This vote is important and hopefully such a public hearing will aid voters in bringing focus to the importance of the adoption of the .25% gross receipts tax April 3rd. I confess to being somewhat skeptical about voters adopting the tax scheme however. Let us hope there is some good organizational talent behind the referendum as this is political science - not rocket science.

[...] The Las Cruces Sun-News reports this morning that commissioners from three counties in southern New Mexico—Doña Ana, Otero, and Sierra—are planning a joint hearing on January 15 to discuss plans fox taxes needed to help fund Spaceport America. (A proposal for such a hearing was discussed last week.) The hearing is designed to make sure both county officials and residents—who will eventually have to vote to approve any taxes—are up to speed about spaceport plans and the need for the taxes. Apparently commissioners in Otero and Sierra counties, who are in the “spaceport district” but haven’t been following the issue as closely as in Doña Ana (home to Las Cruces), have some questions about the project that may be answered at the hearing. [...]