Message to builders: Fight new tax plan

Phil Levine

Thursday, Sept. 2, 1999 | 11:26 a.m.

Nevada state Sen. Ann O'Connell believes that when it comes to taxes and education, less is more.

At a Wednesday luncheon meeting of the Associated Builders and Contractors, O'Connell, R-Las Vegas, voiced resounding opposition to a proposal by Nevada's teachers' union to implement a tax of up to 5 percent on business profits.

The 21,000-member Nevada Education Association believes the extra funds are needed for everything from increased teacher salaries to textbooks. Some projections predict revenue deficiencies for education of up to $100 million by 2001. The union hopes to present its petition advocating the tax before the state Legislature prior to the 2001 legislative session.

O'Connell called on those in attendance to fight that initiative.

"Our message to the teachers' union is simple," she said. "We will strongly oppose any business profit tax."

At the luncheon, O'Connell was presented with ABC's "Legislator of the Year Award" for her long-standing support of the "right to work, merit shop" construction marketplace. A merit shop construction project isn't restricted to union labor.

In her address advocating less taxes and government involvement in education, O'Connell said that "54 percent of the state budget already goes to education." Despite that, she said, Nevada has seen test scores for its grade four students decline faster than the national average.

"In 1998, the (fourth grade) national average declined 17 percent, while our fourth grade scores were down 25 percent," she said. With the federal government already spending $30 billion on education, O'Connell expressed doubt that simply spending more money will solve the problem.

However, less government involvement in education -- combined with job performance testing for teachers -- will help produce better students, O'Connell said.

"The message of our forefathers is still true," she said. "A strong family and weak government equals greater self-reliance."