Democrats have a way of saying one thing from one side of their mouths while doing the exact opposite in actuality.
Such is the case of New Mexico Governor "Malevolent Michelle" Lujan Grisham. As "Grishy the Clown" she's up to some funny business at our expense.
She is trying to portray herself as a "tax-cutter" while raising taxes and proposing new taxes.
In an opinion piece by Paul J. Gessing of the Rio Grande Foundation at KRWG exposes Grisham's slight-of-hand.
Here's some snippets:
Recently, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham posted on Facebook in support of her plan for a small .25 percentage point reduction in the State’s gross receipts tax rate, saying, “Lower taxes would enable them to grow their business and hire more people, including local adults with special needs that they focus on employing – and we’re going to make it happen.”
It sounded almost like something we at the free-market Rio Grande Foundation would write and the Governor’s statement is true as far as it goes. While we support ANY effort to lower tax burdens on New Mexicans, Lujan Grisham’s plan for a small .25 percentage point reduction in the State’s GRT is totally inadequate and clearly driven by her coming reelection and the fact that she faces a very tough race.
According to the Governor, her plan would cut taxes by $145 million annually. But since she took office, Lujan Grisham has signed tax hikes totaling more than $250 million annually. She also conveniently omits the fact that the oil and gas industry has created a $1.6 billion surplus, the likes of which New Mexico has never seen. Clearly given the economic trials facing average New Mexicans, we deserve much more than a tiny tax cut that fails to even make up for her past tax hikes.
The very same thing the Governor claims about lower taxes helping people grow their businesses were said in opposition to tax hikes she signed into law in 2019 (HB 6) and 2021 (SB 317). Among the tax hikes passed in these bills were hikes in personal income, motor vehicle, hospital, and health insurance taxes.
Worse, none of these tax hikes were necessary. The 2019 tax hikes were passed at a time of record budget surpluses alongside an 11 percent budget increase.
Directly imposing higher taxes is only one of numerous ways in which government makes doing business harder than necessary. In her time in office Lujan Grisham signed a new medical malpractice law that doctors and other medical professionals say will cause them to close or leave. The Energy Transition Act has already begun increasing electricity costs already begun increasing electricity costs and PNM is concerned about reliability as soon as next summer due to the closure of San Juan Generating Station.
While the Governor is busy positioning herself as a pro-business “tax cutter” she is also pushing a new “Clean Fuel Standard” that, based on a draft of the bill, would increase gasoline prices by 35 cents per gallon. Every New Mexico business and resident (even if they drive an electric vehicle) would see further price hikes above and beyond current inflation if that bill becomes law.
Yes, I agree. Lujan Grisham calling herself a "tax-cutter" is indeed laughable. "Grishy the Clown" indeed!
Next year is an election year and Lujan Grisham is up for re-election. It's time to vote her out of office!
To read the full article, go here.
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