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Rory Reid hits duo of likely rivals with 1 stone
Commissioner sets table for governor’s race, citing a ‘leadership vacuum’
Thursday, June 18, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Rory Reid
Sun Archives
- Are you a ready for ... a longer election cycle? (6-14-2009)
- 2010 shaping up as election year to watch (6-11-2009)
- Looking ahead: Buckley could be formidable candidate for governor (6-6-2009)
- A governor's race where unusual dynamics are at play (6-5-2009)
- Rory Reid would hold key job as he seeks another (1-30-2009)
- Rory Reid lays ground for run for governor (9-21-2008)
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Beyond the Sun
The 2010 governor’s race began in earnest this week as Rory Reid offered an opening sally against both his Democratic and Republican opposition.
Discussing the recently completed legislative session, Reid, the Democratic chairman of the Clark County Commission, was most critical of Gov. Jim Gibbons, the first-term Republican.
“Well, I think this legislative session shows what happens when there’s a leadership vacuum in the Governor’s Mansion,” he said. The governor, he said, was detached and offered no vision or plan for the future on key issues such as education, energy and economic development.
Reid’s critique amounted to a double bank shot, as he also made a subtle dig at Democrats in the Legislature, specifically outgoing Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, also a likely candidate for governor.
“Someone has to lead and set direction so you don’t end up with short-term thinking and last-minute approaches to problems,” he said.
The implication was clear: Absent leadership from the governor, the Legislature had settled on “short-term thinking” and “last minute approaches.”
He said the Legislature did not lay out a comprehensive vision for the future and was not aggressive enough in pushing renewable energy or education plans.
(Energy experts disagree with Reid’s assessment. With tax incentives and other programs in place, Nevada is well-positioned to be a leader in renewable energy development, experts said.)
Reid also criticized the $130 million diversion of property taxes from local government to state coffers.
“It’s going to be significant,” he said of the loss of money. “Especially to the most vulnerable — seniors, the sick and the most vulnerable. No one knows the impact because no one seems to have considered it,” he said.
Barbara Buckley
For her part, Buckley was happy to agree with Reid that Gibbons had provided no leadership.
“The governor was absent,” she said of Gibbons.
But Buckley also said the Legislature had done a “phenomenal” job protecting important funding for K-12 and higher education, as well as health and human services for the state’s most vulnerable citizens.
At this point, Buckley and Reid are working up policy prescriptions for getting Nevada out of the economic morass and improving worst-in-the-nation rankings on key measures of health and welfare.
In the meantime, there’s clever gamesmanship, which is the beginning of a yearlong campaign for the Democratic nomination that will likely have several chapters.
The recently completed legislative session will serve as a kind of prequel.
The Democratic-controlled Legislature this month concluded its business by rejecting the governor’s budget, which would have cut higher education funding by 36 percent and state worker and teacher pay by 6 percent. Instead, the Legislature, including a majority of Senate Republicans, supported about $1 billion in taxes to restore two-thirds of higher education funding and reduce the state worker pay cuts to 4.6 percent.
Overall the Legislature faced a 44 percent budget shortfall because of rising demand for health and social services by increasing numbers of impoverished, as well as rapidly declining tax revenue because of the recession.
In exchange for agreeing to the tax hike, Republicans demanded changes in public employee pension and benefit systems to reduce the state’s long-term liability. Also, the tax increases, which came in the form of payroll, sales and hotel room levies, will sunset, likely forcing the Legislature to deal with another fiscal crisis in two years.
Liberals, the very voters Buckley and Reid will be fighting for, groused that the Legislature should have enacted a broad-based business tax and did not do enough to force the mining industry, which is enjoying significant profits because of the soaring cost of gold, to pay more.
Buckley gave a robust defense of the Legislature.
What state lawmakers had to do during such a deep crisis, Buckley said, “it’s never been done in this state, and it’s a tribute to Republicans and Democrats coming together to say, ‘We’re not going to allow one man to destroy decades of progress our state has made,’ ” she said, referring to Gibbons.
She also pointed to renewable energy legislation, mediation for homeowners facing foreclosure and budget reforms that will hopefully prevent a repeat of the current crisis as other achievements.
Dan Burns, a spokesman for the governor, has been sharply critical of Buckley for the tax increases. He also teed off on Reid: “To have Commissioner Reid questioning the leadership of the governor during the session is way, way off base and shows his lack of understanding of how the process works here,” he said.
Burns continued: “I guess we’re in the political season so, it’s time to start saying political things. Whether they’re true or not doesn’t seem to matter.”
Burns then previewed a line of attack that Reid will surely face — management of the troubled county hospital, University Medical Center: “Who is in charge of the county hospital? If the chair of Clark County Commission wants to criticize what is happening in the Legislature, maybe he ought to look in his own back yard first,” he said.
Discussion: 28 comments so far…
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The name alone "Reid" tells me to "Just say no!"
The little prince needs to go out in the real world and get a real job.
That Reid boy needs to mind his p's and q's. It's easy to criticize what happens in Carson City when you're nestled in a posh downtown Las Vegas high rise office building the entire session.
Did he offer any alternatives to what the Legislature did? Did he fight for them?
No, he sat back and delivered little sniper attacks.
Teach the good old boys a lesson and elect Buckley!
In an interview on KNPR several months ago, Rory Reid was questioned about alternative fuel sources, including solar power and how we could become the leaders in that field. His response was short-sighted and myopic, and for that reason he would have a long row to hoe in order to get my backing.
Hey he is as bad as all the bad alternatives. R and D are neither any good. He was doing his job in Clark County while it is questionable if any of the folks up in Carson City did anything but fiddle while Las Vegas burned. Go Rory!
Reid has done a fabulous job as a Clark County Commissioner. He is 100% correct, regarding the lack of leadership in Carson City. He will get my vote for Governor.
Are there any other Democratic Party choices out there? Please?
I won't vote for Reid, because I don't believe political position should be inherited. I won't vote for Buckley, who refused to tax businesses as they are in all the civilized states, at a time when it was most desperately needed. I also have no respect for the many state pols who've been in power for years and done not a ding-dang thing about the poor state of education in Nevada. Buckley talks out of both sides of her mouth. She's a "Democrat" because it's convenient for her to be one. With Democrats like this, who needs Republicans?
If these two are what we have to look forward to from the Ds, then even Gibbons might be able to win again.
We don't vote for Reids in this house. Period.
"Overall the Legislature faced a 44 percent budget shortfall because of rising demand for health and social services by increasing numbers of impoverished, as well as rapidly declining tax revenue because of the recession."
Actually because the backward budgeting process determined they needed a 17% increase in spending over the previous biennium. It had nothing to do with maintaining services and everything to do with maintaining the growth in government spending.
Interestingly Nevada's largest shortfall in the nation was preceded by Nevada owning the title of the nation's largest growth in government spending...
Anyone in their own 'comfortable bubble' will vote for him. To hell with what's right or wrong.
Harry or Rory Reid can never earn my vote for anything
Patrick-
Huh? Are you just making that up? The budget included cuts to services. Nevada's population keeps growing, and we now have the cheapest government per capita and the fewest state employees per resident. And frankly, it's pennywise and pound-foolish to make cuts to essential services as education and health care. When we invest in our people, we'll get real results.
teacher-
I know it sucks. Frankly, I also wish we could have a better option. However, just vision Gibbons getting another 4 years... Or even nincompoops like Heck or Heller in office. We'll need to spend the next year hammering Reid & Buckley hard until they agree to some real progressive change.
"Well, I think this legislative session shows what happens when there's a leadership vacuum..."
So where was Rory during the session?
What did Rory contribute to the discussion?
This is the 1st time I am hearing from Rory
"Interestingly Nevada's largest shortfall in the nation was preceded by Nevada owning the title of the nation's largest growth in government spending..."
-------------------------------------------
How can this be accurate when the state's budget is embarassingly one of the worst in the nation in size and scope proportionate to the state's population and small state government. Making outrageous comments with little respect for the facts abounds in the commentary section of this website.
Back to facts, Rory and/or Barbara are light years ahead of any candidate the GOP fields in 2010.
First, I love all of this nonsense about how Nevada's future is as an energy center - as if we have a monopoly on the sun or something? Funny, I guess Nevadan's like to gamble or something. Fact is, you can generate energy on top of your house if you're so inclined - and once there is cheaper clean energy, the costs of other energy will come down making this not such a huge profit center. If you want to know the definition of a "green job" that will still be around in 5 years, learn to operate a leafblower.
I know, maybe we should just put the whole budget on "Hard 8" since at least that way we'd have some possibility of return unlike dumping our money down the dark black hole known as the CCSD or the mythical "renewable energy" unicorn.
Re: "Nincompoops like Heck" - Tell me... I'm no great fan of how Heck helped push out O'Connell (who was one of the greatest legislators and friends that Nevada ever had), however Heck by any standard is an exceptional man who has accomplished more than Reid, his idiot father, Bill Faggio, and Barbara Suckley combined. Heck ran for re-election against a retard (Breeden) that could not even speak complete sentences and won only by a, being a democrap, and b, not being allowed to talk in public. Heck is a smart and good man and to call him a nincompoop says more about you than him.
As for all of you calling for new taxes on business, etc. - you just got a BILLION worth, and it STILL isn't enough for you? Well you're really going to need help next session because you just sent away a ton of business from the state with this recent tax package. Contratulations morons.
And you Sheeple that work for the school district... oh, don't ever ask questions as to where all of this money is actually going and how it is being wasted - just continue to follow your masters and beg for more cash from those of us that actually work.
Don't worry... as long as Republicans hold on to moronic christian right BS such as their Anti-Woman/Anti-Choice and ridiculous anti-gay-marriage social stances, we can be assured of years of more moron democrats in office.
Who is John Galt?
Seriously... Buckley is the anti-christ. I'm pretty sure of it.
Just look at all the GOOD decisions Clark County has taken. Is their spending under control? Have Reid led to anything that can be called fiscal control or has it spent every last dime and promised even more? The last thing we need is a Governor that will allow this legislature to raise taxes on everything until there is NO change to ever recover.
I can't vote for Reid because of the Mormon thing. I haven't seen a single Mormon lawmaker who is capable of keeping their personal religion out of their politics, and for that reason he will not be getting my vote.
Are there going to be any good choices??
hell no to harry reid or his spawn, rory.
Comment removed by staff.
Sheckyvegas, you'll have to move the Las Vegas Sun out of the way first!
Hey how about John Ensign, he'd make a good governor
THe solar power should be in the city, not out in the desert, such as at the speedway or car auction lots north of Vegas, it would shade vehicles parked there, and you wouldn't need long transmission lines.
I think the Hamilton kid would make a good gov, he needs a job, and doesn't bat an eye when some mother gets screwed..
Enough Reids !!! If you ever watch the County Commission on cable, this guy is NOT up to being anything more than he is now.
RORY REID WAS DEPOSED IN A 2006 CIVIL SUIT AGAIST CLARK COUNTY IN FEDERAL CASE 2:06-CV-1068. AFTER HIS DEPOSITION, CLARK COUNTY'S ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO SETTLEMENT TALKS WITH THE PLAINTIFFS. ADDITIONALLY, THE EXCESS LIABILITY CARRIER COVERED CLARK COUNTY FOR LIABILITY FOR AN ADDITIONAL $15 MILLION AFTER CLARK COUNTY'S SELF INSURED AMOUNT OF $5 MILLION. SUMMARILY, CLARK COUNTY DIDN'T EVEN MAKE AN ARGUMENT BECAUSE RORY REID'S ACTIONS WERE SO EGREGIOUS. FAST FORWARD THREE YEARS. THE PLAINTIFFS ARE NOW OVER 1,000 STRONG AND COUNTING. THE LAWSUIT HAS GONE CLASS ACTION. BECAUSE MANY OF THE LITIGANTS ARE MINORS, CLARK COUNTY WILL BE SUED AGAIN WHEN THESE MINORS TURN THE MAJORAL AGE OF 18 IN THE STATE OF NEVADA. WE ANTICIPATE RORY REID'S EGREGIOUS ACTS REGARDING THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN IN CLARK COUNTY WILL BE HIS LEGACY. AT SOME POINT, HE WILL NO LONGER BE A FORMIDABLE CANDIDATE.