What is really compelling here is a complete lack of an economic recovery plan. And the responsibility doesn't solely rest with these two hapless pols. The legislature, city councils, county commissions and private sector are all sitting at the table while this economic gruel is served up. The lack of creativity in the kitchen is hidden by the local media either through incompetence, coverup, or lack of real working journalists.
This is actually getting very serious for our state. Throw in threats to our water supplies from climate change and Texas and things look scary. Even income inequality seems absent in our state because there is so little going on.
What would it take to wake people up to the need for new leadership in New Mexico? Put in a comment.
6 comments:
There is income inequality for city workers. We get offered a 2% pay raise but only if we give up some sick and vacation time to pay for union time. It is this unused sick and vacation time that is giving Banks $160,000 taxpayer golden parachute. So the APOA offer ended up being on $25 every two weeks.
And the inequality? Rob Perry overseas a city in decline and is given a $30,000 per year pay raise. The new APD chief hasn't even been hired yet and Berry gives that person a $35,000 pay raise. Oh and I did I mention Banks and Schultz and all their command staff? Healthiest people you will ever see, and their families too. Never a day of sick leave. HMMMMMMMMMM
Income inequality is arrive and well at the City of Albuquerque. The rich are not held accountable and get huge raises. The low workers are treated like crap. Good for you in Berry's Albuquerque
How about some opportunity to actually affect change? Considering that government is supposed to be of, by and for the people, we have disappointingly little control over it. Unless, of course we have money enough to buy influence.
I think the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about how our power and resources are being spent will wake people up.
Unfortunately, the way the system is set up, you have to prove a right to attend a meeting or inspect a record, rather than the government having to prove a need to meet in secret or to hide a record.
Open government laws need to be rewritten from the ground up with an entirely different premise; government needs the permission of the people to hide from us the truth about their public service and the spending of our power and resources.
When the truth is easily available to those who are looking for it, and they begin to spread it, the people will wake up.
If that doesn't do it, nothing will.
The gov or mayor should push for a major economic development summit and invite MAJOR corporate leaders, politicians, Native American leaders, universities, cities, CofC's and other business leaders from all over to establish priorities and strategies. Things like tax free zones, job growth, training, education, economic development, tourism, R&D, housing, etc. The once a month, meager, NMIDEA meetings aren't cutting it.
NM's tax incentives don't appear to be working because every state has them. Colorado is kicking butt with ideas and brains.
BTW, the summit needs to lead to a comprehensive, on-going effort; not just a one day thing to eat and drink. Then everyone goes back to work and nothing happens. It has to be formed in public policy and planning, and funded enough for things to get done.
Also, you never hear NM touting it's horn on doing business here or visiting; at least I haven't seen it advertised.
Maybe all this isn't new, but at least it's better than nothing, which is what we have now.
I just saw the report from KOAT on Omaree Varela calling for help a second time and being ignored for a second time.
Shame on Albuquerque. Shame on the APD command staff that is too interested in trips out of town to pad their resume. Shame on APD Chief Schultz who spent more time trying to find loopholes so his favorite girls could double dip. Shame on Richard Berry for not firing Schultz years ago. Richard Berry is the person ultimately accountable for APD ignoring Omaree's ignored cries for help. In five years Berry did nothing to change the culture at APD. He did not hold Schultz accountable for anything. Had Berry taken APD by the horns early one maybe Omaree would have been taken seriously. But instead the command staff at APD is only there to game the system and move on with six figure golden parachutes. This is what trickled down from Berry / Schultz. Shame on Berry. Shame on Schultz.
It's quite natural to look to the "legislature, city councils, county commissions and private sector" for a solution. We look to them because they are the only ones with the wherewithal, meaning really, the power to do something.
We overlook things that stand in the way of them doing something. You've probably encountered people in government who prevented things from happening because it would infringe on their domain. And why would someone who's, say, making furniture here, want another furniture factory to open up so he had to compete with them in price and quality and wages paid to his employees?
The people could organize and do something for themselves. I have not thought about what (and I have to go to work now) but I invite anyone else to. There'd be many advantages to doing it that way, the primary I'd think being there would be no vested interests except those of the people themselves.
As soon as they began getting publicity, let alone results, government and business would rush in and try to co-opt it. You'd have a lot of leverage at that point.
Paul Craig Roberts wrote:
"The George W. Bush tax cuts have nothing to do with supply-side economics. The Bush tax cuts were nothing but a greedy grab, but they are not a signifiant cause of today’s inequality. The main causes of the unacceptable inequality of income and wealth in the US today are financial deregulation and the dismantling of the ladders of upward mobility by the offshoring of manufacturing and tradable professional service jobs. The wages and salaries denied to Americans are transformed into corporate profits, mega-million dollar executive bonuses, and capital gains for shareholders. Financial deregulation unleashed massive debt leverage of bank depositors' accounts, backed up with Federal Reserve bailouts of the banksters’ uncovered gambling bets. Neither tax increases nor reductions can compensate for these extraordinary mistakes."
Paul Craig Roberts has had careers in scholarship and academia, journalism, public service, and business. He is chairman of The Institute for Political Economy.
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