Editorial: What anti-tax revolt?

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2004 | 9:48 a.m.

One of the most intriguing and pleasant developments in Tuesday's election was the convincing victories scored by Nevada state lawmakers who voted for last year's much-needed tax increases. These members of the Legislature -- mainly Democrats -- had been pilloried by Republican activists and the far-right media that had predicted they would meet their demise on Election Day. But nary a one who voted for the tax increase lost in the general election. Indeed, most incumbents who voted for higher taxes -- to pay for essential government services, such as education -- won in landslides, in some cases receiving at least 60 percent of the vote. It also was telling that going down to defeat were two Republican assemblymen from the Reno-Carson City area who voted against the tax increases.

A ballot question was rejected that would have required state lawmakers to fund education to at least the national average, but that defeat shouldn't be interpreted as opposition to increased spending on education. Instead, the ballot question was an unwise attempt to put into the Constitution what is supposed to be a responsibility of state lawmakers -- setting spending priorities for Nevada's future. Meanwhile, it was encouraging that an advisory ballot question that recommended raising sales taxes to pay for more police officers in Clark County passed with almost 52 percent of the vote.

Nevada has had a reputation as a state whose residents resist raising taxes. At the same time, however, the reality is that if officials explain to voters why an increase in revenue is justified, their constituents not only won't punish them on Election Day, they'll also reward them for their courage.