No attaboys on taxes, but Rogers is all over it

Joe Schoenmann and Christina Littlefield

Saturday, April 28, 2007 | 7:22 a.m.

CARSON CITY - Maybe Nevadans don't mind a little more taxation.

A few weeks ago, not one person testified against a gas-tax hike during a Senate committee hearing on ways to pay for highway needs.

And just a few days after making headlines by declaring that a personal and corporate income tax might be the best way for the state to lift itself from its bottom-feeder status in most rankings of social and cultural health, University Chancellor Jim Rogers has heard relatively little opposition.

Then again, no one's patting him on the back, either.

"I've not had anyone agree with me or say : 'Way to go, Jim. Keep on talking.' But I am going to keep talking about it," Rogers said in an interview Friday.

Rogers' comments come at a critical time. The state is facing less than rosy revenue projections, the governor is getting pressure on all sides to do something about road congestion in Las Vegas, and schools at all levels are seen as subpar, in dire need of teachers, buildings, respect.

At the university level, Rogers is trying to build a system that can draw not only talented staff, but can start to build a reputation that research dollars like to follow. A big part of that drive is the system's plan for a multi campus health sciences system.

While offering $95 million to pay for capital improvements in the health science system, Gov. Jim Gibbons found no money to expand medical education and nursing programs housed in the new facilities. Rogers had sought $73 million to improve medical education but pared it to $56 million at legislators' requests.

Rogers' talk about an income tax came this week during an interview on public radio and later with the Las Vegas Sun. Since then, he said he's received only two e-mails from perturbed newspaper readers. One writer said income taxes destroyed his native Cleveland. Another "went on and on" about the inefficiencies of government.

"That's the oldest excuse in the book," Rogers said.

Aside from that, some friends have made fun of him for the comment, and suggested that he "may not have anyone to go to dinner with for a while."

At the capital, Rogers' idea hasn't stirred anyone to protest, cheer or even yawn.

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno , who Rogers said is known for his sense of humor, offered nary a jab or barb when the two met Thursday.

Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas , smiled and shook his head when asked about income taxes. Taxation Committee Chairman Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon , started by saying that it would take a constitutional change to bring an income tax to Nevada. So, what about starting to talk about that possibility?

"No," he said with a smile.

Rogers, who has lived in Las Vegas more than 50 years, is undaunted. He says he won't stop talking about it. The needs of the state are great and for too long, residents and business have tried to shirk their responsibilities to the community. Las Vegas is finding out, he said, that way of thinking doesn't work.

"It may take 10 years to get through," Rogers said. "But it's a dialogue that has got to start."

Schoenmann reported in Carson City and Littlefield in Las Vegas.