A look at the rest of Deb Haaland’s policy proposals

RGF recently examined New Mexico Democrat gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland’s policy ideas in the area of education. The following is a discussion of her other policy proposals (click here for details from her website). As with her education policy proposals there is a lot to question and be concerned about, but here we go:

1. Raise the minimum wage: No idea has a longer history of doing the opposite of what policymakers want it to do than the minimum wage. As the New York Times once said, “the correct minimum wage is zero.”
2. She wants to ban landlords from using AI-algorithms to set rents. Of course, rent like every other price is set by the market (with government intervention playing a role as well). Banning AI simply takes one tool out of the hands of those attempting to set rents.
3. Aggressively build more housing, focusing on reducing unnecessary barriers and expediting permitting processes. This is a reasonable and useful idea. Details matter but this is the correct approach to increasing the housing supply and reducing costs.
4. Expand housing assistance programs for first time home buyers and workers in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, public safety, and social work. This is NOT the correct approach. Taxpayers will wind up on the hook.
5. Establish funding sources that invest in new and unique business opportunities in New Mexico and allow the state to recruit and invest in New Mexico based operations. No, more corporate welfare is not the right approach.  
6. Invest in more renewable energy to create jobs, lower energy costs, and make New Mexico the energy capital of the country. More subsidies for so-called “renewable” energy is not the solution.
7. Address the doctor shortage by joining interstate medical compacts, expanding residency programs to rural areas, and bolstering student loan repayment and housing incentives. These are fine, but none of these ideas address the most important reasons for our doctor shortage.
8. Increase mobile health clinics to reach New Mexicans in rural areas and protect rural hospitals. Sure. 
9. Ban medical debt from being included on credit reports. That is likely illegal and won’t be effective.
10. Protect access for those who use the state’s health insurance marketplace by expanding New Mexico’s Health Care Affordability Fund. More subsidies are not the answer.
11. Use budget surpluses to fill Medicaid gaps and hire more guides to help people keep and access their benefits. New Mexico already has more people on Medicaid as a percentage of its population than any other state. 
12. Launch a full throttle operation to deliver mental health and homelessness assistance to New Mexicans in need. Spending on the homeless has increased dramatically in New Mexico and Albuquerque itself. More money/services isn’t going to help.

Conclusion: Deb Haaland’s economic plans are almost totally lacking. Her energy policies are also weak and fail to address issues like electricity generation and oil and gas. Her lack of support for medical malpractice reform is a problem.