New Mexico Democrats just can’t figure out how to fund the roads
New Mexico is awash in cash, but the State’s politicians just can’t figure out how to do something as basic as repairing the dilapidate roads. Check out the following story from SourceNM which covers the Legislature’s inaction on one of the few ways in which the State could spend its horde of cash to actually benefit the economy and everyday New Mexicans. For starters, New Mexicans overwhelmingly want solutions:
Franklin Garcia, a lobbyist for the trade organization Asphalt Pavement Association of New Mexico, presented the new poll to lawmakers on the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee in Albuquerque on Friday. The poll, conducted by Albuquerque-based Research and Polling Inc., found that 83% of voters statewide believe road construction and maintenance should be a top priority for state leaders and 42% rated New Mexico’s road conditions as poor or very poor.
Currently, the state imposes a 4% tax on car sales (that tax was raised a few years back), minus the value of a trade-in. About 60% of that tax goes into the state’s general funds, while the rest goes toward road projects. Over a five-year period dedicating all of that money to roads would generate about $850 million. That’s a good start but similar ideas have been proposed in the past and the Legislature has not acted. RGF has offered other solutions as well:
- Spend some of the massive surplus revenue on roads;
- Set up a “permanent fund” like the one for free childcare and other purposes, but for roads;
- Focus on cutting costs including permitting, Davis-Bacon labor rules, and other unnecessary costs.