I don't know what is more taxing, the Bernalillo County Commission getting ready to raise regressive gross receipts taxes on the poor, or the Albuquerque Journal blaming public servant employees for the situation.
First, I am dead set against these taxes with out a vote of the public. When I served as Mayor we went to the public for a quarter cent increase in gross receipt taxes for our transportation efforts at building a bus system that worked and repairing our city streets. The public voted for it. As they did for a bond issue for the new Isotopes baseball stadium which turns a great profit for the city. At that time , 1999, it lifted the tax to 5.25%. Manageable. But north of 7% is another matter. I have a feeling that this might be voted down on the Commission if they regain their senses.
Second, The Albuquerque Journal editorialized against the move, like I just did, but blamed county employees for the mess instead of the elected officials. The Journal's continued, well hatred, for public servants is bizarre. They might be amongst the few jobs left in this city that provide a reasonable living for our citizens. I would guess that a good proportion of the newspaper's subscribers are pubic employees and retirees. If you look at the paper's edition this morning and see that there are barely three pages of classified ads and fewer display ads then you know that paper is in trouble too. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!
Prediction time.....The Journal will be undergoing some really drastic changes. It must if it is going to survive in any form. I am guessing it will be down to three or four issues a week before long. Or just turn into a web version of its former self.
First, I am dead set against these taxes with out a vote of the public. When I served as Mayor we went to the public for a quarter cent increase in gross receipt taxes for our transportation efforts at building a bus system that worked and repairing our city streets. The public voted for it. As they did for a bond issue for the new Isotopes baseball stadium which turns a great profit for the city. At that time , 1999, it lifted the tax to 5.25%. Manageable. But north of 7% is another matter. I have a feeling that this might be voted down on the Commission if they regain their senses.
Second, The Albuquerque Journal editorialized against the move, like I just did, but blamed county employees for the mess instead of the elected officials. The Journal's continued, well hatred, for public servants is bizarre. They might be amongst the few jobs left in this city that provide a reasonable living for our citizens. I would guess that a good proportion of the newspaper's subscribers are pubic employees and retirees. If you look at the paper's edition this morning and see that there are barely three pages of classified ads and fewer display ads then you know that paper is in trouble too. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!
Prediction time.....The Journal will be undergoing some really drastic changes. It must if it is going to survive in any form. I am guessing it will be down to three or four issues a week before long. Or just turn into a web version of its former self.
4 comments:
You always seem to hold on to some glimmer of hope that the Journal will change or that the Editors will go. The sooner the Journal folds, the better Albuquerque will be served. The Journal is New Mexico's printed version of FOX TV and a propaganda rag for the Republican party.
Daily newspapers folding are not a good thing.
I am sorry, Jim, but I think the city would be better served without the Journal. In fact, I believe they are part of the problem. They do not report the news accurately, they definitely have an agenda and certainly do not reflect the needs or politics of the community. I say they can't go soon enough.
As long as a newspaper, any newspaper, can squeeze a dollar in advertising revenue from a community there will be newspapers. The Journal caters to its advertisers, not the subscribers. Hence the heavy right wing slant. The less the advertise spend the more influence the remaining ones have.
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