Tim Keller’s latest hare-brained scheme: “free land” downtown for NM universities

We don’t have ALL the details about Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller’s latest plans, but we know enough to understand they don’t make much sense. We’re referring to his plan outlined in a speech recently to give a City-owned piece of land downtown to a New Mexico university that helped to redevelop downtown. 

Here are just a few reasons why this move makes no sense:

1. New Mexico universities are flush with cash and have numerous branch campuses. If they wanted to be in downtown Albuquerque they’d be there already;
2. Why hand “free” land to a university? New Mexico desperately needs private sector economic development. We’re not advocating for ANYONE getting “free” land from the City, but why hand it to a different government entity?
3. The Mayor uses Phoenix and Arizona State University as a successful example. New Mexico isn’t Arizona and Albuquerque isn’t Phoenix. From taxes to population growth to labor laws and numerous other indicators Phoenix blows the doors off Albuquerque.

Which all leads us to crime and homelessness and why Mayor Keller seems unwilling to do what needs to be done to improve downtown (while trying nearly every other option). Of course, the ONE option Keller has not pursued is to advocate for tax cuts and other policies that would promote economic growth Downtown and in the rest of New Mexico.