Where I Stand — Brian Greenspun: Back Guinn on taxes

Friday, Jan. 10, 2003 | 4:21 a.m.

TO PARAPHRASE Michael Douglas in "The American President," his name is Kenny Guinn and he is the governor.

For four years it had become increasingly easy to criticize Nevada's chief executive because, as much as most of the state admired and respected Kenny Guinn, it had become obvious that, when dealing with the economic woes of the Silver State, forcefulness and purpose were not his strongest suit.

Gov. Guinn has known for at least the last four years that the state was in deep trouble and that the only way out of the mess was to raise hundreds of millions of new revenues. To be fair, just how much was needed was an elusive number, but the fact that taxes had to go up was as certain as the sunrise.

Kenny's reluctance to step forward into the breach of political suicide was understandable, but that didn't help resolve the significant fiscal crisis that gripped Nevada and demanded strong leadership. In the face of a re-election bid, Kenny uncharacteristically preached the status quo. And so we wondered.

What we have learned in recent days is that the man had a plan. Late or otherwise, the governor knew exactly where he was going once the Governor's Task Force on Tax Policy gave him the ammunition he needed. As a matter of full disclosure, I was one of the eight members of the volunteer group that spent the better part of a year determining the size of the hole we had dug for ourselves and recommending various revenue sources to right this silver ship of state.

Thursday's Las Vegas Sun carried the latest shot across the bow of recalcitrant legislators by the governor. He, I will bet, is one of the few people in and out of government who have actually read all 1,100 pages of the report filed by the task force. To be sure, more and more legislators are doing their homework as the 2003 session nears, and as they do, they will come to the same conclusion as our governor has: We cannot cut our way to solvency, we must have new revenues. And a lot of them.

The headline read, "Guinn says legislators who resist taxes will pay price." The story, of course, reported the governor's belief that responsible legislators had no choice but to bite the bullet, accept the anticipated public outcry, and do what they had sworn an oath to do. And that is, act in the best interests of the people of this state.

What is ironic about Gov. Guinn's message is that it is the antithesis of what the pundits and highly paid consultants would say is good politics. The knee-jerk reaction to any hint of new taxes is to decry them and damn the very thought of such an un-American concept. And, just in case you have missed them, there have been a lot of jerks in recent weeks who have said as much.

But I think Gov. Guinn is doing exactly what the people of this state are paying him to do. Like it or not -- and who can honestly say that they like the prospect of paying higher taxes -- Kenny is telling us the truth. And, in the end, the politician who tells the people what they need to hear, is the one who earns their respect.

One of the big problems he has, of course, is another bonehead move we made in this state a few years ago. We changed the rules when it comes to taxes. Majority rule in this democracy was not sufficient for Nevada voters, so we made it nearly impossible by requiring two-thirds of both houses before taxes could be raised.

I know many people will say that's good news, but the reality is that just eight people in the Nevada Senate can stop what the overwhelming majority of Nevadans will come to realize must be done because schools, hospitals, prisons and many other government services will be torn asunder if we do not plug the gaping deficit hole we have dug for ourselves.

That's why Kenny Guinn's admonition to legislators who plan to vote wrong when it comes to doing the right thing is so important. He warned them that the voters will not think kindly about them when they run for re-election if they don't do their jobs and vote to support the governor's tax plan. He, obviously, has a lot more faith in the voters in this state than those who think the sun rises and sets on the issue of taxes.

What Guinn knows and others will learn is that there are some things more important to the citizens of this state than their money. It is the quality of life for their families that drives people to choose Nevada as their home.

Once Gov. Guinn makes that case, the people will demand the kind of action that every legislator knows is proper. And what I have learned over the years is that the people, in the end, usually get what they want. And those who get in their way usually have to find another line of work.

Go, Governor. Do the right thing.