Politics,municipality Videos

Thanksgiving weekend arrives with the state plunged in a budget crisis - and some influential leaders calling for tax increases to help balance the books - but the odds are looking slim for that to happen. Stuart dyson is here with what may lie ahead in tonight's top story. State lawmakers on two powerful tax and finance committees are saying the votes just aren't there for tax increases - so it looks like deeper cuts in state government spending are on the way. When lawmakers meet in january they will still be wrestling with a sizeable hole in this year's budget - and another big one looming ahead for the next budget year. Governor richardson has said tax increases are inevitable - and some lawmakers agree - saying new mexico must avoid any further cuts to public education - but key members of the legislature's big money committees say the votes just aren't there. " Surprisingly enough what i'm seeing is - the people that you normally think would be supportive of revenue enhancement - we won't call 'em tax increases - but revenue enhancement - don't appear to be supportive of that position." " The bottom line is when people are down the last thing you need to be done to you is kick you one more time - kick you a little bit harder when you're having a tough time - a lot of these businesses are just hanging on by a string - and individuals are as well." " I'm not feeling comfortable in terms of having enough tes for any sort of a tax increase in january." " This is an opportunity for state government to really take a look at itself - determine its priorities - determine where we're not spending wisely - and fix it." One powerful voice in disagreement - legislative finance chairman lucky varela. " Now we're going to have to look at the entire picture and i think cutting-only is not an option - i think we have to balance it by some revenue enhancements." But lucky will have his work cut out for him - even if he convinces the house of representatives to go along with him - there's still the senate -.

Israel's foreign minister said Thursday it is up to the Palestinians to decide whether to resume Mideast peace talks now that Israel has announced a settlement freeze. (Nov. 26)

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it's an option on the table for state lawmakers when they meet in january -- looking for ways to tackle a huge shortfall in state revenues. stuart dyson is live at the capitol where lawmakers on a powerful committee were talking tortillas and taxes today. we got rid of the gross receipts -- or sales tax -- on tortilla's and other groceries back in 2005. it was one of the most popular tax cuts ever. but bringing it back could haul in a couple hundred million dollars for the state. now we're talking real money. the politically correct term is revenue enhancement -- but you and i would call it a tax increase. bringing back the sales tax on groceries would mean an estimated 228-million dollars for the state in the next budget year. minute thumbnail 06:16 pm still -- a grocery x is a regressive tax -- hitting poor people the hardest since the spend a higher percentage of their income on food. lawmakers on the powerful tax and revenue committee say there's not much appetite for taxing groceries. "a lot of these businesses are just hanging on by a string, and individuals are as well. and we add a greater tax burden on those folks, we're gonna cut that string, and they won't be hanging on anymore." "as regressive as it is, it's the least painful tax to collect. you pay it a penny at a time when you have to pay property tax, and you have two payments. you have to come up with significant dollars." "before we consider any enhancements at all, we need to make sure that we're doing what we're doing efficiently now, and we know that that's not the case." some lawmakers say the grocery tax is not nearly as evil as it sounds -- because most of the poor are on food stamps -- and wouldn't be paying the tax anyway. it is hard to see minute thumbnail 06:17 pm this one getting very far in the 30- day legislative session. 2010 is an election year -- it's a popular tax cut -- bringing it back in january might have a powerful payback in november. live at the capitol, stuart dyson, ewn4.//

It's for one day only. But those with one traveling health clinic want to make sure uninsured Arkansans get assistance even after they leave.

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Parents and city council members in Jefferson County claim the school district is unfairly targeting low-income schools for closure to shore up a $20 million budget shortfall.

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property tax bills are angering homeowners. we've been flooded with questions from people who want to know why their values and tax bill have gone up -- when home prices are tanking. that's one of the reasons i contacted you guys. this needs to be exposed, as far as i'm concerned, with the market the way it is and the economy the way it is, they're out of control. antoinette antonio has tonight's "got questions, get answers report." housing market goes down -- home values go down -- property taxes go down. it seems like that would be the case -- but it's not. it's killing us, every dollar means everything to us you know... it gets to the point where you start scratching your head why? scott ziebell is unemployed for the first time ever-- and his wife is in the hospital after having a stroke. when he got his property tax bl minute thumbnail 06:06 pm he couldn't believe it. first off -- his value went up 3 percent. on top of that-- the tax rate for his area was also up. "home values are dropping and it just doesn't make any sense whatsoever." but even with the real estate downturn -- your assessed property values can go up county assessor karen montoya says, by law, the assessed value of your home will continue to climb until it catches up to market value. i think it's ridiculous, i mean, our values are going down lou rolla also came to looking for answers about his property tax bill -- he wants to know what he can do since his bill is so much higher than his neighbors. bernalillo county treasurer patrick padilla says if you didn't protest your home value when you received your valuation notice in the the spring -- the only way to fight your tax bill is by taking it to court. they're gonna have to pay their taxes, but they can pay their taxes and file a protest in district minute thumbnail 06:07 pm court but that usually runs into legal fees it's basically telling me that you deal with it and that's the way its gonna be, basically that they're not gonna help me as for the increased tax rates this year -- the county treasurer says the state sets those rates. so far, we have not received a response from the state on what exactly drove the rates up.

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a big decision looms tonight about what's next for the state's massive budget shortfall. state lawmakers are waiting and watching anxiously as governor richardson has one day left to approve their budget cuts - or minute thumbnail 06:00 pm wipe them out with his veto pen. stuart dyson is here with what lawmakers are worried about. call it a billion dollars - if you add up the last budget year - the current budget year - and the next budget year. that's the size of the hole the recession has blown in the state's checking account - that's what everybody's worried about. the legislature plugged most of the hole in last month's special session - approving spending cuts of more than seven percent for most state agencies - with much smaller percentage cuts for public schools - higher education - and medicaid. since then the governor has complained loudly about the cuts - painting dire pictures of prisons closing - state parks shutting down - welfare medical services dwindling away - lawmakers expect him to say no to some of their spending cuts - to cut the cuts. " without making these cuts state government is on the brink of closing - plain and simple - it is that severe of a budget crisis - we can't delay it - if we minute thumbnail 06:01 pm delay it it's just like paying our mortgage with our credit card." " we have a constitution in the state of new mexico that says we live within the budget every year - if he does that - for every cut he makes obviously it unbalances that budget." lawmakers in both parties say anything that gets vetoed will be back on the table when they come back for their regular session in january - the governor has said tax increases are inevitable. with an unemployment rate of nearly eight percent - new mexico has lost more than 40 thousand jobs in the last year - almost all of them in the private sector - there have been no layoffs of state employees - back to you. governor richardson has made two sizeable cost-saving moves since the special session. he ordered a freeze for all capital outlay projects. the freeze is meant to help identify 150-million dollars in money which hasn't been spent. the governor also a signed a bill from the special session which raids the state's scholarship minute thumbnail 06:02 pm endowment fund. the move pulls 68-million dollars from the fund -- leaving 16-million dollars behind for higher education scholarships

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A Presbyterian church in Los Angeles is trying to boost its connection with the community by offering a 30-minute Sunday service for pet-lovers. (Nov. 4)