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twitterWhy it’s time to remove Gibbons from office
Sun, Sep 21, 2008 (2 a.m.)
“I find it troubling that some want to raise taxes, which would just increase the burden on businesses that are already struggling to meet payroll, and based on these new unemployment numbers, are sometimes failing to do so.”
— Gov. Jim Gibbons on news of 7.1 percent jobless rate
It is somewhat disturbing, albeit not entirely unexpected, that the governor’s reaction to the unemployment numbers contains an implicit lie — no one is calling for new taxes. But what the rote statement reveals much more offensively in its tiresome, predictable, vacuous construction is that Jim Gibbons is the wrong man at the wrong time to steer the state’s financial ship.
And the real question is when the people of the state, especially those in the moneyed class who claim to care beyond their own bottom lines, will declare: Enough is enough.
A thoughtful, farsighted governor might have reacted thusly: “These latest figures highlight the economic problems facing our state and our already buckling infrastructure. I look forward to working with lawmakers to ensure the state does not fall backward during these hard times.”
Such words will never sally forth from the self-programmed voice box of the governor. Indeed, the flat budget he threatens to propose for the next budget cycle is as one-dimensional as his vision — a “philosophy” encased on a hackneyed sound bite.
No new taxes. The state is swimming in red ink, the school system is on thin ice and the roads are patently inadequate.
So what shall we do about this, Governor? Um, no new taxes. Genius.
I grant you that the Democrats have joined the call only out of political expediency and that some of their proposed restructuring of the tax system could well mean increases. But there are GOP legislators who, if the right concessions were made, surely would support less of one tax and more of another, or even the creation of a reliable revenue stream from the free-lunch crowd that holds sway over the chamber set.
But whether or not taxes are part or most of the solution becomes moot if you can’t have the discussion with a governor who is an automaton whose programming is obsolete. Enough is enough, folks. Whatever you think the solution might be, it is not as simplistic as Gibbons makes it out to be. A child could use a calculator to make the across-the-board cuts the governor has suggested — no priorities, no deliberation, just divide and decimate.
For much of this crisis, Chancellor Jim Rogers has been the only prominent government official out there talking about just how devastating the Gibbons cuts have been and will be on the higher education system. But others have recently weighed in with letters of support for Rogers. Some excerpts:
MGM Mirage’s Terry Lanni: “We must ... broaden the tax base in order to meet our citizens’ educational and other needs.”
Wynn Resorts’ Steve Wynn: “Nevada’s tax structure is fundamentally broken ... This is a recipe for disaster in trying to plan for our future needs.”
Fontainebleau’s Glenn Schaeffer: “The state must find alternatives to these mindless across-the-board cuts, promulgated under the ridiculous slogan that we have a ‘spending problem, not a revenue problem.’ ”
Ex-Gov. Bob Miller: “(Higher education) cannot suffer 16 percent cuts without serous and long-term negative consequences.”
Ex-Gov. Kenny Guinn: “We certainly aren’t going to cut our way to prosperity. If my two terms as governor proved anything, it’s that the voters will support you if they think you are being careful and efficient with their dollars.”
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman: “We may as well forget about attracting the best and the brightest. If they conclude that in Las Vegas, education is expendable, their next conclusion, when it comes to establishing their businesses, will be that Las Vegas is expendable.”
Reno Mayor Bob Cashell: “What makes a great community? ... People are willing to support so many political decisions we make if we, as leaders, are always trying to answer that question.”
Each of these leaders has put more thought into the problem than the man constitutionally charged with dealing with the financial crisis. What does this tell you? Enough is enough.
There are only two choices. You can render the governor irrelevant by getting two-thirds in both houses to do what’s necessary — a dicey proposition that leaves much to chance. Or you simply remove Gibbons from the equation with a recall that is bound to be successful if enough money is invested, considering few donors will come to his rescue.
Jim Rogers. Terry Lanni. Steve Wynn. Glenn Schaeffer. Kenny Guinn. Bob Miller. Oscar Goodman. Bob Cashell.
This could be the beginning of a beautiful recall committee.
Discussion: 41 comments so far…
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I agree 100,000,000%. Oh sorry, I forgot to clear my calculator. I mean 100%. Gibbons would not know the difference anyway.
Jim Gibbons is a wonderful governor! Let's see
Nevada is now near the bottom as far as pubic education is concerned. There is not enough money in our schools for books, paper and pencils for students...teacher pay, benefits and material support is almost nonexistant.
Wonderful Idea, Jim!
He is now turning the Nevada University System into a 3rd rate intitution, driving away top notch professors, eliminating degree programs and returning us to the days when UNLV and UNR were laughable universitities....Great Job, Jim!
Gaming establishments, businesses etc have not had to pay a reasonable share of taxes for support of schools, prisons, medical care for the indigent...so let's continue the practice Jim. You are indeed a wonderful governor.
You're in the pocket of big business and the hotel/casion industry so everthing should be just wonderful for their future.. But, hey what about the common man?...
vsestini
Don't blame Gibbons for the ratings on Nevada's education system. They were on rock bottom when Guinn was in office and will remain on rack bottom until the administrators get the gonads to clear out the disruptive students, hold parents responsible for their children's actions, remove the illegal immigrates and standardize all teaching curriculums. Jim Rogers ides of throwing money into the education system is NOT the way to fix anything.
Like Ralston says.......Democrats want to raise taxes on businesses.
That sounds just like Obama.
Even Obama now thinks that is wrong. He is saying that higher taxes during a downturn is probably wrong.
Too bad, the Nevada Democrats do not think that.
They rather lose jobs in the private sector.
A vote for Democratsis is a vote for higher taxes and less jobs.
Spot on, Mr. Ralston.
It was funny to see the RJ editors refer to you today as, "former Review-Journal political columnist Jon Ralston."
You're right Mr. Nance. Democrats would like to raise taxes on businesses. The current corporate income tax rate in Nevada is ZERO. How many more hundreds of millions - if not billions - of dollars in assets is the mining industry going to be allowed to take out of our state without chipping in for our infrastucture needs? How many more humdreds of millions are going to go straight to Bentonville before Wal Mart ponies up?
Put it this way. Our budget shortfall for the biennium looks to be about $1 billion. Our total population is about 2.5 million. That works out to about $400 per person, or about $18 dollars a month over two years. What does the average person in this state spend at Wal Mart every month? What's the value of the ore the mining industry pulls out of our ground every month. Don't you think a few dollars a month from these companies is called for? And please don't tell me that they'll take their jobs away. We're not talking about enough money to make them reconsider doing business here.
odog - you're joking, right?
Any administrator that "clears out disruptive students" is going to have to clear their schedule for a costly day in court.
Public education must, by law, work to the lowest common denominator. Otherwise, we wind up paying someone's punitive damages.
How many people will be put of work by the Democrat's business tax?
The problem with hoping that our richest citizens will lead a recall effort is 1) they've lost a lot of money recently, so don't feel like spending any (even if they are still vastly richer than the people Gibbons is hurting), and 2) they are insulated from the real pain Gibbons' lack of leadership is causing. They're free to leave this sinking ship whenever they want.
I have lived in southern Nevada for 27 years, and though it would pain me to look my optimistic children in the face and admit it, I don't believe that anyone who has the power to make a difference here will do it. And perhaps we are just doing what we do best: reflecting the country as a whole. Is this the end of the American era? It was greed that made us rich; will it be greed that makes us poor?
Yeah, right.... I've heard all this recall stuff before.
No to a recall, before we remove crooked Lobbyist Bob Loux and unhinged Chancellor Jim Rogers
All Jon Ralston and unhinged Chancellor Jim Rogers seem to be doing is blaming the economic downturn on Gov. Jim Gibbons.
Jon Ralston even says "no one is calling for new taxes".
So apparently Jon Ralston want to spend money we do not have.
But Gov. Jim Gibbons does not have any real power in the matter.
Only the Nevada Legislature can raise tax rates or restructure taxes with a 2/3 vote.
If Gibbons were to veto it the Legislature can over ride the veto with the SAME 2/3 vote.
So maybe we should be recalling the Nevada Legislature.
Or maybe we are okay with waiting until the growth in the economy return to kill the golden goose.
I agree: it's time to remove Gov. Gibbons from office because it has been 21 months and he hasn't raised one single tax! How dare he keep his campaign promise?!?!?!?
Why remove Gibbons? Nevadas economy is tanking. We can tank ourselves without Gibbons.
You called him a liar in the first paragraph for disagreeing with higher taxes when you state noone is asking, but then quoted several people asking for new taxes including yourself. This is an important subject and your writing should have better quality to reflect the importance of the topic. Recall Jon Ralston in my opinion, or do a better job next time. Or maybe not write at 2AM.
Jon,
I guess they just don't get it.
The Luv Gov is probably the only Governor who has kept at least one of his campaign promises, and he doesn't care if he watches the state go down in flames to do it.
Governor Gibbons; "Education Governor". That's all you need to say.
THE ECONOMY IS THE MAJOR INGREDIENT THAT WILL GIVE CREDENCE TO EITHER OBAMA OR MCCAIN'S PATH TO THE PRESIDENCY. THAT"S WHY TAXPAYERS CAN NO LONGER SUPPORT THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, PARIAH BUSINESSES EXTRACT FROM US WHEN THEY HIRE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. IS GOVERNOR GIBBONS one of the open-border, free traders?
HOW MANY ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE LIVING IN LAS VEGAS, RENO, CARSON CITY. HOW MANY JOB'S HAVE PARASITE EMPLOYERS GIVEN TO ILLEGAL ALIENS. NOT JUST THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, BUT CONSTRUCTION WORK AND OTHERS SERVICE INDUSTRIES. COULD IT BE BECAUSE THEY CAN BE PAID UNDER THE TABLE. IN MOST CASES NO IRS, STATE, WORKERS COMPENSATION. NO HEALTHCARE IS PROVIDED, BECAUSE THAT IS EXTRACTED FROM OUR TAXES.
Only elect hard-line anti-illegal immigrant politicians. Gov Richardson gave drivers licenses to illegals in N.Mexico. Illegal Immigration is lowering wages and stealing jobs from legal Americans. This major issue is costing taxpayers too much. Higher property taxes, free health care, education and a multitude of government welfare programs Just take a look at 'Sanctuary City' California's financial demise. $ 11. billion dollars is attributed to the illegal immigrant welfare, who have drained the states funds.
If we enact the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) enforcement only law. Millions of illegal aliens will leave by self-deportation. ATTRITION! No job, they will leave of their own accord. Only anti-American groups and Liberal-Democrat-Socialists are stopping this law. ASK THEM WHY?
www.numbersusa.com have the uncensored truth? IT'S YOUR FAMILIES FUTURE. DEPORTATION OR OVERPOPULATION.
IF WE DON'T STOP IT NOW, THEY WILL KEEP COMING..
JOIN 756.000 other American patriots at www.numbersusa.com , to stop the travesty of our immigration laws. Learn about Immigration governmental corruption at www.judicialwatch.org
I live in the municipality with the highest taxes in the country, NYC, and our schools are largely garbage, so much so that anyone who has the money spends five figures on private schools for the kids.
Government reacts to the increased supply of money by finding unproductive ways to waste it, usually on the politician, the buerocrats, and their friends.
Do yourselves a favor, fight tooth and nail to keep your taxes as low as possible.
Before I read another sentence Jon I have to say BULL#$@#$!
You and many others have called for more taxes.
Now I will continue reading and probably comment some more.
Right On Jon Ralston, This Governor needs to go, this Great State cannot handle another 2 years of a deceptive lying politician like Gibbons, we need to RECALL!!!!! Or better yet, be a man Gibbons and step down, before this State goes under.
"A child could use a calculator to make the across-the-board cuts the governor has suggested -- no priorities, no deliberation, just divide and decimate."
And a child can meet budget deficits by demanding more tax money rather than being responsible, savy, or creative to figure out how to do the same job with less revenue...like EVERYONE ELSE IN THE PRIVATE MARKET.
"A child could use a calculator to make the across-the-board cuts the governor has suggested -- no priorities, no deliberation, just divide and decimate."
And a child can meet budget deficits by demanding more tax money rather than being responsible, savy, or creative to figure out how to do the same job with less revenue...like EVERYONE ELSE IN THE PRIVATE MARKET.
Ok congrats Jon...appeal to authority fallacy.
The governors wrong because all these other people agree with me. What crap Jon.
I think NPRI mentioned that we don't need a new revenue source and they actually had facts, not quotes: http://npri.org/blog/pictures-are-worth-...
They also said that restructuring the taxcode would not help economic growth: http://npri.org/blog/taxing-economic-gro...
What sort of reasoning...let alone facts...lead you to believe that a new tax source will create economic growth?
Or are you just interested in funding government jobs?
Jon and his big government friends are trying to pull the same trick they did in 2003.
The economy stinks, tax revenues are down.
Our tax code is broken.
Raise taxes.
Spend every freaking dime. Commit every penny to new programs.
Economy falters again.
Revenues are not enough to keep new programs afloat.
Claim tax system is broken.
Demand more taxes.
Now in the future this is what will happen.
They'll spend every dime and commit every penny.
When the economy falters again, the revenue won't be there (Nevada is the ONLY state without personal or corporate income taxes that ALSO has a budget shortfall...so they're claim is flat bogus to begin with).
They'll demand more taxes because the revenue source is broken.
Taxes will be raised and the cycle repeats again.
This has been going on for decades...thankfully Gibbons isn't as big a wimp as Guinn and the many others before him. Like him or not he actually has the guts to not cave to the Big Government spend at any cost crowd.
The Casino's want an expanded tax base because they don't want to carry the state anymore. How do you get a casino tax cut, implement an income tax or higher property taxes.
Nevada's economy is sinking. Visitors are down and with fuel costs and economic problems across the country, they will fall farther. The best thing to do now is not raise spending.
Saving for the future is not evil.
I'm interested to hear more about JohnF's post and the comment about the current corporate income tax rate being ZERO?? Is this true and if so WHY????
Yes in Nevada the corporate income tax rate is zero. However, corporations pay sales, property, a payroll tax and for the state they also pay a tax on every employee hired I believe.
Not to worry however, the OECD and many economists consider corporate income taxes to not only be the most volatile source of tax revenue but also the most damaging tax on economic growth.
So economically and for our state revenues, a corporate tax should be avoid at all cost.
Politically corporate taxes are good because the cost to individuals is not immediately felt nor seen.
I should also note, that NRPI found that Nevada is the ONLY state in the union without a corporate income tax that also had a budgetary deficit.
http://npri.org/blog/just-the-facts
Getting a corporate income tax won't help Nevada and not having a corporate income tax does not hurt Nevada.
So getting Gibbons out of office would clear the way for a tax increase so we could upgrade an abysmal education system? Is that what you're saying, Jon?
What about an income tax? I know that's heresy but let's see what Nevadans think about that?
Ralston is being melodramatic, but that's his job.
I had to comment, because evidently many Nevadans failed basic reading comprehension. Now I'm not defending his position per se, but when Ralston wrote, "No one is calling for new taxes" what he fully said (use critical thinking here) is, "It is somewhat disturbing, albeit not entirely unexpected, that the governor's reaction to the unemployment numbers contains an IMPLICIT LIE -- NO ONE IS CALLING FOR NEW TAXES." Hence the list of prominent people calling for new taxes.
While it might be wrong to say so and so prominent people feel this way, it is a justified rhetorical agent to use. It's saying these important people with possible experience in a given area feel this way. Jesus if you want to go after Ralston about his writing try to critique him on a level that is above a sophomore in high school. It just makes you look bad.
This is to KDR81, you must be on the governor's payroll, to lie and use false information from a outdated website, you are just like the deceitful governor, you must sleep in his same bed with him every night.
Sales tax should not be touched. It affects the individual the most.
Economically the smallest but most even disbursed tax would be property tax.
If not property tax a small corporate tax could help. For the people that think gaming is under taxed this would be a tax that they would have to pay while dispursing the responsibility to many other companies that enjoy the below then average taxes found here in Nevada.
Companies do not pay sales tax as often they are tax exempt for many things.
Time to put a leader in that will help bring the two parties together and find a true way to get us out of this once and for all. Perhaps trade a decrease in one tax to an increase in a more reliable tax.
I must be your worst nightmare there buddy. I had facts you had squat.
You can have your own opinions but...oh wait you don't have your own facts. You can't ignore the facts.
I must be your worst nightmare there buddy. I had facts you had squat.
You can have your own opinions but...oh wait you don't have your own facts. You can't ignore the facts.
RedFerret.
Either Jon makes no sense or you don't. If Jon didn't write like a sophmore in high school there wouldn't be a problem. What is the lie? Jon's writing is unclear.
1) Unemployment rate is high.
2) Some people have called for new taxes.
3) Governor implies that new taxes will make situation worse.
That is true if you raise taxes you take away money from consumers, wage earners, or companies who will be creating jobs. Where is the lie?
RF.
Jon Ralston's entire article contains an implicit lie...that government spending drives economic growth.
Jon is smart enough to know that is BS. Who cares what the govs philosophy is, or if he has one. NOT RAISING TAXES or creating NEW TAXES is the RIGHT THING TO DO.
Okay I guess the last post wasn't... precise enough. I was not commenting on Jon's position. I was commenting on what seemed to be a lot of people's inability to read basic sentences with basic structure. This is an early high school skill at best.
The opening sentences are a critique of how the governor responds to a crisis. Instead of reacting with a proactive solution to the problem, Gibbons attacks his enemies and offers no other solution than to not raise taxes. I'm not commenting on that platform (I really don't care about that issue. If he wants to not raise taxes he still has to do more than say that and sit on his damn hands).
Ralston moves on to say the opening Gibbon's statement contains a lie (that no one is calling for new taxes), even though technically the governor does admit some do want to do just that (as in some are talking about raising taxes). Ralston's later move is to show prominent people asking for.... a raise in/new taxes.
My problem was from an earlier post stating,
"Jon Ralston even says 'no one is calling for new taxes'.
So apparently Jon Ralston want to spend money we do not have."
Hence the reading comprehension remark.
I don't see where Gov Gibbons says no one is wanting to raise taxes.
From what I read.
""I find it troubling that some want to raise taxes, which would just increase the burden on businesses that are already struggling to meet payroll, and based on these new unemployment numbers, are sometimes failing to do so."
The Gov says some people want to raise taxes.
Ralston responds tha there is an implicit lie - no one is calling for new taxes.
If the gov. said this why wasnt it in the quote?
If Ralston's trying to show some lie it is not readily apparent.
Gov says some want to raise taxes.
Ralston shows some want to raise taxes.
(btw new taxes and raise taxes can be different things IF the new tax is revenue neutral).
Yes, thank you!!! A point I already made! So KDR, I'll put this in an even more simple fashion...
Some people, not YOU, thought Ralston was saying, "no one's calling for new taxes". I was pointing out the rhetorical strategy Ralston was using to make a point that was the polar opposite of what that person said. Further I pointed out that the governor had admitted some want that to happen, sooooo......... Why are you quibbling with me on this when I made the point for the third time now.
In a funny turn of events I was dismissed from High School in the tenth grade. Does that make redferret an implicit genius?
Writing style and rhetorical agent aside, in polite society the thing that follows calling someone a liar is the facts that support your claim, cos these are fighting words. Instead of proving Gibbons a liar, he winds up validating a stupid soundbite. Good character and civility always trump entertainment or critical thinking or reading comprehension levels. Humour might trump character, (i was joking about recalling Ralston, you didn't give me credit for that use of rhetoric. Or call it a writing style of rediculousness).
In the end, Governor Gibbons is a weak man of poor moral character. An adulterer belongs swimming in a whorehouse pool in Searchlight, not running the greatest state in the country. Don't you love that Boeing tossed out their Chief Exec when they caught him with the secretary? I want someone from that Board of Directors running our state. (Notice how I changed the subject from my retardation to something we all agree on? I learned that deflective technique from doublespeaking politicos)
Hey.... can we recall this guy's degree from Mackay School of Mines too? The bright idea early in his tenure of coal fired plants in Nevada when let's see... we have hotsprings, solar and wind to tap. And clean coal... yeah??? Just ask folks along the Tennessee River about that right now. As a Mackay alum myself I'm embarrassed that he has a degree from my alma mater. I guess by cutting education though, no one will have the knowledge to challenge his short sightedness. Folks. Let's get a serious petition out there. This guy is far worse than Grey Davis.