Alex McCausland

Mar 25 2021

How the American Rescue Plan will help New Mexico

Alex McCausland2021-08-30T15:23:08-06:00Economic Security Publications, Education Publications, Health Publications, Local Data, Publications, Racial and Ethnic Equity Publications, Tax and Budget Publications|

Fact Sheet The American Rescue Plan Act will help New Mexico in a number of ways - income supports, housing and food assistance for families, and education and health care assistance for the state, cities, counties, and Tribes. This fact sheet looks specifically at how children of color - who have been disproportionately harmed by the pandemic - will be helped. (State-level estimates, some by race and ethnicity, on how many people will be impacted)

Mar 22 2021

Lottery Scholarship funding measure headed to gov’s desk

Alex McCausland2023-02-14T14:57:17-07:00Economic Security News Coverage, Education News Coverage, News Coverage, Racial and Ethnic Equity News Coverage|

Daily Lobo--“The lottery-based scholarships that are being provided are not addressing where the real need is,” James Jimenez, the executive director of NM Voices, said. “For a child of color born in New Mexico, there's a higher chance that child will live in poverty than a white child ... I think we need to do a much better job of directing aid toward families of color, (and) more specifically, low to moderate income families.”

Mar 15 2021

The HB 291 tax package will make our tax system more racially equitable

Alex McCausland2024-03-14T16:58:40-06:00Blog Posts, Economic Security Blog, Racial and Ethnic Equity Blog, Tax and Budget Blog|

Like other public policy, tax policy can either advance or hinder racial and ethnic equity. It is never race-neutral. As the legislative session enters its final week, one important tax bill - HB 291 - is still being debated. There are numerous reasons to support (it raises revenue and makes our tax system more stable, among others), but one reason has particular meaning in a state where people of color comprise the majority of the population. This blog explains.

Mar 13 2021

Investments necessary for a fair, rapid economic recovery

Alex McCausland2023-02-14T14:58:02-07:00Blog Posts, Economic Security Blog, Economic Security News Coverage, News Coverage, Tax and Budget Blog, Tax and Budget News Coverage|

Santa Fe New Mexican--Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, New Mexico was beginning to move forward on a path to more broadly shared prosperity. The pandemic and recession seem to have put some of that progress on hold. But they don’t have to. We can continue to move in the right direction if we ensure we have adequate and sustainable revenue that is raised in a way that is fair.

Mar 10 2021

Federal American Rescue Plan is the Relief New Mexicans Need

Alex McCausland2024-03-20T15:58:11-06:00Press Releases|

“We applaud the passage of the American Rescue Plan. This legislation is the kind of action we need now, when unemployed workers are still struggling to pay their bills, millions of families are falling further behind on rent and at risk of facing homelessness, and parents are worrying about how they will feed their children."

Mar 04 2021

Penal system measures slowly advance in New Mexico Legislature

Alex McCausland2023-02-14T14:58:45-07:00Human Rights/Civic Participation News Coverage, News Coverage, Racial and Ethnic Equity News Coverage|

Santa Fe New Mexican--“We’re concerned that private, for-profit prisons create a perverse incentive to incarcerate more people and keep them in longer,” said Bill Jordan, a lobbyist for the nonprofit New Mexico Voices for Children.

Feb 19 2021

Your Social Security benefits are mostly un-taxed income

Alex McCausland2023-02-14T14:59:34-07:00Blog Posts, Economic Security Blog, Economic Security News Coverage, News Coverage, Tax and Budget Blog, Tax and Budget News Coverage|

Las Cruces Sun-News--While we think of Social Security as “our” money, the fact is, most seniors receive much more in Social Security benefits than they actually paid in while working. The majority of the money in your Social Security check comes from other sources.

Feb 18 2021

Halfway home: Lawmakers hit crucial stretch

Alex McCausland2023-02-14T15:00:31-07:00Economic Security News Coverage, News Coverage, Tax and Budget News Coverage|

Albuquerque Journal--But James Jimenez, the executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, a nonprofit group that advocates for health care access and economic security, said he’s optimistic about the session’s final outcome. He also said changes to New Mexico’s tax code could bolster the state’s economic diversification efforts, adding that concerns raised by business groups are not new.

Feb 11 2021

New Mexico nonprofit seeks pandemic aid for migrants

Alex McCausland2023-02-14T15:01:23-07:00Economic Security News Coverage, News Coverage, Racial and Ethnic Equity News Coverage|

Santa Fe New Mexican--“We know that when aid comes to families, irrespective of their status, they spend it locally,” he said. “We’re hopeful that Congress and the president will recognize contributions that all immigrants make to New Mexico and the United States economically,” Jimenez added.

Feb 11 2021

Report: State Receives Billions in Economic and Tax Contributions by Immigrants

Alex McCausland2022-04-05T15:46:41-06:00Press Releases|

Aside from paying taxes, immigrants in New Mexico have $3.2 billion in purchasing power and immigrant-owned businesses have annual sales of $4.4 billion. Those are among the economic contributions immigrant residents make that support other local businesses and jobs. “Immigrants are actually twice as likely to start a company as are folks who were born here,” said James Jimenez, executive director of NM Voices. “These companies create jobs and economic activity that we would otherwise not have.”

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