Writer: Janet Perez, 575-646-4120, perezjm@nmsu.edu

The nation’s debt crisis, national security and health care reform are the hot-button topics experts will address at the 2011 Domenici Public Policy Conference Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

“Once again, under the leadership of Sen. Pete Domenici and the NMSU Domenici Institute Advisory Committee, we have assembled an outstanding lineup of national leaders to discuss very topical policy issues, to include the competitiveness of U.S. education, health care reform, the national debt and national security — all issues that the senator has championed for many years,” said Garrey Carruthers, dean of New Mexico State University’s College of Business and director of NMSU’s Domenici Institute.

Among those set to speak at the conference are former U.S. Sen. Thomas A. Daschle, who championed health care reform while in Congress and has published two books on the topic; New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who will discuss matters affecting the state; and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, who as former director of the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency will speak on cyber security.

Now in its fourth year hosting the conference, the Domenici Institute is named after New Mexico’s longest-serving U.S. senator, Pete V. Domenici. Every year, the conference brings together some of the country’s top experts to discuss a variety of important issues facing the nation.

This year, Domenici will provide his thoughts on the national debt, a topic he is well versed in as a former chairman and ranking minority member of the Senate Budget Committee. He also co-chairs the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Task Force on Debt Reduction.

“The task force supported raising the debt ceiling promptly and mandating actions to put the federal budget back on a sustainable path,” Domenici said. “We also proposed a tough enforcement mechanism with any debt ceiling legislation in order to build bipartisan confidence among members of Congress that future deficit cuts will actually occur.”

The conference will close with the premiere of a documentary on Domenici’s life in public office. The documentary not only will capture the legacy of Domenici’s accomplishments, but it also will serve as testimony to New Mexico’s participation in issues of national importance.

The 2011 Domenici Public Policy Conference also will feature:

National Debt

Alice M. Rivlin is a senior fellow in the Economic Studies Program at the Brookings Institution. Last year, President Obama named Rivlin to the Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. She also co-chairs the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Task Force on Debt Reduction. Rivlin served as vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board from 1996-1999, was director of the White House Office of Management and Budget in the first Clinton Administration, and was the founding director of the Congressional Budget Office.

National Security

James L. Jones served as National Security Advisor for Obama from January 2009 to November 2010. He is a retired U.S. Marine Corps General who held the positions of Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander of the United States European Command until December 2006. Jones is president of Jones Group International, created to help address challenging geo-strategic issues.

Health Care

Karen Ignagni is president of Washington, D.C.-based America’s Health Insurance Plans. She is a nationally recognized spokesperson for the health care industry and has appeared before Senate and House committees to share her expertise. She has written articles on health care policy for numerous publications, including The New York Times, USA Today, and the New England Journal of Medicine. She also has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, MSNBC and CNBC.

J. Mario Molina is a physician and the president and CEO of California-based Molina Healthcare. As the son of Molina Healthcare founder, C. David Molina, the younger Molina has worked in various capacities within the company. He has received the Ernst & Young Greater Los Angeles Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and in 2005 was featured in Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential Hispanics in America.

Science and Technology: Can America Compete?

Norman R. Augustine is the former CEO and chairman of Lockheed Martin. Along with working with other aerospace companies such as Martin Marietta and Douglas Aircraft, Augustine held several positions in the Department of Defense. He served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as assistant director of defense research and engineering, as well as assistant secretary, under secretary, and acting secretary of the Army.

The 2011 Domenici Public Policy Conference costs $50 to attend, with registration and payment available online at domenici.nmsu.edu. The event is free to NMSU students. For more information, call the Domenici Institute at 575-646-2066.

This project is partially sponsored by the Department of the Army, Office of the Surgeon General. The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. government and no official endorsement should be inferred.

Click on graphic to view presentation

By Gabriel Vasquez

The HIRE Act and Work Opportunity Tax Credit contain provisions that allow business owners to recoup part of their labor force investment and should not be overlooked by local business owners trying to maximize their bottom line.

That was the message delivered by David Estrada, senior manager for Moss Adams LLP, during the February Business on the Border forum hosted by the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance Tuesday, Feb. 1, at Lorenzo’s de Mesilla.

“The HIRE Act was enacted last year by President Obama and signed into law on March 18, 2010,” Estrada said. “As part of that, businesses now qualify for two new hiring and retention incentives.”

The HIRE Act

The Obama HIRE (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment) Act has two new tax benefits for employers that hire workers who were previously unemployed or were only working part-time.

Employers who hired unemployed workers last year – after Feb. 3, 2010, and before Jan. 1, 2011 – may now qualify for a 6.2-percent payroll tax incentive, Estrada said. That provision exempts employers from paying a share of Social Security taxes on wages paid to workers after March 18, 2010.

“A bill placed into Congress last week seeks to extend the HIRE Act through the end of 2011,” Estrada said. “But there’s still an opportunity for businesses to take advantage of it this year. Businesses who hire employees that qualify for this should be aware.”

In addition to the unemployed worker incentive, the HIRE act allows employers to claim an additional general business tax credit, up to $1,000 per worker, for every employee they retained last year when they file their 2011 income tax returns.

New hires who fill existing positions qualify for the retention credit as well, and in that case an employer can apply for both credits for the same worker, but only if the workers they replaced left voluntarily or was fired for cause. Family members and relatives of the business owner don’t qualify for the credit, Estrada said.

The two tax benefits are especially beneficial to employers who have grown or expanded and added positions over the year, he said. “This means cash savings, increased cash flow and a potentially large credit for new hires over the year,” he said.

In addition, the HIRE Act requires that an employer get a statement from each eligible new hire certifying that he or she was unemployed for 60 days prior to beginning work, or, worked no more than 40 hours for anyone during the 60-day period.

“These tax breaks offer a much needed boost to employers willing to expand their payrolls, and businesses and nonprofits should keep these benefits in mind as they plan for the year ahead,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

Businesses, agricultural employers, tax-exempt organizations and public colleges and universities qualify for the tax benefit for new hires.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, or WOTC, was signed into law in 1996 and was just extended through the end of 2011, Estrada said. “It’s an incentive for employers to hire individuals who have barriers to employment,” he said.

WOTC provides eligible employers with a tax credit of up to 40 percent of the first $6,000 of first-year wages of a new employee who is a member of a “targeted group” of workers who face difficulty finding a job.

“The new employee must not have worked for the hiring employer anytime in the past and may not be a relative or dependent of the employer,” Estrada said.

The target groups, which are created and expanded every year, were recently updated. Employees who now qualify for the WOTC include:

• A person or member of a family who has recently received financial help through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program
• A person or member of a family who is receiving or has recently received food stamps
• An 18-40 year old person who is a resident of a federally designated “Empowerment Zone”
• A summer youth employee
• A qualified veteran
• A Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient
• Someone convicted of a felony or recently released from prison

“Single moms and vets typically generate the largest tax credits (for employers),” Estrada said. “There are a lot of dollars out there if you just look, and they generate quickly.”

Estrada said, typically, employers can get back $2,400 for each new adult WOTC hire, $1,200 for each new summer youth hire, $4,800 for new veteran hire and $9,000 for each new long-term family assistance recipient over a two-year period.

For more information on these and other tax credits, visit www.irs.gov or call a tax consultant.

January 8, 2010
Alarie Ray-Garcia (505) 476-2248

SANTA FE- Governor Bill Richardson today announced Johnson Plate and Tower will build a wind tower manufacturing facility in Santa Teresa. The facility is expected to create dozens of construction jobs and 150 permanent jobs.

“I am pleased that Johnson Plate and Tower chose New Mexico to build its new wind tower manufacturing plant and plans to create 150 new jobs in our state,” Governor Richardson said. “This announcement shows that our aggressive efforts to create jobs, especially during this global recession, are paying off. Manufacturing of green technology is an important component of building a green jobs economy here in New Mexico.”

Today President Obama announced that Johnson Plate and Tower is one 183 projects that will share $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits for clean energy manufacturing projects across the United States. Johnson Plate and Tower was awarded $2,385,000 in credits for its Santa Teresa facility.

Johnson Plate and Tower will build its more than 84,000 square-foot manufacturing facility on 22 acres in the Verde Logistics Park. The company expects to employ 40-50 people during the construction phase and then move to a full time operation employing 150 people in the manufacturing of wind towers for wind farms across the country.

“We are excited that Johnson Plate and Tower chose to locate in our growing industrial border-plex region here in New Mexico,” Economic Secretary Fred Mondragon said. “I want to commend Dona Ana County for the passage of the Local Economic Development Act that helped make this project possible.”