The Rio Grande Foundation is a

free market In economics, a free market is an economic system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of government or any o ...

economic policy The economy of governments covers the systems for setting levels of taxation, government budgets, the money supply and interest rates as well as the labour market, national ownership, and many other areas of government interventions into the e ...

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

and taxpayer watchdog group based in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. It is affiliated with the U.S. nationwide State Policy Network. It was founded in 2000 by

Hal Stratton Harold Duane "Hal" Stratton, Jr. (born December 6, 1950) is an American lawyer currently practicing law with the Albuquerque office of the Denver based western regional law firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP. In addition to a career in t ...

, a former state representative and Attorney General of New Mexico, and Harry Messenheimer, an economist then at

George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...

. Paul Gessing became president in 2006. The group is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Activities

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' ran an article on January 19, 2009, outlining several allegations of state corruption in New Mexico and pointing to the state's lack of comprehensive ethics laws as a possible cause.New Mexico's Political Wild West
/ref> On January 29, ''The Wall Street Journal'' published a letter by Rio Grande Foundation president Paul Gessing, suggesting that government transparency would improve New Mexico's political situation. Gessing pointed out that the legislature had failed to follow through with any of the proposed ethics reforms of recent years. He suggested that the legislature begin Webcasting its sessions to give citizens the opportunity to monitor their government's actions.Land of Enchantment's Culture Hurts Transparency
/ref> In 2009, the Rio Grande Foundation president Paul Gessing criticized the creation of a Department of Motor Vehicles and Hispanic Affairs Department in New Mexico, an idea proposed in two bills introduced in the New Mexico legislature. In an interview with the ''

Santa Fe New Mexican ''The Santa Fe New Mexican'' or simply ''The New Mexican'' is a daily newspaper published in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dubbed "the West's oldest newspaper," its first issue was printed on November 28, 1849. Background The downtown offices for ''T ...

'', Gessing said, "the last thing we need is to hire more highly-paid cabinet-level state bureaucrats."Proposed agency add-ons hit sore spot
''Santa Fe New Mexican'' (February 24, 2009). The Rio Grande Foundation "made a big splash" in its fight against a streetcar project in

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

; several members of the group spoke in opposition to the streetcar at the City Council, and the Foundation supported an anti-streecar group called Stop Wasting Albuquerque Taxes (SWAT).Jim Scarantino
Free Market, Free Thinking: A Conversation with Paul Gessing of the Rio Grande Foundation
''

Weekly Alibi ''Weekly Alibi'', commonly referred to as ''The Alibi'', was a free weekly news, arts, culture, and entertainment newspaper and website in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The main features were the website's award-winning news section, featuring cultura ...

'', Vol. 16., No. 11 (March 15–21, 2007).

References

External links

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Organizational Profile
– National Center for Charitable Statistics ( Urban Institute) {{Coords, 35.1364, -106.7022, display=title Charities based in New Mexico Government watchdog groups in the United States Organizations based in Albuquerque, New Mexico Tax reform in the United States