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Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008 | 2:02 a.m.
It’s time for Jim Rogers to put up or shut up.
And the chancellor is not the only one who needs to turn words into action — he’s just the only member of the business and political elite who has been willing to put in writing what most of the cognoscenti (and many others) have been thinking and whispering: Gov. Jim Gibbons is slowly but surely destroying the state with his myopic view of the world and a mantra (no new taxes) masquerading as a philosophy.
Rogers has for months been writing missives to Gibbons about what his broadsword cutting of the budget will do to all segments of higher education. The pointed memos have been compelling and frightening reading for those who have taken the time to look, but the volume has begun to vitiate their effectiveness.
Rogers is in danger of being caricatured as some rich guy flitting around from subject to subject without any real purpose. Gibbons knows this and responded to Rogers last week with a letter devoid of much substance — outside of pointing out that hundreds of higher ed employees make six figures — and a repetition of the all-too-familiar no-tax bleating.
So it’s time for Rogers and the like-minded others who are fine with lamenting privately about the Gibbons disaster to do something about it. If, indeed, Rogers & Co. believe Gibbons is visiting the apocalypse on the state with his mindless adherence to his no-tax mantra and his indiscriminate, thoughtless budget-cutting, they need to act before the governor presides over the most important legislative session in memory.
If these are honorable men and women, men and women of principle who run the private sector of Nevada, they have no choice but to fund a recall of the governor. And now.
Tempus fugit — and if Gibbons is allowed to institute his brand-new restrictive spending cap and permitted to present his no-growth budget to lawmakers in February, the consequences will be difficult to overcome. The Gang of 63 won’t stop him; change can come only from without. And if Gibbons is successful and wins reelection, Rogers & Co. would be to blame.
It’s fine for Rogers and others to complain about the nonpolicies Gibbons is pursuing — and many of these people who helped put him in office should be mortified at what they have wrought.
But pontificating without putting your money where your mouth is happens to be the exclusive province of pundits. Rogers and others have the power and resources to recall Gibbons, and it seems quite clear that the effort, if properly funded, would be successful.
Just last week the Reno Gazette-Journal found that only 29 percent of Nevada residents have a favorable impression of the governor, so there is fertile ground, perhaps even a swell from that ground, for a recall.
I am not a big fan of recalls because I think they should be used only under extreme circumstances. But if one-dimensional budget policies in a time of tremendous need — not to mention all the other embarrassments that take up too much space to list — do not meet the threshold, nothing does. Gray Davis was recalled for much less, and Nevada has plenty of would-be terminators up to the task.
And yet, Gibbons seems unbowed and unfazed.
On Friday, before a room in Fallon packed with municipal officials who understand what is happening, Gibbons gave a boilerplate speech to the Nevada League of Cities that was either lazy or arrogant. The speech was laden with the usual cliches — “live within our means” and “it’s a spending problem” — and the by-now-expected plagiarism — “We are going to become the shining beacon on a hill.”
Gibbons lavished praise on himself for holding the line and ridiculed legislators for not raising taxes if they wanted to during the special session — it was a near-instant replay of his hollow missive to Rogers, and to a sophisticated audience that clearly had a right to expect more than his play-to-the-base pandering.
But, ironically, Gibbons made the case for an immediate recall by asking the right question about how this budget crisis is resolved. “What do we want the state of Nevada to look like?” he wondered.
We already know what Jim Gibbons wants it to look like. The question is what do the only people who have the power to change that want Nevada to look like.
Jim Rogers and others have the time and the money to alter the course of the state’s future. The only question is whether they have the will.
yes, Save education. Save the planet. Save everyone, and then save the desert from the evil of the Solar Energy projects. How about save ourselves. The taxpayers don't want to send any more money to any tax users. We are broke already, that's why the tax revenues are down. If we could afford more it would already be reflected in the taxes the state receives. My wallet is not to be drilled while we save the oil for something.
Mr. Ralston,
Bravo.
neiman1,
It ain't our wallets that are being drilled; it's the wallets of tourists. They pay nearly half the taxes in this state.
Getting rid of Gibbons IS all about saving ourselves.
Anyway, let's bring on the recall. If you're correct Gibbons wil survive it.
A recall is long overdue.
Save the desert from evil solar energy projects??? Are you nuts? Save the desert for what? Do you want to save it so Californians can come over here with their play toy's and tear it up like they do Sand Mountain?
Solar energy and Wind Power are about the only two things that are likely to make Nevada king of the hill. Imagine paying less for utilities and not paying any property taxes! It's all possible. Solar energy and Wind power after meeting the needs of Nevada can be sold to other states. The revenue from that energy pays your property taxes. I dont know about you but that sounds pretty good to me!
I believe that the Governor is taking his Que's from his time as congressman. He's trying not to make waves and sure he's going to make some mistakes, so would a democrat if you could get one in office. Instead of asking for his recall why not get on board and see what you people of influence can do to help the governor and the state. Do any of you rememeber "We the people"? I guess your going to do whatever you want to do but your actions are no benefit to the people of Nevada!
And another thought. On the east central side of Michigan there is a town that turned their unsightly, costly dump from a minus to a plus. They built a methane plant at the base of the dump and built a mountain of garbage. In the winter they open the mountain up for skiers. In the spring and summer it's a grass covered mound thats really nice to look at. The towns citizens dont pay utilities all year long! We've got millions of acres of that desert that someone wants to save that could be used to do the same thing. Can anyone imagine the amount of jobs that would be created if Nevada became the country's leader in Solar, Wind and Methane? Just take a for instance, Methane. Each state, expecially the eastern states that have so much garbage that they dont know what to do with it, could pay Nevada to take their garbage. Build methane plants around mountains of garbage. I pay $200 a month for utilities, sure would be nice not to have to pay that!
Isn't it time for Nevadan's to start thinking!!!
Attention all state voters.
According to this article, state Democrats want to radical increase taxes next session.
Otherwise, recalling Gibbons would be a moot point in Rogers desire to get more funding.
Fund this education system!
Yes, Fund the education system! But to do that the money has to come from somewhere and everything is possible as I stated a few minutes ago.
We need a more comprehensive educational system here in Nevada. I look at my nephew, he was ready to drop out by the time he got to the 8th grade. From then on he didn't learn anything. Kids like him need to be sorted out and put into class rooms where they teach a craft, something to benefit themselves and the city and state. Has anyone looked at the level of crime that kids are getting into? It's growing! Why? Because we're not educating these kids. Yes, you can tell about the number of kids that do well in school and go on to become doctors, lawyers and professors, but what about the drop outs? What about those kids that just dont get it? We need to take actions to help them and help ourselves.
My nephew got in so much trouble he went to prison. He's doing alright now because there's lots of help for kids like him after they've gone to prison! Does anyone want to guess why our prison's are over crowded? It all boils down to education and programs before they go to prison!
State Democrats want to radically raise taxes.
To bad, they hide under the rocks and keep this secret to themselves.
Shhhhh.....a see a group of Dems under that rock...what us.... raise taxes...do not know what you are talking about?
Why don't we start a state lottery, as many have suggested? Use the money to fund higher education, just as other states have done. I seriously doubt a lottery is going to significantly damage gambling at casinos.
I must have missed something.........where in this article does it say Democrats want to raise taxes?? Seems to me he is saying that people with the money and the clout ought to be putting their money and their clout where their mouths are. That does not equate to Dems raising taxes.
Are you saying that the Democrats are agreeing with Gibbons no new taxes pledge?
So what would be the point of removing Gibbons if the Democrats are not wanting to raise taxes.
Money will not fix our education system! Remove the illegals by requiring proof of residence and citizenship. Remove the discipilany students, have standard and college preparatory classes, make all teachers follow a set teaching standard and let the parents pay for all the rest, including sports. As for our prison system being over crowded, model all prisons after the tent city in AZ. Prisons should be harsh enough to deter crime! All of thiese suggestions will help cut additional taxes so the a lot government empolyees can start looking for employment in the private sector. DOWN SIZE GOVERNMENT
Mr. Ralston: Read them and weep -
http://www.npri.org/blog/read-it-and-wee...
43% of our kids are illiterate after we've spent $44,000 to educate them.
http://www.npri.org/blog/pictures-are-wo...
In case you can't understand Nevada's budget situation here it is graphed out for you. We don't need MORE TAXES we need spending restrictions.
Mr. Ralston,
Why don't you display some integrity by asking Rogers to call in accountants to check the books of NSHE's institutions? Perhaps the problem is not with funding, but with theft at the presidential level, specifically at CSN. Rogers is loath to admit that he made a critical error in judgment by hiring Richard Carpenter, one of the most despicable leaders in College history. Now the taxpayers are being forced to continue to fund Rogers' mistake to the tune of millions to protect his pride. Gibbons, and the legislature should force Rogers to open the books of all of the colleges and universities and bring accountability to a very broken system.
"JIM GIBBONS" needs to go, before this glorious State, of ours, becomes a laughing joke..... Jim Gibbons is the most corrupt backstabbing bully in office. Jim Gibbons will make a mockery out of the State of Nevada citizens. I would be more then happy and willing to work on a recall campaign to get Gibbons out of office. So please please Mr. Rogers, help the State of Nevada recall this most unfavorable and corrupt politician, Jim Gibbons out of office.
"save the desert from the evil of the Solar Energy projects. " I hope we could deport people who say such stupid things out of our state. Create a state income tax. States who have it have better education, better health care, better public services. That is the only way, especially in a state whose economy is not diversified
I was in CA during the Davis recall era, and the California institutions of higher ed carried the recall. Getting in the neighborhood of 37,000 votes shouldn't be too difficult if nearly half of them come from UNR and UNLV.
RECALL NOW! C'mon Jim Rogers, make it so.
Pillager, I don't know where you got the 37,000 signature figure or half coming from NSHE? I would think UNLV, UNR, NSC, CSN, GBC, TMC, and WNC could deliver many more signatures than that if a recall effort were well-organized through community organizations and student groups. By some estimates it's going to take 150,000 signatures to recall Gibbons. People are going to have to actually sign the petitions, not just go online. So that may be a bit of a challenge (or not).
Look at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/recall-...
That effort never went anywhere. I hope if Chancellor Rogers and others lead this effort it happens soon while the semester is still young. A rally or petition drive on the campuses would be just the thing to start this recall.