The New Mexico Independent newspaper of February 9 has this story, which says that New Mexico’s Secretary of State Mary Herrera has told the legislature that her budget is over $1,000,000 short of having enough money to pay for the 2010 primary and general elections.
Last year, a New Mexico legislator introduced a bill to provide for a filing fee alternative to petitions, for candidates running in a primary. New Mexico currently does not have filing fees. Candidates who wish to get on a primary ballot have a moderately difficult petition to get on primary ballots. Perhaps someone in New Mexico state government will revive the bill, and this year, pass it. Even better, perhaps the bill could provide for a filing fee alternative for minor party and independent candidates as well.
States that use filing fees are required to retain petitions in lieu of a filing fee. However, in the vast majority of states that have both filing fees and alternate petitions in lieu of the filing fee, practically every candidate chooses to pay a filing fee rather than circulate a petition. Of course, a state should set the filing fees at a moderate level.
Perhaps they should just not bother to hold the 2010 elections. After all we all need to conserve scarce taxpayer resources and it would seem elections are just too darn expensive so let’s cut them out. Perhaps this will become a trend nationwide to balance our budget and save us from this break down of the free market system. Maybe the current office holders could just stay on for life and pass the office on to their heirs. Wow! What a great idea!
What a bunch of propoganda Hoopla!
http://sites.google.com/site/maryherreranoway/
#1 Back to the old EVIL hereditary titles of nobility ???
U.S.A. back to being colonies of the U.K. regime ???
Having elections is one of the very few things that *democratic* regimes MUST DO.
Now of course is it $$$ TRILLIONS for welfare and warfare — $$$ ZERO for elections ???
What TOTAL EVIL is there in high places in the U.S.A. ???