A Quality of Life Initiative
Only politicians with balls raise taxes. It takes bravado to stand up to the populace and explain that a few more dollars a year from each person will make life significantly better for everyone. A couple of years ago, the New Mexico Legislature put into place a mechanism that would allow municipalities or counties to tag up to one quarter of 1 percent of gross receipts tax toward quality-of-life expenditures. It’s a miniscule tax hike, but one that would result in an estimated $8 million to $12 million annual boon, which could be spent on parks, libraries, trails, cultural initiatives, beautification programs and much more. Instituting the program would require a popular vote, but city and county officials have shied away from putting the measure on the ballot, especially after the initiative failed in Bernalillo County. Apparently, what happens in Bernalillo should guide the direction of the state’s 400-year-old capital, national cultural center and top-ranking global destination.