Subsidizing Growth on Fringes of City Wrong Policy; Op-Ed from Journal

Monday, April 21, 2008 Subsidizing Growth on Fringes of City Wrong Policy
Albuquerque Journal
By Isaac Benton, Michael Cadigan and Rey Garduño Albuquerque City Councilors

Many decisions guiding Albuquerque's transportation and land use trends over the past several decades have contributed to sprawl, loss of open space, global warming and poor air quality.
Rapid development has increasingly occurred on the city's edges, contributing to New Mexico's rank as sixth in the nation for vehicle miles traveled per driver— about 18,500 miles per driver per year. Between 1980 and 2005, New Mexico's population grew by 48 percent, but our vehicle miles traveled grew by 112 percent. As a result, vehicle emissions are the fastest growing and second largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the state.
Sprawling growth trends in Albuquerque also mean that the open space and working landscapes that we value in New Mexico are disappearing. Nationally, according to the American Farmland Trust, the United States loses 3,000 acres of farmland to sprawl every day.
Many other cities around the country have made decisions to increase affordable residential options in their urban centers and guide development toward vacant land within the city's core, where residents who need it most can access public transit to and from work.
Such leadership would also protect valued open space and working landscapes around Albuquerque such as our deserts, mountains, grasslands and rivers— and the tourism, jobs, watershed protection and quality of life that these places provide.
The city of Albuquerque, however, with the help of the state's Tax Increment Development District (TIDD) policy, has done the opposite by subsidizing sprawling "greenfield" development on the city's fringe.
Tonight, the Albuquerque City Council will consider an ordinance that would get us moving in the right direction by limiting the city's use of TIDDs.
Although originally used to incentivize urban infill development where revitalization efforts would not occur otherwise, TIDDs could fuel development on the outskirts, providing up to 75 percent of the district's incremental gross receipts and property tax revenues for up to 25 years.
By subsidizing the growth of development on the city's edges, state economists estimate that even more homebuyers and businesses will be lured out of the existing community and into the fringe developments, cannibalizing our urban core and increasing hazardous automobile emissions throughout our city.
We strongly support this ordinance limiting the use of TIDDs to within the 1979 boundaries of the city, as defined in the Planned Growth Strategy, within a metropolitan redevelopment area or in a reserve area in which City Council has previously approved a TIDD. TIDDs would be allowed outside of the 1979 boundaries only if the subsidy were consistent with the No Net Expense Policy and was limited to non-residential development only.
The bill would exclude the use of gross receipts taxes to pay for TIDDs, a risk to taxpayers at a time of economic uncertainties and declining state revenues. By allowing state gross receipts taxes to be committed to providing sprawling infrastructure for such developments, New Mexico's TIDD policy has become the most generous to developers in the nation.
If we're going to reduce pollution and protect what we love about our community, we need to end incentives that drive development to our edges and instead promote smart, infill development and redevelopment. This ordinance will bring forward-thinking leadership to protecting Albuquerque's environment and quality of life.
Lauren Ketcham, director of Environment New Mexico, and Javier Benavidez of Conservation Voters New Mexico also contributed to this commentary.

Councilor Garduño Helps Energize the Power2Change Campaign

On Wednesday March 26, The Sierra Club launced the Power 2 Change Campaign and released their Power 2 Change Report. For the launch of the campaign, a press conference was held infront of the solar carport at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque.

The Power 2 Change Campaign involves a grassroots organizing effort to educate the public around energy issues for the 2008 Elections and challenge the candidates to push America towards clean and renewable energy.

The report shows the contrast in competing goals for Americas energy use and how crucial they'll be in the upcoming elections. The report also contains a section which focuses on New Mexico; that asks whether New Mexico will continue the toxic uranium mining or be the pilot for the solar manufactoring industry.

Also, here is a link to a KUNM Radio interview with Michael Casaus, from Sierra Club; Odes Armijo-Caster of Sacred Power; and Councilor Rey Garduño, about the Power2Change Campaign.

Calling all Progressives! Please Support Eleanor Chavez for State Representative-District 13

I have worked with Eleanor for years and I couldn't think of a better social justice leader to advance a progessive agenda in Santa Fe that will improve all of our lives. I encourage all of my supporters and all self described progressives to join me in supporting Eleanor. Check out Eleanor's blog for more info http://www.eleanorchavez.blogspot.com/

Together, we can take back New Mexico!

-Rey

Please Donate NOW on Act Blue for Eleanor Chavez!

Dear Friends,

In early February several colleagues in the social justice and labor community urged me to consider a run for the State House of Representatives, District 13. After much thought and discussion with my family, I've decided to accept the challenge.

Since the early 70's I have worked to make the world we live in a better place. While attending the University of Washington I worked with student farm worker boycott committees, worked to ensure that Chicano programs were not dismantled, and worked against funding cuts of childcare services to low income student parents.

For over 20 years I have been a member the SouthWest Organizing Project, one of the strongest grassroots organizations in the state. With other SWOP members I participated in voter registration drives, community surveys, and campaigns to educate our communities about the impact of toxic dumping. I served on the board of SWOP for many years and remain an active member.

I am currently the director for the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees District 1199NM. We represent health care workers in Las Vegas, Taos, Los Alamos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico. In our recent contract negotiations at University of New Mexico Hospital we were successful in a living wage campaign where no worker will receive less than $1.00 per hour wage increase! Good paying jobs with benefits are essential to our ability to raise our families and we all know t he right of workers to organize and negotiate over wages, benefits and working conditions must be protected.

Please Donate NOW on Act Blue for Eleanor Chavez!

As the health care crisis deepens I believe systemic reform is the only answer. Since the early 90's I have worked with other activists to pass legislation that would ensure all New Mexicans have health insurance. For over three years I have chaired the Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign, a coalition of 135 organizations dedicated to the passage of the Health Security Act.

The time has come for me to offer my services as House Representative from District 13. Growing up in New Mexico I learned early that justice is something that we have to struggle for and work towards. I want to bring a voice for working people to the Roundhouse. My opponent is a 20 year incumbent who has sold out to polluters, developers and insurance industry lobbyists. This Democratic primary race is one of the hottest in the state and the winner will face no opposition in the general election.

In order to win, we are building a strong, aggressive, grassroots campaign. We have gathered enough nominating petition signatures to secure a place on the ballot for the June 3rd primary. We have also secured the number one slot on the ballot for the District 13 race. We have built a solid campaign team and we have designed a plan to win. But we need your help to ensure a victory on June 3rd. We will need thousands of fliers, 100s of yard signs and many hours of walking to knock on doors and talk about the issues with our neighbors.

I am humbly asking those, like you, who share my commitment to justice to support my campaign now. In order to get this campaign off to a running start we need to raise $50,000 in the next two months—half of that by the end of March. That's a big task but we can do it if people like you pledge your support.Your gift of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500 or $1,000 will help me raise the vital "early seed money" I need to successfully launch this campaign.

Please Donate NOW on Act Blue for Eleanor Chavez!

You can make donations on-line on Act Blue or you can mail checks to the Eleanor Chávez for District 13 Campaign, to 1307 Del Maestro SW Albuquerque, New Mexico 87121. If you would like to volunteer I can be reached at eleanorchavez@gmail.com or call the campaign at 967-1337.

Thank you very much in advance for your generous support!

Sincerely,

Eleanor Chávez

FREE Tax Service @ Cesar Chavez Community Center

Last month, Councilor Garduño joined ACORN and Bank of the West for the opening of a free tax service in SE Albuquerque. This is a great service for the community and is open to everyone. Just head over to Cesar Chavez Community Center and gets your taxes done for FREE!

Special thanks to the Bank of the West, ACORN, and the Cesar Chavez Community Center for making this possible. Rey, also had the honor of cutting the ribbon and hopes that the entire community takes advantage of this free service.

The hours of operation are 1pm to 7pm. Call David Perkins to make an appointment @ 304-0799. The income limit is 41k and there are bilingual volunteers on hand.

Councilor Garduño Speaks to Highland High's Seniors

It has been a GREAT WEEK! The previous post was advocating for the Santa Fe Electorate to pass Public Financed Campaigns, and they did....OVERWHELMINGLY! Congratulations to the Santa Fe community for turning the page to Clean and Honest Elections!

Continuing from that success, yesterday March 6th, Councilor Garduño was a guest speaker at Highland High School for it's graduating class, where he continued to push for a living wage and encouraged the Seniors to become engaged in their community and to use Public Financed Campaigns to run for office themselves. Below is a review from the Highland PAC from Casandra over at SWOP:

Mayor Marty Gets Rotten Tomatoes and Councilor Garduño Takes The Show at Highland High School

SHOUT OUT to Councilor Rey Garduño for visiting High School students in his district today! Councilor Garduño continues to show young people that he sees them as an important and powerful part of the Albuquerque Community.

Yesterday afternoon, Mayor Marty Chavez, City Councilor Rey Garduño, and County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver spoke to an audience of high school seniors to encourage them to become civically engaged.

Bombarded with negative stereotyped messages from the Mayor, the students were fortunate to have another elected official present to give them a different message: young people are an essential voice in local politics.

And Mayor Marty Does It Again…

Mayor Marty Chavez set the stage at Highlands Performing Arts Center with a fifteen-minute monologue themed “you can’t get something for nothing” for an audience of Highland High Schools graduating class. He went on to endorse values of bureaucracy and materialism by telling the seniors they should strive to be employers instead of employees so they can make lots of money, meanwhile he is working hard to make sure there are minimum wage jobs available for when they fail. The Mayor bragged about his youth advisory board and skate park palooza, which in my opinion cater to a specific (privileged) part of the youth community, and tokenize young people at best.

BOOOOO!!! Someone needs to tell the Mayor to stop insinuating that being young is equivalent to being reckless and lazy. ESPECIALLY in a room full of young people?!

Councilor Garduño Comes To The Rescue…

Fortunate for the dismayed audience Councilor Garduño challenged the Mayor, speaking out for a living wage and clean and honest elections that allow true community members to run for elected offices, himself as an example. The Councilor inspired the young minds with insight on his role as a public servant, “I try to always do what’s in the best interest of the community, sometimes it’s very little, and sometimes it’s very hard, but it is always rewarding."

He made it clear that everyone is qualified to represent the people, and challenged the students to become engaged in our government. Echoing the voice of a government that encourages its citizens to take charge and fight for the collective voice of the people to be heard. Councilor Rey also advocated for a youth department within the city, staffed by young people, that would give real and meaningful opportunities for Albuquerque’s younger side.

Councilor Garduño proves to be a genuine ally in the fight against the destruction of the youth community, Bravo Rey!

Written by Casandra Stewart

Also, Councilor Garduño would like to Congratulate the Highland High Boys & Girls basketball teams for qualifying for the State Tournament, and wish them luck as the Girls play @Cibola on Friday, and the Boys play Gallup @ Highland on Saturday. Bring the State Titles to the Duke City and District 6! GO HORNETS!