近距离内射合集

State policy is freezing Albuquerque鈥檚 housing market

The national news blames high mortgage rates for our frozen housing market, but New Mexico homeowners face a second, silent penalty unique to our state: 鈥渢ax lightning.鈥�

In New Mexico, a state law protects current homeowners by capping annual property valuation increases at 3%. If you have lived in your home for 10 or 20 years, your property tax bill is likely highly discounted compared to actual market value.

But the moment a home is sold, that protection vaporizes. The county assessor immediately resets the property鈥檚 taxable value to current market rates.

If a local family who has lived in their home for a decade or two tries to make a completely lateral move next door to a virtually identical $385,000 home, tax lightning strikes. The sudden, uncapped reassessment can instantly add $2,000 to $3,000 a year to their tax bill 鈥� roughly $200 extra every month just for changing addresses.

When you pair this $200 monthly tax penalty with today鈥檚 6% mortgage rates, the math of a lateral move collapses. A family trading a 3% loan for a new one pays an extra $549 a month in interest. Combined with the tax jump, they face a $749 monthly penalty to live in the same house. On a $1 million home the same forces produce an even harsher result, with tax lightning and the rate jump together exceeding $1,900 in extra monthly costs.

Even if mortgage rates eventually drop and loosen the market's grip, tax lightning will remain a permanent hurdle for local buyers. Until New Mexico lawmakers allow residents to transfer their 3% valuation cap to a replacement primary residence 鈥� as other states have done 鈥� state policy will continue to act as an artificial barrier to housing mobility.

Mark Raney

Albuquerque

PRC made correct call Blackstone stock purchase

Public oversight matters. The Public Regulation Commission's decision to hold Blackstone Infrastructure and TXNM Energy accountable to the law was the right one for New Mexico. By disregarding the requirement for proper public approval of a massive $400 million stock exchange, Blackstone showed it cannot be trusted with choices that impact our environment and our communities.

Controlling essential services that can potentially have grave consequences on ecosystems and the people across our state is a massive responsibility. When companies show that profit matters more than the law, they鈥檙e telling us that their greed is more important than our well-being.

I am grateful to the commission for doing the right thing and halting this process. We cannot trust Blackstone with our most precious assets 鈥� our air, water, soil, and our people.

Carlos Matutes

New Mexico state director of GreenLatinos

US Forest Service should be fully funded

As a resident of New Mexico, a state with 24.7 million acres of forest, I take great pride in our legislators taking on an administration that has decimated the U.S. Forest Service with unrelenting firings of staff, slashed funding and cuts to everything from restoring declining trail conditions to eliminating the training of biologists, botanists, geologists and other resource careers.

A big thank you to U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., who took time to hike with constituents last week in the Trout Fire burn area in the wake of the Forest Service cuts.

Healthy forests protect communities from catastrophic wildfires and support outdoor recreation, preserving New Mexico鈥檚 natural heritage. As it gets hotter, drier conditions increase wildfire risk. Our forests need management, adequate staffing and resources more than ever.

Urge your congressional delegation to fully fund the U.S. Forest Service and support bipartisan policies that help forests become more resilient.

Carol Kravetz

Santa Fe

Cutting income tax would only serve the rich

In the July  21 Journal, Rep. Elaine Sena Cortez, R-Hobbs, added her name to the list of Republicans who are endorsing the elimination of New Mexico's personal income tax since it would help "hard-working New Mexicans.鈥� She and the others never "show us the money,'' why is that?

Because lower income taxpayers would see/receive very little money. Taxpayers (family of four) who earn $34,700 or less do not pay any state taxes so eliminating income taxes for them does them no good. And if they happen to be a senior couple (over 65) they don't pay any state income taxes on an income of $42,980, which is probably more then most Social Security recipients receive, so no help for them either.

So who does eliminating the state income tax help? Certainly anybody who pays more than $10,000 a year in taxes. Same for those paying $100,000 and especially the millionaires.

Is Sena Cortez one of those rich people? Her friends?

She should "show us the money."

David L. Jackson

Albuquerque

State Farm not a good neighbor after building collapse

Why would State Farm continue to write policies for seven years insuring the Bliss Building and Lindy's Diner (July 14 Journal) if they knew the building was unsafe? Why would they continue to cash its owners' premium checks? And now they refuse to pay out the building owners, Steve and Dawn Vatoseow's, claims. I propose State Farm change its jingle's lyrics to "Just like a good nay-bor, State Farm is where?"

Greg Homicz

Albuquerque

It鈥檚 time for Sandoval County to adopt an independent redistricting commission

Every 10 years, following the U.S. Census, election district maps are redrawn. In 2021, Sandoval County adopted new commission districts that were immediately challenged by San Felipe and Jemez pueblos, among others.

After four years of litigation, a district court recently ruled the map violated the New Mexico Constitution, finding the county failed to adequately consult the pueblos and unlawfully diluted the voting strength of Native American and Hispanic communities. The 2022 and 2024 elections, and likely the 2026 election, were conducted under a map the court found unlawful.

Citizens shouldn鈥檛 have to sue their own government to receive fair representation.

Sandoval County should learn from San Juan County. There, the Navajo Nation challenged the 2021 commission districts on similar grounds. Those districts were drawn by the same consulting firm used by Sandoval County. Rather than defend an indefensible map, county leaders worked with the Navajo Nation, adopted a lawful map, resolved the dispute years ago, and avoided prolonged litigation.

Sandoval County chose a different path. It chose to fight instead of settle. The county has appealed. If it loses, it will still have to draw a new map and could also be required to pay the plaintiffs' attorney fees and costs, potentially leaving taxpayers responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Justice delayed is justice denied. Leadership isn鈥檛 about fighting a losing battle to the bitter end. It鈥檚 about serving the entire community, protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring fairness.

This isn鈥檛 about Republicans or Democrats. Given the opportunity, both parties have gerrymandered. The solution is an independent redistricting commission. Elected officials shouldn鈥檛 choose their voters. Voters should choose their elected officials.

It鈥檚 time to settle this case, adopt a lawful map and put taxpayers first.

Frank Smith

Rio Rancho