right by voting against the tax increase. We give credit where credit is due and both councilors acted in the best interests of not only their constituents but in the best interests of all of us living under the influence of MRCOG.
(End Sidebar)
The legal notice is required by law. What's unusual is the time chosen to vote on notice placement. It's damn odd that the commission is meeting at 11:00 am in the first place. The only time the commissioners meet during the day is to perform time-sensitive functions like the Board of Canvass. The rest of the time they convene after work at 4:30 or 5:00pm.
Look... The commission tends to fly under the radar most of the time anyway, but we'd be willing to bet that even Geraldine Amato will have a hard time making the meeting. Seems to us that the commissioners really don't want to have any shall we say... interruptions (or debate) over the issue. Tomorrow's meeting is the first opportunity for opponents of the tax to prevent its inclusion on the November ballot - keeping it low profile allows commissioners some cover and protects them from criticism.
Meanwhile over at the city, Marty's busy trying to get his trolley back on track again. It's trains coming from every direction and no matter how many times they get derailed or how many times we're reassured that tax increases are "off the table forever" (KOB.com) the trains just keep coming. (Don't even get us started about the undersized, unwanted, over priced downtown arena.) It just goes to show you that it's hard to stop a train!
3 comments:
Actually, the money train can be stopped. But it would take a lot of people calling and voicing their concerns about paying more taxes. It sounds like a nice idea on paper, but unlike the movie, I doubt that, " If you build it, they will come." We are looking at too many factors in the Albuquerque area that put a damper on any of these projects.
Crime is the first thought that comes to mind. Albuquerque is a safe haven for criminals that are never given anything more than a slap on the hand. But our Mayor and the State want to focus on transportation that is funded by our tax dollars. Fix the crime problem first and worry about the other things later. I have a hard time seeing a tourist being exposed to the site seeing tour along Central Ave. " And on the left you will see that the Prostitutes don't get hasseled by the Homeless." If Mayor Chavez was worried about the image that the TV show COPS was giving the rest of the country imagine the steep decline just by word of mouth. A downtown arena? Get real, Rio Rancho had a good idea by building one in the boonies so that everyone has a place to park, but I will never go there again seeing how the seats are so small that you can't help but sit on each other. I was downtown not to long ago on a Friday night as a chaperone for my son who wanted to go to a concert at the sunshine. As I looked out the window and watched the events, I saw gang bangers throwing signs and several near fights all because of a dirty look. APD had plenty of people on the inner perimeter, but no one on the outside. So by forcing the traffic around Central it created another problem that is not family friendly. Use that extra money to do so many tac plans that criminals don't want to hang out in Albuquerque. Make it so I can take my family not only down town, but to the Zoo or the bio park without worrying that my car was broken into.
Priorities need to be put into perspective. Rising food, gas and utility bills are my concern, not paying a higher tax that takes food away from my children. A higher tax for something I will never use. So if you want to derail the train, DON"T VOTE FOR THE ONES WHO WANT TO WASTE OUR TAX DOLLARS. VOTE FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. It would seem that the current politicians are living by the moto, " Who ever dies with the most toys wins."
The first poster's last line explains everything. Big Bill got his choo-choo, now the Almighty Alcalde wants to have his. It's just big boys and their toys...the difference is, I have to pay for my toys myself. BB and AA have put themselves in a position to have ALL OF US pay for theirs.
Here, Here excellent post #1. I agree totally with your opinion.
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