Vote YES to direct GRT toward Holy Cross and the UNM–Taos nursing program
The 95-year-old Lions Club of Taos fully supports the upcoming ballot measure to approve the continuation of our local gross receipts tax rates. The measure allows reallocation of 0.5 percent of that money to help Holy Cross Medical Center and the very successful UNM–Taos Nursing Program so both can continue to serve our Northern New Mexico communities.
The continuation and reallocation of this tax is not an increase of gross receipts tax or property tax rates; it simply directs existing gross receipts taxes to be used for the benefit of residents and visitors here in Northern New Mexico.
Most rural hospitals are facing significant financial challenges as costs of doing business increase and reimbursements from government programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, decline. It doesn’t take an economist to recognize one important way to help local hospitals keep their doors open is to ensure residents and visitors alike help provide funding for operational and capital improvement costs. Gross receipts taxes paid by locals and visitors are a most effective way to ensure the economic burden of a local hospital is not shouldered solely by county residents and property owners.
A few observations on the economic impacts of this continuation and reallocation: Holy Cross provides over 400 jobs; the economic viability of our communities will suffer if those jobs are reduced by our not approving this ballot measure. Holy Cross employees aside, many people directly benefit from the substantial annual payroll of our hospital; many thousands of family members, service provider workers, retail employees, people in government service, educators, construction workers and the like are all more fully employed because these tax dollars pass to and through Holy Cross and then out into and across our Northern New Mexico communities. Similarly, how many local students interested in the health professions are more likely to be able to better support themselves and their families via participating in UNM–Taos’ many health sciences education programs? That number is certainly in the thousands. And, because of UNM–Taos and Holy Cross are working together, these folks can complete much more of their higher education here in Taos, and thus have a much better chance of gaining long-term, better paid employment in positions that provide benefits such as health insurance, retirement, paid time off, etc.
Looking at the broader picture: Our communities inarguably have a more robust social fabric to support them in good times and bad when good-paying jobs are available. The children we raise are more likely to remain in our communities, and there is inarguably a decrease in domestic violence, substance abuse, youth delinquency, and other social ills when good jobs are available. Two, having to go outside of Taos County to obtain the range of medical services currently offered by Holy Cross carries a price tag as well; families traveling out of the county to provide support to patients elsewhere are pulled away from their community, sometimes over the long term. Many older folks who relocate to Taos County require an increased level of medical services; they will not remain here to pay property taxes and gross receipts taxes; hire local firms to build, furnish and maintain their homes; dine out; contribute their skills to local nonprofits, etc. if they can’t access a reasonably complete level of medical services near at hand.
Any business or public institution sometimes falls short of the mark, centered as they are on sometimes-fallible people. How much farther short of the mark would local medical and health education services be if Holy Cross is not serving our aging population, and if UNM–Taos is not providing solid educational opportunities to local students? And what would be the real impact of reducing local gross receipts taxes by not approving this important ballot measure? It can be argued that the net savings to the typical Taos resident and visitor is not even remotely a good tradeoff when one looks at the positive, across-the-board, county-wide impact of Holy Cross and UNM–Taos.
Continuation of and reallocation of the existing gross receipts taxes we are already accustomed to paying is a very small price to pay for the many tangible and intangible benefits Holy Cross and UNM–Taos provide to nearly everyone living in or visiting Taos County. We are very fortunate to have both institutions serving our needs.
Voting YES for this important ballot measure is a way to show we recognize and appreciate the day-in/day-out efforts of the people employed by these essential institutions.