Can We Do The Math?
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
On May 14th when the joint session of the Assembly and Senate Taxation Committee met to discuss the possible tax proposal to increase the employment taxes at a rate to be determined at some point in time -- there was some apparent hurt feelings by legislators over the assessment in the Las Vegas Review Journal that they hadn't cut the state budget.
Anjeanette Damon, the legislative reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal posted to her blog the fact that the estimated amount for the coming biennium would be $6.908 Billion. She also indicated that this amount is $106 million more than the approved budget for the 2007-2009 budget period. If memory serves -- this approved budget was not sustainable and actual spending is going to be actually less than the approved amount.
If you plan to spend $106 million more in the next budget cycle than was approved for spending in the last budget cycle -- does anyone else's math experience portray that as a reduction?
The "cuts" that the legislators "struggled with" and will be taxing us more for -- would more accurately be described as spending less than we would have liked to.
Whether it hurts legislators feelings or not, truthful reporting of the budget amounts that they are taking credit for is an increase -- not a cut. It also would be accurate to report that the tax increases that will probably come from the 2009 Nevada Legislature will provide for this increased spending.
If you don't like to be labeled as a spend and tax supporter, you shouldn't probably increase the amount of authorized spending and then call that a cut.
On May 14th when the joint session of the Assembly and Senate Taxation Committee met to discuss the possible tax proposal to increase the employment taxes at a rate to be determined at some point in time -- there was some apparent hurt feelings by legislators over the assessment in the Las Vegas Review Journal that they hadn't cut the state budget.
Anjeanette Damon, the legislative reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal posted to her blog the fact that the estimated amount for the coming biennium would be $6.908 Billion. She also indicated that this amount is $106 million more than the approved budget for the 2007-2009 budget period. If memory serves -- this approved budget was not sustainable and actual spending is going to be actually less than the approved amount.
If you plan to spend $106 million more in the next budget cycle than was approved for spending in the last budget cycle -- does anyone else's math experience portray that as a reduction?
The "cuts" that the legislators "struggled with" and will be taxing us more for -- would more accurately be described as spending less than we would have liked to.
Whether it hurts legislators feelings or not, truthful reporting of the budget amounts that they are taking credit for is an increase -- not a cut. It also would be accurate to report that the tax increases that will probably come from the 2009 Nevada Legislature will provide for this increased spending.
If you don't like to be labeled as a spend and tax supporter, you shouldn't probably increase the amount of authorized spending and then call that a cut.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 5/15/2009 10:22 AM 
Categories: Nevada Budget
Tags: Nevada Legislature state spending budgets
Categories: Nevada Budget
Tags: Nevada Legislature state spending budgets
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