Dems mum on remedy for budget shortfall

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009 | 12:14 p.m.

CATHLEEN ALLISON / NEVADA APPEAL

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford and Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, both Democrats, discuss the budget in Carson City earlier this session.

Gibbons defends cuts, says critics have no alternatives (1-27-08)

Archive of Sun politics stories

Democratic legislative leaders continue to decline to provide specifics about how they'll fix the state's fiscal mess.

Instead, Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford and Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, both Las Vegas Democrats, held a press conference today to discuss the schedule for how budget deliberations will proceed.

After holding hearings in February and March to determine what can be cut, which tax incentives can be done away with and what the state can't do without, they'll know how much money the state needs, then they'll begin working on the revenue side, they said. A tax increase seems inevitable.

State government has a shortfall of $2 billion or more. Gov. Jim Gibbons released his budget two weeks ago, calling for a 6 percent pay cut for teachers and state workers, as well as a 36 percent cut to the state's higher education system.

His budget has been roundly criticized, by Democrats as well as the business-friendly Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Buckley and Horsford said they'd release a revenue plan April 17.

Not releasing a plan now insulates them from criticism, at least for the time being, while buying them time in case the federal government's stimulus plan comes through with significant money for Nevada, as expected.

Horsford and Buckley said they aren't releasing a plan now because they want a transparent, thoughtful, deliberate process. Most observers think they likely have some plan in mind already, however.

The two leaders also proposed a renewable energy initiative and legislation to lessen the continuing spike in foreclosures.

Discussion: 6 comments so far…

By jfnance32

1/29/09 at 12:43 p.m.

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"Horsford and Buckley said they aren't releasing a plan now because they want a transparent, thoughtful, deliberate process. Most observers think they likely have some plan in mind already, however."

They are hiding under a rock.
By tbvegas

1/29/09 at 2:30 p.m.

Suggest removal

Come on already! Cat got your tong! You guys can criticize the Governors plan but aint got no ideas of your own. Lol
By texexnv

1/29/09 at 2:58 p.m.

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Sooo....who's been fiddling around with the volume control here? Or is "Speaker" just an honorary term?

NOW HEAR THIS: PEOPLE OUT HERE ARE UNHAPPY WITH BOTH PARTIES AND ARE IN A LYNCHING MOOD...
By getalife

1/29/09 at 9:53 p.m.

Suggest removal

They held a press conference to say....nothing.
Your tax dollar hard at work. What have these two clowns been doing since the election, playing soduku.

I am not a fan the "the gibbon", but at least he put something out there.

This is exactly where the Repubs can score big, the Dems wanted power, well they got it, in spades, big time. Now what do they do with it, go mum.

You know the old saying, "careful what you wish for"
By thebs

1/29/09 at 9:59 p.m.

Suggest removal

RGJ has the schedule:

http://www.rgj.com/assets/pdf/J712737112...
By jfnance32

1/29/09 at 10:25 p.m.

Suggest removal

Wow...Buckley is making a stand.

She has presented....a schedule?

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