[NENA] Call Rep. Larry Larranaga about HB 331/346

Mon Mar 9 17:30:13 EDT 2009

Party pooper.

--- On Sat, 3/7/09, JEFFREY BETH PETERSON <ainsleyann at msn.com> wrote:

> From: JEFFREY BETH PETERSON <ainsleyann at msn.com>
> Subject: Re: [NENA] Call Rep. Larry Larranaga about HB 331/346
> To: members at noreste.org, "John Ingram" <ingram1ja at yahoo.com>
> Cc: ingram1ja at yahoo.com
> Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009, 9:41 PM
> John:
> 
>  While I appreciate YOUR stance on the subject issue as
> well as your past efforts to better our community through
> your involvement in the neighborhood association, I have to
> believe that you well understand that the NENA website is
> NOT intended for distributing political OPINIONS or
> garnering support for said opinions. If you feel so strongly
> about this, please feel free to go door to door in person to
> make your case but please do NOT use the NENA website to
> promote any agendas.
> You can continue the back and forth with the persons you
> have engaged on this issue from your initial email and can
> CC me if you wish, but please leave the remainder of the
> Association out of your discourse. Anyone who wishes to
> discuss this further with you, may do so on a one-on-one
> basis.
> Thank You
> 
> Jeff Peterson,
> President, NENA 
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: John Ingram<mailto:ingram1ja at yahoo.com> 
>   To: members at noreste.org<mailto:members at noreste.org>
> 
>   Cc: ingram1ja at yahoo.com<mailto:ingram1ja at yahoo.com>
> 
>   Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 10:13 AM
>   Subject: [NENA] Call Rep. Larry Larranaga about HB
> 331/346
> 
> 
>         Hello NENA members:
> 
>         My name is John Ingram. I used to be president of
> NENA. I live on NW corner of Henriette Wyeth and Oakland,
> 8901 Henriette Wyeth NE.
> 
>         There's an urgent matter regarding our public
> schools, and State House Dist. 27 Rep. Larry Larranaga
> coming-up tomorrow, Sunday, Mar 8.
> 
>         Background: 3 years ago, the State Legislature
> commissioned a study by outside professional group to
> determine why too many of our schools and students are
> performing so poorly. 
> 
>         The commission issued a report several months ago
> with the finding that the State Legislature, which controls
> education funding, has consistently underfunded our schools
> by about 15% a year, or $350 million annually. This goes
> back to 1982.
> 
>         FYI: in 1981, the Legislature voted to remove
> property taxes as the sole source of school funding.
> Instead, they voted to be accountable and responsible for
> funding our schools with state income taxes, gross
> receipts/sales taxes, and a small percentage of the interest
> generated by investing the $7.9 billion Permanent School
> Fund in Wall Street. 
> 
>         Since 1982, K-12 and (now) pre-K public school
> funding has steadily declined from more than 50% of the
> overall NM state budget to 43% today. 
> 
>         However, the NM State Constitution legally requires
> the Legislature to "sufficiently" fund our
> schools. 
> 
>         The study commission reported that the State
> Legislature is not meeting its constitutional mandate.
> School districts are threatening to sue the Legislature in
> district court regarding this issue unless they pass HB
> 331/346.
> 
>         House Bill 331/346, sponsored by Rep. Mimi Stewart,
> will help correct this problem. 
> 
>         House Bill 331/346 increases gross receipts/sales
> taxes by three-quarters of one percent and produces about
> $350 million annually to fund our public schools. 
> 
>         Rep. Stewart amended the bills yesterday so HB
> 33/346 no longer requires an increase in state income taxes
> for top earners who are paying 4.9 percent rate. 
> 
>         Now, the sole source of the additional $350 million
> generated by HB 331/346 is the 3/4 of 1% increase in gross
> receipts/sales taxes.
> 
>         Rep. Stewart is a personal/professional friend of
> mine. I checked with her yesterday about HB 331/346 and
> progress toward passing the measures. 
> 
>         Rep. Stewart informed me that the House
> Appropriations & Finance
> Committee<http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/committeedisplay.aspx?CommitteeCode=HAFC>
> with hold a hearing on HB 331/346 tomorrow, Sunday, Mar 8,
> at 1:30 pm at State Capitol in House Finance Committee Room.
> 
> 
>         The House Finance Committee must pass HB 331/346
> out of committee so the bills can go to the House for a
> floor vote. 
> 
>         NENA's representative in the House is Rep.
> Larry Larranaga. 
> 
>         Rep. Larranaga also sits on the House
> Appropriations and Finance Committee. He is a powerful, and
> well respected legislator who listens to his constituents
> and wants to do the best he can for our public schools.
> I've talked to him many times.
> 
>         However, Rep. Larranaga is planning to vote NO on
> HB 331/346 tomorrow. 
> 
>         If you believe that HB 331/346 is in order, and we
> must increase funding for our schools, please call Larry,
> and have others who live at your home, who are registered
> voters, call him, too. 
> 
>         By the way, Research and Polling, INC. did a survey
> of registered voters on this issue. Friday's ABQ
> Journal, page 3 reported that a majority supports HB
> 331/346.
> 
>         Here are links so you can check this out if you
> need to: 
> 
>         Rep.
> Larranaga<http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/legdetails.aspx?SPONCODE=HLARR>
> , HB
> 331<http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/09%20Regular/bills/house/HB0331.html>
> , HB
> 346<http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/09%20Regular/bills/house/HB0346.html>
> 
>         If you want, or need, to talk to me about this
> issue, my mobile phone is 505-217-8020.
> 
>         Thanks for your consideration,
>         John 
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