Taking Back Nevada's Checkbook
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
Later today (May 28th) Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons will become the first Silver State Governor, according to those on his staff who have explored this, to veto a state budget. He will also apply his stamp of rejection to the $781 tax measure that was passed by the Legislature on Friday.
From this action, the state’s legislative bodies will commence their counter action, working to finish up work by the June 1st sine die with an over-ride of these vetos as well as a few others which also fit their agenda, but not that of Governor Gibbons.
Having spent the 75th Nevada Legislative Session watching the continued march for expanding Nevada government spending and seeing that there is nothing safe from Legislators’ reach to fund their desired spending obsession – it is quite obvious that the effort to gain control of the situation can only be accomplished by an election aimed at sending legislators to Carson City who believe in responsible spending.
Although not a fan of gimmicks, which remove legislative responsibilities for determining spending authority and the necessary funding mechanisms to pay for the budget, these options need to be evaluated for their possible ability to deliver end results which put meaningful spending caps in place.
We also need to recruit and put forth a group of candidates for office in the 2010 election unified on the platform planks of responsible state spending and delivery of value for those expenditures which are authorized.
The Las Vegas Chamber came to the 2009 Legislative session with an agenda for reform of critical public employee matters (retirement benefits, health benefits, prevailing wages and collective bargaining). This agenda was forwarded by Republican Senators and played a very important role in the back-room negotiations that eventually came together in the budget and tax legislation that lawmakers approved. Putting together this type of organized, formalized and comprehensive approach could be and should be a game-plan for 2011.
Unless a significant change in direction is implemented to establish a state budget process that doesn’t start from the premise of requiring automatic increases – future tax increases (in terms of rates for existing as well as expansion of types) will make us think the 2009 record-setting tax session was insignificant.
Later today (May 28th) Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons will become the first Silver State Governor, according to those on his staff who have explored this, to veto a state budget. He will also apply his stamp of rejection to the $781 tax measure that was passed by the Legislature on Friday.
From this action, the state’s legislative bodies will commence their counter action, working to finish up work by the June 1st sine die with an over-ride of these vetos as well as a few others which also fit their agenda, but not that of Governor Gibbons.
Having spent the 75th Nevada Legislative Session watching the continued march for expanding Nevada government spending and seeing that there is nothing safe from Legislators’ reach to fund their desired spending obsession – it is quite obvious that the effort to gain control of the situation can only be accomplished by an election aimed at sending legislators to Carson City who believe in responsible spending.
Although not a fan of gimmicks, which remove legislative responsibilities for determining spending authority and the necessary funding mechanisms to pay for the budget, these options need to be evaluated for their possible ability to deliver end results which put meaningful spending caps in place.
We also need to recruit and put forth a group of candidates for office in the 2010 election unified on the platform planks of responsible state spending and delivery of value for those expenditures which are authorized.
The Las Vegas Chamber came to the 2009 Legislative session with an agenda for reform of critical public employee matters (retirement benefits, health benefits, prevailing wages and collective bargaining). This agenda was forwarded by Republican Senators and played a very important role in the back-room negotiations that eventually came together in the budget and tax legislation that lawmakers approved. Putting together this type of organized, formalized and comprehensive approach could be and should be a game-plan for 2011.
Unless a significant change in direction is implemented to establish a state budget process that doesn’t start from the premise of requiring automatic increases – future tax increases (in terms of rates for existing as well as expansion of types) will make us think the 2009 record-setting tax session was insignificant.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 5/28/2009 7:02 AM 
Categories: Nevada Budget
Tags: Nevada Government Spending Nevada Legislature
Categories: Nevada Budget
Tags: Nevada Government Spending Nevada Legislature
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