Rory Reid refuses to acknowledge he’d sign a tax increase

By Anjeanette Damon

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010 | 3:28 p.m.

Earlier this week, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rory Reid opened the door to the possibility of raising taxes if he is elected in November.

But when pressed today during an interview for "To the Point," Reid refused to step through it.

Reid said he would work to pass his own budget, reiterating his position that now is not the time to raise taxes.

“I haven’t changed my stance at all,” he said. “I’m going to sign my bill into law and my bill has no new taxes.”

In an interview Wednesday after a campaign rally with former President Bill Clinton, Reid told reporters it would be accurate to say he might sign a budget that raises taxes, but that he wouldn’t propose any increases himself.

Reid said today he is a “pretty persuasive guy” and he’s confident he can convince lawmakers to pass his budget proposal.

He has proposed balancing a $3 billion shortfall through consolidations, cutting administrators and continuing the furloughs of state workers implemented in 2009. He also said the economy will turn around enough to inject an additional $600 million into state coffers than is currently projected.

During the interview, Reid also slammed his Republican rival Brian Sandoval, saying that lobbyists were able to “walk into a federal courthouse in Reno” and come out with their candidate.

Sandoval was recruited to run for governor, in part, by two of the state’s most powerful lobbyists.

The full interview airs at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on News 4 in Reno.