Opponents of Sen. Peter Wirth's bill (SB 9) to equalize the corporate tax code want us to fear job layoffs in an attempt to kill the bill. A fairer tax code would help our New Mexico businesses and generate new revenues for our state coffers. Consider what capital projects and infrastructure improvements could happen with that revenue source. Santa Fe County might pave some dirt roads. Santa Fe Public Schools might proudly roll out the south-side school plan. With a healthy middle class, an up-to-date infrastructure and better schools, we could attract new businesses.

Sen. Wirth is correct in his eight-year struggle to copy neighboring states and prevent the vacuuming of community dollars into the great black hole in Delaware. Look at donation lists of local nonprofits and charities to see a mirror of the big-box soul. This Legislature should represent New Mexico businesses and what is best for our state.




I support Sen. Peter Wirth's Senate Bill 9, which would close the loopholes that let multistate corporations, such as Wal-Mart, one of the most successful in our country, transfer otherwise taxable money out of the state. By doing so, they avoid paying the taxes that other stores here have to pay.

As we are experiencing revenue shortages here, passage of this bill would bring money to New Mexico to pay for school supplies, teachers, after-school programs, and many needed services. Dollars for Education is asking for donations from people who are already hurting financially from lack of support for themselves, such as programs for returning veterans. It's difficult to understand Gov. Susana Martinez's threat to veto this bill.




If Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Costco, Walgreens, Sam's Club etc., are made to pay tax on the income they get in New Mexico, does anyone seriously think they will pull their stores out of our state? Come on! The bill should be approved as a matter of fairness first: New Mexico-based businesses are faced with unfair competition.

The bill before the Legislature would also include a tax cut in the general corporate rate, which would improve the "business climate" that is so dear to our governor. What in the world is she thinking of when she promises a veto? She should be endorsing the bill and claiming victory!




A young friend of mine recently landed a job to support his wife and baby. He is employed by Walmart.

Walmart just informed him that they must cut back his hours ("we're not firing you," they said, "just cutting back.") His new work shift? He will have no particular hours. He will be scheduled as needed. Puleeeese!

Using this method, they need not pay unemployment. Still, our governor does not wish to charge these giant firms the state tax that all local businesses must pay.

This is an insult and an outrage, and I will bet anyone that these firms would not leave New Mexico were the tax imposed on them.




It's embarrassing to watch grown corporations cry about losing tax loopholes. Twenty years ago, New Mexico might have needed to give incentives to businesses. Wake up and smell the coffee. It is 2012, and we are broke. Oil and natural gas companies surely have been waiting for New Mexico to raise their taxes, laughing about how little they pay here.

A multinational uranium-enrichment company that doesn't pay gross-receipts taxes appears to have the entire House Taxation and Revenue Committee pulling for it, except for Rep. Sandra D. Jeff, a Democrat from Crownpoint, who voted no. Republican Rep. Donald Bratton railed against audience members as if we were un-American for questioning the favorable deal the company was begging to retain. Next night, some members of the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee (Democrats Mark Boitano and George Muñoz and Republicans William Burt and William Sharer) wasted hours whining about the broken tax code, while trying, and failing, to kill SB 9, a tax-code fix.


Driver's license debate

If I had a job and owned a car and was unable to renew my license when it expired, I would continue to drive. I have to get to work. I have a family to support. So the governor's idea that "it's a public safety risk to issue the licenses" is backward. It's more of a public safety risk not to license drivers.

Better to know where drivers live than not have this information. This country was born on the principle of immigration for all. Many of the undocumented people are performing jobs that native New Mexicans don't want to do. Many have lived here most of their entire lives. This is such a hot issue that the governor has a pretty good chance of losing traction in the House if she persists, and of course the Senate won't pass this anyway.


In his Feb. 5 My View, "House Dems name economic priorities," House Speaker Ben Luján claims that Democrats in the state Legislature listen to the voices of average New Mexicans in regard to economic priorities. A solid majority of average New Mexicans do not want illegal immigrants to have valid New Mexico driver's licenses. Why, Mr. Speaker, are the Democrats in the state Legislature not listening to those voices?




It should be legal and mandatory (if it isn't already) for non-New Mexico driver's-licensed illegal immigrants and others to get auto insurance. If caught without a driver's license, the fine is much less than if caught without insurance. Which is more important? If illegal immigrants cause an accident, which would we rather they have?




Unless the current law that allows driver's licenses for illegal immigrants is repealed, there will be consequences for legal citizens. At some point, New Mexico licenses will not be accepted as proper identification on airlines. Many Democrats decry the concept of photo ID for voting on the mistaken assumption that it would disadvantage the poor, minorities, etc. But if New Mexicans are forced to produce passports to board a plane, think of the effect on those groups (and the rest of the populace).

Pass Gov. Susana Martinez's proposed law now to save us all the inconvenience of the equivalent of a national ID card just for New Mexicans. New Mexico is special, but let not the need to produce a passport to travel be an identifying characteristic!




I have some questions for the legislators supporting issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. They claim that issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants will prompt them to buy auto insurance. If so, why is New Mexico No. 1 in numbers of uninsured drivers?

They state that if illegal immigrants are denied driver's licenses, they will be unable to function. If this is true, how do illegal immigrants in the other 47 states manage? They contend that the program benefits New Mexico. If so, why haven't the other 47 states adopted it? They purport that there is no proof of widespread fraud in the issuing of driver's licenses. If this be the case, why did they block the effort to validate a small portion of the licenses issued? Finally, in a recent poll, 68 percent of New Mexicans favored rescinding the law. So, whose interests do they represent, their constituents' or their party's?