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Inaction on Climate Change Racks Up Huge Bill for NM and Southwest

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Santa Fe - A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council finds the costs of inaction on climate change are already being racked up in New Mexico and across the Southwest, especially when it comes to water resources and energy costs. New Mexico and other Southwestern states are racking up a huge tab when it comes to the costs from climate change. The report has come out just as the state gears up for the peak of a wildfire season that got an early start, despite a wet winter. Ann Watkins is a special assistant to the state engineer - she says more fires are just the beginning, "We have a number of smaller water systems which will be really impacted. Ecosystem issues are going to be just tremendous, forest fires we've already seen."  The report predicts the total cost on water resources nationwide could be nearly a trillion dollars, with much of the cost concentrated in the Southwest and Southeast. Watkins says the changing climate will also cost the state a bundle for more energy to power cooling systems. 

Consuelo Bokum with 1000 Friends of New Mexico says that when it comes to water, New Mexico already had problems. Bokum says "Even without climate change, the West and New Mexico in particular is facing problems associated with water availability and water scarcity. And has climate change accelerates, those problems are only going to increase drastically."  Bokum says the report points out that climate change will also hurt agriculture. She says action needs to be taken now to avoid serious financial and social consequences.  Te report is available at http://nrdc.org 

USDA Report: Climate Change Real, Impacts in NM 'Less Than Enchanting'

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
The federal government says climate change is happening right now and New Mexico is already feeling the burn. The USDA says impacts to livestock have already been seen and that's just the beginning. It's going to take more than just 'cool heads' to prevail over climate change that's already happening in New Mexico and other Western states. A new federal government report released on Tuesday says climate change is real, it's happening now, and the Land of Enchantment has already been impacted. Ecosystem researcher Steve Archer is one of the report authors. He says New Mexico's landscape is extra-sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation, "Projected climate changes will increase the sensitivity of arid lands to disturbances, such as fire, grazing and off-road vehicle use, and it will limit their ability to recover from these disturbances."

The report says the effects of climate change on New Mexico's livestock industry have already been seen - between 2001 and 2002, the USDA saw net income from livestock production in New Mexico fall by 279 million dollars. While the report doesn't make any recommendations for reducing the pollution scientifically linked to climate change, it's expected the data will help shape future state and federal policy.

After Governor Richardson declared last year the "Year of Water," report author and director of the Joint Global Change Research Institute Tony Janetos says every year from now on may require the same focus on conserving precious natural resources, "This is no longer just an issue of what might happen in the coming decades. Many of these are changes that are going on now, they're going on more rapidly than we might have anticipated."

The report estimates parts of the west could see average temperature increases of as much as 18 degrees Fahrenheit. A separate 2007 study found that the Colorado River Basin, which includes New Mexico, is already the nation's fastest-warming region.  The report, "The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity," is at www.usda.gov.

US Hits Record Low Federal Spending on Kids

Programs serving children only receiving one penny of every federal dollar spent

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Over the past five years only one penny of every new, real non-defense dollar spent by the federal government has gone to children, a new publication revealed today. The report, "Children's Budget 2008," was released by First Focus, a bipartisan children's advocacy organization.

The report looks at the more than 180 federally funded programs that are aimed at enhancing the well-being of our nation's children, and how those programs' appropriations levels have changed over the past five years. After adjusting for inflation, "Children's Budget 2008" finds that just 1 percent of all new spending since fiscal year 2004 is helping America's kids. 

Over the past five years, spending on children's education has been stagnant, resulting in a real decrease in the value of education funding, the report concludes. Nearly 70 education programs have suffered real cuts in funding over the past five years, leading to a 10 percent inflation-adjusted funding decrease.

"The report's findings are deeply disturbing," said Bill Jordan, Policy Director for New Mexico Voices for Children. "Not only is investing in our children the right thing to do by them, it's the right thing to do by our country and economy. We're not giving our children the best chance at succeeding when we're pulling the plug on their education and health care. We should be investing more in education in the 21st century, not less."

"In the past few years we've heard a lot of lip service about family values. This study shows how empty that talk has been," he added. "If our federal budget is a moral document, this shows a great moral deficiency."

Based in Washington, D.C., First Focus is part of America's Promise Alliance, which was founded, in part, by Colin Powell.  The report is posted online at http://www.firstfocus.net/pages/3391/

Supply and Demand Goes Hungry in NM

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Albuquerque - If you haven't heard the news, you've probably noticed it at the local grocery store. Food prices are way up, and that's sending more New Mexicans to food banks, which are also struggling with the higher prices. Comments from Laurel Wyckoff with the New Mexico Association of Food Banks, and Ashley White with the Children's Defense Fund.

Grocery bills are taking a bite out of breakfast, lunch and dinner for New Mexicans. Rising food prices are a trend across the state, and the world, with the biggest price spikes shooting up in recent months. Laurel Wyckoff with the New Mexico Association of Food Banks says the situation has sent more people than ever to food banks, but the problem is, they're feeling the squeeze, too, "When I first started doing this around 2004, spaghetti, or let's say macaroni, was about ten thousand dollars a truckload, now pasta is running 27 thousand dollars a truckload."

Wyckoff adds that Food Stamps don't adjust for the increased prices, sending more low-income and working families to food pantries sooner, further depleting food banks. She says she's also begun to see more families who work full-time, which used to be unheard of.
Ashley White with the Children's Defense Fund says Congress can help address the problem by making long overdue increases to the food stamp program, like adjusting it for inflation, "It's just shameful that in this richest nation there's 12.6 million children living in households struggling against hunger in this past year."

N.M. Among States with Highest Income Inequality

Gap between New Mexico's richest and poorest is 6th largest in nation

ALBUQUERQUE- New Mexico

New Mexico ranks sixth among the states - but it's not for a good measure. A national study shows that income inequality grew significantly between the richest and poorest, and even the richest and middle-income families, from the late1990s to the mid-2000s. The study, "Pulling Apart," is from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute.

The richest New Mexicans have average incomes eight times as large as the poorest. Since the late 1990s, the average income of the richest New Mexico families increased from $91,571 to $118,608, while incomes for the poorest families stagnated.

Nationally, the wealthiest Americans saw their incomes rise by about 9 percent during this time period, while the lowest wage-earners actually saw their income decrease by 2.5 percent. Although the income inequality gap varies by state, no state showed a decrease. The report blames economic trends and government policies for the widening gap.

"Unfortunately, as the economy slows we can expect that low- and moderate-income families will be hit hard," said Gerry Bradley, Research Director for New Mexico Voices for Children, a statewide child advocacy organization. "Policies that the state put in place in 2007 - raising the minimum wage, creating the state Working Families Tax Credit, and increasing unemployment benefits - were good policies and will help some, but it's like a garden hose compared to the tidal wave-impact of the economy," he added.

The full report, press release, and state fact sheets are available at: http://www.cbpp.org/4-9-08sfp.htm .

The Fiscal Policy Project is a program of New Mexico Voices for Children and is made possible by grants from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the McCune Charitable Foundation.
2340 Alamo SE, Suite 120, Albuquerque, NM 87106; (p) 505-244-9505 -- www.nmfiscalpolicyproject.org

Impact of economic stimulus package on NM likely negative

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Revenue shortfalls will aggravate coming recession

ALBUQUERQUE- As state revenue growth slows, the consequences of the federal economic stimulus package will be more and more deeply felt. That is the conclusion of a report, "The Fed's Economic Stimulus Package and the New Mexico Impact," released today by the child advocacy group, New Mexico Voices for Children.

In the face of already grim state revenue predictions, New Mexico will lose about $27 million due to the stimulus package's tax breaks for business. As revenues fall, states must either cut spending or raise taxes, both of which aggravate the impact of the recession. A better approach to heading off the recession would have included direct aid to states, such as block grants and increased Medicaid funding.

Direct aid to states is not the only effective form of economic stimulus that the package left out. Extending unemployment insurance (UI) payments and increasing food stamp benefits would have a greater impact because it would improve the purchasing power of the lowest-income Americans. Low-income Americans are more likely than middle- and upper-income earners to spend all of their new income, and increased spending is the point of the stimulus package. "Congress and the president should have taken a more effective approach with regard to the stimulus package," said Eric Griego, Executive Director for NMVC.

"During the 2001 recession, an increase for programs targeted to working families, such as Medicaid and block grants, did a much better job of putting the country back on track and it didn't undermine the state's ability to fund programs that benefit everyone like health care, education and public safety," added NMVC Research Director and report author Gerry Bradley.

Instead, the stimulus package will send checks out only to households that file income tax returns. Many Americans - seniors and low-income families in particular - do not file returns and are, therefore, likely to be left out. With New Mexico's high percentage of low-wage earners, the stimulus checks will have much less of a positive impact on the local economy than they will in other states.

The report can be accessed online at: http://www.nmvoices.org/fiscalpolicyproject.htm

TIDD for Tat: Last Chance for 'Greenfields' Bills

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Santa Fe - As the legislature wraps up this week, there's still hope for two stalled bills that would reform subsidies for developers -- which critics say often contribute to urban sprawl.

Critics say it's a gift that keeps on giving ... to developers, and state legislators are looking to stop it. Two bills in the state legislature look to put the brakes on controversial tax-increment development districts, or TIDDs. A TIDD funnels certain tax revenues from a development back to developers for several years into the future. Albuquerque city councilor Michael Cadigan has been fighting a TIDD on the Duke City's West Mesa. He says TIDDs were invented to help clean up blighted urban areas, but that's not how they're being used in New Mexico, "It was never intended to help subsidize urban sprawl type development out on the far west mesa, and that's what we're getting."  Developers say TIDDs can be a valuable tool to bring new jobs and economic growth to the state. Cadigan says that won't help pay for new schools and other services around the new developments.

Steve Fischmann is with the Quality Growth Alliance, which successfully fought a proposed TIDD in Las Cruces. He says communities should take a long, hard look at where their tax dollars will go under a TIDD, "So it's kinda like going from the taxpayers straight to a board controlled by a developer and it does that for twenty years, and once you've done it you're stuck." Some TIDDs can collect revenue for as long as 25 years. A bill now in the House would add new restrictions to future TIDDs and another in the Senate calls for a moratorium on TIDDs in undeveloped areas.

ABQ Council May Use Blight-Fighting Tool to Spread Urban Sprawl

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Albuquerque - September 4, 2007- A financial tool meant for local governments to help revitalize run-down neighborhoods and blighted inner cities could be used instead to increase Albuquerque's urban sprawl. Developers have proposed using "tax-increment financing" to subsidize new developments on empty land near the edge of the city. The Albuquerque City Council will be taking final action on a related measure Wednesday.

A tool to revitalize blighted neighborhoods and run-down inner cities may end up expanding Albuquerque's sprawl instead.  Developers are using something called "tax increment financing" to help fund the huge new Mesa Del Sol development near the edge of the city, and another developer is proposing a similar plan for an even bigger development on the West Mesa.  The developers say their plans will boost the city's economy - but Gabriel Nims with 1000 Friends of New Mexico says they will take public funding away from where it's needed most, Click to Hear nims090307.mp3  ("We should be focusing on re-investing in our core community.  We've identified a over 1.7 billion dollar backlog in infrastructure costs or needs.  Why should we be throwing the bank at further development on the fringe?")

The new developments could increase Albuquerque's population by over twenty percent.  Nims says there needs to be more study of the impacts of such large developments on the local economy. The Albuquerque City Council will be taking action on a tax-increment financing measure at its meeting Wednesday. Eric Schmeider from the Southwest Organizing Project adds that the subsidies actually take money out of the state's general fund and away from more needy rural communities, Click to Hear schmeider090307.mp3  ("Taxpayers from Clayton to Carlsbad are subsidizing development in the Albuquerque - Rio Grande corridor." )

New Mexicans to Domenici: 'Renew' Our Future - Don't Dim It.'

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Albuquerque - August 16, 2007- A coalition including local politicians, ranchers, labor and conservation groups are calling on New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici (R) to re-think his opposition to a federal renewable energy standard that has already passed the House. Concerned New Mexicans are asking Senator Domenici not to "turn out the lights" on the state's future by blocking a federal renewable energy standard that has already passed the House.  Albuquerque City Councilor Isaac Benton says New Mexico stands to gain more than most other states from a national boost to renewables,  Click to Hear benton081707.mp3 ("We've got a good scientific community here, an inventor type community that has been looking at solar and looking at alternative energy, so I think we, more than most places, stand to benefit economically.")

New Mexico already has a renewable energy standard in place on the state level. A recent Union of Concerned Scientists study found that a federal standard could bring billions of dollars in capital investment to the Land of Enchantment, along with millions in energy bill savings for consumers and nearly 3,000 new jobs.  Chris Chavez with the New Mexico Federation of Labor says developing renewable energies is critical for working class New Mexicans,  Click to Hear chavez081707.mp3 ("There's people that can't drive their vehicles today because of the price of oil. We have to start going into the technologies to help the working families in this country.")

Visit Councilor Benton on the web at http://www.cabq.gov/council/ccdist3.html  and the New Mexico Federation of Labor at http://www.nmfl.org/HTML/Introduction%20Page.htm

Otero Mesa Worth More than its Weight in 'Black Gold'

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
San Francisco, CA - August 14, 2007- A new Sierra Club report looks at the "New Economy of the West" and finds there's more value in the natural resources above ground than the fossil fuels underneath. It says New Mexico's Otero Mesa is one area that will be worth much more in the long run if it's left intact.

The West's natural jewels are worth more in the long run than all of its 'black gold.' That's the conclusion of a new report from the Sierra Club. Kristina Johnson with the Club says it identifies New Mexico's Otero Mesa as one of the West's true 'diamonds in the rough' that should be protected, Click to Hear  johnsonk1.mp3 ("Not just because they're beautiful and very important public lands, but also because they really support local communities with jobs and tourist dollars.")

Otero Mesa is popular with hunters and home to wintering birds, raptors and a rare, genetically-pure pronghorn population. It also houses a large number of archaeological sites that have yet to be inventoried or explored, and it's home to the state's largest untapped freshwater aquifer. Last fall, a federal judge ruled that the BLM's plan for drilling would protect the local environment, despite studies that show drilling could contaminate the aquifer. Johnson says that according to government estimates, plans to drill for oil and gas near Otero Mesa would mean less than a one percent increase in jobs for Sierra and Otero Counties, Click to Hear johnsonk2.mp3 ("So, it's another area where oil and gas drilling threatens the already thriving tourist economy.")

For the full report visit http://www.sierraclub.org/wildlegacy/downloads/2007publicwildlandsreport.pdf