From the local news rag:
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/40445.htmlGovernor vetoes eminent domain legislation
(21 comments; last comment posted March 12, 2006 08:34 pm) print | email this story
By BARRY MASSEY | Associated Press
March 8, 2006
SANTA FE (AP) - Gov. Bill Richardson has vetoed legislation that was intended to prevent state and local governments from using their eminent domain powers to take property for private development projects.
Richardson said Tuesday a number of community officials _ from small rural towns to larger cities _ opposed the measure and he said the legislation would "bring New Mexicans more harm than good."
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Richard Cheney, R-Farmington, would have prohibited the state or local governments from using eminent domain powers to take property and turn it over to a developer or other "private entity" within five years of the property's condemnation.
The bill was in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that allowed a city in Connecticut to take homes for a private development project. Dozens of states are considering revisions to their eminent domain laws because of the unpopular ruling by the nation's highest court.
In defending his veto, Richardson said, "I take a backseat to no one when it comes to protecting private property rights."
He promised to create a task force to study the eminent domain issue and propose legislation "to appropriately protect private property from condemnation that is geared solely at private commercial development."
Richardson said the bill's "ambiguous language may stop public projects that encourage environmental conservation, mass transportation and smart urban development, simply because private entities play a role in the project."
The governor also vetoed a bill that would have raised the amount of an existing tax credit for buying electronic age-verification equipment from $300 to $1,000. The equipment is used by sellers of tobacco and liquor.
Richardson said there was no "supporting data to show that such an increase is commensurate with the actual cost of the machine, which can be substantially less than $1,000."
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The eminent domain bill is HB746 and the verification machine tax credit is SB215.
Of the 40 or so similar bills in the works in various states, Gov Bill "what's in it for me" Richardson had decided that he and he alone has the foresight to stop this nasty trend of actually listening to and looking out for the folks he represents.
Couldn't have anything to do with pandering to large contributors to his upcoming Presidential run, could it?
Any of you students of political science need a good (bad) example of corrupt government for reference, take a good hard look at New Mexico and/or Albuquerque.
Oh yeah, clicking the link for the above story will allow you to read the comments from locals. Folks around here are not happy with this.
