This poll was conducted on October 16 and 17, 2003 of all the registered voters in Las Cruces. The debate for the convention center was not so much about whether to have a convention center, but rather who should fund such an activity for our city. This poll indicates how many persons would support or not support a convention center for Las Cruces. It also explores the mechanism for funding the convention center should one be built.

Other events, like the vote by the City Council of Las Cruces to go ahead with the convention center, resulted in a group of citizens obtaining over 1500 certified names for a petition to bring the vote on the convention center to the general public rather than just rely on the vote by the City Council. This form of citizen redress is allowed by City Charter and allows the people to question votes by the City Council directly.

NMIRI is interested in public policy education on issues like the convention center so that citizens and decision-makers can make sound policy decisions that are supported by the people. Bringing a full vote of the citizens is now required if the City Council does not rescind its earlier decision. This will cost the taxpayers an additional $22,000 dollars or more. In order to assist the City Council and the citizens, this poll was commissioned by NMIRI as an educational tool in order to bring more objective data to the discussion about the convention center, at least as viewed by the voters who might have to make a decision. The City Council can now use this data to either rescind their vote or place the issue on the ballot for a full vote by the citizens at a cost to the taxpayers of approximately $22,000. This study provides the information necessary to save the taxpayers the $22,000 for an election on the convention center issue should the City Council of Las Cruces act on the educational information contained herein.

Sample of Register Voters

A randomly selected group of 605 registered voters participated in the study. the confidence level for this sample is plus or minus 4 percent or a 96 percent confidence level in the results from the poll sample. This means that a 51.2 percent could be either, 55.2 or 47.2 percent, thus plus or minus four points.

Results of the Poll:

Question 1 – Do you support the development of a convention center for Las Cruces?

Yes = 51.2 % No= 44.6% No opinion = 3.9%

Question 2 – Regarding money required to build and operate a convention center in Las Cruces would you support using public taxpayer money for bonds and potential tax increases in the operation of the convention center, or would you support private sector funding and no use of taxpayer money?

Private Funding = 75.8% Taxpayer Funding = 13.5% Unsure = 9.5%

Discussion

During the local debates that were driven by a Convention Center committee of four persons and the local Chamber of Commerce for over 3 years, it was made known by these groups that they felt they were in the majority and that it was just a minority of people that did not want the convention center. Data from the study clearly demonstrates that 51.2 percent of the voters do want a convention center, but another 44.6 percent do not want one at all. Only 3.9 percent had no opinion. It is now clear that a small majority want a convention center for Las Cruces, but not the mandated majority that this group touted.

Also during the debates, policy makers were warned repeatedly that citizens did not want any more funding by taxpayers for large projects like the convention center because the city government had proved by its previous management of the El Paso Electric attempted takeover, the MMC hospital debt service, the onerous rule about smoking in the city, and other challenges that were before the City Council that no new taxpayer money for a convention center would be supported. The City Council, against the wisdom of many citizens and NMIRI policy suggestions, voted to support the development of convention center. The Committee of Four Convention group in a last ditch effort to create a public relations campaign to stop the petition efforts against the convention center, claimed that opposition was driven by a small minority of taxpayers and that their committee had the majority of citizens behind them for public funding.

We now know from this study that this is simply not true. Polling data shows that by a huge margin the registered voters reject any public funding for a convention center or its operation. A mandate from the voters is for private sector investment in this project and an end to the corporate welfare as subsidized by the citizen taxpayers. The hotel and motel owners, as small business persons did not support the convention effort because it would raise, disproportionately, the fees for tourists in Las Cruces. This tax was imposed with the assistance of Governor Bill Richardson and Senator Mary Jane Garcia who pushed through a new ceiling on taxation in our region. This tax was imposed on top of an existing $1 million annually that is being collected from tourists by the Convention and Tourist Bureau, City of Las Cruces.

This is a case study of public policy in direct opposition to citizen’s wishes. Elected officials in this region should recognize a clear citizen message for public policy principles. Voters want a more limited role for government, and like the idea that free markets should be allowed to take their normal course in economic development. Imposing corporate welfare by inappropriate use of economic development does not seem to bode well for the future of Las Cruces given the convention center debates, but one example among many potential public policy issues.

A corollary issue seems to be the involvement of Mesilla business persons in trying to impose new taxation on the citizens of Las Cruces, while ensuring that Mesilla businesses were exempt, but yet benefiting greatly from the new convention center that was to be built and operated with Las Cruces taxpayers money. This abuse must stop as a matter of public policy for Las Cruces. Las Cruces charter rules do not allow persons who reside outside the city limits to participate in these policy decisions, yet, this rule too, was violated by having a person or persons involved in the convention center activities that did not have any businesses in Las Cruces.

The citizens have now spoken and a wise City Council would stop the development of the convention center with public funding, directly or indirectly. They should seek to fulfill the wishes of the majority who prefer to have a convention center with only private funding being used for its development and operation. No other compromise on this issue should be allowed in order to fulfill the wishes of the voters as evidenced by this study.

©Copyright NMIRI 2003 All rights reserved.
This article, from the New Mexico Independence Research Institute staff, fellows and research network, is offered for your use at no charge. NMIRI Syndicate articles are published for educational purposes only, and the authors speak for themselves. Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily representing the views of NMIRI or as an attempt to influence any election or legislative action.

NMIRI wishes to thank its many supporters who make possible this kind of public policy research work for the people in support of limited government, free market economics and personal responsibility.