It’s Us Against Them Time – And They Get To Decide How Things Will Be Done
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
For those who might have had concerns or are opposed to increases in the fees, taxes and other revenue things that bring dollars into the state coffers…you might as well go find your checkbook and prepare to pay for the increased spending the Nevada Legislature has decided they are going to spend.
Those involved in determining the outcome of the 2009 Nevada Legislature are firmly in control and are using the full range of process (including those things which aren’t completely honest) to accomplish their agenda.
AB 146 (As Amended) is an example, more from the perspective of the way in which things are working now, than the amount of money to be acquired through the process. AB 146 was a bill to set up something of a one-stop-shopping approach for businesses to sign up for their state business license. It was declared exempt and was held in the hold pattern of not moving through the legislative system. As an exempt bill the deadlines didn’t apply.
One element of the plan to acquire enough revenue to pay for the increased budgets that the Legislature has agreed to, was just made public over the past day or so – an increase in the current business license fees, doubling the amount to $200 and making certain that a business with multiple locations gets to pay the fee for each of those locations.
Without a legislative hearing on affixing this approach to AB 146, the amendment was adopted on the floor of the Assembly to plug in this approach to the legislation. From behind closed doors to adoption by the Assembly in a matter of hours – no hearing…no public input. Next!
As things stand right now it might be possible to get word out of the Legislative Building, but it doesn’t seem likely that citizens are going to have much impact in getting word (like input that matters) into the building.
With the indication of how the game plan will include a variety of strategies and the approach of limiting debate (unless you might agree with the pre-determined outcome) it would seem that ramming through the roughly $800 million revenue acquisition program is only going to be stopped by some miracle and perhaps enough votes in the State Senate to prevent the necessary two-thirds majority required to pass a tax bill or sustain a veto that will likely be coming from Governor Gibbons.
Although the final determinations are not completely known or available for public consumption, the real decision for this outcome was determined in November of 2008. We must somehow recognize that when you elect the representatives that you send to Carson City – you are going to get what they decide you are going to get. Hopefully, in November of 2010 the memory of this May will be remembered and a different majority will be sent to deal with the Legislative process in 2011.
For those who might have had concerns or are opposed to increases in the fees, taxes and other revenue things that bring dollars into the state coffers…you might as well go find your checkbook and prepare to pay for the increased spending the Nevada Legislature has decided they are going to spend.
Those involved in determining the outcome of the 2009 Nevada Legislature are firmly in control and are using the full range of process (including those things which aren’t completely honest) to accomplish their agenda.
AB 146 (As Amended) is an example, more from the perspective of the way in which things are working now, than the amount of money to be acquired through the process. AB 146 was a bill to set up something of a one-stop-shopping approach for businesses to sign up for their state business license. It was declared exempt and was held in the hold pattern of not moving through the legislative system. As an exempt bill the deadlines didn’t apply.
One element of the plan to acquire enough revenue to pay for the increased budgets that the Legislature has agreed to, was just made public over the past day or so – an increase in the current business license fees, doubling the amount to $200 and making certain that a business with multiple locations gets to pay the fee for each of those locations.
Without a legislative hearing on affixing this approach to AB 146, the amendment was adopted on the floor of the Assembly to plug in this approach to the legislation. From behind closed doors to adoption by the Assembly in a matter of hours – no hearing…no public input. Next!
As things stand right now it might be possible to get word out of the Legislative Building, but it doesn’t seem likely that citizens are going to have much impact in getting word (like input that matters) into the building.
With the indication of how the game plan will include a variety of strategies and the approach of limiting debate (unless you might agree with the pre-determined outcome) it would seem that ramming through the roughly $800 million revenue acquisition program is only going to be stopped by some miracle and perhaps enough votes in the State Senate to prevent the necessary two-thirds majority required to pass a tax bill or sustain a veto that will likely be coming from Governor Gibbons.
Although the final determinations are not completely known or available for public consumption, the real decision for this outcome was determined in November of 2008. We must somehow recognize that when you elect the representatives that you send to Carson City – you are going to get what they decide you are going to get. Hopefully, in November of 2010 the memory of this May will be remembered and a different majority will be sent to deal with the Legislative process in 2011.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 5/18/2009 4:29 PM 
Categories: Nevada Legislature
Tags: Tax Increases Nevada Business Taxes
Categories: Nevada Legislature
Tags: Tax Increases Nevada Business Taxes
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