Issues

DAVID IS KEENLY AWARE UNEMPLOYMENT IS AT A 22-YEAR HIGH AND THAT IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LEADER WHO KNOWS HOW TO CREATE JOBS New Mexico should be business-friendly, but we are not. Government has too big a role in all we do, is intrusive, burdensome and discourages innovation and job creation. And the state legislature just imposed an additional $230 million in new taxes! We have to reverse course in New Mexico, allowing individuals and small businesses to keep more of their earnings—for investment and job expansion. That will also encourage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, leading to new job opportunities for more New Mexicans. Increased taxes force many small businesses to cut jobs at precisely the moment we are experiencing a serious economic downturn. Like you, David Doyle understands these basic economic realities and wants to bring that same common-sense understanding to Santa Fe.

As a businessman, and as a husband and father, David Doyle strongly opposes a government-run healthcare system. While we face a number of problems and challenges in healthcare delivery, especially with the escalating costs, turning these problems over to government bureaucrats and committees is not the best solution. There are many economics-based ideas that are better suited to address the problems we face.

Some of them are:
1) Tax credits, or some form of tax-based financial incentives, for individuals and employers who provide themselves or their employees with healthcare coverage
2) Opening up the purchase of insurance across state lines to encourage competition and lower costs
3) Allowing high-risk individuals with pre-existing conditions to pool together—also across state lines, to spread risk, and lower premiums
4) Passing lawsuit reform now. Abuses by plaintiffs’ attorneys—often with little recovery for clients—cost many millions of dollars, perhaps billions, nationwide, and drive insurance premiums sky high. We have to have a legislature that understands that economics-based, or market-based solutions are preferable because they don’t increase the public debt and they don’t raise taxes on individuals or businesses—taxes that further hurt, or even cripple an already stressed economy.

DAVID UNDERSTANDS THE NEED FOR THE CHILDREN OF NM TO HAVE THE QUALITY EDUCATION OF THEIR CHOICE, AS WELL AS HIGH PAYING JOBS ONCE THEY GRADUATE It seems that every single week there’s a new story in the New Mexico media about the lack of progress in our education system. More often than not the story is actually worse than that—our test scores are falling, or millions of dollars are missing, or unaccounted for, or taxpayer dollars are being spent for completely inappropriate things. And teachers’ union and education establishment spokespersons always respond the same way: more money is needed. But more spending is not the solution What we need is greater parental involvement—an active role by the family in children’s education. One way to increase that role is to provide the widest possible array of choices in education. Choice in education requires decision-making by parents and guardians. Decision-making requires families to study the options available to them, and ultimately leads to a greater buy-in on the part of the entire family. David Doyle does not believe there is a single magic bullet in education, but taxpayers deserve to be able to choose what is best for their children. It may be:
1. the public school closest to your home—the traditional choice for most families,
2. a different public school, outside your district
3. a magnet school—a public school with a specific curriculum focus
4. a charter school, operated independently, but under the public school umbrella,
5. a private school
6. homeschooling Allowing choice in schooling allows all families, especially low income families who are often at the greatest risk for educational underachievement, to become active consumers in the educational marketplace, helping them gain control over their children’s education and encouraging them to become more involved.

If there is one thing the people of New Mexico should understand it is that we have enough revenue. We really don’t need any more. Many people, even people who think of themselves as conservatives sometimes find themselves considering taxes on things they don’t care about, or activities they don’t engage in. Cigarette taxes, taxes on alcohol, “junk food” and many other specialty taxes are often floated as a “solution” to the budget crisis. They aren’t. The solution to the budget crisis is the reduction of spending, and the elimination of wasteful or unneeded programs. New taxes, regardless of what they are assessed on, will simply be a means of producing more revenue which in turn will mean that legislators will merely spend it. New or increased tax revenue will take the focus away from budget reduction, budget review and spending accountability. You are taxed enough. We have enough money in state government to fund those things that are necessary. Increasing your taxes is simply unfair to you and to your family. David Doyle has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform. You can see David’s signed pledge at www.atr.org

The issuing of drivers’ licenses for individuals unlawfully in the United States is a policy that many states have reversed over the past several years, in the wake of 9/11. New Mexico adopted this unwise policy in 2003 and needs to reverse it. The drivers’ license has become the passport to public transportation. That says a great deal about safety and security implications of such an unwise policy. The Department of Homeland Security, under both the Bush and the Obama Administrations do not support New Mexico’s policy. As a state representative David Doyle would be a strong advocate for protecting our families’ safety.

David Doyle believes in the sanctity of human life. He supports protection of the unborn and supports those measures legislatures are permitted to adopt in order to protect life. Those include bans on partial-birth abortion, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, which would protect a baby who survives an abortion attempt, the right of parents to be notified before a child under 18 can be directly treated at an abortion clinic. David also supports such common-sense and measured policies as waiting periods and counseling on the life-time aspects, emotional effects and health risks associated with abortion procedures. He also opposes human cloning.

David Doyle supports vigorous and conscientious enforcement of Civil Rights laws for all Americans—laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or creed. While everyone should be guaranteed equal rights, no groups should be singled out for special rights, and special rights should not be awarded any group or individual based on behavior or other activity.

David Doyle supports and welcomes all legal immigrants and others who are here by lawful means and are productive, law-abiding persons. He supports vigorous enforcement of all laws dealing with immigration.