Columnist Jeff German: Political chaos just beginning

Friday, July 18, 2003 | 6:12 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

July 20, 2003

Jeff German's column appears Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in the Sun. Reach him at german@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4067.

ANYONE WHO looks at the political chaos around us might be tempted to suggest Armageddon has arrived.

The world isn't coming to an end just yet, but we are in the middle of dangerous political times -- and we seem to be without strong leaders to get us through this.

Who do we blame for letting things get out of control?

We can start with the 15 Republican Assemblyman, who, with their uncompromising position against a meaningful tax hike, have prevented the Legislature from funding public schools and passing a balanced budget.

But the blame doesn't stop with the Assembly holdouts.

It also falls on the shoulders of the leaders of the Assembly and Senate. They should have recognized that they were dealing with rabid anti-tax zealots long ago and found a way to iron out a tax agreement early in the session.

By not bringing the "Mean 15" into the fold early, the leaders surrendered their power to the minority at crunch time.

True, it's hard to compromise with people who don't want to compromise. But that's why we have leaders.

One leader who let us down is Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson. His failure to hold the Assembly together may have harmed his chances of remaining speaker and getting elected governor in 2006.

Even Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, a legislative powerhouse for decades, was unable to keep his troops in line. Raggio's star lost its luster this session, and it is possible that his leadership days are over.

Then there's Gov. Kenny Guinn, who recommended the massive tax increase. Why did he unload this bombshell and go into hiding when the Legislature began debating the merits of the tax hike? Why wasn't he more visible during the debate? Where is he now?

The voters will have an opportunity to make changes next year, and you can bet that many lawmakers, possibly including some of the leaders, will be tossed out of office -- and justifiably so.

Because of its ineptitude, the Legislature -- the house of the people -- has forced the Nevada Supreme Court to fill in the power vacuum. The people can't forgive that.

The impasse also has given those on the fringes of politics an opportunity to increase their influence over the process.

A coalition of conservative and Libertarian groups joined forces last week to announce a campaign to recall the six Supreme Court justices who intervened in the budget battle at Guinn's request. The six signed a decision setting aside a constitutional amendment requiring the Legislature to approve all tax increases with a two-thirds majority vote. The amendment was twice approved by the voters.

As a result of the high court's decision, people who have never been taken seriously by the establishment -- like wannabe power broker George Harris -- now are stepping into the limelight. Harris' picture was plastered on the front page of the anti-tax Las Vegas Review-Journal last week as one of the leaders of the recall effort.

It's hard to imagine Harris and his fellow activists having success with their campaign. Many people believe the six justices did what had to be done to get the Legislature moving and fund public schools.

But the gadflies now have a forum to wreak more havoc on the political system, spurred on by the libertarian loonies at the Review-Journal.

And don't think gaming, the state's largest and most powerful industry, will sit back and take this session on the chin after failing to persuade lawmakers to pass a broad-based business tax. Gaming already is scheming to bolster its clout in Carson City.

Banks and the rest of big business, which will be tax targets until they pay their fair share, also are likely to step up their presence in the political process. So are small business groups, organized labor, senior citizens and even parents and educators.

With the potential for political chaos likely to increase in the coming months, the challenge for all of us is to find leaders to get us through the nightmare.