Key Days Ahead as Cuts for State Employees Loom Large
February 8th, 2010
The House narrowly approved a budget bill and revenue measures that raise adequate, fair revenue and don't cut state employees or university employees. Speaker Ben Lujan, Majority Leader Ken Martinez, Majority Whip Sheryl Williams-Stapleton, and about 30 other Democrats deserve our strong thanks and support for their unwavering commitment to ending cuts and looking for alternatives.
On Saturday, the Senate met in a rare "committee of the whole," in which the entire Senate debated budget and revenue issues. This is a much more conservative group of legislators than the House, and they're much more eager to look at layoffs, furloughs, and paycuts.
We do have some strong allies in the Senate, but they're in the minority. Between almost every Republican and a handful of conservative Democrats, we're outgunned--something to remember next time someone says your vote isn't important.
We're coordinating with our allies to try to ensure that the swing votes know we've already cut state government by $700 million and haven't raised a single dime of revenue despite having given a 40% tax cut to millionaires a few years ago and allowing out-of-state individuals and corporations to continue dodging taxes.
On Tuesday, the Senate Public Affairs Committee is scheduled to hear a bill to help balance the budget by taking an ADDITIONAL 2.64% from all state employees by increasing our share of PERA contributions. Our share would go from 7.42% of salary to 11.56%, which means we're losing 4.14% of our salary all because Republican Senators and conservative Democratic Senators are insisting on protecting a 40% tax cuts for millionaires and allowing out-of-state companies to cheat us out of the taxes they owe New Mexico (they already hit us for 1.5%, meaning that this would be an extra 2.64% out of our state employees' paychecks).
The bill is being sponsored by the Senate Republican leader Stuart Ingle. Here are all nine SPAC members' phone numbers and emails.
Remember, even the Republican and Democratic staffers are just like us: doing their jobs, and they aren't necessarily anti-state employee. So be nice to the person answering the phone. The Democrats are our most likely votes, so if you can only call a few, focus on swing votes Sen. Eichenberg and Sen. Munoz.
Ask them to VOTE NO on Senate Bill 246. The legislature already cut $700 million out of our budget, and it's time to take a balanced approach including revenue to fix our budget instead of singling out state employees, almost all who make between $15,000 and $45,000, to fix the mess caused by massive tax breaks for the rich and by allowing corporate loopholes.
PLEASE MAKE CALLS MONDAY AND TUESDAY MORNING, on your own time and with your own cell phone.
Chair Dede Feldman (D) (Albuquerque--Bernalillo County) 986-4482 dede.feldman@nmlegis.gov
Vice Chair Tim Eichenberg (D) (Albuquerque--Bernalillo County) 986-4859 tim.eichenberg@nmlegis.gov
Mary Jane Garcia (D) (Las Cruces--Dona Ana County) 986-4726 maryjane.garcia@nmlegis.gov
Eric Griego (D) (Albuquerque--Bernalillo & Valencia Counties) 986-4862 eric.griego@nmlegis.gov
George Munoz (D) (Gallup--Cibola & McKinley Counties) 986-4387 munozgeo@gmail.com
Cynthia Nava (D) (Las Cruces--Dona Ana County) 986-4834 cynthia.nava@nmlegis.gov
Gay Kernan (R) (Hobbs--Chaves, Curry, Eddy, Lea & Roosevelt Counties) 986-4274 ggkern@valornet.com
Vernon Asbill (R) (Carlsbad--Eddy & Otero Counties) 986-4393 vernon@asbillforsenate.com
Mark Boitano (R) (Albuquerque--Bernalillo County) 986-4366 boitanom@aol.com
Another blow to us is the announcement that Lt. Governor Diane Denish does not support the temporary Gross Receipts Tax increase in the House Budget bill and if there is a tie vote in the Senate, she will vote NO. Call the Lt. Governor’s Office and ask her to support state employees by supporting an increase in revenue rather than a cut to us and our services.
Telephone: 505-476-2250
email: Diane.Denish@state.nm.us
