Editorial: Formula won’t work

Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004 | 8:54 a.m.

State Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, is proposing to amend the Nevada Constitution to enforce limits on government spending. He wants spending limited to the rate of inflation added to the rate of population growth. For example, if the latest reports of inflation and growth show them each to have risen 2 percent, state spending increases would be capped at 4 percent.

We don't believe the Legislature should be hamstrung by a constitutionally mandated formula. Inflation is handy when estimating known expenses. But how about when something unanticipated occurs? Such as, for example, the federal government ordering that all rural water treatment plants be upgraded to reduce arsenic levels. And how can the rate of population growth be correlated precisely to spending? The segments of our population that are growing the most quickly are children and senior citizens, which require heavy spending for education and health care.

The Constitution serves to protect our basic freedoms. It should not be used to govern year-to-year issues, such as spending. That's the job of legislators, who are elected to respond to our state's changing needs.