KBUY RADIO

A PAIR OF TAX INCREASE PROPOSALS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO THE HOUSE FLOOR AFTER BEING ENDORSED BY A KEY HOUSE COMMITTEE LATE MONDAY. ONE IS RAISING TAXES ON HIGH INCOME STATE WORKERS AND THE OTHER ON MOST PURCHASES MADE BY ALL NEW MEXICANS. EVEN IF APPROVED BY THE HOUSE, THE BILLS COULD FACE AN UPHILL FIGHT IN THE SENATE. MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE TAXATION AND REVENUE COMMITTEE VOTED TEN TO SIX TO ENACT A TEMPORARY HALF CENT INCREASE IN THE STATE’S GROSS RECEIPTS TAX RATE, WHICH WOULD GENERATE AN ESTIMATED $240 MILLION NEXT YEAR.  AND IMPOSE A THREE YEAR SURTAX ON SINGLE NEW MEXICANS WHO EARN AT LEAST $133,000 IN TAXABLE INCOME. THE SURTAX AND A NUMBER OF OTHER TAX HIKE PROPOSALS ARE BACKED BY LABOR UNIONS, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIAL ADVOCACY GROUPS WHO SAY THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE COULD HEOP THE STATE AVOID CUTTING THE SALARIES OF STATE WORKERS AND TEACHERS AND PARING

A TRUCK CARRYING A LOAD OF PLASTIC WRAPPED FLATS OF NINE LIVES CAT FOOD ALSO HAD OVER FOUR HUNDRED POUNDS OF MARIJUANA IN THE CARGO. MOTOR TRANSPORTATION DIVISION POLICE OFFICERS WORKING AT THE LORDSBURG HIGHWAY PORT OF ENTRY SATURDAY FOUND 10 CARDBOARD BOXES CONTAINING 21 CELLOPHANE WRAPPED BUNDLES HOLDING 414 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA. THE ESTIMATED STREET WAS WORTH MORE THAT $620,000 ACCORDING TO THE DEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. TRUCK DRIVER DWIGHT GRANT, 38 WAS ARRESTED ON A DRUG DISTRIBUTION CHARGE AND THE CASE WAS HANDED OVER TO THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION. THE TRUCK HAD BEEN PACKED IN CALIFORNIA. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SAID ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE TO DELIVER THE LEGITIMATE PORTION OF THE LOAD, THAT IS THE CAT FOOD TO ITS DESTINATION, WHICH IS ATLANTA.

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS PROPOSED MAJOR INCREASES IN THE U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS BUDGET, INCLUDING MONEY FOR A NEW PLUTONIUM RESEARCH COMPLEX AT LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY THAT COULD COST MORE THAN FOUR BILLION DOLLARS. LOS ALAMOS WOULD SEE A TWENTY TWO PERCENT BUDGET INCREASE NEXT YEAR IF CONGRESS APPROVES THE SPENDING PLAN. THE LABS WOULD SEE SMALL INCREASES IN ENERGY RESEARCH, BUT THE BULK OF THE MONEY WOULD EXPAND THEIR WORK DESIGNING AND MAINTAINING NUCLEAR BOMBS AND WARHEADS. THE SPENDING IS CRITICAL TO NEW MEXICO WHERE THE U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS AND A MAJOR ECONOMIC ENGINE IN THE ALBUQUERQUE, SANTA FE AND LOS ALAMOS AREA.

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR HAS ANNOUNCED $225 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM IN FISCAL YEAR 2010. THIS FUNDING WAS PROVIDED IN THE CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 2010 TO ALLOW GRANTEES TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS UNMET NEEDS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND JOB TRAINING AMONG LOW INCOME, OLDER AMERICAN WORKERS. NEW MEXICO WILL RECEIVE  ABOUT $278,000.

SUCCESSFUL APPICANTS WERE CHOSEN BASED ON DEMONSTRATED NEED AMONG THE OLDER WORKER POPULATIONS THEY SERVE, THE CAPACITY TO IMMEDIATELY AND EFFECTIVELY EXPEND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND PAST PERFORMANCE IN SERVING OLDER WORKERS.

AN EMAIL IS CIRCULATING THROUGH NEW MEXICO WARNING PEOPLE ABOUT A GANG INTITATION, INVOLVING WHAT LOOKS LIKE AN ABANDONED CHILD SAFETY SEAT CONTAINING A SMALL CHILD ALONG A ROADSIDE.   STATE POLICE SAY THAT EMAIL IS A HOAX.

The EMAIL SAYS GANGS ARE SETTING UP a child SAFETY along a roadway with a doll dressed up to appear to be an infant.  When the traveler stops, they will be attacked.

State Police say there is no credible information to support the warning, and it did not come from them.

OFFICIALS ADD, If you do get the e-mail, do not forward it.

THEY ARE TOURING NEW MEXICO IN AN RV TO SHARE SOME IMPORTANT ‘ROAD RULES’. MILITARY VETERANS HAVE BEEN CRISS-CROSSING WESTERN STATES AND SHARING A MESSAGE ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AMERICA’S NATIONAL SECURITY AND OUR ENERGY POLICY. THE “OPERATION FREE” TOUR IS WRAPPING UP A SWING THROUGH NEW MEXICO THIS WEEK, WHERE MATT VICTORIANO, A FORMER MARINE WHO SERVED IN IRAQ WHO NOW SERVES IN THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, HAS BEEN SPEAKING OUT ALONGSIDE OTHER VETS ABOUT WHAT HE SEES AS A VITAL NEED TO REDUCE DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN ENERGY SOURCES. VICTORIANO SAYS IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO KEEP OUR ENERGY DOLLARS AT HOME RATHER THAN SENDING THEM ABROAD. AND THAT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT AMERICA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE ALL OF ITS OWN ENERGY THROUGH CLEANER MEANS.