Now that NM GRT is going to be collected from Triad, the politicians can just keep going on trips with free booze and baseball tickets.
This is a terrible waste of money.
We’ve kept silent regarding the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities and its sorry story of misspending, deceit and exposure. However, with the recent release of an audit and no clear mission, it’s clear the group is nothing more than a slush fund for politicians. Taxpayers must push to stop this mindless spending.
Add to that the hiring of Eric Vasquez as former director Andrea Romero’s replacement and we taxpayers have a stewing recipe for more waste of taxpayer dollars.
Readers may remember Vasquez as the former salaried Española Chamber of Commerce executive director who simultaneously had another full-time job operating a failed newsletter, sometimes from the Chamber’s offices. He’s also married to Stephanie Garcia-Richard, who is on her way out as a state representative, as she runs for state land commissioner.
No conflicts of interest there.
The audit revealed $50,000 in illegal spending. The budget is $200,000. A little over $100,00 comes from the Department of Energy the rest is provided by City of Española ($5,000), Rio Arriba County ($10,000), Los Alamos County ($60,000), along with six other counties/cities/pueblos. We don’t know anything about Los Alamos politics, nor that county’s budget. We’ll wager the good folks up the hill would like their $60,000 back.
http://www.riograndesun.com/opinion/editorials/lanl-coalition-remains-huge-taxpayer-waste/article_18e05e74-a617-11e8-846e-1bead3e9d857.html
9 comments:
NM GRT !!!! Yeeee Haaaaa, let the booze, gambling, plane flights, and the money flow! They will be burning barrels of cash in the town now, expect to see lots of fancy new cars for town officials.
The lab is so rich that it could easily give a small portion of money to deserving good people. You people at the lab need to realize that this more to the world than sandboxes to stroke your ego. You guys can give up a holiday or two, a little less money or a few less eggheads. What are you going to do with the extra money anyway, try and understand how electrons vibrate, look at how waves move, try and prove your pet theory. The labs just take and take from New Mexico it is time to give something in return. Personally the lab should give way more to the community considering all the damage it is done. The Los Alamos Study Group has shown time and time pointed out the obvious that Northern New Mexico has a huge poverty problem, it is also known that inequality causes poverty, with LANL you have all these people making huge amounts of money which means we create inequality and hence poverty. If the lab gave some the money back it would reduce inequality and hence reduce poverty. Better yet closing down the lab would go greatly reduce in the inequality in Norther New Mexico.
In short the GRT is not WASTE, it is JUSTICE.
Sadly, the unenlightened and entitled views of 6:30 are all too common in our society. We are headed for another dark age should they prevail.
To the OP, the GRT is a way of laundering taxpayer money to appear as a tax to a corporation instead of a tax on individuals. As a citizen of Los Alamos, I have witnessed first hand the incredible waste and fraud associated with the GRT. Triad just made its first big mistake.
6:30 should move to Venezuela to get a taste of his justice in action.
GRT = fewer jobs. Do the math.
GRT = Free money to waste on worthless projects. Some people could be employed to paint he new giant town mural for 5 million dollars, which will only be scrapped because it will end up looking like a bad third grade graffiti. So what if we can not employee a few more arrogant eggheads so friends and family of the local government can make some good money on the side for doing nothing. It is the New Mexico way. Who are you to judge how the money is redistributed back to the communities? What gives you the right to say what is wasted and what is not?
By the way if thought some of the projects done with the previous GRT was wasteful, with the new green light on the future GRT expect some absolutely crazy stuff to come down that line that will blow you mind. That 5 million dollar mural will seem like chump change after this. Have you seen some of the town government people? They are walking around like the British royalty right now, don't be surprised when you start seeing private drivers, special LA county luxury vehicles, chartered flights, private security and so on. Does it sound crazy, ask your self what else is there left to pay for, we already have the largest justice center for a town of this size on the face of the earth, The Taj Majal government building is already built, they will need to justify the taxes some how and the rumors are already starting. Sick sick stuff.
TRIAD really screwed up on this.
6:30pm...The lab isn’t rich. It’s funded with taxpayer dollars which are spent, and taxed again. You clearly don’t even understand what rich means. Go back to school, learn to do something useful instead of whining on the internet and expecting the government to be your mommy.
The reason NM people seem poor to usis caise they the don't produce much, nor save much. If this is how they choose to spend time, good for them.. .a pleasant relaxed life. Not my problem.
I love 6:30's attitude about shutting down the lab. I suppose this person doesn't realize the lab employs thousands of northern New Mexicans with good jobs and benefits. Close the lab? NNM becomes more of a wasteland than it already is. Inequality? Go to school, get a skill or a trade, find a better paying job. It's not a difficult concept.
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