Education funding debated at town hall meeting in Henderson

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun

State Sens. Mike Schneider and Joyce Woodhouse speak during a community town hall meeting Saturday at Silver Springs Recreation Center in Henderson.

By Jeff Pope (contact)

Saturday, April 4, 2009 | 11:17 p.m.

Nevada Speaks

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Green Valley High School senior Callie Kitral hopes she can attend the College of Southern Nevada in the fall.

Budget cuts already forced the community college to block out classes for the fall semester that she said she wanted to take.

With additional cuts to Nevada’s higher education institutions looming, Kitral attended a “Nevada Speaks” town hall meeting Saturday hosted by state Sens. Joyce Woodhouse, D-Henderson, and Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, hoping to hear the legislators say they had a plan to fund the state’s schools.

Kitral said she would be willing to pay more in taxes if it meant the money would ensure she access to a good education.

“It’s kind of our ticket to life and getting our life started,” she said.

Several others in the audience of about 65 people said they wouldn’t oppose raising taxes if it meant education, transportation and health care could be preserved.

The Senate likely won’t make any decisions on taxes for at least three weeks as committees review and discuss proposed legislation, said Woodhouse, whose 5th District was the site of the town hall meeting at the Silver Springs Recreation Center, 1951 Silver Springs Parkway, in Henderson.

Lawmakers discovered earlier this week that the state’s budget shortfall grew $500 million because of declining tax revenues. Previous estimates had put the funding shortfall to maintain current service levels at $1.8 billion.

That has legislators rethinking where the bottom line is, Woodhouse said.

“I’m going to stay positive and say we’re going to find some dollars,” she said. “If we do raise taxes, we will need everybody at the table. We don’t raise taxes on one group. It’s just not fair. The funds that we raise go out to everyone.”

As for education, Woodhouse, a retired teacher, said funding for K-12 and higher education might take a hit, but it wouldn’t be as drastic as Gov. Jim Gibbons proposed in his budget.

The meeting included a vocal group of about 15 people who want the state to legalize the sale of medicinal marijuana. Nevada is one of 14 states with laws allowing people to grow the plants for medicinal uses but does not allow growers to sell it.

It could be taxed and raise tens of millions to fill a portion of the state’s budget gap and save even more money on law enforcement, said Pierre Werner, who spent 19 months in prison for selling marijuana but said he was punished harshly for a non-violent crime. Werner is opposed to Senate Bill 262, which would increase the prison sentences for marijuana growers.

“It’s barbaric to force medical marijuana users to grow their own medicine,” he said. “I’d like some pit bulls in the Senate to help us. I don’t think non-violent offenders should be treated harsher than violent offenders.”

Schneider has proposed four bills on alternative medicines, which he said relate to a variety of medical issues from stem cells to herbs, but he did not directly mention marijuana.

Politicians have been largely conservative on issues of alternative medicines previously, but that stance is changing, Schneider said.

“We are going to get very aggressive at the state in alternative medicine. People are looking at this through a broader lens now,” he said.

Lawmakers will host “Nevada Speaks” meetings on April 18 at the Doolittle Community Center, 1950 North J St., and May 2 at the Sun City MacDonald Ranch Community Center, 2020 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway.

Discussion: 5 comments so far…

By rich8049

4/5/09 at 7:45 a.m.

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Kitral said she would be willing to pay more in taxes if it meant the money would ensure she access to a good education.

What kind of reporting is this? This girl in the above quote is in high school. Since when did kids pay taxes? You quote her as an example of what people would be willing to do. Shame on you. And then you start talking about marijuana as a medicine. Ok. Tell me what the medicinal powers of marijuana are. You get stoned and cant feel pain. Is that a medicine? So let me get this straight. Portraying a kid in high school willing to "pay higher taxes" and a bunch of people trying to get marijuana legalized in Nevada are the two most important issues the democrats face in the budget shortfall, and gibbons is a bad guy because he doesnt support thes two "ideals".
By M_McAuliffe

4/5/09 at 9:19 a.m.

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Well, Rich, you really show off your intellect in your post here. Let's take your gems one at a time.

Regarding high school kids and taxes, I had to file a tax return when I was 16 and in high school because I made more than a minimum exempted amount. Do you find it impossible, or even unlikely that the current generation still in school has the ambition or need to make money? Do you think our government gives young earners a free pass?

Furthermore, Miss Kitral undoubtedly already pays sales and other use taxes, as Nevada has no state income tax. Metro is asking for a tax increase, and you're berating a kid for saying she'd be willing to pay more.

As to your request about the medicinal powers of cannabis, there is not the space here to list them all. Don't you know how to use Yahoo or Google? Let's just look at the most recent finding, released on April 2nd. THC kills cancerous cells (Journal of Clinical Investigation).

As for 'getting stoned and feeling no pain', what do you think Lortab, Oxycontin, Percodan, Demerol, and a cornucopia of industrial pharmaceuticals do?

Cannabis already IS medicine, according to the Nevada Constitution, as amended in 2001, as well as by many institutions such as the Institute of Medicine.

The reason this subject is vocally being brought up on a regular basis, is because our new president has said that we will now rely on science over social conservatism, and has called upon us all to be citizen activists for causes we believe.

The 18+ medical cannabis advocates who showed up, representing 1/3 of the audience in attendance are actively involved in trying to better our community. That's a lot more than can be said of your armchair bomb-throwing, Rich.
By SkiBum1353

4/5/09 at 9:52 p.m.

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I have been a Nevada Medical Marijuana Patient since October, 2001. And, I could go on & on about why we should allow people to mitigate their pain & suffering in a dignified manner! But, I will instead appeal to the waste of time, manpower & money to continue to pursue this path of punishment for a victimless crime!
Our prisons are already busting at the seams! So much, in fact, that we are forced to release violent offenders out onto the streets because of overcrowding! Now, they want to put more non-violent medical patients in prison? Have we lost all reason? Shouldn't we leave that space for actual criminals?
I've got an idea . . . Let's increase the penalties on all other drugs! You know, the one's that really do harm like, meth, heroin, crack, cocaine, etc. to show that we really do care about our citizens . . . And, then legalize our right to grow our own medicine so we can follow our destiny with dignity!
By Khan2009

4/6/09 at 11:46 a.m.

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Hello I am also a touretts patient in the program here in Nevada. I moved to Nevada because I could not get Cannabis in the pill form in Kansas, that state does not beleive in Medical Marijuana. I saw many doctors there and they had me try just about every known medication that was prescribed for my problem. I have always tried to give the "normal" meds a try but found nothing to this day that works . My doctor in Kansas stated to me that I need to move to a state the recognizes Medical Marijuana. He was great and knew I was having issues with my Touretts. I moved and have a wonderful job and my mental and physical health have never ever been better not to metion Las Vegas the best place to live I really love the city. I wish they would allocate more attention and dollars into the research and study of Cannabis and it's effects with regards to the medical purposes.
By VR

4/6/09 at 4:01 p.m.

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Well folks,looks like some "buzz" is being generated here. Thought I'd add my two cents... I was also in attendance to support the members of the mmj community (to which I am a proud member) at this forum in Henderson.

There's something that just neeeds said. I have to put a thought out there for everyone to really look at. Here goes: Since the scheduling of Cannabis as a class 1 narcotic, there has been resistance between lawmakers, law enforcement and the citizens of our country. This is a fact. What is also a fact is that progress toward the de-criminalization and re-scheduling of cannabis has been very little in well over 30 years. This does not bode well by law of averages... I truly feel we can affect a positive and faster change if we, "the community", help and show those who we have resistance with (lawmakers, law enforcement etc...). The key is to help them help us. Let them know that we can let our prejudices go and not be an angry, victimized and sometimes a negatively opinionated group of people. Maybe then we can begin changing our relationships and lives in a positive way. I say this because one thing is true: We need to work together whether we like it or not. It's simple: They change and enforce laws, we need a law changed and properly enforced. Mutual ground needs to be attained and shared, especially on a topic as sensitive as this one is. I say this because I am a parent, a provider, a friend, a patient and a veteran of our country, like so many others in the cannabis community. I too want to see the "right" thing happen with our medicine. So, I challenge you all to reach out to each other and everyone with a supportive and compassionate hand. Not a scornful, spiteful, vengeful hand. I hope this message is received well as that is the intent that it was meant for.

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