1404 Sudderth • Ruidoso, NM 575.257.4223 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009 VOL. 1, NO. 1 50 cents Come to Ruidoso on vacation, go home on probation? Are the police writing too many tickets? By Harold Oakes fi cers answered 1,008 calls, Reporter issued 496 citations, made 61 arrests and fi led 103 reports. ccording to Ruidoso The evening shift answered Police Chief Wolf- the most calls made the most Agang Born, there is a arrests and issued the most ci- one-word reason Traffi c cita- tations. tion issued by the Ruidoso Po- “Nobody should complain lice Department increased by about doing our job,” Born 975 over 2008, so far. said. “We don’t bother law “Burglaries,” Born said. abiding citizens.” “When burglaries increase I But do they target tour- tell the offi cers to get out there ists? in the neighborhoods and fi nd Born had Sergeant Joel out what people are up to. Martin pull an offi cer’s fi le of Stopping traffi c violators al- citations without telling him lows them to do this.” who or why. Martin selected Between June 1 and Sept. Offi cer Lance Ledford and 30 2008 there were 37 burglar- presented the fi le to Born. ies and 10 auto burglaries re- Randomly selecting 150 ported to the Ruidoso Police citations, Born counted those Department. During the same Photo by: Harold Oakes/Reporter issued to out of state driv- Ruidoso Police O cer Lance Ledford talks to one of the occupants of a vehicle he stopped period of 2009 there were 49 ers. Out of the 150 citations, in the 400 block of Mechem Drive Nov. 10. burglaries and 30 auto burglar- 12 were issued to out of state ies. drivers. “We don’t have quotas,” “I’m actually surprised cals. rants, 78 are for residents of Magistrate Court currently Born said. “The offi cers are how many there are issued to In Ruidoso Municipal Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, shows 361 outstanding traf- out there working. This is how Ruidoso residents,” Born said. Court at the end of October, Alto, Capitan or Mescalero. 73 fi c warrants. The specifi cs of we prevent crime.” Since New Mexico there were 226 outstanding are for residents of Texas. where these wanted persons Born said the Ruidoso Po- stopped putting the county warrants issued for 213 people Ruidoso Municipal Court live are not available. lice Department averages 55 on the license plates, offi cers between Oct. 28, 2008 and has 1,830 outstanding warrant, “I would say it is about arrests and 500 citations each don’t have any way of telling Oct. 28, 2009. most of those are for traffi c 60/40 locals to tourists that month. In September the of- New Mexico tourist from lo- Of these outstanding war- violations. Continued on pg. A7 Track les application Salute to move to Las Cruces By Terry Fitzwater According to Ann Mc- enues have fallen signifi cantly. Editor Govern, president of Ruidoso “The Ruidoso population Downs Race Track, the move base is such that this area is he Ruidoso Downs with the state is necessary if not able to support three casi- Race Track fi led a letter the track is to maintain its vi- nos under the present operat- Twith the New Mexico ability in the future. ing circumstances, so we have Racing Commission on Fri- “We’ve tried for the last no choice but to begin the pro- day, announcing they would number of years to have the cess at the state level.” be fi ling a formal application state legislature address the McGovern cautions, how- to move the race track license parity issues involved with ever, that the owners and man- from Ruidoso Downs to Las gaming in this state,” Mc- agement of Ruidoso Downs Cruces. The New Mexico Rac- Govern said. “It’s no secret Race Track do not want to ing Commission meets later that we’ve been losing a sig- move the track if at all pos- Photo by Harold Oakes/Reporter this week, and will begin the nifi cant amount of money ever sible, but they do have to take Two young men salute the ag at the Veterans Day as- administrative work on the ap- since the Casion Apache Trav- the initial formal steps to begin sembly at White Mountain Elementary School Nov. 11. plication. el Center opened up. Our rev- Continued on pg. A2 FEATURED HOME This elegant new stucco has highly Find Ruidoso’s desirable custom features throughout. Live luxuriously here and play Ruidoso’s #1 REAL ESTATE premier golf course; Rainmakers mem- REAL ESTATE TEAM bership included. Spacious gourmet TEAM kitchen with granite and stainless at: package. Huge Sierra Blanca views. (575) 257-5111 ext. 117 (575) 258-5008 $789,500. Call The Loverin Team Today! www.ruidosorealestate.com SDC, REALTORS® 307 Mechem Dr, Ruidoso, NM A1-16.indd 1 11/16/09 5:56 PM A2 Ruidoso Free Press November 17, 2009 TRACK from pg. A1 tourism and the track in this area. If the the process of moving the track license track leaves, we will face a serious fi - Joy for Kids Toy Run if the state of New Mexico “does not nancial crisis.” resolve the inequities” facing the track Village of Ruidoso Mayor Ray under the state’s current tax model. Nunley thinks its time for the residents McGovern said the track is going of this area to start turning up the heat to go back to the legislature again this with the legislature in Santa Fe. winter to try and resolve the tax equity “There is a group that has been issues, but if those efforts are not suc- formed to present the case for the track cessful, the track would continue its and this area with the legislature,’’ efforts to move the license to Las Cru- Nunley said. “I am personally going to ces. go to Santa Fe and lobby on behalf of “We’ve presented a bill the last the track and this area as the Mayor. I three or four years to have small race think its vital that we do whatever we track casinos across the state pay a can to keep the track here.” sliding tax rate that is closer to Native “Obviously, we are very concerned American casinos,” McGovern said. for our regional economy should we “While the Native American casinos lose a venue so rich in history and are taxed at from three to nine percent, tradition,” said Richard Aquillar, ex- we have to pay 46 percent of our rev- ecutive director of the Ruidoso Valley enues in taxes. Twenty six percent of Economic Development Corporation. our revenue goes to the state, and the “Not too long ago, Clovis New Mexico other 20 percent goes to the horsemen. faced a similar challenge when Can- We will try again this year, but if we non Air Force Base was slated to be are not successful we have to go to realigned. The local government, busi- Photo by Harold Oakes/Reporter Plan B to insure the fi nancial viability ness leaders and community united Volunteers collect toys at The Quarters during the annual Joy for Kids of our business.” and, through great effort, saved their Toy Run Nov. 8. The toys collected are passed out to needy families In the state of New Mexico, Na- Air Force Base. We need to approach through the Santa’s Helpers program. Applications for Santa’s Helpers tive American Casinos pay 3% of fi rst this situation with the same fervor. It will be available at MTD Radio, 1086 Mechem Drive, Nov. 27. Volun- $5 million of net winnings, 9.25% be- is that important. The tax disparity be- teers who want to help with the program can call the o ce of Freda tween $5 million and $50 million and tween Native American casinos and McSwane, 575-257-1515. 9.75% over $50 million. Race Track ‘Racinos’ was created through legisla- Casinos pay 26% on all net winnings. tion. The consequences of that dispar- Ruidoso Downs Race Track has pro- ity are now coming due. Our citizens posed a bill that would allow the race are stuck in the middle of an extremely The local forecast is brought to you by: track casinos to pay tiered rates like the complex situation. Our community Native American Casinos. Those rates may seem short sighted to ask for a tax would be 10% on the fi rst $10 million reduction when the whole state is suf- of net winnings and 26% on anything fering budget shortfalls. However, los- above $10 million. ing our track will damage the regional This tax rate would apply to any economy and state tax coffers far New Mexico Race Track Casino with more than the small adjustment to the $14 million in net winnings or less. tax. The State will not receive about Last year, efforts to get a small race $750,000 in taxes, while the Ruidoso track equity bill through the legislature area will lose somewhere between $28 were thwarted in the state senate. After and $40 million in lost economy. I be- the bill passed the state house, State lieve our area will become a burden on Senator John Arthur Smith of Deming the State without the track. Our local refused to let the bill out of the Senate economy currently adds to the State Finance Committee, thus preventing tax base. Without our Track, I fear we the entire state senate from voting on will become another municipality ask- it. The governor was on record as say- ing for State help, just to survive.” ing he would sign the bill if it passed Mike Elrod, President of the the senate.