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Published Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009 | 1 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009 | 6:45 p.m.
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Gov. Jim Gibbons defended his budget proposal and cuts to higher education in a question and answer session Tuesday morning with members of the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce.
Gibbons said his critics have not offered alternatives to his plan. He pointed out that with the size of the deficit, to avoid cuts a tax increase would have to be massive.
"I have no idea where they would find the revenue to meet the rhetoric," he said. "I've heard a lot of rhetoric, but I don't know what their solutions are. Their decisions might not be more palatable than ours."
Gibbons last week presented a budget with deep cuts. In the ensuing hearings that began on Thursday, and continue through Wednesday, legislators from both parties have said there would be major changes to Gibbons' budget.
Speaker Barbara Buckley and Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford responded Tuesday evening to Gibbons’ criticism that his political opponents have not offered up their own plan.
“The governor and his full-time staff have had more than six months to come up with a vision and budget for Nevada — legislators have had four days of budget hearings,” the Democrats said in the joint statement. “The Legislature, working in a bi-partisan approach, will do the job the Governor has failed to do: provide vision and leadership during tough economic times.”
The statement also said “the governor has chosen mediocrity for our state and our children.”
On Tuesday morning, some chamber members expressed skepticism about Gibbons' proposal.
Steven Laden, a vice president with a financial service firm, said he believed that an educated workforce would be important for Nevada to diversify its economy. Laden said that Gibbons' cuts to higher education would undermine that.
Laden said he knows several "top local kids who are looking out of state" to go to college.
"We can't have every student in the state," Gibbons responded, pointing to competition from Harvard, Yale and Stanford. The cuts to higher education would put Nevada in a worse position to rebound from the recession, Laden said.
Gibbons responded, "The Board of Regents makes the decisions. And when I see they're spending $16,000 on a desk, I wonder where they're spending money on. I don't control their budget."
Laden said after Gibbons' speech that he was unsatisfied with his response. "I don't think he answered the question."
When another Chamber of Commerce member asked Gibbons about spending more money on infrastructure, Gibbons said Nevada has "some of the best highways in the United States." But, Gibbons said, "where's the revenue? When you have to cut your budget 35 percent, that's the reality. We'd like the finest highways, health care, education systems. The fact is, we don't have the revenue."
When the member responded that Nevada should increase the gas tax or fees on drivers licenses, Gibbons said, "I'm not into that philosophy of raising taxes yet."
Gibbons also dismissed a question about looking at Yucca Mountain for money.
"I oppose Yucca Mountain. I always have and always will." He said the site was chosen for political reasons, not for scientific reasons. Gibbons also said his top priority once the state gets more revenue would be to increase pay of teachers and state workers. He has proposed asking them to take a 6 percent pay cut.
UNLV is a pathetic joke. Cut funding - can't make it any worse!
Cutting funding would definately make it worse. UNLV is currently on the rise. Cutting funding is going to hurt every area of education including recruitment and jobs.
"Gibbons also said his top priority once the state gets more revenue would be to increase pay of teachers."
This will NEVER occur. Once the salaries of teachers are cut, they will NEVER see this pay come back to them. And if it did, it would take at least 8 years to recoup their losses. This is more rhetoric from a governor who knows nothing about education and who enjoys making promises to teachers in one breath and then lies to them in the next breath,
ijspencer -
UNLV is currently on the rise??? You obviously have no recent UNLV grads working for you.
So cutting the budget in half wont make it any worse. That makes sense.
Gibbons has his own problems but the Dems have a bigger one, the Dems. They are in charge now and all they can muster is throw bombs at Gibbons' budget.
Hey Buckley, think of something quick that doesn't involve taxing us out of society and tell someone about it.
I mean crap, I realize it is easier to criticize but how about have a thought go through at least one synapse before you complain.
Am I asking too much.
Judy, If you can read this without your knee jerking out of socket maybe you didn't get the memo about taxing the Gaming companies, profits are down and taxes will kill off more jobs.
The real problem is the diversification of Nevada's tax system looks more like a taproot than a mutts geneolgy chart.
Great research universities like UNLV, Harvard, UC, U of I, and MIT have deep patent portfolios. License the patents for cash!
Oh, wait... One of these schools is not like the others.
First, UNLV didn't buy the desk. It came from private funds. I don't think anyone needs a $16,000 desk, but since Gibbons has even less respect for facts than NPRI, Bob Beers, and the R-J editorial page, it should be noted.
Second, if anyone did make a suggestion to Governor Assaulter about a different plan, does anyone think he would listen?
Heck, let's just toss the budget entirely and revert to anarchy.
Honestly, that would seem to fit what many Nevada residents appear to want -- complete and utter freedom from taxation, and little else.
Apparently the remote possibility of paying a small fraction of your annual income or business revenues in taxes is far more terrible than watching Nevada disintegrate under an economic hurricane.
It is really inspiring to watch commenters here and on the R-J's website toss around such suggestions as shutting down our universities, slashing our school budgets and draining local and state governments of huge portions of revenue without taking one second to consider the implications of such actions.
It is distressing to consider where we'll be in a year if we don't get serious about fixing the fatal flaws in how we fund state and local government in Nevada.
It is downright depressing to consider that a significant portion of Nevadans really do not give a damn about that fact.
Haven't presented alternatives?
Well now, that's just a bald-faced lie.
Progressive Leadership of Nevada prepared a 20-odd page report filled with different ideas. Repeal mining deductions, a two-tiered business profit tax which would only affect businesses earning more than $50,000 in profit, increases in gambling, alchohol and tobacco taxes, increasing fees in government offices, etc.
Barbara Buckley's listed some suggestions from constituents around the state on her website. They range from putting nonessential government employees on a 4-day workweek, to offering early retirement, reforming property tax assessment, requiring child support during adoption processing, cracking down on residents who fail to locally register out-of-state vehicles, an increase in the sales tax, a state lottery...
None of these are new ideas. Most have been implemented in other states, or have been suggested for years, if not decades.
What he should have said is, "My critics have alternatives that I refuse to entertain."
Repeal mining deductions: Not a tax
Increasing gov office fees: Not a tax
4-day workweeks: Not a tax
Early retirement: Not a tax
Adoption child support: Not a tax
Out-of-state crackdown: Not a tax
Lottery: Not a tax
Try again, 2009. Ultimately, though, you serve my point, as Gibbons is either ignorant of other options, or he just flatly refuses to entertain any other options.
But for him to say that no other alternatives have been offered is just a complete lie.
Buckley has a plan??????
When did she crawl from out beneath her rock?
Nobody but the Gov has present a budget plan that can be implemented.
Buckley in her big speech said she needs more time to do some studying. She could have said that she will push for big tax increases that would eliminate the need for the governor's cuts. She did not. She punted.
PLAN's plan has significant parts that can not be implemented in this budget cycle because they require changes to Nevada's Constitution.
Currently, only the Governor's plan is being talk about because nobody else has the courage to present a big picture on how they will avoid major cuts.
Our governor continues to lie to the citizens of Nevada.
As pointed out before, there have been tons of alternatives thrown out to be considered. Governor Gibbons has ignored them.
Instead, he gave us a joke of a budget that no one, not even his own party, is willing to defend. Today, in front of the budget and finance committee, republican state senator Harding said Gibbons plan was akin to, "the dismantling of the higher education system in this state."
There have been tons of alternatives, listed anywhere from think tanks to the comment section of a newspaper website. Gibbons is ignoring those alternatives.
He swore an oath to never support tax increases in Nevada. Then, he presented a budget with tax increases. He broke his word to the citizens of the state. But he wants to have it both ways, and is now saying that he won't allow any OTHER tax increases? That screams double-standard to me.
PLAN's suggestions do not all require changing the constitution. Neither do most of the other ideas listed here. PLAN's only suggestion that required constitutional changes was the possibility of an income tax.
Jim Gibbons has let us down, yet again. Lie after lie, scandal after scandal, embarrassment after embarrassment. His failure to lead Nevada into the future is reprehensible, and Nevada voters will drive him out of office in 2010.
When the member responded that Nevada should increase the gas tax or fees on drivers licenses, Gibbons said, "I'm not into that philosophy of raising taxes yet."
YET - what a telling word from our fine "no tax" governor. Reducing education outlays, taxing state (and possibly county and city) workers is far from the answer(s) that are necessary to maintain our state at a minimal level. I highly doubt that many - if any - legislators support the Governor's Budget. This is some sort of mind trip (just another of many) by Gibbons. So he can stand tall by vetoing what the legislature passes, which will be far from current form. The legislature will then override the veto and allow him to keep claiming that he never raised taxes.
16,000 for a desk is nothing. How about a 30 - 50 Million dollar program built on antique technology that replaces an equally antique but still operational program. Rogers won't even discuss cancelling or postponing this implementation. I am talking about the "Integrate" project which replaces the current "Student Information System" used by all higher ed institutions. Why not abandon this unnecessary expenses before we start raising taxes and tuition.
What The Guv means to say is that his critics have no alternatives THAT HE LIKES. Of course there are alternatives. Clearer minds will decide between them and they'll move on without Mr. Gibbons, our esteemed & self-proclaimed "Education Governor."
Recall the governor
Utah has a Mormon guv and he is embracing the challenges with solutions and has never said "no new taxes" because it is just unreasonable and stupid! Gibbons is just an idiot! Thanks Republicans for the most idiotic governor on the planet.
Governor Huntsman's State of the State for Utah.
"We are in this together, and together we will find creative solutions to critical problems," Huntsman said.
In spite of tough work ahead, especially with the 2010 budget, the governor reinstated 39 transportation projects that were put on hold in November.
He also emphasized a continued financial commitment to education -- out of necessity, he says. "We can and must do better in embracing our knowledge based economy," he said.
Huntsman stated an ambitious goal of 2012 for significant system reform. He addressed health care professionals, also weary of the current system. "I assure you and the people you serve, we will fix this problem," he said.
The governor also set a 2012 goal for being a renewable energy hub, creating infrastructure to harness wind, sun, natural gas and geothermal energy. "Don't tell me it can't be done," he said.
Legislators share that optimism. "We can do it with consideration to the environment, but we can do it," said House Speaker David Clark, R-Santa Clara.
There is bipartisan support on key issues like education. Sen. Pat Jones, Senate Minority Leader: "He seems to extend it 0-16, where we're trying to prepare our kids for the workforce and take care of teachers; and those things are very important to us," said Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones, D-Salt Lake.
Avatar; Now THAT'S what I'm talking about. Intelligent responses to critical issues.
Can Nevada's Gov get into a Mentoring program?
Perhaps Nevada should model their revenue raising system after Californias successful debt free one.
They are 40 billion in the red?
WHOOPS .. never mind.
Maybe Mr. Green would like to debate with facts rather than attacks. We could all be enlightened by his wisdom.
Actually KDR, it sounded like Mr. Green did say a fact (that the desk was bought with private funds), and the only attacks were against our shiftless governor, the hawkishly libertarian RJ eds, and NPRI.
Oh wait, you're Patrick Gibbons from NPRI, so that would offend you. Sorry forgot.
I think someone is using dated material on Utah's budget problems.
1/11/2009 http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,514...
"The governor proposed a $10.6 billion budget for next fiscal year, with cuts limited to 7 percent. Human Services and education would see less of a reduction, only around 4 percent."
They are cutting higher ed and k-12 budgets.
Uhhhhhh..... there is even not a big push by Dems in Utah to raise taxes.
You should look at the comments on that website. It is very similar to the ones by the leftists on this site.
They whine about a broken tax structure and cuts to higher ed.
Just a FYI, Utah capped its SCHIP enrollment for private health insurance for children.
Webmaster: please delete jfnance32's comment above. There is no room in this publication for facts!
Webmaster - I meant lies. Green has the facts. He's a government professor.
Nevada really screwed up its budget like the state of Calif, which is facing a $50 BILLION deficit over the next 18 months. Tuition is going to explode in Calif. If you can't afford college, then DON'T GO!!! YOU CAN'T DECLARE BANKRUPTCY ON STUDENT LOAN DEBT. Student loan debt is worse than one of Jigsaw's deathtraps in "Saw V".
"Gibbons defends cuts, says critics have no alternatives"
I do, I do! Cut Gibbons! The state could save some money and actually experience a positive effect.
Maybe I missed it somewhere but did Gibbons ever publicize how much of a paycut HE took? Or did he?
getalife - you did say PROFITS are DOWN ? as opposed to LOSES are UP? Well, as long as the gaming industry is still MAKING money they need to shut up and quit their bitchin' We would ALL like to MAKE MORE but sometimes we don't always get what we want. I'm sick to death of hearing how companies that are still operating in the black are 'suffering' because they're not making AS MUCH as they once did. Well, my paycheck doesn't buy AS MUCH as it once did but I'm not starving and I'm not homeless. It's always about GREED with these companies who are never satisfied with the amount of money they are MAKING. Until they start to actually LOSE money I don't want to hear a sound from them. No one should be expected to be in business and NOT make money but on the flip side the amount of gain can't always be realized simply because their greed factor is set too high to begin with.
Gibbons, Bush, and Republicans are the reason people were crying with joy on inauguration day. The days are numbered for this bunch that got our economy to this point, and it can't get here fast enough. Gibbons is on par with Bush, a complete idiot.
Ex-Senator Beers:
Given your very public face-plant over a table listing salaries and your inability to read the table's title, and your history of blatantly misleading statistics, I'm not sure you want to wade into these waters.