Editorial: Father knows best?

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007 | 7:15 a.m.

Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons has locked out legislative leaders and the public from his plans to trim the state budget. That is not just insulting, it is also dumb.

The rookie governor is missing out on the expertise of those who have significantly more experience with state budgets than he has. He also is missing the voices of Nevadans who will be affected by any budget cuts.

Unfortunately, this is typical. The governor and his staff have taken a rigid approach in his short tenure. Anyone with ideas that conflict with his own narrow philosophy is not welcome.

Facing tax revenue projections that fall short of the budget plan the Legislature passed this year, Gibbons has dismissed calls to discuss raising taxes and has largely rebuffed any input from the Legislature or the public. He also has refused to dip into the state's rainy-day fund, which is intended for such times.

Instead, he has ordered state agencies to submit by tomorrow their plans to cut their budgets by 8 percent.

Gibbons and his staff will review the proposal, and Gibbons alone will make final decisions on budget cuts next month.

About the only thing the public knows about the plans is that he has, so far, exempted some areas of the budget, such as public school districts and law enforcement, from cuts. As Jeff German reported in Sunday's Las Vegas Sun, roughly 48 percent of the state budget is exempt. The remaining agencies, including social services, will take the brunt of the cuts.

This is a time to be bipartisan. Gibbons should work with the Legislature and the public to find the most painless budget cuts possible. After taking office, Gibbons declared that he wanted to work in such a manner with his pledge to create "one Nevada," but that was obviously just hot air.

The bottom line is that he is using this situation to further his own right-wing, anti-government agenda, and he is doing it in the sneakiest way - behind closed doors.