Errors of Enchantment

This blog is an initiative of the Rio Grande Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization classified under 501(c)(3). It focuses on public policy research and promotes free-market principles.

Local

English

Blog

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#9594594

United States

#3333210

News and Media

#37802

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

A major tax hike is moving quietly through Albuquerque City Council

1 week ago | errorsofenchantment.com | Paul Gessing

Did you know that Albuquerque City Council may soon finalize a 3/8ths cent increase in the City’s gross receipts tax? The proposed “quality of life” tax increase is sponsored by Councilor Joaquín Baca. It could be heard (and adopted) by a simple majority vote of the Council at an upcoming meeting. The City’s current rate is 7.625% which means that if adopted the tax rate would shoot up to 8.0%.
Tipping Point NM episode 700 Jeffery Tucker – His Newspaper Career, Newspaper Industry in NM, Work as the Opinion Editor at ABQ Journal - Errors of Enchantment

1 week ago | errorsofenchantment.com | Paul Gessing

On this week’s interview Paul talks to former Albuquerque Journal opinion editor Jeffery Tucker. They begin by discussing the recently announced plan by the Journal to sell its building and launch into a discussion of the newspaper business. They further discuss the life of an opinion editor, changes to the business over time, and Jeff’s numerous jobs in the business over the years. Finally, they discuss current economic topics including Trump’s tariffs. https://youtu.be/KIXxMGURCbg
RGF weighs in for KRQE Channel 13 story on wasteful Keller Administration remodel

1 week ago | errorsofenchantment.com | Paul Gessing

The City of Albuquerque has been remodeling its offices, but according to the City’s Inspector General: thousands of Albuquerque taxpayer dollars have gone to waste amid a nearly three-year renovation project at old City Hall. You can check out the full story from KRQE along with RGF president Paul Gessing’s comments here, but according to the IG, the city paid for a design that they’ve since asked to change at least two more times.
APS 2026 budget to spend an estimated $35,384 per-pupil

1 week ago | errorsofenchantment.com | Paul Gessing

The Albuquerque Journal recently reported that Albuquerque Public Schools has put out its latest planned budget for the 2025-2026 school year. The District continues to see increased annual budgets to serve a plummeting number of students. Shockingly, despite MORE money for FEWER students, the District once again claims it is facing a “deficit.”As the article notes, APS is on the verge of adopting a $2.3 billion annual budget for next school year.
MLG is right: The Legislature "lacks both strategic coherence and fiscal responsibility" (but she does too)

1 week ago | errorsofenchantment.com | Paul Gessing

Whatever can be said about Gov. Lujan Grisham at this point in her tenure, she STILL remains abjectly unwilling to articulate a positive vision for New Mexico. BUT, she occasionally has valid critiques of Democrats in the Legislature (many of whom she helped elect).
How did the 2025 stack up when compared to other recent sessions?

1 week ago | errorsofenchantment.com | Paul Gessing

The Rio Grande Foundation’s Freedom Index is the pre-eminent way to see how New Mexico’s Legislature votes on issues of freedom. These include individual liberty, taxes, regulations, education reform/choice, and the Constitution. RGF has more than a decade of results from our index. So, how does New Mexico’s 2025 session compare to other recent sessions? We took the average score of each legislator and compared those scores to other recent sessions.
MLG vetoes two concerning bills!

1 week ago | errorsofenchantment.com | Paul Gessing

We RARELY agree with Gov. Lujan Grisham, but she does seem to have moved ever so slightly to the middle in recent months. And, while we don’t expect to get invited to the Gov.’s Christmas Party (assuming she has one) this year, we are pleased that she has vetoed HB 14 a complicated and tax-hiking bill (20% wholesale tax on alcohol) that we weren’t fans of.
Why (still) don't like the tariffs: here's why

2 weeks ago | errorsofenchantment.com | Paul Gessing

The Rio Grande Foundation philosophically supports low taxes and free trade. We don’t weigh in on every issue of importance in Washington, DC, but rather focus on federal issues only when they are of extreme importance. We believe that the issue of the Trump tariffs fits that bill. We oppose them strongly and for several reasons:Tariffs are taxes: We don’t support raising taxes as a general rule, this time is no different.
Tipping Point NM episode 698: Troy Clark of New Mexico Hospital Association – Addressing the Health Care Provider Shortage - Errors of Enchantment

2 weeks ago | errorsofenchantment.com | Paul Gessing

On this week’s interview Paul sits down with Troy Clark. Troy is head of the New Mexico Hospital Association which represents most hospitals throughout New Mexico. They discuss how hospitals are set up in New Mexico (government, non-profit, and for-profit), but quickly turn to the legislative session and the Gov.’s signing of a bill directly (negatively) impacting hospitals. Finally, the conversation broadens out to the health care provider shortage and what can and should be done to address it.
EDD website STILL touts Maxeon deal despite massive downsizing

2 weeks ago | errorsofenchantment.com | Paul Gessing

The Maxeon solar deal is perhaps the best example of an unflattering trend in which the MLG administration touts BIG things only to have to back off or change course completely. Her Economic Development Department (EDD) STILL includes a link to the original Maxeon “deal” on its front page. The page includes all manner of additional information tied to the company’s original plans which show no signs of EVER coming to fruition.