Gaming industry dodging tax bullets

Friday, March 14, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

THE opening bell rings Monday in the casino industry's biggest fight this session -- making others pay for growth in Las Vegas.

On Monday, a bill is expected to be introduced in the Assembly raising sales taxes in Southern Nevada by a quarter-cent to help finish a second water pipe from Lake Mead to Las Vegas.

Casinos, who benefit from growth, are hoping they can persuade legislators to pass the cost to taxpayers.

Casinos already have convinced some lawmakers and Gov. Bob Miller that the $27 million in room-tax money they've offered is a healthy sum for a city that needs $3 billion minimum.

The casino industry's zeal to avoid having to pay more for growth doesn't stop there.

Casino lobbyists are trying to enlist support for a 20 percent increase in the business tax for everybody but themselves. And they've hired former state Department of Transportation Director Garth Dull to work up a so-called weight/distance tax on truckers to widen the interstate between the California border and Las Vegas.

Once again, they benefit but don't pay.

Sticking a tax on average citizens, however, will be a hard sell. A university poll shows that voters think casinos should foot the bill for growth. Nevada casinos pay the lowest gross revenues rate in the nation.

Key legislators who understand that are saying they don't want to burden taxpayers with another levy. Clark, Churchill and Washoe counties have the highest sales tax in the state.

Instead of voting for a sales tax increase, many legislators want to pass a bill that enables local governments to raise it.

The problem is, casinos are worried that the Clark County Commission is too difficult to corral, so they'd rather make a run at the Legislature, where they have far more influence.

In the legislative halls, some observers are wondering what happened to the concept of a no-tax session.

Hearings on the sales tax begin Wednesday in the Assembly Infrastructure Committee.

Crank it up

Those who think Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa is not a hard-charging campaigner need to look at what's happened in the last few weeks.

First, go back to Feb. 25, when Del Papa, a Democrat, told the SUN that she's forming an exploratory committee to assess her chances in a 1998 governor's race. Republican Kenny Guinn has already declared, and Secretary of State Dean Heller, also a Republican, is contemplating a run.

Since that day, a steady stream of news releases has poured out of Del Papa's office.

In the first 12 working days since the SUN article, Del Papa issued at least 12 releases. One day -- March 4 -- there were four.

Some releases are newsy. In one, Del Papa reiterates her views on limiting the number of appeals death-row inmates can seek.

Others take less controversial positions.

Another release has Del Papa coming out in "proud" support of "Mothers Against Drunk Driving in announcing the historic National Youth Summit on Underage Drinking."