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twitterLegislature reins in Gibbons; Democrats cite incompetence
Frustrated by governor’s lack of leadership, lawmakers scrutinize, alter his stimulus-funding requests
TIFFANY BROWN / LAS VEGAS SUN FILE
Gov. Jim Gibbons said he was outraged by legislators’ actions this week. “They stuck their partisan political noses in the middle of it,” he said.
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun Archives
- Democrats reject Gibbons' 'stimulus czar' proposal (8-3-2009)
- For Nevada, a late start on managing jump-start (7-28-2009)
- Recovery moving slowly but steadily (7-24-2009)
Sun Coverage
Carson City — The Legislature has sent a clear message to the governor: We don’t trust you to do your job.
Democratic lawmakers on Monday took unprecedented steps to control the role of the executive branch, according to lawmakers from both parties. During a meeting of the Interim Finance Committee — which exists so changes in the budget can be made when the Legislature is not in session — lawmakers rejected a plan by Gov. Jim Gibbons’ administration for how to spend some of the federal stimulus money and stripped from his office a newly created position to oversee spending of Nevada’s $1.5 billion allotment.
The Legislature was assertive during its regular session, which ended June 1, making wholesale changes in the budget and overriding Gibbons’ veto of lawmakers’ spending and tax plans. Gibbons was a rare presence in the Legislative Building and had little communication even with Republican leaders.
This week’s actions made it clear that just because the part-time Legislature is out of session, it won’t grant Gibbons carte blanche.
First, lawmakers from both parties raised questions about a request to add 10 positions to oversee stimulus money earmarked for energy. The governor’s office pared that request to three.
Next, Democrats took a stimulus coordinator position that Gibbons had requested — he wanted it to be a Cabinet-level position — and moved the job under the office of Controller Kim Wallin, a Democrat.
Then they rejected a state Housing Division plan to spend $10.5 million of the stimulus to weatherize homes. Legislators wanted the state to direct the money to more contractors than Gibbons had proposed.
In an interview Tuesday, Gibbons slammed Democrats for delaying the spending.
“They stuck their partisan political noses in the middle of it and screwed everything up,” he said. “It’s an absolute outrage.”
The Democrat-controlled Legislature is “out of control” and hurting unemployed Nevadans, he said.
Democratic lawmakers acknowledged their increased scrutiny over stimulus spending is intentional. But they said it had less to do with party politics than the administration’s incompetence and legislators’ lack of confidence in the governor.
“Unfortunately, there are a lot of distractions in the governor’s office,” said Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas. “Whether it’s the transiency of staff, or the personal matters that distract the governor. What the public needs is leadership.”
Horsford pushed for — and succeeded at — changing the stimulus coordinator position to a classified position, which has to go through a rigid state personnel process instead of being appointed by the governor.
Horsford said during the meeting that the stimulus coordinator must be “someone with formal qualifications to fill the position ... I understand in the governor’s office, it’s his prerogative to appoint anyone regardless of their qualifications.”
Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, agreed.
“There is very little trust in his judgment, his ability and his appointments,” Leslie said. “This is a consequence of his actions during the session, when he completely disengaged. We don’t have confidence in him.”
She added that under a different Republican governor, such as former Gov. Kenny Guinn, the Legislature would not need to be so involved. “If this was Guinn, this would not be happening,” she said.
There are other reasons for legislators’ increased scrutiny and involvement in the day-to-day running of the state.
Until last year the Senate was controlled by Republicans and the Assembly was controlled by Democrats, providing a check and balance between the parties that often led to compromises, according to legislative observers. Democrats now control both houses of the Legislature, so there’s not as much need to compromise.
Not since 1981, when Republican Gov. Bob List was in office, have both houses been controlled by one party while the governor was of a different party.
Also leading to the turf warfare is the fact that there has never been so much to fight about. Nevada is in line to get $1.5 billion in federal stimulus money, a potential bonanza for a state that currently has little money for innovative programs.
“We’ve never gotten into this much detail, but we’ve never seen these billions flying into the state,” said Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno.
Assemblyman Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks, acknowledged that there’s little trust and plenty of tension between the two branches.
That played out to even the smallest of details Monday.
On the table at one point was moving the stimulus coordinator out of Gibbons’ office and putting it into the budget office, which is headed by Andrew Clinger, who is well-respected by legislators but answers to the governor.
Alluding to the high staff turnover in the governor’s office, Anderson said, “We never know how long Clinger will be there.”
Discussion: 31 comments so far…
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Finally took the BB gun out of the kid's hands and said, "if you can't be more responsible you can't have it." We'll wait until you can make better decisions"
*sigh* Then what happens?
Another tantrum
"They stuck their partisan political noses in the middle of it and screwed everything up," he said. "It's an absolute outrage.?
Will he ever grow up?
A good slap to the hand is what the Governor needed, at the very least. The Legislature acted properly.
Can't the same non-leadership argument be made for Sen. Reid?
Competence and trust are two key elements needed in order to run the Executive or Legislative branches of government; neither the Governor has, or will get during his first and hopefully last term. It is smart to take the reins out of the hands of someone unable to handle them. Countless opportunities to demonstrate good judgment have been squandered by the Governor. The Legislature is making the right decisions. They are representing leadership and vision to Nevada's citizens. This stimulus money is a needed gift form the Federal Government it would be irresponsible to squander it.
"If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem."(ABRAHAM LINCOLN)
rusty57; um, no.
Gov'ner Gym and Senator Ensign are so busy chasing their tails around and covering up,
they ought to resign so they can attend to
their personal business FULL-TIME.
Which is what they're doing now, by and large.
We need people leading that are focused on the affairs of Nevada, NOT the affairs of Gym & John.
Might I add, if they were inclined to lead, which they aren't, and they handled the states affairs as they've handled their own, we'd be screwed too!
The whole weatherizing program is just one big money grab.
Horsford has a training business and big ties to various training entities that swing business to each other.
He is making sure his pals get a big cut of the stimilus money. They will take care of him. And the Democratic Party is making use the union will get a big slice of the pie, too.
It is all about the money.
The Sun will NEVER report this because it is the offical Democratic propaganda voice of Nevada.
I applaud the State Legislators for taking control and recognizing that Gibbons is at the least INCOMPETENT.
He should have resigned from the campaign while running for Governor after he assaulted a woman in a parking garage.
We won't have to wait long before the smiles leave the Legislator's faces. Once the third and fourth quarter tax reports come in they will scream for a Special Session to correct their over-spending glee.
Keep up the good work Jim!
I am woe to admit it, but Nance is correct;
From either side of the isle,
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.
firethorne...
"Keep up the good work jim!" ???????????
I'm trying very, very hard to figure out what you could be getting at there.
I get nothin'.
rusty57 No it can not. Why would you try to make this argument? Every time a Republican fails there has to be a connection to Reid. Grow up. You act like a spolied kid who refuses to stop acting badly by blaming others.
Sgt Rock
More sniveling from you about a paper that has won major awards including a Pulitzer Prize. You really need to quit being brainwashed by Fox Lying News. You neo cons just never will get it will you? I am sure with all of the problems the Republican Party has your lying cheap shot at an energy saving program is not signifigant.
If Sheila Leslie had so much to say...why didn't she get off her rather large rear-end and go to the meeting in the first place! Guess she doesnt care about the people who voted for her, as stupid as they must be.
gmag39 Nance has never been right. He supports corrupt Republicans in every case and blames their problems on everyone else including Democrats,Independants and Superman.
who is a bigger clown...
johnnie boy ensign...
or...
jimmie boy gibbons...
wow wee...
some choice ehh...
johnnie boy ensign appears to be in a fetal position on mommy and daddy's basement floor hoping mommy and daddy will make his boo boo go away...
and...
jimmie boy gibbons appears to have come to grips with the fact that no one has one ounce of respect for him and to be resigned to just collecting his paycheck...
come to think of it...
is jimmie boy gibbons the type of governor that sarah "i am dumb as a bag of rocks" palin offered up as a rationalization for quitting...
hmmm...
wow wee...
some threeswome...
ensign, gibbons and palin...
hee hee hee...
hoo hoo hoo...
haa haa haa...
our poor poor terribly misguided republican friends...
seriously folks...
could the republican party be any more pathetic...
nope!!!
Homer, the Pulitzer Prize wasn't for reporting on state politics...
Also, "rigid" government "review" processes for jobs doesn't mean the person will be qualified or competent.
my name is birdie...
i'm a big weirdo...
wow wee...
am i nuts...
i don't use capital letters or punctuation...
i just put 3 dots at the end of everything i say...
what do you republicans think of that...
hmmmm...
hee hee heee...
hoo hoo hoo...
haa haa haa...
i have to wear a helmet all the time...
it's so i don't hurt myself...
because i'm really effed up in the head...
i talk just like this...
so nobody likes me...
but they can kiss the fat huge ass i have from sitting on the couch all the time crying about republicans...
what do you think of that...
hmmmm...
hoo hoo hoo...
hee hee hee...
haa haa haa...
i'll just keep doing this until they come for me with a straight jacket...
hmmmm...
the poor poor misguided mental health professionals will get me sooner or later...
will i go quietly...
nope!!!
hoo hoo hoo...
hee hee hee...
haa haa haa...
birdie...
you are a total freakshow.
"Also, "rigid" government "review" processes for jobs doesn't mean the person will be qualified or competent."
Considering who Gibbons has picked in the past (remember his choice for the tourism board?), I'd take my chances hiring someone through the classified staff process who MIGHT be incompetent and unqualified rather than let Gibbons pick one who DEFINITELY would be incompetent and unqualified (and a crony to boot).
gmag and rock, I am totally with you on this.
Doug, come on man, step away from the partisan mumbo jumbo and see that Horsford is just another self-serving politician.
I am also glad the Dems pushed their tax hikes forward and are messing with the stimucrack money as this will help thin the herd at the next election.
I truly believe Nevadan's will wake up and toss the current bunch of hacks out the door (both Repub and Dem) before the next shoe falls and there is no more stimucrack and taxes get raised yet again.
Tough decisions need to be made and I don't think anybody is capable of making them.
"Doug, come on man, step away from the partisan mumbo jumbo and see that Horsford is just another self-serving politician."
That he may be, but it doesn't mean that Gibbons isn't incompetent. There's plenty of evidence of that.
Gibbons is such a sad little man. He should be bypassed on everything now. It dosen't get much more "lame duck" than this. He should pull a "Palin" and step down and take care of his personal life and leave the business of governing to someone qualified.
Doug, either I am going crazy or the planets have aligned. I agree with you 1000%.
The Gibbon has to go. I was in the state building in Las Vegas today and his picture is proudly displayed. If I had had paint, chalk, shoe polish or even lipstick I would have defaced that thing in a heartbeat.
I figure, hey, he has defaced Nevada, how 'bout a little payback.
Just to think, I voted for this guy, can't imagine how the Dems feel.
If anyone is keeping track of the nation's local news (and comments made by readers) like I am, you'll find that the majority of citizens are quite dissatisfied with their state's governors; representatives and senators.
Isn't this just a sad situation when we can't find news articles that commend the outstanding leadership, and can be proud that our elected officials actually set examples of prudence; diligence, and decency????
If the ordinary citizen were conducting themselves in the manner some of our elected leaders are, they'd be hiding inside their homes or having their windows of their home covered with mud by those who would find their actions digusting.
How these people 'in power', can look in the mirror each day; continue to abuse their power and face their fellow-citziens, amazes me.
Frankly, I'd think the job of 'body guard' would be in popular demand in all states right now; I'd be looking over my shoulder were I remotely guilty of these kinds of transgressions.
It's truly disheartening to not only read this story, but see the comments from people equally angered by this laxness and abuse.
oldlady, couldn't agree more.
"Next, Democrats took a stimulus coordinator position that Gibbons had requested -- he wanted it to be a Cabinet-level position -- and moved the job under the office of Controller Kim Wallin, a Democrat."
Just the checks and balances working -- just as the republic's founders planned it in the Constitution. When they all agree is when we should all REALLY worry.
Galfromvegas -- amen.
I can't wait for the election to vote for the Governor again. I wouldn't ask a Democratic legislator in his state to clean up after my dog's vomit.
BCDave:
I see you've found the perfect job description for our Guv. Congrats.
How is the Interim Finance Committee legal anyway?
I did not know that we had a oligarchy.
How can they make legislative decisions like this and make it legally binding on the state without a full vote by the legislature?
I do not think that we want to have a oligarchy type of government.
The legislative branch is suppose to pass the laws, budgets and taxes.
The executive branch is suppose to run the government, generate regulations based on the laws and to enforce the laws and regulations.
I do not see anywhere in the Nevada Constitution where it says that small number of legislative members can be pass bills and budgets into law outside of a full votes by the legislative bodies.
I think the governor should take them to court over this.
"How can they make legislative decisions like this and make it legally binding on the state without a full vote by the legislature?"
Would you rather the governor spent $250,000 to call the Legislature back into special session every time a crisis came up?
The interim finance committee was created in 1969 by statute. It's been challenged before, and found to be within the Legislative power.
"Would you rather the governor spent $250,000 to call the Legislature back into special session every time a crisis came up?"
That is what the execute branch is for. It is suppose to run the daily government and to deal with crisis.
This is not a crisis anyway.
"It's been challenged before, and found to be within the Legislative power."
Now, you are just making up stuff.
Good for you Nevadan's! You may have an assclown at the helm, but he's not allowed to steer the ship into the iceberg thanks to your votes in 08' that put the right people in right places to put the cabash on da b.s.!!