State of New Mexico secondary Archives: on Budget & Economy
Bill Richardson:
Grow the trade link to Mexico and attract Hollywood business
We have brought a new vitality to trade and cultural contacts across the New Mexico - Chihuahua border. I met personally 12 times with Mexican officials - including three meetings with President Vicente Fox - to help grow this vital trade link.
We have the most competitive set of incentives in the country, and we created an on-the-job training fund to encourage film producers to hire and train New Mexicans. That, in turn, will build our available pool of trained movie industry workers.
Source: 2004 State of the State speech to the New Mexico Legislature
Jan 20, 2004
Bill Richardson:
Hiring freeze & 7% budget cut in state agencies
Like our citizens, this administration has tightened its belt since this recession began:- I implemented a hiring and salary freeze, and we currently have 3000 vacancies.
- I eliminated positions and cut salaries of exempt state employees--those
appointed by me--by 2%. Now 110 exempt positions are vacant.
- I ordered five furlough days for about 17,000 employees.
- I froze $150 million in stalled capital outlay projects--and I urge this body to eliminate those projects.
- And we have cut stat
agency budgets by 7% on average.
None of these measures were popular, but all were necessary. My budget plan for the next fiscal year reduces spending by $510 million:- Make permanent the $210 million in cuts we made during the special session.
- Reduce costs by another $158 million--by cutting spending across state government.
- Eliminate stalled capital outlay projects and end the practice of double dipping.
- Streamline and merge government functions, saving at least $25 million.
Source: New Mexico 2010 State of the State Address
Jan 19, 2010
Bob Walsh:
Market-led recovery better than stimulus
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Stimulus better than market-led recovery"?
A: Strongly oppose
Source: OnTheIssues interview for 2020 New Mexico race
May 1, 2020
Bob Walsh:
Need surplus, not balanced budget, to reduce national debt
Q: What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?A: The goal is not to balance the budget, but to have a surplus and reduce the national debt. Reduce the military budget, abolish Departments of Health and Human Services,
Education, Housing and Urban Development, Homeland Security, Energy, and NASA, saving 335, and abolish Medicare and Medicaid, saving about 750. That total reduction of about 1.4 trillion dollars would be enough to create a small surplus in a normal year.
Source: AFA iVoterGuide on 2020 New Mexico Senate race
Nov 3, 2020
Dennis Kucinich:
Steel, automotive, and shipping are critical to US economy
Q: Let’s talk about the economy. KUCINICH: The following steps need to be taken in order to begin to help the American economy recover. First of all, when you consider that we’ve lost 2.7 million manufacturing jobs since July of 2000, it’s shocking
but the US does not have a manufacturing policy, an economic policy which states that the maintenance of steel, automotive, aerospace and shipping is vital to our national economy and our national security. We will have a policy when I’m president.
Source: Democratic Primary Debate, Albuquerque New Mexico
Sep 4, 2003
Dick Gephardt:
I led 1990s boom-I can get economy moving again
In 1993, I was the majority leader who led with Bill Clinton to get this economy straightened out. Minority Leader Dick Armey said it would create a depression. He wasn’t wrong; he was dead wrong. You remember? 23 million new jobs in seven years.
Unemployment was at 3 percent. We took a $5 trillion deficit and turned it into a $5 trillion surplus. We know how to do this. I know how to do it. And when I’m president, we’ll get this economy moving again. I’ll get rid of the Bush tax cuts.
Source: Democratic Primary Debate, Albuquerque New Mexico
Sep 4, 2003
Gary Johnson:
Cut government spending by 20%
Q: Support Federal spending to promote the economy?Martin Heinrich (D): Yes, particularly transportation infrastructure.
Gary Johnson (L): No. Cut government spending by 20%.
Mick Rich (R): Yes. Energy development & infrastructure repair.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Mexico Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
Gary Johnson:
Cut taxes and cut spending
Q: Taxes: Support President Trump's tax cuts?Martin Heinrich (D): No. Does little for working families.
Gary Johnson (L):
Yes. But should have also cut spending.
Mick Rich (R): Yes. "Stimulated investment & job creation.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Mexico Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
Gavin Clarkson:
Frack China: Seize Treasury bonds held by Communist China
I have a 4-point plan called Frack China. As you know, hydraulic fracking is important to New Mexico's economy. What we need to do is extract things out of Communist China.
My first step of Frack China is to go in and using the powers of the Emergency Act the president signed, go in and seize the $1.1 trillion of US Treasury bonds that China holds, liquidate them and reimburse the US taxpayer.
Source: KOB-4 Eyewitness News on 2020 New Mexico Senate race
May 15, 2020
Gavin Clarkson:
Support Penny Plan: cut spending by 2% for 5 years in a row
Q: What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?A:
I would also enthusiastically support Senator Rand Paul's Penny Plan budget, which would cut spending by 2% for five years in a row, thus eliminating the federal budget deficit without cutting Social Security benefits.
Source: AFA iVoterGuide on 2020 New Mexico Senate race
Nov 3, 2020
Jeff Apodaca:
State reserves can prime pump for new jobs
Apodaca is campaigning on a promise to create 225,000 new jobs. His plan to spur job creation involves investing 5 percent of the state's $21.6 billion investment fund into small businesses, education, health care, technology and other sectors
each year. According to the New Mexico State Investment Council, which manages the fund, the state has the third-largest fund in the United States.
Source: Farmington Daily Times on 2018 New Mexico Gubernatorial race
Aug 3, 2017
Jeff Apodaca:
Use state reserves to boost economy
[Asked about the economy, Apodaca said], "A governor needs to bring people together, to grow jobs, to grow the economy--that's what a governor should be doing. We're sitting on over $20 billion in reserves, yet our political leaders are
nitpicking over pennies," he said, referring to state endowments. Some Democrats have argued more of the endowment income should be used to stimulate the state's economy. "It's time we invest in New Mexico," Apodaca said.
Source: Santa Fe New Mexican on 2018 New Mexico Gubernatorial race
May 2, 2017
Jeff Apodaca:
Build international film school in Santa Fe
Michelle Lujan Grisham said that she would push to increase New Mexico's minimum wage to $10 an hour--and even higher in the future--and either eliminate or bump up an annual limit on spending on film tax credits.Jeff Apodaca accused Lujan Grisham of
copying some parts of his jobs plan. Apodaca has also called for the annual cap to be scrapped and said that, if elected, he'd push for an international film school to be built in Santa Fe with a mix of state and industry dollars.
Source: Albuquerque Journal on 2018 New Mexico governor race
Oct 18, 2017
Joe Cervantes:
State funding for job training, infrastructure, & some homes
Q: Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?A: No.
Q: Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
A: My position would depend on the type of financial assistance offered.
Source: New Mexico 2012 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2012
Maggie Toulouse Oliver:
Create a "One-Stop-Shop" Business Portal to cut red tape
Creating jobs is New Mexico's number one priority and Maggie will embrace and enhance the Secretary of State's role in creating a online Corporations hub or portal that cuts the red tape for small business owners while streamlining delivery
of essential services to help New Mexico's businesses thrive.Maggie will strengthen our commitment to supporting local business owners by ensuring that all
New Mexicans have access to the resources they need to plan, start and expand their operations.
Maggie has been a strong advocate of SB9, a recently passed state law creating a "One-Stop-Shop"
Business Portal to cut red tape for local businesses. Upon assuming office, Maggie will work across agencies to ensure that law is implemented as quickly as possible.
Source: Ballotpedia.org Connection on 2020 New Mexico Senate race
Nov 1, 2014
Mark Ronchetti:
COVID: Responsibly re-open economy, help small businesses
COVID-19 response: We must protect the health and livelihoods of all New Mexicans. It's up to each one of us to act responsibly and protect our shared public health. We also must fight to help families recover economically from this devastating virus.
Too many in our state have lost their jobs and been hurt financially, and Mark will fight to give small businesses and struggling workers the support they need. We must responsibly re-open our economy and help small businesses get back on their feet.
Source: 2020 New Mexico Senate campaign website MarkRonchetti.com
Aug 30, 2020
Martin Heinrich:
Measure distribution of growth, not just overall GDP growth
Many Americans are struggling in ways that seem out of step with a booming economy: 40% of American families struggled to meet at least one of their basic needs, including buying food, paying medical bills, or covering utility bills, rent, or mortgage.
But those gaps don't show up in official measurements like the GDP, which measures growth in the overall economy. Now Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Martin Heinrich are trying to change that. The idea, they say, is to shed light on where economic
prosperity is showing up across different income groups--and, potentially, where it's not.
Their new bill, the Measuring Real Income Growth Act, would require reporting how GDP growth is distributed along the income scale. The bureau that reports
overall GDP would have to put together distributional measures of economic growth to be released with quarterly and annual GDP reports starting in 2020, laying out how growth shows up across each decile of earners and the top 1 percent.
Source: Vox.com on 2018 New Mexico Senate race
Aug 28, 2018
Mick Rich:
Government red tape destroys job growth
The federal government kills more American jobs through regulation than it could ever create through public works projects or stimulus packages.
When we ask what our Senators and Congressmen can do to create jobs, the first step is to remove rules and regulations that discourage hiring, discourage banks from lending to businesses, and discourage manufacturers from producing goods here in America.
Source: 2018 New Mexico Senate website MickRichForSenate.com
Aug 8, 2017
Rebecca Dow:
The legislature must rein in unsustainable spending
Q: What steps should the Legislature take to ensure New Mexico has a balanced budget?Dow: Getting people back to work is the first step toward stabilizing our budget. Reforming our regulatory system to remove (non-life safety)
barriers will aid in our economic recovery and prevent future tax increases. Finally, the legislature must rein in the unsustainable spending we have seen these last two years.
Source: Albuquerque Journal on 2022 New Mexico Gubernatorial race
Sep 23, 2021
Susana Martinez:
Post-stimulus, balanced the budget without raising taxes
For years, government overspent and as federal stimulus dollars dried up, we had holes throughout the budget. The state of our state was one of financial crisis. We faced a tremendous challenge.
Many said we couldn't get it done, that we could not both balance the budget and still protect our priorities. We had a vigorous debate. Some felt we should have raised taxes despite the jobs that would have been lost.
Others felt we needed deep cuts in education and Medicaid. I'm proud of the fact that we were able to work together--the Legislature and the Governor--Democrats and Republicans.
We came together and found a better way. We protected classroom spending and Medicaid. And we did not raise taxes.
Source: 2012 New Mexico State of the State Address
Jan 17, 2012
Michelle Lujan-Grisham:
Boost state spending to local businesses
We will fix and improve on the Small Business Recovery Act, unlocking more than $200 million in direct relief for small businesses, and 200 million more specifically for business rent relief. We will remake our state procurement code to boost
minority- and Native- and women-owned businesses, and to ensure more New Mexico dollars are spent with New Mexican-owned companies. We will continue to invest in the state job-creation programs that work.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to New Mexico legislature
Jan 26, 2021
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023