Tipping Point New Mexico
Public policy podcast of the Rio Grande Foundation
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Episodes
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852 Bob Perls – Debate on New Mexico Constitutional Amendment 4
Thursday, October 15, 2026
On this week’s interview Paul sits down w/ former New Mexico Rep. Bob Perls and current chair of the NM Forward Party for a friendly conversation/debate on Amendment 4 which will be on ballots this November. If passed the amendment would pay legislators an annual salary of approximately $68,000 annually. Bob and Paul agree about many reforms needed for New Mexico’s Legislature and electoral system, but disagree on the merits of Amendment 4 and paying legislators. Don’t miss this important conversation about one of the most important issues on this fall’s ballot! The post 852 Bob Perls – Deb...
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851 Gubernatorial Race, Polling, The Debate That Wasn’t, Income Tax Proposal by Hull, Will Legislators Get Pay Raises and more
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
On this week’s Tipping Point conversation. Paul and Wally discuss the polling numbers in the Hull/Haaland gubernatorial race. They also discuss the numbers in the Greg Cunningham/Gabe Vazquez numbers from the Albuquerque Journal. Paul and Wally discuss the Haaland/Hull “debate” Hull’s simple plan for eliminating the personal income tax is eminently reasonable. The “plan” for this November is for the Legislature to get massive pay raises, but for us to get nothing. A hilariously bad article in the Santa Fe New Mexican highlights the terrible arguments against reducing taxes. According to the...
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850 Janice Arnold Jones and Robert Aragon – Bernalillo County GOP’s Affordability Agenda
Thursday, October 8, 2026
On this week’s interview episode Paul sits down with former Reps. Janice Arnold Jones and Robert Aragon. Both are longtime Republican activists who have served in many roles over the years and are now on the Executive Committee of the Bernalillo County GOP. The County Party just released a rather detailed “Affordability Agenda” which includes numerous detailed proposals, mostly relating to taxes and economic policy that could be enacted at the state level. Paul and his guests discuss WHY the County party has taken this on and they go through each proposal and discuss their pros and cons. Th...
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849 Gala Recap, “Free” Childcare is Not Really Free, Federal School Choice Regs, & Ozempic
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
MLG’s “free” childcare program won’t be “free” for everyone after all. Federal school choice regs have been published. MLG is on the clock. ABQ’s electric buses haven’t been on the roads since December. More issues with Amendment 4 on this Fall’s ballots. Paul and Wally take a closer look at the ballot. The cost of Ozempic for Medicaid patients doubled between 2023 and 2025. New Mexico Senate Democrats have made a few leadership changes. Linda Trujillo will be the new Senate Majority Leader and Cindy Nava the new majority Whip. The post 849 Gala Recap, “Free” Childcare is Not Really Free, F...
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848 Jonathan Williams – New Mexico’s Ranking in the Rich States, Poor States Report, and Getting Federal Budget Under Control
Thursday, October 1, 2026
This week’s interview is with Jonathan Williams, President and Chief Economist of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). They begin with a conversation about the organization’s “Rich States, Poor States” report which measures how all 50 states fare on various economic indicators. New Mexico ranks 35th. What would happen if New Mexico eliminated its personal income tax? In the second part of the interview Paul and Jonathan discuss the federal budget situation and offer some concrete ideas for how to get the federal debt under control. The post 848 Jonathan Williams – New Mexico’s ...
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847 Slight Poverty Improvement, Curtis vs. Chavez Legislative Race, Amendment 4 is Cash Grab and more
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Slight poverty improvement is hardly an accomplishment. The most interesting of New Mexico’s legislative races this fall is between trial attorney Lisa Curtis and Nicole Chavez. RGF opinion piece in ABQ Journal: Amendment 4 is a cash grab, not reform. Guest column: gluttony thy name is NM pension plan. Poll: New Mexicans overwhelmingly support school choice. Free Childcare will soon require copays for some. NM education department asks for a record $5.9 billion for fiscal year 2028, a 2.9% increase from the year prior (despite dropping enrollment). A federal film tax credit is a terrible id...
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846 Jaemes Shanley & Paul discuss/debate public ownership of Public Service Company of NM
Thursday, September 24, 2026
There have been bills introduced and ample discussion in the media over the possibility of some kind of takeover of the utility known as PNM by the State of New Mexico. Shanley is sympathetic to the idea and certainly opposed to Blackstone as the next potential owner. Paul and Jaemes have a cordial but pointed conversation about these plans. The post 846 Jaemes Shanley & Paul discuss/debate public ownership of Public Service Company of NM appeared first on Tipping Point New Mexico.
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845 Deb Haaland’s Data Center Troubles, To Debate or Not to Debate, Opposition to Paying Legislators More, APS Talking About Closing Schools
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Deb Haaland proposes a data center moratorium while taking $87,000 from folks behind Project Jupiter. Hull has received nothing. NM’s Supreme Court has allowed Project Jupiter permitting to continue. Did they dodge the environmental groups’ best shot? Deb Haaland has seemingly backed out of the October 8 KOB TV debate. What’s next? Paul sat down w/ KOAT Channel 7 to discuss our opposition to Amendment 4 (paying legislators). Also, if adopted the amendment would allow APS employees like former Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton to triple dip. Paul recently sat down w/ Daniel Chacon of the New Me...
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844 Peter Rice – Downtown Albuquerque News
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Paul talks with Peter Rice, editor of Downtown Albuquerque News, about the challenges and issues facing the area’s businesses and residents. They also address proposed projects including the Rail Trail and the Rail Yards. The post 844 Peter Rice – Downtown Albuquerque News appeared first on Tipping Point New Mexico.
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843 Gregg Hull on NM’s Dependency Problem, New Mexico 7th Highest for Tax Collections, Uranium Mining Ban and more
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Gubernatorial candidate Gregg Hull was recently criticized (unfairly) for his remarks, but Paul believes Hull is 100% correct on NM’s dependency problem. The Tax Foundation recently ranked New Mexico 7th highest for tax collections. It’s new information, but the data is from four years ago (FY 2023). New Mexico is likely close to number 1 now. Trump’s plan to give every adult American $5,000 IF he and Republicans get elected in both houses is not a good one. Land Commissioner Garcia Richard bans uranium mining on state lands. Paul and Wally discuss what it means to be a fiduciary and whethe...