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Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 | 2 a.m.
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In his blueprint, Democratic candidate for governor Rory Reid writes that the state should capitalize on its natural advantages.
Rory Reid
Sun Archives
- Speaker Barbara Buckley says she won't run for governor (9-11-2009)
- As the Reids seek office, who hurts whom? (9-8-2009)
- Political intrigue brewing in the 2010 governor's race (8-16-2009)
- Rory Reid hits duo of likely rivals with 1 stone (6-18-2009)
- Rory Reid lays ground for run for governor (9-12-2008)
- Building Trades council endorses Rory Reid for governor (6-8-2009)
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Rory Reid released a 30-page blueprint for Nevada timed to his announcement today that he is running for governor, and in the process he told a hard truth, wrapped in a pleasant myth.
The hard truth, which Reid doesn’t shy from: The good old days of a recession-proof, ever-growing Nevada where jobs are easy to come by are not coming back. The Silver State must change or continue its decline.
“We have a state government built for the 19th century and happy to stay there, looking no further ahead than yesterday, squandering what we have today and failing to invest in tomorrow,” he writes. “I see a different road ahead for Nevada.”
The easy myth: Changing will be relatively cost-free and just take some know-how.
The next governor will face a $2 billion budget hole, and the kinds of strategic investments needed to diversify Nevada’s economy will take real money.
The Democratic candidate can hardly be blamed for failing to acknowledge how difficult significant reform will be without new revenue. His competitors won’t admit it either. The Republican field — Gov. Jim Gibbons, former U.S. District Judge Brian Sandoval and former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon — has focused on a simple message: Government must learn to be more efficient.
Although Reid says details will come later, he calls for a comprehensive performance review of state government to find savings. Reid, the Clark County Commission chairman, says he would require the state to follow the lead of local governments in developing long-term plans for financing services and infrastructure needs.
He also hints at potential targets, including the state’s payroll tax, which he says is tantamount to taxing job creation. He says Nevada should consider a Colorado proposal that would give a tax credit to businesses that create at least 20 new jobs. The credit would cover 50 percent of a company’s annual payroll taxes for five years.
Nevada, Reid argues, should capitalize on its natural advantages. For one, the state is a major intersection for shipping lanes and air connections. It could become an international shipping hub, combining logistics, warehousing and distribution. Like Delaware, Nevada should use its business-friendly incorporation laws “more strategically” to attract those companies, he says.
Reid says the state’s arid and disaster-free weather also presents an opportunity for information technology firms. Nevada could become the nation’s “IT closet,” a data storage center for all sorts of companies, he says.
As for the state’s renewable energy potential, Reid proposes to expand the tax incentives passed by this year’s Legislature. Government, he says, will lead by example on sustainable building and energy efficiency — and require “major new private-sector buildings” to incorporate renewable energy.
The state must go beyond its traditional sales pitch of low taxes and scant regulation to attract new businesses, Reid says. He proposes going after “higher-growth, higher-wage” industries through investments in infrastructure and education — which he notes have paid dividends for other states, including California, New Mexico and Washington.
Toward that end, he proposes creating a fund to invest in research institutions, such as the Nevada Cancer Institute, in the hope of creating industry clusters that would profit from the research.
He also proposes creating a “Nevada Capital Investment Corporation” to foster venture capital projects here. A matching-grant program could assist small or startup businesses, he says.
Reid also says the state should provide incentives for Nevada’s higher-education institutions to focus more on research and development. A “Technology Development Corporation” could help market technology developed on college and university campuses in the private sector, he says.
To make the state more competitive, Reid proposes infrastructure investments, including high-speed rail systems, mass transit and broadband Internet access.
“We ... face a stark choice between continuing down the same path we have always traveled — which got us into this mess — or striking out in a bold new direction that promises greater gains in the long term,” Reid writes.
Michael J. Mishak can be reached at 259-2347 or at michael.mishak@lasvegassun.com.
Nevada will become further in debt under Reid. If we mandated all employers use American's and get rid of the social programs we would realize a few billion a year in savings and downsize government we'd realize ever more savings.
As written, "We ... face a stark choice between continuing down the same path we have always traveled -- which got us into this mess -- or striking out in a bold new direction that promises greater gains in the long term," Reid writes.
The only change Reid will implement is more welfare blood sucking lunatics and we'll become a mini California. He will follow in his dad's footsteps and will destroy Nevada from within. They are useless liars and we have no use for these people.
Looks like 30pages more than his dad wrote for his last senate race.
I have watched Rory vote as the lead county commissioner when he had no clue he voted on. I have watched him ask latinos requesting a liqueur license, when he asked them what their name was, they could only say, "yes". after several questions could not be answered due to the applicants inability to speak english or understand what the county was asking, Rory wanted them to have the license and made a motion and voted to give them the license. Is this what we want running the state? If he makes it, we are doomed. Why would we want a gov who as a county commissioner doesnt even care about his county?
Yes, for more minority bars!!!!!
It's not just Reid, but as the election draws closer prepare for these parasite politicans to wave your tax money money in front of your face with promised expenditures to buy your vote. Remember, you only throw your vote away when you don't vote with your conscience. It don't have to be the "lessor of the two evils". Explore other candidates! An Independant.
Like father like son. They're both stupid.
Oh, jeez. I wonder what any of the Republicans have written. Oh yeah, they just signed their names to Grover Norquist's idiotic "pledge" to bankrupt state government! At least Rory Reid has real ideas to bring this state back from the brink. Reforming state government may sound easier than it actually is, but at least Reid, Jr., wants to make a real effort and put really good ideas to use.
Reid's plan:
Step 1 - Agree to government union contracts similar to the ones that he signed on to that gave $100k plus take home pay to firefigthers and $100k pension plans
Step 2 - He wants to radically increase the size of state spending
Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax, Spend, spend, spend, tax, tax,tax,
There isn't anyone out there that can beat Rory and his war chest of crooked dollars, I'm afraid.
OH, dear God, please tax me so that Nevada DOESN'T become another California of whining, non paying people who expect government to do everything without paying for anything.
Where's the substance here?
None; just pure fluff and vague generalities that could have been cut and pasted from any news article about Nevada's situation.
One Gried in office is one too many. Two would be apocalyptic.
I'll vote early and often for the Judge.
Reid's vision is a lot of B.S., and a lot more taxes for nevada....
i thought nevada's unemployment rate was 14.4 percent....
a vote for either reid means more misery for nevada.
vote the reids out in 2010!
Data storage? That's his big idea?
So he'll install millions of servers in Yucca Mountain?
We don't need another Reid!
Heh. More of the usual suspects spouting out their usual venom. Whatever.
No one here seems to dispute the facts. Delaware repaed enormous rewards in becoming the incorporation hub. California and New Mexico have already been beating us to the punch on renewable energy. How about Nevada taking the lead for once on innovative technology?
And what again are the Republican ideas? Oh yeah, they're no different from Gibbons! They whine about nonexistent "taxes" and that's it. Look where Gibbons got us. We don't need 4 more years of that.
Using California as an example of righteous tax-paying and budget-adhering people is a flimsy attempt at black humor (no, not the Barack Obama blackness). The reason California's unemployment rate is higher than most states is that they have run businesses out of the state due to their criminally insane tax system. We don't want that same scenario in Nevada, and if the democrats aren't kicked out by 2016, it's over for a state that once was known for small government and low taxes.
We need the people to enact a constitutional amendment in Nevada which will prohibit the state from charging any tax on any citizen, but it will be able to charge any fee to any citizen who uses any state service in line wit what that state service costs.
Rory's vision sounds a lot like Brian's visions...
http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2008/07...
The Metro Program's ongoing Intermountain West initiative gained new momentum with a major event in Las Vegas at which Fellow and Policy Director Mark Muro and Nonresident Senior Fellow Rob Lang reviewed the recent Brookings report "Mountain Megas" to inform a free-wheeling discussion of ways "megapolitan" leaders in the West can reorient the federal-state-mega partnership in order to address common challenges and shared opportunities.
Megapolitan Las Vegas: One of America's Newest Metropolitan Places and a Federal Partnership to Help It Prosper
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The October 24 forum, co-sponsored by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, brought together 150 Las Vegas-area government and business leaders--what the Las Vegas Sun referred to as a "who's who of Southern Nevada." Included among the participants were Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, UNLV President David Ashley, Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, and Brookings Trustee and Sun Editor Brian Greenspun.
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2008/102...
Just say "No" to nepotism. Rory needs to spend some time in the gym.
How many of you spewing bile actually sat down and read the 30 pages front to back?
Megasiro: Nepotism is a disease like liberalism.
The people of Nevada are loosing the ability to provide for themselves. And the State as been able to help less and less. We can try to change that or we can continue to sit on our hand and watch what we know and love about this state slowing die. Do what you want to. But I will be volunteering for this guy because I'm not going to sit by and do nothing while my neighbors struggle.
It wouldn't surprise me a bit if this moron gets elected.
Heck this is the 2nd dumbest city in America.
For all I know this moron will win by a landslide.
Promises, promises.
all it takes is 10% of Mormons who vote for the mormon candidate no matter what, to tip the election.
WAKE UP Nevada and America Lets get out there and pay attention. Just because he has daddys name and money to buy his way into office does not mean the american public is going to LET him in. Those with the most money are usually the most corrupt. They promise the most pay-backs. Do your home work.............lets get the best person into office!!! LISTEN and LEARN aout ALL candidates. Dems and repubs should be
looked at without the political label, it should be who can do the job WE need done!!! Talk to your friends, make sure they know who all the candidtes are not just Reid because he has the most commercials.
Thanks americangirl10 - I agree.
Pay attention, do your homework, and vote for the best candidate.
Pay no attention to D's or R's. They are only labels and we don't need them.
I'm thinking Rory needs some eyeliner and frosted tips to make him more appealing.
"I Can See Clearly Now, The Rain Is Gone."
Yes sir, that "Virtual Crossroads" called diversification is just beyond the horizon. The $2 billion deficit will disappear in a flash with Rory Reid at the helm, and windmills here, solar panels there and test site computer servers far as the eye can see.
Forgive me if I'm a bit cynical. "Visionaries," led by Harry Reid, have been promising to diversify the state's economy for decades. How's that worked out you? Look around your piece of the sagebrush for the answer.
Note: "if elected." Not gonna happen, Hairy Reed Jr., so dont make plan's.
depORTes!
grandmacrabby : WHY NOT CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL TO THIS DISCUSSION!!