Anti-tax rhetoric threatens to destroy GOP, Raggio says

Thursday, June 26, 2003 | 11:17 a.m.

The majority leader of the Senate warned Wednesday that increasingly strident anti-tax rhetoric was deeply dividing and damaging Nevada's Republican Party.

Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said comments being made in opposition to the proposed $866 million in new taxes are "irresponsible" and threaten to destroy the party. His comments came after he was asked what the Republican leadership could or would do to legislators who continued to block the tax package.

He declined to say what might happen to those who are holding up the tax package, but he said Republican attacks on the Republican governor and other leaders needed to be reined in.

A third of the Republicans in the Assembly and a handful in the Senate have so far blocked passage of the tax package. The Legislature has until Monday night to pass a tax package that would fund the already passed budget.

Some of those opposing the new taxes are talking about a recall or even impeachment of Gov. Kenny Guinn. They gathered Wednesday afternoon under the banner of the Republican Party's Liberty Caucus. Many of those attending the rally lumped Guinn together with Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, a Henderson Democrat.

"That is irresponsible," Raggio said. "I'm old enough to remember when the John Birch Society took over the party and destroyed the party. Some of this reminds me of that.

"They did serious damage to the party for decades."

The stridently anti-communist John Birch Society supported Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign on the Republican ticket, a campaign defeated by one of the greatest electoral margins in American history.

Raggio was one of a half-dozen legislators to speak at a noon rally in front of the legislative building. The rally focused on schools and the still unfinished budget for kindergarten through 12th grades, but also defended funding for health care, aid to seniors and disabled people and a range of other social services.

Raggio told the pro-school rally that some legislators were opposing the tax increase in an effort to pander to constituents at home.

"Those who come here only to get re-elected don't deserve to be elected," he told the cheering crowd.

The union members, state employees, people with disabilities, teachers and others carrying signs and chanting for the tax package were replaced four hours later by the Liberty Caucus members.

George Harris, chairman of the Liberty Caucus, said he and other opponents are not trying to hurt the Republican cause.

"I've been involved in the party for 25 years," Harris said. "We're talking about the state and people of Nevada and a $900 million tax increase."

Despite full-page newspaper ads last weekend that asked people to rally against the tax increase and also suggested a recall movement directed at Guinn, Harris said he did not endorse any recall effort.

But, he added, he "certainly can't stop anyone from coming to this rally."

Others at the anti-tax rally included ultra-conservative Independent American and Libertarian party members, gun-rights advocates and some who wanted to end all government taxes of all kinds. Most, however, were conservative Republicans focused on the tax increase.

Carson City Republican Party Chairman Joe DiLonardo was one of those attending the rally. DiLonardo said he doesn't agree with Guinn's support of the tax package, but generally thinks the governor has done a good job.

DiLonardo's perspective on Raggio was harsher.

"I think he's destroying the Republican Party," DiLonardo said. "All of this is very divisive and uncalled for."

Assemblyman Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, one of the legislators fighting the tax increase, said Raggio is wrong to say the opposition is hurting the Republican Party.

"I am proud that the Republican Party has such a broad umbrella ... "that there is room for both Sen. Raggio and myself," Beers said.

The assemblyman said his e-mail is running 8 to 1 in opposition to the tax increase.

Other Republicans suggested that Raggio, first elected to the Senate more than 30 years ago, is someone whose political instincts should be heeded.

"Sen. Raggio's perception of politics is pretty keen," said Assemblyman Josh Griffin, a Las Vegas Republican and assistant minority leader. "I think he has quite a bit of experience in how these things play forward."

Griffin agreed with Raggio that voters could blame the GOP for a government or school shutdown. He noted that in 1995, many people blamed Republican legislators in Congress for a partial shutdown of the federal government.

"I have a concern about what will happen if we are perceived as shutting down the schools," Griffin said. "I don't believe it is the intention of anybody in either party in this body to shut down the schools, but the perception is my concern."