The Family Opportunity Accounts Act Victory

2005 Annual Report A Results-Oriented Think Tank Serving New Mexicans THE FAMILY OPPORTUNITY ACCOUNTS ACT VICTORY STRATEGIC RIVER RESERVE GROWS Front Cover The cover features a watercolor and ink painting created for Think New Mexico by our wonderful friend, Lisa Bemis. It depicts some of the colorful aspects of the culture and economy of New Mexico, which will be supported by the enactment of the Family Oppor- T tunity Accounts Act, the focus of Think New Mexico’s work in 2005. More of Lisa’s work can be seen at the Blaire Carnahan Fine Art Gallery and at Think New Mexico’s office in Santa Fe. O Design Consultant Arlyn Eve Nathan Design Kristina Gray Fisher Pre-Press Peter Ellzey Printer Starline Printing Mail House Anderson Harnish Inc. C Acknowledgments We wish to acknowledge the Albuquerque Journal for permission to reprint the editorial on page 11, the Los Alamos Monitor for C the opinion editorial on page 8, Inside the EPA for the article on page 13, the Santa Fe New Mexican for the editorials on pages 7 & 10, and the Rio Grande Sun for the editorial on page 9. We would also like to acknowledge photographers Tom Brahl, Kathleen Dudley, Clyde Mueller, and Kate Russell, as well as the Library of Congress photo archives for permission to reprint the photographs in this Annual Report. Finally, thanks to Rudolfo Anaya for his generous quote, and to cartoonist John Trever for the cartoon on page 5. Permission does not imply endorsement. A Results-Oriented Think Tank Serving New Mexicans ® 1227 Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 T Telephone ( 505) 992-1315 Fax ( 505) 992-1314 E-mail [email protected] Web www.thinknewmexico.org Copyright © 2006 Think New Mexico About Think New Mexico Think New Mexico is a results-oriented think tank serving the citizens of New Mexico. We fulfill this mission by educating the public, the media and policy makers about some of the most serious problems facing New Mexico and by developing effec- tive, comprehensive, sustainable solutions to those problems. Our approach is to perform and publish sound, nonpartisan, inde- pendent research. Unlike many think tanks, Think New Mexico does not subscribe to any particular ideology. Instead, because New Mexico is at or near the bottom of so many national rankings, our focus is on promoting workable solutions. We use advocacy and, as a last resort, legal action but only within the constraints of Federal tax law. Consistent with our nonpartisan approach, Think New Mexico’s board is composed of Democrats, Independents and Republicans. They are statesmen and stateswomen, who have no agenda other than to help New Mexico succeed. They are also the brain trust of this think tank. As a results-oriented think tank, Think New Mexico measures its success based on changes in law or policy that it is able to achieve and which improve New Mexico’s quality of life. We are best known for successful campaigns that resulted in landmark laws making full-day kindergarten accessible to every child in New Mexico and repealing the state’s regressive tax on food. More recently, we have led successful initiatives to create a Strategic River Reserve to protect and restore New Mexico’s rivers, and to establish the Family Opportunity Accounts Act to alleviate New Mexico’s persistent poverty. Think New Mexico began its operations on January 1, 1999. It is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c )(3) of the In- ternal Revenue Code. In order to maintain its independence, Think New Mexico does not accept any government money. How- ever, contributions from individuals, businesses and foundations are welcomed, encouraged and tax-deductible. Think New Mexico Think New Mexico’s Board of Directors Edward Archuleta, a 13th generation New Mexican, is the former Director of the Santa Fe office of 1000 Friends of New Mexico, a nonprofit organization that advocates responsible land-use planning, growth management and sustainable development. Edward previously served as the top assistant to former New Mexico Secretary of State Stephanie Gonzales. Paul Bardacke served as Attorney General of New Mexico from 1983 –1986. Paul was Chairman of Bill Richardson’s successful 2002 gubernatorial campaign. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Paul currently handles complex com- mercial litigation and mediation with the firm of Sutin, Thayer and Browne. David Buchholtz has served on a long list of New Mexico boards and commissions and has advised several New Mexico governors on fiscal matters. David recently served as Chairman of the Association of Commerce and Industry. He is the senior member of the Albuquerque office of Brownstein, Hyatt, and Farber. Garrey Carruthers served as Governor of New Mexico from 1987–1990. Garrey is Dean of New Mexico State University’s College of Business, and was formerly President and CEO of Cimarron Health Plan. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. F. Chris Garcia is a former President of the University of New Mexico and is currently a Distinguished Professor of Political Science. He is the co-editor of, among other books, Latinos and the Political System and New Mexico Government (3rd edition). Dr. Garcia recently received the Governor’s Distinguished Public Service Award. Elizabeth Gutierrez is the Director of Policy and Program Development for the New Mexico Higher Education Department. She holds a PhD in educational leadership and public policy. Liz was a marketing executive for IBM for nearly two decades. She is on leave from Think New Mexico's board while she works for the state. Think New Mexico LaDonna Harris is an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation. LaDonna is Chairman of the Board and Founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity. She is also a founder of the National Women’s Political Caucus. LaDonna was a leader in the effort to return the Taos Blue Lake to Taos Pueblo. Rebecca Koch is the owner of Rebecca Koch & Associates which provides management consulting services, development, and strategic planning for local and national nonprofits. Rebecca was the organizational development consultant for the Santa Fe Business Incubator, Inc. She is a former President of the Board of New Mexico Literary Arts. Edward Lujan is Chairman of the Board of Manuel Lujan Agencies, the largest privately owned insurance agency in New Mexico. Ed is a former Chairman of the National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, the Republican Party of New Mexico and the New Mexico Economic Development Commission. Fred Nathan founded Think New Mexico and is its Executive Director. Fred served as Special Counsel to New Mexico Attorney General Tom Udall from 1991–1998. In that capacity, he was the architect of several successful legislative initiatives and was in charge of New Mexico’s lawsuit against the tobacco industry, which resulted in a 1.25 billion dollar settlement for the state. Roberta Cooper Ramo is the first woman elected President of the American Bar Association. Roberta serves on the State Board of Finance and is a former President of the Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico. She is a shareholder in the Modrall law firm and serves on many national boards. Stewart Udall served as Secretary of the Interior under Pres- idents Kennedy and Johnson. Prior to that, Stewart served three terms in Congress. He is the author of The Quiet Crisis ( 1963 ) that tells the story of humankind’s stewardship over the planet’s resources, and To the Inland Empire: Coronado and Our Spanish Legacy (1987) which celebrates Hispanic contributions to our history. Think New Mexico Dear New Mexican: Think New Mexico’s Staff Last summer, we received a telephone call inviting us to speak to a group of civic leaders in West Virginia, who wants to start a think tank modeled on Think New Mexico. Because we know more than our share of practical jokers and because of Think New Mexico’s low–some might say “non-existent”–national pro- file, we were skeptical. Lynne Loucks Buchen The caller explained, however, that their consultants had re- Business Manager searched each of the state-based think tanks across the nation and they were attracted to Think New Mexico’s results-oriented approach. Indeed, Think New Mexico has never been satisfied to simply publish “white papers” and cross our collective fingers and hope that something good happens, so we advocate for our proposed solutions with policy makers until the reforms are achieved. Chris Chavez Field Director The consultants also appreciated Think New Mexico’s unyield- ing commitment to non-partisanship and the fact that our focus has always been on developing workable and sustainable solutions rather than advancing ideological agendas. West Virginia, like New Mexico, is 49th or 50th in many national rankings so, naturally, we were pleased to help. Hopefully, a little cooperation between the Mountain State and the Land of Kristina Gray Fisher Enchantment may lead to a friendly race to the top. Research Director In the meantime, this new relationship represents fresh evidence that we are on the right path. In fact, Think New Mexico had another banner year in 2005: · The food tax repeal, which Think New Mexico fought to enact for three years, went into effect on January 1, 2005. For the first time since 1933, baby food was granted the same Lester Kevin Tsosie treatment as horse feed, which is tax exempt in New Mexico. Assistant Director · Governor Bill Richardson signed the Family Opportunity Ac- counts Act. It provides $1.5 million to launch the initiative proposed in Think New Mexico’s 2005 policy report: ex- panded access to matched savings accounts to help working low-income families move out of poverty.

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