A Campaign Of Ideas – More On Taxes And Assorted Wonderings
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
Part of the reason for covering the topic of taxes in relationship to the 2010 election is that Farm Bureau members interested in being involved in the process of getting good candidates elected have stated that the area of taxes is a very big deal. As Nevada tax receipts continue to slip (even after the 2009 Nevada Legislature passed nearly $1 Billion in increased taxes) more and more conversations are turning to special sessions and possible further tax increases.
Perhaps in the consideration for what Nevada needs to do, the advice of Mark Levin in his book “Liberty and Tyranny – A Conservative Manifesto” should be included in the thinking process. Levin has provided a special link on his Web site for downloading the Epilogue to his book where action items on taxation (oriented to the national level) have been presented.
In some cases, like the progressive income tax that Levin proposes to eliminate, Nevada’s situation (given us not having an income tax) may be less than relevant. Having said that, however, it bears worth noting that we should not allow for a change to be made in our state’s constitution, advancing the implementation of a progressive income tax.
Levin advances the principle that “all residents of the country must be required to pay the tax so they have a stake in limiting its abuse.” This principle also applies to the state level. Nevada lawmakers have long practiced strategies aimed at either hiding taxes to the general public, by making business enterprises pay (knowing that the increase, where possible, will be passed on to business customers) or as in the case of the employee payroll tax, assessing business for the amount of money that they pay out to employees in payroll.
Champions of ever increasing government revenue (those who get to do the spending of these revenues or those having the revenues spent on them) promote the concept that business (sometimes in general and sometimes in a targeted fashion) isn’t paying enough. How much Nevada government costs or the things that tax dollars get spent on would be more carefully watched if all Nevadans had skin in the game.
We agree as well with the reasons for not assessing corporate income taxes and for elimination of the death taxes (which Nevada gets a cut of from the federal tax grab for estate taxes).
Levin advances the proposal that federal spending should be limited, suggesting that on the national level this cap should be less than 20 percent of the gross domestic product. We strongly agree with the value and practicality of citizens taking control and placing limits on the ability of legislators to spend. Whether there could be way in which Nevada’s productivity would be accounted for and an equivalent to the national gross domestic product be used as a cap needs to be considered. Even if there is no formula established, establishing a cap on Nevada state spending needs to be a priority for bringing about a more fiscally responsible approach than what we’ve been seeing from the past several Nevada legislatures.
Part of the reason for covering the topic of taxes in relationship to the 2010 election is that Farm Bureau members interested in being involved in the process of getting good candidates elected have stated that the area of taxes is a very big deal. As Nevada tax receipts continue to slip (even after the 2009 Nevada Legislature passed nearly $1 Billion in increased taxes) more and more conversations are turning to special sessions and possible further tax increases.
Perhaps in the consideration for what Nevada needs to do, the advice of Mark Levin in his book “Liberty and Tyranny – A Conservative Manifesto” should be included in the thinking process. Levin has provided a special link on his Web site for downloading the Epilogue to his book where action items on taxation (oriented to the national level) have been presented.
In some cases, like the progressive income tax that Levin proposes to eliminate, Nevada’s situation (given us not having an income tax) may be less than relevant. Having said that, however, it bears worth noting that we should not allow for a change to be made in our state’s constitution, advancing the implementation of a progressive income tax.
Levin advances the principle that “all residents of the country must be required to pay the tax so they have a stake in limiting its abuse.” This principle also applies to the state level. Nevada lawmakers have long practiced strategies aimed at either hiding taxes to the general public, by making business enterprises pay (knowing that the increase, where possible, will be passed on to business customers) or as in the case of the employee payroll tax, assessing business for the amount of money that they pay out to employees in payroll.
Champions of ever increasing government revenue (those who get to do the spending of these revenues or those having the revenues spent on them) promote the concept that business (sometimes in general and sometimes in a targeted fashion) isn’t paying enough. How much Nevada government costs or the things that tax dollars get spent on would be more carefully watched if all Nevadans had skin in the game.
We agree as well with the reasons for not assessing corporate income taxes and for elimination of the death taxes (which Nevada gets a cut of from the federal tax grab for estate taxes).
Levin advances the proposal that federal spending should be limited, suggesting that on the national level this cap should be less than 20 percent of the gross domestic product. We strongly agree with the value and practicality of citizens taking control and placing limits on the ability of legislators to spend. Whether there could be way in which Nevada’s productivity would be accounted for and an equivalent to the national gross domestic product be used as a cap needs to be considered. Even if there is no formula established, establishing a cap on Nevada state spending needs to be a priority for bringing about a more fiscally responsible approach than what we’ve been seeing from the past several Nevada legislatures.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 9/1/2009 3:54 PM 
Categories: 2010 Elections
Tags: Nevada Taxes State Budget
Categories: 2010 Elections
Tags: Nevada Taxes State Budget
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