• Support efforts to make the Bush tax cuts permanent; reduce the capital gains tax; reduce the tax on dividend income; make tax extenders (e.g., the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, and the Welfare to-Work Credit) permanent; improve the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit; enact enhanced tax-deferred savings vehicles; and otherwise advance simplification of, and ease of compliance with, the Internal Revenue Code.
• Support efforts to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax
• Monitor tax reform efforts by the Bush administration and Congress to ensure that concerns of Chamber members are accounted for.
• Protect the long-term health and competitiveness of the U.S. capital markets by supporting sensible reforms to restore investor confidence while opposing unethical and criminal behavior. Advocate for policy changes that support continued stability, transparency, fairness, and innovation in our capital markets. Protect our capital markets from overregulation and unfair enforcement.
• Oppose legislation such as the Consumer Financial Protection Act legislation that would not adequately address the failures within existing regulatory agencies but instead create a new and massive government bureaucracy that would reduce consumer choice, stifle innovation, and restrict access to credit.
• Oppose any one-size-fits-all approaches to consumer protection that  ignore the needs of small business and oppose legislation, such as sections of the Investor Protection Act, that onerously restricts compensation structures, competition,  or affects access to capital markets for businesses of all sizes and consumers at all economic levels.

 

WORKPLACE/LABOR/EMPLOYMENT

• Oppose initiatives that would make union organizing easier, such as “Card Check”, which would abolish secret ballot elections in favor of card check majorities for union recognition.
• Oppose unreasonable expansion of workplace mandates.
• Oppose efforts to expandd leave or to mandate paid sick leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
• Oppose efforts to increase the amount of punitive and compensatory damages available, the potential for frivolous litigation and unjustified administrative burdens.
• Protect the use of binding arbitration in employment.

 

Sep 3, 2010 Whitehouse Adopts 5-Cent Higher Tax Rate (Tyler Morning Telegraph) But "I think this is the tax rate the city needs. I will fight tooth and nail not to raise taxes (again) like we have. The average taxable value of a residence in Whitehouse is $128,087. Ms.    more...  

Sep 3, 2010 Alba, Mineola Groups Start Alcohol Election Drives (Tyler Morning Telegraph) Patricia Wood, a Mineola city councilwoman, hopes to boost sales tax revenue with beer and wine sales for off-premise consumption and with the sale of mixed beverages in restaurants certified to do so. Hamlet said. "It just makes it more attractive to people who come out here," Mrs.    more...  

Sep 1, 2010 El Paso's per capita income up (El Paso Times) ...show. El Paso's per capita income increased 2 percent last year, while the nation as a whole saw a 2.8 percent decrease, according to a new report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Even with the increase, El Paso's per capita income -- $28,638 in 2009 -- remained in the bottom 25 in...    more...  

Sep 1, 2010 TJC board OKs 4-cent rate hike (Tyler Morning Telegraph) We intend to honor that." With that vote, the college sets its tax rate to 18.29 cents per $100 valuation. This rate is 4.59 cents higher than the current tax rate of 13.7 cents. Ann Snyder, a Tyler resident and former TJC board member, said the board's actions were disgraceful. Dr.    more...  

Aug 30, 2010 Paradoxes fuel fear of investment (Albuquerque Journal) The late 1980s slump in real estate took 10 years before it recovered, Carey said. They should be in cash and short-term bonds, "though I think bonds are grossly overbought," he said. Hurst advises clients with 5- to 20-year time horizons to stay invested in both foreign and domestic stocks.    more...  

Aug 30, 2010 County hopes bridge loans fuel small business (Albuquerque Journal) The Albuquerque South Valley Small Business Development Center will provide business advisers for businesses approved for loans.    more...  

Aug 29, 2010 Upper Fruitland approves alcohol for planned casino (The Farmington Daily Times) The Upper Fruitland casino will feature 750 slot machines, table games and a restaurant.    more...  

Aug 28, 2010 Congress Hopefuls Spar On Economy (Albuquerque Journal) They contribute to the economy in many ways." Heinrich said that instead of a guest-worker program, he supports increasing the number of available visas for agricultural and high-tech workers. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., in the 3rd Congressional District, also attended the event and answered questions.    more...  

Aug 28, 2010 Stick to the plan (El Paso Times) He really helped shape this city for so long. It is going to take us a while to come off from that." Across the years, builders have said their construction efforts have been driven by a demand for affordable housing. This could appeal to the emerging young professional population in El Paso.    more...  

Aug 27, 2010 Downs economic group touts fallout from track tax (Ruidoso News) We sit down here as an economic development board and don't have any tools to work with or money to really spend on economic development or anything else. The county is the one that does the tax for economic development. And let's say the racetrack tax passes.    more...  

Aug 27, 2010 Report (Valley Morning Star) Transmission of solar and wind power is still a major challenge to energy companies, Hamilton said, estimating that roughly 33 percent of power generated from those sources ever reaches households.    more...  

Aug 26, 2010 Local news in brief, August 26, 2010 (The Santa Fe New Mexican) Cemetery officials have said the donation will extend the cemetery's availability for burials by another decade or more.    more...  

Aug 26, 2010 City building GRIP plan (Alamogordo Daily News) The G.R.I.P. would provide a gross receipts tax rebate to certain retailers that invest in city infrastructure. The new draft eliminates reimbursement of costs associated with making public improvements, and now allows only for reimbursement of gross receipts attributable to new development or...    more...  

Aug 25, 2010 $89.85 Million TISD Bond Proposal Called (Tyler Morning Telegraph) Orenthia Mason, District 2 board member. "I support it and I'll do everything I (can) to help us move in that direction." Superintendent Dr.    more...  

Aug 24, 2010 Texas Tech study (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal) ...a clean energy future," Hamilton said. "I hope it'll be an active one." Specifically looking at Lubbock, John Osborne, president and CEO of Lubbock Economic Development Alliance, said this region is a good, central location for both the suppliers and businesses using the energy. With the...    more...  

Aug 23, 2010 Debt down, savings up, but is that good news? (Las Cruces Sun-News) While it is good, on a personal front, to save, is that a good trend for the economy? Construction starts on single-family homes fell 4.2 percent. It is indicative of a deterioration of sentiment in the economy.    more...  

Aug 23, 2010 Costly Decisions (Albuquerque Journal) The financing decisions span mayoral administrations and City Councils over decades. Roughly $10 million a year is generated in lodgers taxes. In the last fiscal year, the city spent about $5 million on its Convention Center debt payments. Convention Center bond issues go before the City...    more...  

Aug 23, 2010 Albuquerque Journal, N.M., Winthrop Quigley column (Albuquerque Journal) Tax credit programs are sometimes so uncoordinated that some businesses are rewarded with multiple tax credits for doing exactly the same thing. Credits to help people build energy efficient buildings may make no sense when building codes require energy efficiency and anyone in the business of...    more...  

Aug 23, 2010 Push Is On For Taxes To Fund New Complex (Albuquerque Journal) ... Lockett also mentioned the declaration at a monthly Greater Albuquerque Innkeepers Association meeting at the Albuquerque Grand Hotel on Thursday. The declaration follows a Journal article that highlighted two city councilors' concerns about the lack of meeting and convention bookings for...    more...