2010 Going Out With A Flurry
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
It has been a while since I’ve been able to gather my senses to any extent in providing a post…(something regular subscribers may have taken as an end of the year blessing). Thank you to those who have inquired on why I haven’t been getting around to making a post – your inquiry was just the inspiration needed to get back to the keyboard.
Having completed our organization’s major function of an annual meeting, where Nevada Farm Bureau policy positions on issues are finalized and adopted, and several additional significant December meetings, the time and energy just didn’t come together to get to this item on the “Things To Do” list. Hopefully, as the remaining days of 2010 come and go there will be an ability to focus on getting back to regular postings and exchange of thoughts on the issues of the day.
Lame Duck Success:
Although the drama and anxiety associated with our elected officials in Washington, D.C. continuing to work this December, we are very pleased that the action was eventually taken to not raise taxes in January 2011. Even though the Death Tax change will be an increase above the 2010 rate of zero, the outcome of the exemption level ($5,000 per person) and the rate of 35 percent has been the target to realize for quite a while. Accomplishments are probably supposed to feel better than passage of this package went, but on January 1st the taxes not being extracted from our wallets will be worth appreciating.
The Trouble With The Inside The Beltway Focus:
Because of the way the Lame Duck session of Congress has been dealt with, the constant “edge-of-your-seat” uncertainty has made it seem that those few in the Capitol Building are more relevant than all the rest of us who get to deal with the consequences of the decisions they make. Anyone who has ever picked up a civics book and thought they had a clue on the way our government is supposed to carry out the business of the people likely joined those of us who are avowed cynics. What a way to run a country – Legislative responsibility of producing an annual budget can’t be accomplished through the process of open and deliberative committee meetings, but in a few frantic days (after an election that some in power might have not been paying much mind to) -- a monstrosity of bloated spending and unbelievable earmarked considerations was thought worthy of actually being considered…(and we’re supposed to believe that extending tax cuts is the reason for government deficits…)
Looking Ahead To 2011:
We really need to fight through the well-justified concerns about how difficult things are going to continue to be. Not only do we get to deal with what will be worked on in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate – we also get a legislative session in Nevada to contend with. The pledge of the Governor-elect and make-up of the two legislative bodies in Carson City should provide for some safety from a complete disaster of untenable tax increases, but accomplishing that type of result will require a turn-out of citizen involvement that matches the zeal of the 2010 elections. Leaving those elected to serve in the Nevada Legislature to their own mind-set will get us more of what we’ve already got…too much government spending and newly created taxes to cover the tab.
I’ll work at doing better in making regular post and hope you’ll make a commitment to continue to be involved in making a difference in 2011!
It has been a while since I’ve been able to gather my senses to any extent in providing a post…(something regular subscribers may have taken as an end of the year blessing). Thank you to those who have inquired on why I haven’t been getting around to making a post – your inquiry was just the inspiration needed to get back to the keyboard.
Having completed our organization’s major function of an annual meeting, where Nevada Farm Bureau policy positions on issues are finalized and adopted, and several additional significant December meetings, the time and energy just didn’t come together to get to this item on the “Things To Do” list. Hopefully, as the remaining days of 2010 come and go there will be an ability to focus on getting back to regular postings and exchange of thoughts on the issues of the day.
Lame Duck Success:
Although the drama and anxiety associated with our elected officials in Washington, D.C. continuing to work this December, we are very pleased that the action was eventually taken to not raise taxes in January 2011. Even though the Death Tax change will be an increase above the 2010 rate of zero, the outcome of the exemption level ($5,000 per person) and the rate of 35 percent has been the target to realize for quite a while. Accomplishments are probably supposed to feel better than passage of this package went, but on January 1st the taxes not being extracted from our wallets will be worth appreciating.
The Trouble With The Inside The Beltway Focus:
Because of the way the Lame Duck session of Congress has been dealt with, the constant “edge-of-your-seat” uncertainty has made it seem that those few in the Capitol Building are more relevant than all the rest of us who get to deal with the consequences of the decisions they make. Anyone who has ever picked up a civics book and thought they had a clue on the way our government is supposed to carry out the business of the people likely joined those of us who are avowed cynics. What a way to run a country – Legislative responsibility of producing an annual budget can’t be accomplished through the process of open and deliberative committee meetings, but in a few frantic days (after an election that some in power might have not been paying much mind to) -- a monstrosity of bloated spending and unbelievable earmarked considerations was thought worthy of actually being considered…(and we’re supposed to believe that extending tax cuts is the reason for government deficits…)
Looking Ahead To 2011:
We really need to fight through the well-justified concerns about how difficult things are going to continue to be. Not only do we get to deal with what will be worked on in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate – we also get a legislative session in Nevada to contend with. The pledge of the Governor-elect and make-up of the two legislative bodies in Carson City should provide for some safety from a complete disaster of untenable tax increases, but accomplishing that type of result will require a turn-out of citizen involvement that matches the zeal of the 2010 elections. Leaving those elected to serve in the Nevada Legislature to their own mind-set will get us more of what we’ve already got…too much government spending and newly created taxes to cover the tab.
I’ll work at doing better in making regular post and hope you’ll make a commitment to continue to be involved in making a difference in 2011!
Posted by Doug Busselman at 12/21/2010 2:53 PM 
Categories: Citizen Involvement
Tags: Nevada Government 2010 year in review
Categories: Citizen Involvement
Tags: Nevada Government 2010 year in review
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