Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Editorial: Gibbons must face reality

When Gov. Jim Gibbons meets with local and state officials today to discuss the state budget, it will be in public, although it is doubtful it will be anything more than a dog and pony show.

The meeting, called after complaints about his rash plan to slash the budget, was supposed to be behind closed doors, which is the way he likes to work - in secret. The governor's office opened the meeting only after being criticized for keeping the public out.

The complaints about Gibbons' plan and handling of the situation are well -founded. Instead of presenting information and working with people, he has done his best "Chicken Little" impersonation, squawking that the budget is falling and preparing for the worst without presenting any solid information about the budget or his plans.

State Budget Director Andrew Clinger is finally expected to present an overview of the budget situation today, but don't expect too much information. The governor's office has denied requests for information , such as the Reno Gazette-Journal's request for copies of state agencies' plans to cut their budgets.

Clinger denied the newspaper's request. In an excerpt of his denial letter posted on the newspaper's Web site Monday, he said the governor's office would announce the budget cuts before making them. H e weakly argued that until then proposals must remain secret so they can "be made candidly and without fear of compelled disclosure or otherwise tempered out of concern for appearances."

In other words, the governor wants to keep the public out of the public's business. He is stealing a page from the Bush administration's playbook, arrogantly claiming a "right" to executive privilege as a way to lock out anyone who might disagree with him on major decisions.

Gibbons recently told critics of his actions to "face reality," which is good advice - for him. He is a public servant. The public has an overriding right to know what is going on before such decisions are made. If he and his aides are hindered by public scrutiny, perhaps they should look for another line of work.

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