|
The New Mexico Prosperity Project is a nonpartisan voter education organization, oriented toward providing information that will help promote more free enterprise prosperity in New Mexico. We provide information to help people learn how, when and where to register, to “early vote,” and to vote – and information on key public policy issues affecting the free enterprise economy. Tabs to the left and above provide lots of information to help in that process. We also periodically update our webpage information (below) regarding current issues facing New Mexico.
Headed to the first election hurdle
Although all elections are important, many consider 2012 to be a potentially pivotal year – w hose outcomes will be felt for a long time to come. That may not turn out to be the case, because voters often befuddle experts by not falling into previously conceived categories, or acting in ways that muddy up sharp, intelligent prior projections.
But the reasons for thinking 2012 will be big are not fanciful. In 2010, Republicans swept in more than 60 new House members in Congress, firmly dominating the one House and changing the all-Democratic (House, Senate, White House) previous regimen. In New Mexico, Republicans came within three votes of upending the Democratic majority in the State House of Representatives that has been in place since the New Deal of the 1930s -- and the “new sheriff in town” (governor, that is) was a Republican, too – a former Las Cruces prosecutor, Susana Martinez. Will those trends continue and grow in 2012 or will the tide shift back, or will the outcomes slither all over the board and be hard to read?
Stay tuned here. The primary election is June 5. Registration closed on May 8, the same day that early in-person voting became available at all county clerks’ offices. New Mexico Prosperity Project will reminders about upcoming deadlines, and the ability to see who your candidates are in your particular district (by entering your address on our search tool). All these tips will be sent out as links or guidelines in our New Mexico Prosperity Project e-newsletters.
Already, a number of state legislators have thrown in the towel - - saying they will not run for re-election, so that alone will guarantee something of a change in things in the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.
Big election news in general: the presidential race and how New Mexico (often seen as a “swing state”) will swing; one of the two U.S. Senate seats, this being an “open” seat due to the decision by veteran Democrat Jeff Bingaman to not run again; and the Albuquerque metro area congressional seat.
As for the 2012 legislative session, there were definite minuses and some pluses: One big plus was the governor’s notion (long sought by business) to begin taking a bite out of the “taxes on top of taxes” problem known a “tax pyramiding.” But the legislators still stymied the governor on such high-profile bills as ending the practice of giving drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants, and passing grade school kids along to the next grade even if they do not know how to read (known as “social promotion”). While these were not directly “business bills” many business people supported the governor’s efforts.
The New Mexico Prosperity Project provided news and analysis of the legislative process – via e-newsletters and reports. Click on the “Issues and Ideas” tab above for some of our content.
| 
