Shea Andersen: At the Roundhouse

Republicans: Cato, schmato. Richardson's a tax hiker

You could practically smell the smoldering tempers in the House and Senate Republican caucuses at the news of Gov. Bill Richardson's blessing by the Cato Institute today.

These are the guys, after all, who see Richardson as a fee-and-tax hiker, not a tax cutter. Cato, they said, was "duped" by the Richardson PR machine.

So, not long after the news broke on Richardson's high ranking as a fiscally conservative tax-cutter, they shot out some statements of their own:

"Governor Richardson is not a tax cutting governor," said Sen. Rod Adair of Roswell. "He has cut some tax, but he has raised much, much more," he said.
Adair has been keeping his own tally of Richardson's tax cuts.

The jury, it is safe to say, is still out on all this. I don't have the newsprint available to print the he-said she-said debate over tax policy that might ensue.

But suffice it to say New Mexico's Republicans are tired of watching fees go up and even some taxes too, and then find more and more national voices laud Richardson as a tax cutter.

House Minority Leader Ted Hobbs has a ready tally:

"Tax increases passed by this legislature and spearheaded by Richardson also include a gas tax increase, motor vehicle fee increases, bus tax increases, a premium tax increase, motorcycle registration fee increases, passenger vehicle registration fee increases, trailer registration fee increases, livestock fee increases, butcher fee increases, as well as a daily bed tax on nursing home patients and approved tax increases for local municipalities," said Hobbs.

"It is," Hobbs said, "a lengthy list."

Posted by sandersen at March 1, 2005 06:51 PM