Lincoln County Sales Tax Increase Passes
By Rene Romo
Copyright © 2010 Albuquerque Journal
Journal Southern Bureau
LAS CRUCES — Lincoln County voters approved a three-sixteenths of 1 percent sales tax increase touted as a critical step in keeping the Ruidoso Downs racetrack and Billy the Kid Casino operating in the area as mail-in ballots were tallied Tuesday.
Racino owner R.D. Hubbard vowed to move the track to Las Cruces or some other New Mexico city, if voters failed to approve the tax increase in a special election paid for by a local political action committee called the Committee for Lincoln County Economic Development.
According to unofficial results from the Lincoln County clerk's office, the tax measure was approved by 52.9 percent of 7,018 votes counted, a 54-percent turnout. Votes in favor of the tax increase totaled 3,719, with 3,299 votes against, according to unofficial results.
The special election fueled a divisive debate. Boosters argued the sales tax increase was a small price to pay to support a major tourism draw touted as critical to the local economy, while opponents balked at having to help bail out a millionaire racino owner.
The estimated $750,000 generated annually over the tax increase's five-year term will be used to offset gaming taxes the state collects from the Billy the Kid Casino at Ruidoso Downs. The increase will cost consumers $18.75 on purchases of $10,000, and supporters said much of it will be paid by tourists visiting the town in the Lincoln National Forest where many Texans own second homes.
Since 2008, Hubbard and his backers have lobbied the state Legislature for what was called "tax equity," a reduction of the tax on the racino's net that would compare more favorably to that imposed on Indian casinos. Net win represents the amount of money bet on slot machines, minus payouts and regulatory fees.
The state taxes net profits at Indian casinos on a tiered basis from 3 to 9 percent, depending on the volume of revenue, but non-Indian casinos, like Hubbard's, pay a flat 26-percent rate.
The racino claimed it lost $1.2 million in 2009 and $2.2 million in 2008, mainly due to competition from two casinos operated by nearby Mescalero Apache.
The pro-tax PAC, headed by the attorney for the city of Ruidoso Downs where the track is located, characterized the sales tax increase as a "business retention" tax and campaigned with the slogan: "Fight Back — Vote Yes for Lincoln County." The PAC was opposed by another group of locals called the No Bail Out Tax Committee.
An amazingly close David vs Goliath special election that gave us some hope that we may have honest and honorable people in our midst, despite the manipulation and bullying of the well heeled and politically connected.
We owe sincere gratitude to the "No Bail Out" group who devoted so much time and effort, and withstood some serious retributions & threats against them.
Ms. Moore, who headed the "No Bail Out" group received threats against her, including those who contacted her place of employment demanding that she be fired.
So much for living in a "free" country.
Meanwhile Robert Huckins, who fits in perfectly in this community, has not paid the money he was supposed to pay on or before the 10th of September.
The judicial system is now being seen with stark reality as being totally useless, and without one iota of merit in it's defense.
If we could put the American judicial system on trial I am thoroughly confident that it would be given life without parole. Perhaps it could use an insanity defense. It has certainly earned that diagnosis.
We are at a stand still with the trailer renovation, running short of funds to buy building material, utility poles and metal for the roof.
It is now officially autumn and the weather is turning cold. Still it rains. I don't think I have seen this amount of precipitation out of the monsoon season and the continual dampness is making building and renovating difficult.
Yesterday I spoke to a pastor concerning a very libel e-mail that was sent through his denomination in the spring of 2010. I actually like this pastor and it's terrible watching people being pulled into a deceitful maelstrom. It's terrible being pulled into one oneself.
The fact that it was libel sent through the denomination emergency conference, with serious consequences, doesn't seem to be important to the person who sent it. Throughout the e-mail the person, in official capacity, kept mentioning her "sources" but refused to come forth and reveal the name of her sources and thus far has not had a change of heart.
The e-mail, sent from one church group to another, detailed communication between a state senator and this particular local pastor, that both say never took place. In fact both said that they have never met one another, spoken to one another on the phone, or e-mailed one another.
It mentioned another pastor of another denomination and he said that he had NO involvement and had no idea what the person who wrote the e-mail was talking about.
It gave an account of my own situation that was 100% fiction.
Even after it was made clear that the e-mail was 100% deceptive no apology came forth, and no retraction was made. I was simply asked NOT to show anyone the e-mail.
And it made references that were hurtful, malicious, libel and seriously damaging defamation of character.
How damaging didn't hit home until I spoke to a local business owner a few weeks ago and some of the information within that e-mail was repeated to me.
The e-mail was clearly intended to prevent anyone from helping me, to severely hurt me, and it was very successful in harming me, but WHY was a question that no-one could answer or did not want to answer.
Churches are supposed to be a place of refuge, where honesty and hope are a foundation stone. When they depart from that and become social predators it's a difficult thing to handle. The local pastor is just as much a victim as I am, and when he told me yesterday that his heart bled for me I became more frustrated that so many individuals can be hurt by one or a few who don't seem to care whom they hurt.
I don't know how much hurt any human being can have inflicted upon them. This desire to hurt others seems contagious and I'm unsure if it's a sign of the latter days or something prevalent only in this region where one can be viewed as food for the vultures.
I have kept quiet about this event, but no longer. I'm hurt so much.
