Candidates debate cost of LV growth

Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2002 | 9:23 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Clark County residents should bear the lion's share of the burden for supporting the state's growth, since most of it is generated in Southern Nevada, a Republican candidate for Assembly in Carson City says.

Ron Knecht, the Republican in the race for Assembly District 40, said during a candidates forum Monday night that the gaming and entertainment industries in Southern Nevada have created low-income jobs that have generated the growth-related problems.

A state tax task force is studying ways to raise revenue to solve a budget crisis partly caused by the growth.

"The big casinos are pushing heavy for a tax increase," Knecht said. "I will fight hard to hold the line on taxes."

Las Vegas should be permitted to raise its own taxes, he said, but "We should not allow them to lay off their problems on the rest of the state."

His Democratic opponent, Stacie Wilkie, countered that both north and south are growing, and some northern counties benefit from the sales tax collected in Clark County. Both sides should work together, she said.

The two are battling for the seat that was held by Democrat Bonnie Parnell, who retired. However Republicans outnumber Democrats 9,858 to 7,014 in the the district, which covers parts of Carson City and Washoe County.

The debate also featured District 38 candidates, Democrat George Dini and Republican Tom Grady, who want to replace Dini's father, former Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, who retired from the seat after 36 years in the Legislature.

Republicans also outnumber Democrats in that district, 12,879 to 8,465.

The two were more cautious about attacking the southern part of the state.

"Las Vegas pays its own way," Dini said, noting it subsidizes other counties with the sales tax collections. "The mega-resorts do their fair share."

Grady said the sales tax from Clark County help support two counties in his district, which covers Lyon and Storey counties and parts of Carson City and Churchill County.

"We must be careful in attacking Las Vegas," he said.

Knecht also took a swing at the state's position on Yucca Mountain, saying the state should accept the fact that it will be stuck with the nuclear dump and should seek federal money.

Knecht, an economist for the state Public Utilities Commission, said it was "not realistic" to continue the fight.

"We're going to be stuck with it. We should have faced the reality earlier. We should have sought funding and amelioration."

On the issue of the safety of shipping, he said, "That is governed by the federal government and there is not much we can do on that."

Wilkie, a casino manager in Carson City, disagreed. "I hope every Nevadan should fight this tooth and nail," she said. "I don't send my garbage to New Jersey. I don't send my sewage to California."

A nuclear dump in Nevada would be a hazard to the whole state, she said.

Dini, a casino executive in Yerington, said Nevada should continue its lawsuits against the proposed dump.

"Nevada should not be a waste site," he said.

Grady, retired as executive director of the Nevada League of Cities, said the state needs to continue its fight. He said the small communities where the shipments of waste will come through are not ready and have no training in case of an emergency.

"We need to stop the shipments," he said. But he added, "We may end up with the storage."