Taxpayer group’s dinner was a tough house for Guinn

Erin Neff

Friday, Feb. 28, 2003 | 10:06 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn had a tough sell Thursday night as the keynote speaker at the Nevada Taxpayer Association's annual dinner.

"You won't believe this, but we started cutting the day I took office," Guinn told the packed house at the Carson Nugget.

Later he told the group of state and local lawmakers, business leaders and lobbyists that he doesn't like taxes.

"You have to have taxes, you have to have revenues," Guinn said.

He tried jokes about his $1 billion tax plan, saying: "Say what you like about it, if you like anything about it at all, or say what you don't like, but don't attack me anymore."

Most in the audience smiled or giggled, but Sen. Sandra Tiffany, R-Henderson, sat tight-lipped with a light frown at a table sponsored by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, which is opposed to Guinn's plan to tax business gross receipts.

Perhaps not sensing enough applause, Guinn grew terse and raised his voice to a near shout.

"My job is not to bring you a balanced budget by cutting everything out," he said sternly, and then in a rare show of personal anguish he discussed the state's Labor Commissioner Terry Johnson, whom the taxpayers had just awarded their good government award for saving the state money.

Johnson was one of the state employees Guinn initially had to let go from a previous job when the governor took office, but interviewed the impressive young man for the labor post when Johnson told Guinn he would have to collect unemployment.

"I've done the cutting," Guinn yelled. "I've looked the people in the eye. People like Terry. And I'm damn glad we kept him. But there are others."

Guinn softened his tone in closing telling the audience, "I'm only going to be here another 3 years and 10 months, so don't mess with me."

Just say no

A fairly routine bill drew the first no votes on the Senate floor Wednesday, but not from the usual suspect.

Sens. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas, and Tiffany were the lone nays on Senate Bill 54, a measure allowing counties outside of Clark to attach delinquent sewer fees to property taxes.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, rose to mark the occasion.

"For the first time since 1973, the first no vote of the session was not made by Joe Neal," Raggio quipped of the lawmaker who started working with him 30 years ago.

Whirlwind tour

Las Vegas Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald has packed on the frequent flier miles in the past 24 hours.

Boggs McDonald flew to Carson City on Thursday in her capacity as president of the Nevada League of Cities to host a reception for lawmakers at the Governor's Mansion.

Immediately after the reception, she hopped a flight to Vegas to prepare for a red-eye to Washington for a luncheon meeting today with President Bush.

Boggs McDonald, a Republican, joined other black political and religious leaders meeting with the president today.

Party before policy

Jim Gibbons and Guinn might not see eye to eye on taxes, but they certainly agree on one use of revenue.

Guinn was visibly uneasy during Gibbons' speech to the Legislature last week in which the congressman urged tax restraint, not the new taxes Guinn wants.

But Guinn didn't take anything too personally. Shortly after the speech he joined Gibbons at a reception across town and gladly handed his fellow Republican a $1,000 check for his next campaign.

The only question remaining is which campaign that might be, for Senate in 2004 against Harry Reid, for re-election to Congress in 2004 or for governor in 2006.

Dangerous lobbying

Some allege the 200-plus lobbyists filling the Legislative Building are adept at hurling spin.

That might help explain the sling and cast adorned by top lobbyist Harvey Whittemore this week.

Whittemore, whose clients include the Nevada Resort Association and big tobacco, had shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff. Now, Whittemore is undergoing physical therapy to help get him back on the mound for the heart of the tax debate.

Watchful bartenders

One Carson City bartender describes the extracurricular legislative session life in one particular establishment as "something out of a Fellini movie." The session may still be young, but one married lawmaker might want to be careful in future activities with a female drink server. The rumors are flying about a Clinton-esque dalliance that occurred recently.