State Tax Policy

Tax Increment Development Districts (TIDDs) – Is this use of tax money to pay developers for building public infrastructure an appropriate incentive or a developer give-away? Answers to frequently asked questions. (January 2008)Download (pdf)

Citizen's Guide to New Mexico's Tax System - Learn the basics of New Mexico's tax system – how it works and why it matters. (October 2007; 40 pages) Download (pdf)

Revenues in New Mexico: The Five-Year Path to a Revenue Squeeze - Why the trajectory of New Mexico's general fund revenue growth during the Richardson administration will lead to budgetary problems. (May 2007; 6 pages) Download the full report (pdf) Download the Executive Summary (pdf)

Quick Facts: Seeing the Value in Tax Transparency (May 2007) (pdf)

Quick Facts: Raising the Bar by Raising the Personal Income Tax Threshold (May 2007) (pdf)

Quick Facts: Who Pays Taxes in New Mexico (May 2007) (pdf)

Quick Facts: Corporate Income Tax and Combined Reporting (May 2007) (pdf)

Corporate Shell Games: How Wal-Mart and Others Shield Their Profits from New Mexico Taxes - The state of New Mexico is losing millions in corporate income tax every year because of a flaw in the state's tax policy. The policy benefits major multi-state corporations and puts locally owned businesses at a disadvantage. (April 2007; 8 pages) Download (pdf)

Tax Expenditures and General Sales Taxes in New Mexico -Tax expenditures are a way for the state to "spend" money indirectly by allowing exceptions to the ordinary tax code.  This paper, a follow-up to the "Moving Toward Revenue Policy Transparency Policy" paper (below), shows how tax expenditures have become a significant drag on the revenue-producing capacity of the general sales tax in New Mexico. (May 2007; 4 pages) Download (pdf)

Moving Toward Revenue Policy Transparency in New Mexico - Every year in New Mexico, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tax cuts, credits and incentives, known as "tax expenditures," go to individuals and businesses through exceptions to normal tax law. But because no one is required to keep track of the combined annual cost, they've ballooned into a $5 billion annual giveaway. (September 2006; 12 pages) Download (pdf)

Undocumented Immigrants in New Mexico: State Tax Contributions and Fiscal Concerns - Estimates how much undocumented immigrants pay the state in gross receipts and property taxes and how much undocumented immigrant children cost the state in K-12 educational services. (May 2006; 8 pages) Download (pdf)

Policy Brief: The Working Families Tax Credit: Helping Hard-Working Families Become Self-Sufficient (January 2006)

Tax Effort in New Mexico - Need for a Fair Tax System (April 2005) (pdf)

Who's Minding the Store? New Mexico's Income Tax Cut: Poor Performance, Wrong Choice (March 2005) Download (pdf) Abridged Version (pdf)

Personal Income Tax Cuts Do Not Equal Economic Growth (February 2005) Download (pdf)

How New Mexicans Feel About Tax Policy: Results of a 2004 Poll

Citizen's Guide to the New Mexico State Budget - Learn the basics of the state's general fund budget - how the state spends its money and why it matters. (Updated April 2008; 36 pages) Download (pdf)

Quick Facts: TELs and TABOR: Why Limiting State Spending Puts Everyone in the Red (May 2007) (pdf)

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Report: Faulty Foundations: State Structural Budget Problems and How to Fix Them (May 2005) Read summary

Policy Brief: Wanted: A Healthy Budget to Support a Healthy New Mexico (Fall 2004)

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Federal Tax & Budget Policy

First Focus Report: Children's Budget 2008 – Over the past five years only one penny of every new, real non-defense dollar spent by the federal government has gone to programs that support the well-being of America's children. Report covers 180 programs and their appropriations levels. (April 2008; 59 pages) Download the full report (pdf) Download the fact sheet (pdf)

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Brief: Where Do Our Taxes Go? – In fiscal year 2007, the federal government spent $2.7 trillion. Ever wonder how such a big chunk of change could be spent? It's all explained in this easy-to-understand brief. (April 2008; 4 pages) Download (pdf)

The Federal Economic Stimulus Package and the New Mexico Impact (March 2008) (pdf)

Policy Brief: New Mexico Would Lose $550.1 Million for Domestic Programs, $450 Million from Medicaid under President Bush's Proposed Budget (March 2005) (pdf)

 

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Work & Wages

Quick Facts: Unemployment Insurance Benefits Everyone (May 2007) (pdf)

PowerPoint: Stimulating New Mexico's Economy and Helping Unemployed Workers: Maintaining and Expanding the 2003 Reforms to the Unemployment Insurance System (December 2006)

Expand Opportunity to All New Mexicans: Raise State Minimum Wage to $7.50 Indexed to Inflation (Revised October 2006) (pdf)

An Economic Success Story: Job Growth and Poverty Reduction in States that have Raised the Minimum Wage (Revised October 2006) (pdf)

Workforce Environment Index – New Mexico and Neighboring States - Ranks the states on a set of measures such as job quality, job opportunities, and workplace fairness that describe what the environment is like for working people. (March 2006; 8 pages)(pdf)

The Path to a High Road Economy: Investing in People, Creating Opportunity - A report of the Working Poor Families Project (January 2006) (pdf) Policy Brief: Job Training for Workers: Helping New Mexico's Families and Businesses Succeed - New Mexico has invested record amounts of money in economic development in recent years, but if the state is to succeed in its goal of creating a high-wage economy, we must have a workforce trained to fill those jobs. Read more

Economic Development

2007 State of Working New Mexico – Reviews the most current information on indicators of economic well-being for New Mexico’s working families. – Released in cooperation with the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN). (January 2008; 36 pages) (pdf)

2006 State of Working New Mexico (September 2006; 28 pages) (pdf)

2005 State of Working New Mexico (pdf)

The Social Infrastructure and Economic Development in New Mexico (July 2005; 53 pages) (pdf)

New Mexico's Tax Cuts Have Not Stimulated Economic Growth (January 2005)

2004 State of Working New Mexico (16 pages; pdf)

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Social Security

Economic Policy Institute Data: Social Security Essentials – Total amount in Social Security benefits received in New Mexico, broken down by county. (April 2005) (pdf)
Social Security: What it Means to New Mexico (March 2005)

Center for Economic Policy Research: Social Security Benefits Calculator