II. Other Public Policy Issues

Workforce development and education
TIA believes school-to-careers and other training programs designed to prepare for the 21st century jobs are key to New Mexico’s economic success.

• Fund post-secondary technology and manufacturing training programs and centers.
• Deploy and fund technology in schools.
• Support quality programs such as Advanced Placement, Strengthening Quality in Schools (SQS), Quality Leadership in Education (QLE), and the Baldridge in Education Initiative.
• Support increased articulation for K-16 in school-to-careers initiatives.
• Support for the UNM Manufacturing Training and Technology Center funding.

Telecummunications
TIA strongly supports competition and free market systems.

• The legislature should continue to monitor progress at the Public Regulation Commission to ensure timely implementation of the 2000 amendments made to the New Mexico Telecommunications Act.
• Supports the State CIO office aggregation and infrastructure inventory plans.
• Support additional appropriations to facilitate the deployment of digital television conversion for New Mexico’s three Public Broadcast Stations.
• Supports legislative action to ensure that right-of-way, franchise and other fees for placement of telecommunications infrastructure in the public right-of-way are cost-based.

Electronic commerce and the Internet
TIA supports Internet policies free of restrictive monopoly pricing and taxation and supports broadband deployment to facilitate e-commerce and Internet growth.

• No new Internet taxes. Tax the transaction not the Internet.
• xDSL and other broadband provisioning.
• Supports replacement of the N.M. Electronic Authentication of Documents Act with the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act that recognizes technological neutrality with regard to the recognition of electronic signatures and records, and allows the states to adopt a uniform legal standard to govern transactions in interstate and international electronic commerce. Such legislation should apply to both the public and private sectors.
• No expansion of universal service monopoly costs to Internet and data services.

Economic development of technology sector
TIA believes New Mexico should enhance the environment for emerging technology industries through such programs as:

• Permanent funding of In-Plant Training.
• Support incubator initiatives for technology industry development.
• Support technology cluster development initiatives.

Public tax policy
TIA favors a stable tax policy that stimulates private investment and job creation.

• Limit government spending to the rate of inflation.
• Oppose any reduction in the value of the state’s economic incentive package.
• Lower the personal income tax upper limits.
• No new Internet taxes.
• Support R&D tax credit initiatives.
• Eliminate pyramiding of GRT on services between businesses.

Improve and add flexibility to environmental regulations

• Streamline regulatory approval of operational changes designed to prevent pollution.
• Limited tax credits for conservation programs, including water.
• Environmental programs should be developed and implemented based on sound science.