Friday, March 14, 2003 | 9:50 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- Democrats are finally arriving at a message.
Last year's elections left many Dems struggling to find a reason for the debacle, and left many pointing to a lack of a message as a main cause.
But Assembly Democrats are making it clear that their party is beginning to find itself by prioritizing consumer bills and making sure that tax policy includes breaks for the little guy.
"My goal is to come out of this legislative session and have the majority of Nevadans identify what Democrats stand for," Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said Thursday at a news conference on Democratic priority bills.
Perkins wants to exempt the first $50,000 of value from new property tax increases. The exemption would apply to homeowners and casinos alike, but the larger impact of the exemption would be felt by the residents.
Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, is proposing cutting the motor vehicle privilege tax in half.
Perkins said Thursday he has never thought he had to come up with a Democratic alternative to Gov. Kenny Guinn's $1 billion tax proposal, only that Democrats should help craft a sensible policy from the measures that will be proposed.
Part of that will entail: "Who's looking out for the little guy?" he said.
Now all the Democrats have to hope for in the remaining months of the session is that Republicans don't commandeer that message.
Not a dry eye
Day after day lawmakers sit in budget hearings listening to how the state's deficit impacts the average Nevadan.
On Thursday, a joint Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means subcommittee on human resources and K-12 education heard testimony on mental health and developmental service programs that are stretched to the limit.
LaVonne Brooks, CEO and executive director of High Sierra Industries, told lawmakers she is "beyond irritated" at comments residents have made about the need to cut more money from service programs.
She pointed to one mentally disabled client who has independent living thanks to a $304-a-month subsidy that must cover the woman's food, medicine, personal hygiene products and recreation activities.
"Have you priced a pair of Nikes lately, even on sale?" Brooks asked as she practically begged for an 8 percent raise in the subsidy for her client.
Later, Reno resident Toni Richard calmly discussed her 2-year-old autistic son who has been on a waiting list at six agencies for eight months each.
"Now is his ultimate time in learning," Richard said. "If he gets services now he won't have to be institutionalized."
Few hearings personalized the tax debate better, or evoked more tears.
French not welcome
Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, was trying to bring a bit of relief to an otherwise lengthy hearing before his Commerce and Labor hearing on Wednesday by placing a French-like accent on a Republican lawmaker's name.
Goldwater recognized Assemblywoman Dawn Gibbons, R-Reno, by pronouncing her name Gib-BAHNS. That drew a remark that his accent sounded French.
"No, there's nothing French in this building!" Goldwater said.
You say potato
Thank goodness Carson City doesn't have a monopoly on legislative silliness about a Western nation that disagrees with the United States' position on Iraq.
Not only did House Republican leadership order restaurants in the House to change the name of french fries and french toast to freedom fries and toast, but Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., decided to ridicule the decision with a petulant potato press release.
Berkley's statement mentions the nation's "shoestring" budget, deficits as "far as the eye can see," the need for "hashing out" real solutions without "half-baked" posturing. She also questions "waffling" around with fries in the first place.
That all might make sense if they still made vodka from potatoes.
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