“I can make a bill outlawing the boogeyman or I can gently explain the boogeyman doesn’t exist.”

~Rep. Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque, commenting on allegations that voter fraud is a problem in New Mexico, during a House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee hearing today. 

The HCPAC considered three bills together today, all related to requiring voter identification at the polls. The bills (HB 113, 207, and 235) were all tabled by Democrats on a party line vote.

Chorizo would link to the committee hearing, but when we went to our new favorite site, we found that the Governor chose to not webcast and archive this particular hearing.  ¡Qué horror!

Governor, we LOVE your webcasting and archiving. PLEASE do ALL of the committees and ALL of the floor sessions.

Thankfully, in a pinch we can turn to Twitter, from which we snagged our quote of the day from Katie Stone. Thanks Katie!

“We know from companies that have decided not to move to New Mexico that for some of them some aspects of our taxation are deal killers. We also know that the right incentives can overcome those objections, though with some cost, in the short run at least, to the state treasury. We know that tax policy is helpless against the damage caused by financial panics and exploding real estate bubbles and that when times are at their toughest demand for social services is at its highest and least affordable. And that is about all we know for sure about the link between taxes and jobs.”

~Winthrop Quigley, Albuquerque Journal business reporter, in a piece in today’s NM Business Outlook.

Quigley noted that the New Mexico Tax Research Institute is currently tracking 75 tax related bills that have been introduced during the 2012 30-day session, which Quigley notes is more than double the number of tax bills introduced during last year’s 60-day session.

This, he says, derives from a particular philosophy prevalent at the Roundhouse that jobs can be spurred by tweaking the tax code.  He points to the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Commerce and Industry as examples of those who push tax cuts due to such a philosophy.

Bill Jordan of New Mexico Voices for Children offers a different perspective in Quigley’s piece, saying that history tells a different story about the connection between taxes and jobs. Jordan noted that in 2003, the top personal income tax rate was lowered from 8.2 percent to 4.9 percent, and the capitol gains tax rate was cut in half.

Where are the jobs, Jordan wants to know, pointing out that “everybody hits the panic button” in response to a study showing low business friendly rankings, but no action on rankings that put the state last or near the bottom when it comes to child welfare.

But policies that invest in children would attract companies to the state, Jordan said, because they create a  “a stronger, more educated work force, with better state infrastructure, so a company that is moving here knows it can hire good workers, it can get its products in and out of the state, that employees’ children are going to be safe and well educated when they go to our public school system.” …

Hence, Jordan explains Voices for Children’s position on tax cuts this year:

“… this is no time to be spending money on tax cuts. We’re generally opposing all of them on that principle.”