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'OFF THE TABLE' - NOW IT'S BACK ON THE TABLE - AS THE GOVERNOR CHANGES HIS MIND ABOUT RAISING LOCAL TAXES TO PAY FOR THE RAIL RUNNER COMMUTER TRAIN. STUART DYSON IS LIVE AT THE NORTH VALLEY RAIL RUNNER STATION WITH A LOOK AT THE MONEY PICTURE. THAT'S TONIGHT'S TOP STORY. LAST FALL THE RICHARDSON ADMINISTRATION SAID THE TAX IDEA WAS 'OFF THE TABLE FOREVER' - FOREVER LASTED ABOUT FIFTEEN WEEKS - THE FLIP FLOP MEANS VOTERS MAY GET A CHANCE TO DECIDE WHETHER A BUMP IN THE SALES TAX SHOULD PAY FOR THE CHOO-CHOO. OUT Q THE RAIL RUNNER'S ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS ARE PROJECTED AT FIFTEEN TO TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR - ONCE THE TRAIN RUNS ALL THE WAY FROM BELEN TO SANTA FE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. PASSENGER FARES WILL NEVER COVER MORE THAN A FRACTION OF THE COST - HELP FROM TAXPAYERS IS A POPULAR IDEA - AT LEAST WITH PEOPLE WHO RIDE THE TRAIN. ' I think so - they commute - it helps 'em go to work on time and save on gas - I think they should.'' I think that's appropriate - it's a great thing - it gets cars off the road and people moving - and I gotta get moving now.' IT WOULD PROBABLY WORK LIKE THIS - A SMALL HIKE IN THE GROSS RECEIPTS TAX IN THE FOUR COUNTIES THE TRAIN SERVES - AMOUNTING TO TWELVE AND A HALF CENTS FOR EVERY HUNDRED DOLLARS SPENT. TRANSIT OFFICIALS THINK THE VOTERS WILL SAY YES. ' I think they understand - I think they get it - and I think they would support a funding structure - as long as the money went to where we said it was gonna go - to operate the trains.' BUT IN SOME PLACES THERE IS DEEP SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE RAIL RUNNER - IMPORTANT PLACES LIKE THE STATE LEGISLATURE. ' You know when we can purchase commuter rails but we can't six-lane a road from Belen to Santa Fe - the busiest interstate in the state - you wonder where our priorities are.' THE STATE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDS SETTING UP A REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT TO RAISE THE TAXES - IF VOTERS APPROVE - AND TAKE OVER OPERATION OF THE COMMUTER TRAIN.