By
Cheryl Gooding Communications Director
New Mexico Voices for Children
Why in a state with among the nation's highest rate of poverty, does the Governor
never mention the poor? What happened to that campaign promise to enact universal
health insurance in New Mexico within four years? Instead of commitment and progress
on health care and poverty we get cuts to Medicaid for the last two years - about
$50 million under-funded. Which means fewer people with access to healthcare-
including children, the elderly and the disabled.
Now, it's time to pay
our taxes. Paying taxes is a responsibility we really shouldn't mind. I think
of it as an exchange. I pay my fair share. In return, I get paved roads to drive
on, relatively clean air and water, a public education for my child, nice public
parks to enjoy with my dog, and the knowledge that I am participating in one of
the most basic functions of a civil society.
Paying taxes is a community
responsibility that we all should share equally, just as we all enjoy the benefits
and basic services our taxes pay for. One thing I do want, though, is a tax system
that's fair, and that takes in enough money to pay for the basics.
We don't
have either of those things in New Mexico anymore. We did, before Governor Richardson
enacted tax cuts for the wealthy. The income tax cut passed in 2003 is sucking
hundreds of millions of dollars out of the state budget. The top 1% of tax-paying
families got a tax break worth about $7,000 this year, while the rest of us middle
and lower-income tax-paying families got about $60 this year. That's not fair.
Meanwhile,
we're told there's not enough money to fully fund healthcare for our children.
What
are our priorities? If you're like me, you'd much rather see healthcare for all
rather than a tax cut giveaway. It's not right that in a state as poor as New
Mexico so much of our tax dollars are being pulled from the state budget for a
tax cut give away to those who need it the least.
First things first: let's
all pay our fair share in taxes. And let's make sure we take care of the basics.
Isn't that what fiscal responsibility is all about?
