 Dear Juan,  Test results from 2022’s National Assessment of Educational Progress show that NM children continue to lack basic educational skills. Overall, the test results show only 21% of our 4th graders and 18% of 8th graders can read proficiently. And math scores are even lower coming in at only 19% and 13%, respectively. Comparing these results to other states, NM ranks 50th out of 50 in all categories. More HERE. Unfortunately, this is nothing new! A failing education system has been the norm in NM for too many years. In order to achieve progress in student outcomes, elected/appointed officials and school administrators must be held accountable. Also as usual, the NM Public Education Department (PED) is asking for almost a 21% increase over the current budget. Here’s the problem: If more money was the answer, multi-million dollar increases in past years would moved NM out of the ‘worst in the nation for education’ spot. NMBC will be tracking closely what legislators do. In his request for another budget increase, the (PED) Secretary is, at least, talking about accountability and admitting “…things must change.” More HERE and HERE.  The 2024 Legislative Session is next month and once again there will be nearly a $3.5 billion dollar surplus in tax dollars up for grabs. This comes primarily from the oil and gas operations and NMBC is proud to advocate for this industry, countering the ‘keep it in the ground’ agenda. Some legislators believe surplus tax dollars should be returned to taxpayers. Others favor spending surplus tax money to grow government dependence. NMBC will continue advocating for limited government, an improved business environment and better accountability for tax dollars. This is especially important in the coming year as all NM legislative positions (Senate and House) will be on the ballot! You can count on NMBC to stay focused during the session and throughout the year, keeping our members and voters in the loop on how their voice and their vote can help improve our state.  It’s clear that 2023 has been a busy year for NMBC as we’ve continued to fight for the traditional values that hard working New Mexican families share. This includes: * Advocating for New Mexicans for other bills during the 2023 Legislative Session. * Leading the effort to address out of control crime to include options to file a lawsuit against the City of Albuquerque. * Incredible success in the ‘Get Out the Vote’ effort in local elections for Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Edgewood, and other cities. * Our Call to Action efforts that have stopped bad legislation/policies from succeeding and have encouraged decision-makers to promote private sector business and job growth. We have much more to do in 2024 so we’re asking that you consider making an End of Year contribution to help continue our work. We don’t receive tax dollars or funding from out of state millionaires to fund our operations. We rely on voluntary contributions from people like you, who want to see New Mexico prosper. Here are some options to help NMBC continue our work: * New Mexico Business Coalition (NMBC), * NMBC’s Albuquerque Legal Fund, * Better Together New Mexico (BTNM), * Rebound New Mexico (RNM), if you’re looking for a tax-deductible donation option. Thank you for your continued support! Have questions? Call the office at (505) 836-4223 or email us at [email protected] Connect with NMBC on social media: Via Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter)! |
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