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Published Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009 | 5:59 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009 | 6:57 p.m.
Proposed budget
Statement from Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid
- "We find the Governor’s proposal to be shortsighted and irresponsible. Clark County is a partner with the state in providing services to the citizens most in need, whether they are jobless, homeless, or abused and neglected. The Governor is simply avoiding making the tough decisions. Instead, he is trying to pass these difficult choices on to local governments. The Governor has often said that state government needs to live within its means, just like Nevada’s families do. We wish the governor would take his own advice instead of forcing county taxpayers to offset the shortfalls in his budget."
6:56 p.m.
"I see a future in which a resilient and resourceful Nevada - a Battle Born Nevada - proves once again that her prosperity has been no accident."
He said he believes in Nevada and the future. Bipartisan applause.
He repeats his "One Nevada" theme from two years ago.
"Thank you, God bless you, God bless Nevada and good night."
The speech was 55 minutes. Applause at the end was sustained.
6:54 p.m.
Said Nevada faced worse problems during the mining depression of the 1880-1890s and during the Great Depression.
He brings up the "One Sound State" campaign of the 1930s, "which focused on attracting businesses to Nevada by publicizing our business-friendly climate."
New biggest applause line of the night when he brings up renewable energy potential in Nevada.
Said he will increase renewable energy portfolio standards and extend renewable energy tax incentives.
6:47 p.m.
Brings up that he's working with California Gov. Schwarzenegger on a high-speed train to connect the states.
Wishes President-elect Obama success. He said how important federal aid is to the state.
He vows that if things improve, he will restore funding to programs and salary levels to our state personnel.
He thanks department heads and budget director Andrew Clinger for putting together budget. Has Clinger stand up, and, as my colleague Patrick Coolican just mentioned, it's the biggest applause line of the night.
6:43 p.m.
A new policy proposal. He said he will form a "Sunset Commission" to review agencies, boards and commissions to ensure that their ongoing operations and budgets are justified. This would be an extension of the Spending and Government Efficiency Commission.
Praises the work of SAGE, and says the bipartisan group has surpassed even his high expectations.
He urges bipartisanship.
"Grandstanding and partisan bickering benefits no one in this state, and Nevadans deserve better," he said.
6:36 p.m.
To maintain services, we have had to make spending reductions in other areas. Mentions cuts to Nevada State Higher Education. Gibbons doesn't mention that the cut is 36 percent.
Now he's into cutting payroll.
"We really have only two choices: we can either lay people off or we can keep Nevadans working."
Brings up the 6 percent pay cuts. Say he will restore them as soon as we can. Silence from the audience.
Says alternatives are laying off thousands of state workers.
6:30 p.m.
Says other state governors are looking at taxes, debt or layoffs.
Says he will not accept it. Scattered applause. Only Republicans, and it looked like some sat on their hands.
"I take no joy in submitting a budget that eliminates, reduces, or changes many things that we have grown to expect in Nevada - many things we have taken for granted when times have been good, and many programs we have added when times have been great."
He said decisions "have been agonizingly difficult. We have spent hundreds of hours working on these numbers to create a fiscally responsible budget that sustains us through the next two years."
He gets his first bipartisan applause line. "This is your tax money and you deserve a voice in how it is spent."
He challenges those (Democrats) who want to look at tax structure.
"Show me a state with a more dependable, diversified tax system, that does not have the same kind of revenue problems we have today."
Now he switches in to preserving services. Says we have maintained Nevada Check-Up (which will be capped and other things. He said the he has funded Nevada's Early Intervention Services, and indeed, he included an additional $6 million over the biennium to absorb increase in the next two years.
"I will not allow these children to fall through the cracks," he said. (I believe that may have been the first time Speaker Barbara Buckley has applauded.)
6:15 p.m.
Gibbons acknowledges we fared worse than other states are faring.
He lists woes of industries. "Even our mining industry has slowed down following worldwide decreases in the price of minerals, such as copper, molybdenum and lithium." No mention of gold, which is doing well, and some people want to target for more taxes.
Laying out grim picture of our state.
"Too many do not even have money for the basics and are making decisions between heating their homes and buying needed medications."
"Nevada government should meet the needs of the people; people should not meet the needs of Nevada government."
He delivers the line 14 minutes in, Republicans applaud. It's his first applause line.
6:10 p.m.
Gibbons walked in to applause, somewhere between polite and tepid. He starts by honoring elected officials, member of a K-9 drug dog group. Salutes a Lt. Col. and honors veterans in the audience. Gibbons is a veteran of two wars. Seven minutes in, he's onto the meat of the speech.
"Many of our fellow citizens are losing their homes, losing their retirement savings, and losing their ability to continue to work and prosper in our state."
5:59 p.m.
Gov. Jim Gibbons will repeat his pledge not to raise taxes and acknowledge the hard times in Nevada during his state of the state speech to be delivered shortly, according to his prepared remarks.
"We have been that 'beacon on the hill' of hope for those who wanted to work hard and prosper," his speech reads. "While right now our beacon may not be as easy to see, it is our responsibility to ensure that we can help bring back the bright light of success to shine across the state."
He is set to say that raising taxes would only "make our citizens' problems worse."
Gibbons is entering to a smattering of applause.
"Gibbons doesn't mention that the cut is 36 percent."
Of course he didn't.
Coward.
I loved it - He is right on target with a fair cut to all. - Public employees should be proud the Gov. is trying to preserve their jobs. the private sector has already done both paycuts and layoffs. I see leadership!
We're the THIRD wealthiest place in the WORLD for mineral resources and we're flat broke.
And we wonder how we got here...
"And we wonder how we got here..."
Actually I do. But only because my history as a resident on goes back five years. So, why is it that we're the THIRD wealthiest place in the WORLD for mineral resources and we're flat broke?
Because the mining companies pay a tiny fraction of taxes, as little as .5% effective tax rate. They do this because the state allows them to write-off nearly every expense they have.
There are a significant number of mines which produced more than $100 million in 2006 that paid NOTHING in taxes to the state. Not a single cent.
Meanwhile, the state constitution limits the taxes on mining companies to 5%. I wish they paid even half that, the cuts wouldn't be anywhere near as drastic as Gibbons proposed.
Here's the best overview I have seen:
http://www.lasvegasgleaner.com/las_vegas...
Higher Education was NOT cut 36%. NSHE has been very shady about their proposals. They PADDED their request big time so the cut will look really bad. But it's not as bad as 36% sounds. For example, instead of asking what you are needing, $1 million, you ask for $10 million, then when it was cut 90%, you get $1 million, no less than what you actually needed. Jim Rogers had openly admitted it before how NSHE must pad the request in order to get what they actually need.
On the other hand, CCSD teachers measly salaries were lumped into "personnel cost" which "must be reduced", as Gibbons put it.
Tell a parent that he/she must stop taking resources from the earth so his/her children can be fully clothed/fed/well cared for.
Tell a firefighter that he/she must stop taking resources from the earth so those who will call them to put out fires can preserve their lives and safety to the fullest extent.
Tell a teacher that he/she must stop taking resources from the earth so his/her students can learn effetively and whose potentials can be fully brought out.
After all, those are just PERSONNELS.
Gibbons is not a coward by cutting the hugely inflated Higher Education proposed budget by 36%. The percentage means NOTHING when it was so padded to begin with.
Gibbons is a coward by cutting K12 teachers' salary by 6%, after he stressed he would not leave Nevada children uneduated, and then lumped K12 teachers into some demeaned PERSONNELS.
I can think of a one word response: RECALL
Who in their right mind can give this guy any credibility, he's nuts. Maybe RE-ELECTION might be another good word... He, and the Right Wing nuts who believe and defend him, would be the perfect gift to Democrats in 2010.
In these economic times, it's the perfect time to overhaul a broken budgetary formula: sources of funds should come from all business segments; especially from the Walmarts and others who pay business taxes in every other state but Nevada, mining who lobbied for a tax that amounts to .5%. Don't believe for a second that this would mean major loss of jobs: businesses always staff to demand of product, not amount of taxes. It's the people who bare the brunt of Gibbons cuts, with business escaping without a scratch.
For me its a tough decision, but I might prefer a Gibbons RE-ELECTION bid, over a RECALL because I'd like to see Gibbons take down his own party in a sinking ship in 2010.