Gibbons had chance to silence his critics

But his actions in days leading up to Friday’s session left some furious

Tiffany Brown

Gov. Jim Gibbons went back and forth in his stands on state budget cuts as Friday’s special session neared last week. Even his closest allies were caught off guard.

By J. Patrick Coolican (contact), David McGrath Schwartz (contact)

Sunday, June 29, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Governor says he wants to close $150 million loophole (6-27-2008)
Top Gibbons aides quitting (6-27-2008)
Gibbons, Buckley disagree on textbook funding (6-26-2008)

KTNV.com: Democratic Response To Gibbons Statement (6-26-2008)

CARSON CITY — Gov. Jim Gibbons came close, tantalizingly close, to getting the fresh start he so badly needed.

But then there’s the back story, a story of Gibbons doing his best Gibbons, which is to say, he kept making a mess of the slate he was trying to wipe clean.

When all was said and done during a tumultuous 24 hours at the end of a week, after speaking to the state about Nevada’s fiscal crisis and convening a special legislative session, his closest Republican allies in the Legislature were furious with him.

Gibbons has been beset by political and personal crises during the past two months, most of his own making, including a divorce, the revelation that he was using his state cell phone to exchange more than 800 text messages with a married woman during the 2007 legislative session, and a raft of bad news about Nevada’s foundering economy.

He called a special legislative session two weeks ago, directing legislators to cut an additional $250 million from the ailing state budget after he’d cut $914 million in the previous nine months.

The political motivation was plain as day: Change the subject from the salacious divorce and his rapidly diminishing stature and show the governor as a strong executive.

And during the past two weeks and the past few days, even though he never consulted key legislators about the special session and then was forced to delay it, he indeed had his moments.

His televised speech to the state Thursday night allowed him to show empathy for Nevadans experiencing tough times, call on legislators to act responsibly, redouble on his promise not to raise taxes, and refuse to back any cut in teacher pay increases or signing bonuses.

For Nevadans who don’t pay close attention to politics, he likely came off as a decisive and responsible leader.

Gibbons also managed to dump two senior staffers, Chief of Staff Mike Dayton and Chief Operating Officer Dianne Cornwall, whose infighting and perceived incompetence had become deeply distracting to the administration.

Gibbons was said to be getting advice from Sig Rogich and Robert Uithoven, two experienced political hands.

Josh Hicks, the governor’s counsel and widely perceived to be the most competent member of his staff, was named chief of staff. Hicks and Gibbons’ allies are scouring resumes and reaching out for new talent with this sales pitch: Yes, rehabilitating this administration will be difficult, but if they get it done, the glory and satisfaction will be sweet indeed.

So the governor had made an attractive public appeal and cleaned house, readying himself for a brutal 2009 legislative session that will face more fiscal hardship. And, if he could oversee a productive 2009 session, then a spot as the Republican nominee in the 2010 governor’s race — which seemed totally far-fetched a few weeks ago — suddenly wasn’t out of the question.

But instead, he deeply angered Republican allies with his typical scattershot approach, which seemed to have no regard for the collateral damage of his words and actions.

When Gibbons called the special session two weeks ago, he persuaded state Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio and Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert, a Reno Republican, to sign off on delaying a cost-of-living raise for teachers, an incendiary issue and one for which legislators of both parties immediately said they didn’t have the votes.

And yet, in his speech Thursday, Gibbons spoke like a fiery union rep for the teachers and said he wouldn’t break promises to teachers. Education is his highest priority, and he would not renege on the raises, he said piously.

Raggio was livid.

Gansert, who had changed her mind on cost-of-living adjustments and had come out against delaying them several days ago, was asked whether she and Raggio had been “thrown under the bus,” to echo the phrase being bandied about the Legislature. Gansert nodded slightly and replied: “I don’t know how to respond to that.”

Gibbons also criticized the size of the budget passed in 2007 as “overpromising.”

For Raggio, who has long been a lonely defender of the governor, this was the nightmare scenario. Raggio’s facing a primary challenge from former Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, who is running to the right of Raggio, the warhorse of Republican and state politics. No doubt Raggio fears Angle will use the governor’s criticism against Raggio.

Raggio rebuked Gibbons publicly Friday, noting that the Legislature used the governor’s own proposed budget as its blueprint last year.

Friday morning, Gibbons met with Raggio in the Senate leader’s office. Gibbons was said to be largely absent from the budget-cutting negotiations between Raggio and Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, all week. But now, at the final hour, he wanted to negotiate a legislative plan to delay purchasing textbooks, which would save $45 million. In Gibbons’ Thursday speech, he came out against it.

“The time to negotiate is over,” Raggio told the governor, according to a person familiar with the conversation.

Raggio told the governor the Assembly and Senate were going to pass their package of cuts, and the governor was free to veto it.

“If you do that, it will be the quickest override in state history,” Raggio said, according to the source.

Raggio delivered it in a firm tone. But for a sitting governor, it was the equivalent of a dressing down.

Gibbons also waved the white flag frequently: He wanted to close Nevada State Prison, save money for textbooks, propose a spending cap for next session. All were ideas he embraced in interviews last week or in his speech. By Friday, he had retreated from them all.

And then there are those photos. Gibbons, who filed for divorce from his wife, Dawn, in May, was again spotted with a woman not his wife, holding hands and hugging. This time, at the Reno Rodeo, one of Northern Nevada’s most important sporting and cultural events, and presumably one at which the governor would normally serve as an ambassador.

The photos, published Friday in the Nevada Appeal, which is Carson City’s daily, showed him hugging the woman — a former Playboy model — in the rodeo parking lot. A news cycle that should have been dominated by stories of the governor leading was instead given over, at least partially, to his dating life, or whatever.

(The governor’s response to a question from the Sun’s Cy Ryan was typically bizarre: “You can talk to Leslie,” he said, referring to Leslie Durant, the woman in question. “But I think she will tell you if (there’s something that) takes the romance out of a friendship it’s being there when her child is born. I held her hand when her child was born. That’s how close a friend we are.”)

Those close to Gibbons were dejected by the governor’s risky behavior in such a public place.

“Indefensible,” a source close to the governor said.

In the end, what might have been an opportunity for a surge in public popularity and a profusion of new clout and command landed with a fairly dull thud.

And so rather than getting a bounce, a Republican lobbyist said, Gibbons will get a “dead cat bounce.”

Discussion: 16 comments so far…

By Fccfirstclass

6/29/08 at 4:22 a.m.

Suggest removal

Get rid of this weak brained "leader"
By BringtheRain

6/29/08 at 8:46 a.m.

Suggest removal

The irony here is this — if he's pissed off Raggio this much, the 2009 Legislature may finally unite the North and South under the common goal of getting veto-proof majorities to render Gibbons irrelevant.
By nevada39

6/29/08 at 8:58 a.m.

Suggest removal

I agree, we can only hope.
As for the "god" response above, this is why I do not belong to a party. When you have no defense, attack, another reason we are in this mess.

We need real leadership and adults working together not attacking each other, "grow up" and find solutions.
By jfnance32

6/29/08 at 9:29 a.m.

Suggest removal

Raggio is one of the reasons why we got into this mess into the first place.

If he had any conservative princples then he done a better job in the regular session and the government would not been big as it is now and more money would have been in the rainy day fund.

But no, he sits and says, "Ok Buckley, I am fine with spending all that money on your pet projects. If fact, here are a few of my own."

Keep up the good work Gibbons. You promised no new taxes. You got the job on that promised. So far, there has been no new taxes.
By R_Linn

6/29/08 at 10:03 a.m.

Suggest removal

Gibbons can have all the girlfriends he wants and send as many texts as he wants as long as he keeps his pledge not to raise taxes. And if he's actually doing a former Playboy Playmate, he's got my vote the next time around!
By thebs

6/29/08 at 11:06 a.m.

Suggest removal

It's times like these that our great state demands a great leader.

Unfortunately, we're all stuck with Gibbers, the love gov... who apparently can't even persuade the leadership of his own party to follow his cue.

It's just another vote of no confidence by legislative Republicans. Buckley, Raggio, Horsford and Gansert were the real leaders here, compromising and putting forth a true bipartisan effort to solve the state's problems. Gibbons just stood on the sidelines, incompetently impotent.

And Nance, you're fooling yourself if you think that any more money would be in the rainy day fund. Bob Beers would've ensured another scheme to pay some Nevadans for registering their cars, thus draining the fund... just like he's done in the past. Beers is a CPA who doesn't see the value in a savings account.
By jfnance32

6/29/08 at 1 p.m.

Suggest removal

If Beers was more successful into letting the taxpayers keep more money then the result might have been a healthier economy for Nevada which would help out the tax revenues now.

theBS and Buckley just cringed at the thought of taxpayers getting to keep their cash.

theBS's and Buckley's great desire is to take from the taxpayers and give to the unions.

The budget is in a very sick status. Yet, most state workers will get between 6% and 10%. Many will get over 10%. At the same time, we are cutting many departments' budgets by over 10%.

You are right this is excellent leadership at work.

It will be in the hall of fame of leadership.....more like the hall of shame.

Taxpayers are very happy with the state workers getting taking care.....LOL

Who will take care of the taxpayers?
By sfiver

6/29/08 at 1:32 p.m.

Suggest removal

Hey, hey wait a minute... LuvGov assists at "friend's" birthing? - "I held her hand when her child was born." I can only wonder what she was holding onto. Jeesh, what this man won't do for a roll in the hay. He makes Bill Clinton look like a teen-age virgin. Why did he call a special session? I'm all for government waste - but, let's make it interesting, huh? $48M less for textbooks - most of these kids can't read anyway. Furthermore, it was Krolicki's idea for the bond issue. Krolicki should run for governor! Maybe LuvGov should resign - he'd have more time for those "delivery room" moments.
By jxtnlv

6/29/08 at 3:07 p.m.

Suggest removal

I believe there is enough disgust shared among Nevada citizens.... we have a joke for a Governor! IMPEACH Gibbons... he is making a mockery of the Governor's Office! Forget party lines, people! This man is digging a deeper hole for Nevada!!!
By George

6/29/08 at 7:09 p.m.

Suggest removal

"Most" State employees are getting 4%, those who have not topped out in their pay range get an amount less than 4.5% on their anniversary date, which is totally separate from this cost-of-living increase. Nobody's getting 6%, nobody's getting 10%, nobody's getting over 10%. Has your cost-of-living gone up less than 4% this year? Sheesh, where do you guys get this stuff??

I have two advanced degrees, I have to pay for my continuing education out of my own pocket and still I make 18% less than my counterparts in city and county government and (at least) 24% less than my conterparts in private industry.

You get the government you're willing to pay for.
By jfnance32

6/29/08 at 9:15 p.m.

Suggest removal

Over half to state employees are getting more than 4% because over half of state employees are going to get step raises. So the step raises are between 2% to 8%. That is shy some will get more than 10%. Most state employees have not top out on their step raises. These numbers have been repeated in both in the Sun and LVRJ.

University employees get a 401K where the state matches the 100% of what the 10.5% that the employees pay. One never sees that in private industry.

Holy Cow.......10.5% at 100% matching!!!!!

University employees do not pay social security taxes.

University employees get discounts on tution.
By encyclopedia

6/30/08 at 10:50 a.m.

Suggest removal

WISH LIST:
THE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AGENDA

Item 1. Impeachment of Jim Gibbons
Item 2. Adjournment

Sam Dehne
By encyclopedia

6/30/08 at 11:02 a.m.

Suggest removal

HOW DOES HE DO IT?
Could the only thing that is possibly keeping him in office be that he is a member of that super-secret Scientology cult?
That.. or did the body snatchers get mixed up when they snatched his body?

Sam
By George

6/30/08 at 6:03 p.m.

Suggest removal

Step (merit) increases for classified State employees are no more than 4.5% per year for 10 steps. Once you've reached step 10 there are no more increases. Ever. The only thing left after that are COLA increases. Most classified employees have been "topped out" for many, many years.

Classified employees (University, or other) do not receive matching rates from the State for their deferred compensation plans.

State employees (University, or other) do not pay into social security. Neither do they receive social security payments when they retire.

Classified University employees do not receive a discount on tuition. They are, however, required to pay premium rates for parking.

Most of what you've described above is true only for University faculty (not classified) positions. Those positions are contract positions and are not covered under this pay bill.
By NVMojo

7/3/08 at 6:52 p.m.

Suggest removal

Only in this state are public services treated like scum of the earth. Every *ssh*t wants education but doesn't want to pay for it. Every conservative *ssh*t likes to create a fake image and philosophy that is designed to harm the overall functioning of this State. What fecking grand-standing fools. Nevada will surely be at the very bottom of every list in the country soon and the jobs will leave with it.

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