"I don't think it's a good deal at all," New Mexico State Treasurer James B. Lewis told New Mexico Watchdog Thursday. "New Mexico needs every dime, every nickel we can get. It looks like it's permanent and it's sad that we didn't get a voice in it."

States like New Mexico and Wyoming each have vast tracts of lands owned by the federal government where energy companies extract oil and gas. In the past, the feds and the states split the royalty payments 50-50, but under the provisions of the new budget deal, the split will shift to 51-49 in favor of the federal government.

"Rep. Steve Pearce, R-New Mexico, voted against the budget deal, and said the royalties issue was one of the reasons why....Pearce said, "Imagine if the federal government took control of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, took 50 percent of its $4.1 billion in net revenue for 2012, and then decided to take another $82 million on top of that to cover administrative costs. New York and New Jersey wouldn't stand for it, but that is exactly what the federal government is doing to the west." 

The Only Solution Big Enough

It is time for Congress to honor the same promise that was made to all western states, just as it did for Hawaii and all states east of Colorado.   Transfer our public lands.

The states must control their own public lands.  Only then will we be free to properly manage the health, safety and welfare of our citizens.