Several hundred teachers and parents from across New Mexico swarmed into the state Capitol Monday afternoon with a powerful message for state lawmakers: No more cuts to school spending. Educational union officials and others called for lawmakers to increase taxes to provide more money for schools rather than make additional budget cuts. The Legislative Finance Committee's proposed budget would cut school spending by almost $80 million while Governor Martinez favors cuts of about $30 million. Public education supporters suggested raising taxes on liquor, rolling back tax cuts for upper-income New Mexicans or revamping the corporate income tax for multistate companies. Others favor raiding the state's investment funds that total $14 billion, or at least, borrowing against them to raise education money.
