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Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Brian Sandoval
Gov. Jim Gibbons
Michael Montandon
Sun Archives
- On second thought, Sandoval follows GOP crowd on health care lawsuit (3-24-2010)
- Brian Sandoval officially declares candidacy, won’t sign tax pledge (3-1-2010)
- Brian Sandoval, Rory Reid spar over budget solutions (1-27-2010)
- Sandoval portrays his job hopping as a strength in campaign for governor (3-17-2010)
- Meet Brian Sandoval: Candidate for governor? (8-30-2009)
- Mayor Oscar Goodman ain't afraid of Brian Sandoval (8-21-2009)
- Gibbons sets lofty fundraising goal (8-20-2009)
- Political intrigue brewing in the 2010 governor's race (8-16-2009)
- Judge nominee Sandoval has smooth hearing in D.C. (9-30-2005)
Sun Coverage
Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Sandoval has flirted with the role and hinted at it. Now, he has made it official: He will seek to be the most fiscally conservative candidate for governor.
Sandoval declared as much in a radio interview with first lady Dawn Gibbons, whose husband, Gov. Jim Gibbons, Sandoval is trying to unseat.
Dawn Gibbons: “Is there any situation in which you would consider raising taxes?”
Sandoval: “No.”
And that’s that.
When asked Monday for more detail from Sandoval — who many thought was the most centrist in the Republican field and thus better positioned to defeat the Democrats’ nominee — his campaign said he was unavailable. A written statement from the candidate said: “I do not believe in raising taxes.”
Former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon and a spokesman for Gibbons rushed to confirm that they too would have offered the same answer — there is no circumstance imaginable under which they would consider raising taxes.
That GOP candidates are trying to flash conservative credentials is not unexpected. With the conservative Tea Party movement in full throttle and more conservative voters making up the base in a typical Republican primary, it’s not too difficult for a candidate to read the tea leaves.
But in staking out such black-and-white positions, Republicans are almost begging for accusations of hypocrisy down the road — when merely cutting state spending will become more difficult, according to experts — if they err in the eyes of the anti-tax watchdogs.
Consider Gibbons, who ran on a promise not to raise taxes and even put it in writing when he signed a pledge in 2006. Since then, the governor has been accused numerous times of violating his vow — including counting a voter-approved tax increase in his budget and supporting fee increases, even when the industries agreed to them.
Sandoval said in his Monday statement that Gibbons raised $50 million in fees during the past special session, the “liberal approach” to balancing the budget.
The next governor will find keeping a promise not to raise taxes difficult, if not impossible, according to some experts.
When the Legislature convenes in 2011 to pass the state’s next budget, Nevada will face a deficit estimated at between
$2.5 billion and $3 billion in a $6.5 billion two-year budget. Those who have studied the state’s finances say it will be almost impossible to balance that budget without additional revenue.
“Based on the current economy, that would be a significant challenge,” said Mike Hillerby, former Gov. Kenny Guinn’s chief of staff. “Can you physically do it on paper? Yes. Can you balance it in a way without a federal judge taking over significant portions of state government? That becomes interesting.”
Cutting spending by that amount would require significant cuts in services, raising the possibility that interest groups would challenge the adequacy of education, prison and health systems, said Hillerby, who supports Sandoval for governor.
Jeremy Aguero, principal with financial firm Applied Analysis, said, “Having reviewed the budget, I don’t know where you cut another $2.5 billion or $3 billion without taxes.”
Conservative lobbyist Paul Enos, CEO of the Nevada Motor Transport Association, said the state still needs to look at cutting its spending and stop vilifying the businesses that pay taxes. But, “We would need to cut a lot. I don’t know if all those cuts are tenable. Last I heard, we could fund all of (K-12) education and half of higher ed, and it will take up the entire state budget based on the revenue we have right now. Absolutely there will be a tax increase in the future.”
Mary-Sarah Kinner, a spokeswoman for Sandoval’s campaign, said the candidate is talking with experts about what, beside taxes and cuts, can be done. She pointed to his plan before the last session that involved selling or leasing back state buildings to raise money, as well as cutting teacher and public employee pay and raiding local government funds.
“Brian Sandoval is the only candidate for governor to offer a budget fix without raising taxes,” she said, noting that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rory Reid refused to offer a short-term plan and Gibbons’ end game raised some fees.
Sandoval’s position comes as a surprise to many longtime watchers of state politics, where Sandoval was an assemblyman and the attorney general before he left for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. During his time in Carson City, he developed a reputation for building consensus with Democrats.
In an interview in September, Sandoval said that when he served in the Legislature in the 1990s, he voted once to allow the Washoe County Commission to raise the sales tax. He also said he voted to raise the property tax in Clark County to build new schools.
In 2003, as attorney general, Sandoval filed a lawsuit and personally delivered it to the Supreme Court to try and compel the Legislature to balance the budget, and pass a tax increase. (His campaign gave a transcript of testimony in which Sandoval told the Assembly: “This office is not going to opine on how you accomplish balancing the budget, only that you must balance the budget by July 1, 2003. How you get there is the business of this body.”)
Sandoval’s campaign said despite his recent bold statements, he will not sign the written “Taxpayer Protection Pledge,” a litmus test for conservative anti-taxers such as Chuck Muth, a Nevada political consultant.
“He prefers not to sign something that will tie his hands behind his back,” Kinner said. “He does not believe in raising taxes.”
Montandon last month signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. He had resisted for months, he said: “I worried about being put into a box. But it also holds you to a standard. Spending is the problem, not the taxation side.”
Dan Burns, Gibbons’ state spokesman, said the governor also does not support raising taxes under any circumstances. The $200 million room tax increase he included in the 2009 budget was approved by voters in an advisory question. “The governor has said all along that he will not stand in the way of the people. This isn’t a dictatorship. If people want something, they’re willing to say ‘yes’ to some sort of tax hike like that, the governor will not stand in the way.”
Gibbons cut a compromise deal in the 2010 special session that included fee increases on mining claims and foreclosures.
Each of the Republican candidates said he would equate extending taxes that are scheduled to expire in 2011 with raising taxes.
Reid, the likely Democratic nominee, was unavailable for comment, according to his campaign.
Reid spokesman Mike Trask would not directly answer whether there were any situations in which Reid would support a tax increase. He pointed out that the three white papers Reid has released charting how he would govern were all revenue neutral.
Reid has said that before the November election, he will come out with a plan to balance the state’s budget. But he wants to wait until after a legislative study commission looks at Nevada’s tax structure and quality of life issues.
It's official, it's a race to the bottom in the GOP quest to win the primary. Too bad, because most pegged Sandoval (great name, BTW) as a moderate. Now we know the truth.
The libs are hypocrites.
When a Republican says no taxes then it is a race to the bottom.
When a Democrat says no taxes then it is OK we know that he is lying and trying to deceive the public for we know that he will raise taxes big time.
Gibbons has proven track record of limiting tax increases.
Sandoval has a big question mark. I have doubts.
If he gets into office and then has "oh we need to raise taxes big time" then he will be a one term gov for sure.
We all know that Reid, Jr. will push as hard as he can for the biggest tax increase ever.
Nevada has one of the lowest per-capita tax rates in the U.S.
Nevada is having big-time fiscal crises.
To promise Nevadans that "we won't raise taxes" in order to help get elected is disingenuous at best, and probably an outright lie, at least by omission, from any Politician uttering such balderdash. Just ask Gym Gibbons.
Unless Nevada intends to shut down it's government, (education, law enforcement, infrastructure) completely, we are going to need HONEST LEADERSHIP with transparent intent from our next Governor.
I think this is just another guy willing to tell you what you want to hear in order to get your vote. Imagine that.
Wow....gmag just called Reid, Jr. a liar.
Perhaps you are not a hypocrite after all.
Keep up the good work.
If Sandoval is a ?, Gibbons is a proven liar and Reid well enough said.
Good for him. As a small business owner, now is not the time to raise taxes. I'm already in the process of eliminating 15-20 jobs due to this healthcare fiasco. I don't want to have to add more to the ranks of the unemployed due to increased taxes. Go Brian go!
We know Sandoval loves the Bush family, so it was about time he started channeling Big Daddy CIA man with his own READ MY LIPS ridiculousness. So if he's that adamant about it, what's stopping him from signing the Chuck Muth pledge anyway? He's now made a commitment to the road to ruin that starts with cutting everything from schools to prisons to highways. That's not going to fix the economy, it will only guarantee Nevada never gets out of the cellar of squalor. Do NOT vote for this jerk.
Close UMC, close the welfare offices. Neither is worth paying taxes to support.
It now offiical, Brian 'The Quitter' has spoken and proven that like 'Gibbo the Clown,' he is not even smart enough to be called retarded.
Like all Snakes in Suits, 'The Quitter' thinks pandering will help him get elected just like any other sociopath would think. It's all about Brian, instead of coming up with legitimate, doable ways to solve the problems we all face.
Look at it this way: Brainless Brian is practicing so he can be successful standing at freeway off ramp stops with his cardboard "I am homeless" sign
We haven't heard from 'Revenue Neutral Rory' because anything he has to say would be just as dumb and stupid as the Republican clowns.
The facts are this:
We need to lower property taxes, the sales tax and the gaming tax so all the citizens of Nevada have more money to spend.
We need expand the tax base and get rid of the free riders by imposing a 4% gross revenue tax on all CORPORATIONS and LLC's who do business in Nevada.
And we need to use Non-Tax Revenue Bonds to help create jobs.
Nothing else wil work to solve the problems.
Fred Conquest
Democratic Candidate for Governor
www.fredconquest.com
Great, we know what you're NOT going to do to bring in more revenue. So what ARE you going to DO to bring in more revenue? What's your specific plan? To spew out more rhetoric?
can someone please explain to me why a company would leave Nevada for a HIGHER taxed state? Since we are at the bottom, and raising taxes slightly still leave us there, why would a company move to a higher-tax state to "punish" us? Are the anti-tax people so rabid that they will pay MORE taxes to a different state to spite Nevada? Even going so far as to move their mines, their chain stores [BTW which already exist everywhere], etc. out of state?
Quite frankly, if a business can do better in AZ [higher taxes], or CA [much higher taxes], or UT [higher taxes] or anywhere else, goodbye! By staying you have shown your disregard for pure capitalism ala Ayn Rand and have made a bad decision. It's time for those who remain to educate our kids properly, fix up the roads [Paradise Rd outside the convention center is still essentially unpaved after 3 years-and that place is important to our economy]
blake: how many [full-time]employees do you have? what is your payroll? The numbers don't add up unless you have 100's of employees. You don't. You wouldn't be a small business employer if you did. BTW you will get a subsidy. and the usual tax deductions, so if you actually make money, the hit won't be so bad.
BarryS, clearly Nevada is not going to survive just on the current crop of casinos, mining businesses and big box stores. The question is not whether that scant lot will leave (yeah, why would mining leave when they get the sweetest tax exemptions of all?) but how in the world we will ever attract new businesses to the state if we have an F- education system, broken highways and rampant disease since no one cares about access to health care. If tax climate alone was going to be enough, Microsoft, Lockheed and every solar technology manufacturer in the world would have operations here. (and in case you haven't been watching, they don't)
This whole anti-tax platform is a farce to appease grubby little Republicans. If our current tax structure was so darn great for business- where are all the businesses?? Seriously, it's so obvious. Nevada is mining and casinos. Mining literally digs up our resources and pockets all of it, casinos in this state pay the lowest taxes in the country.
Really? An anti-tax platform is your solution?? More of the same??
The budget deficit CANNOT be fixed with only this nonsense of dumping and slashing programs and attacking fraud. It has to be a multi-prong approach. It includes the cutbacks and taxes. No ifs, ands, or buts.
This guy is another RINO who wants to give amnesty to illegals. In theory he can't, but would like to. Only the present Governor has the track record to veto every tax increase proposed by the Demon ocratic controlled legislature. He promised not to raise taxes and he stood by his commitment.
Hey big spender! Many of us know how easy you are with the state taxpayers' checkbook!
All politicians lie, or are deluded, when they say they won't raise taxes. Democrats lie when they say they won't increase spending. We're screwed no matter what.
Sandoval: show us the 3 1/2 billion in cuts BEFORE the election. Then we can make up our minds. To the rest of you: what do you want to cut--for real? Don't say something that saves $2 million, list the items adding to 2-3 billion .
BTW, the mines are not leaving no matter what. They cannot move the ore to another state [at least until after they mine it. DUH that's called mining.] Tax them like Sarah does in Alaska. If you love her so much, why not follow her lead here? One of the few things the quitter did before her exit was to RAISE taxes on mines[oil companies.]
"$2.5 billion and $3 billion in a $6.5 billion two-year budget. Those who have studied the state's finances say it will be almost impossible to balance that budget without additional revenue."
Mr. Schwartz, this isn't true at all. We have a $6.5 billion budget right now. They are assuming they will take in $5.5 next budget, but they start out the next budget (2011-13) from what they wanted to spend this time $7.9 and add in roll up costs to push it over $8.5 maybe up to $8.9 billion.
Thus the shortfall is the difference between imaginary spending we've NEVER done and what we will actually take in.
Judge Sandoval will be the most hailed new senator in Nevada's history as well most watched across the nation. Not only does Nevada want this, America is watching with anticipation.
LOL Governor that is, got a little ahead of myself! However, it would be nice.
rexreno...great comment. I certainly don't want BIG government, since it's one of the least efficient entities that exists, but we can't stand to be last in education, terrible violent crime stats, poor health statistics / immunizations, etc. We need to continue to fund, and focus on the efficiency, of our basic services. I'm certain that there are still changes that can be made to cut in some places and improve in others.
rexreno is right, many of us talk about diversifying the economy, and low taxes alone doesn't do it. We need a population with a higher % of highly educated, skilled workers if we want to attract other industries.
You can not balance a budget on state worker's salaries - there is no way you can do it without closing down the state. Almost 55% of the budget is education - 30 plus % is health/wealfare - leaving 15% or so for other state departments inculding state workers salaries. How can you say state workers are the problem in state spending?? State workers pay- repeat pay - their retirement!! You get social security - we get state retirement.
Sandoval's purposed cuts have already been done -they were done thru the 2009 legislature. He has not even given the time of day to review the budget - he is just putting out words the republican party tells him to.
There is no single solution to the problem - cuts alone will not work.
WE NEED A GOVERNOR WHO WILL TAKE THE TIME TO STUDY AND CONSIDER ALL OPTIONS PUT FORTH - NOT ONE THAT SIMPLY REPEATS WHAT THE PARTY TELLS HIM TO SAY.
That old AXIOM... Right on the money!
I am still seeking a Politician with some true guts? The Tax system needs a major overhaul....we need a flat tax rate system....it saves money, time, energy, confusion, helps families and the economy....But really we do need a Politician with real guts that says something new, something well thought out and with some real facts to go with it...everyone just says the same crap over and over again hoping it is the flavor of the week and the one the people are liking most...What a joke...
Brian Sandoval quits lifetime appointment to the Federal Bench to throw his hat into a three-ring circus and a shot at the Governorship of a hugely listing ship...
from Wikipedia:
"Sandoval is the first federal judge ever to retire from a lifetime seat in order to pursue politics, according to retired state archivist Guy Rocha."
WHY???
It seems he is asured he will be the next governor!! He let it slip on a Reno news show (Dunbar Report)- he said "that when he is governor" not if he is gov!
I heard Rusty Humphries and Joe Farra of World Net Daily on Vegas station yesterday evening. They were saying Obama didn't have a birth certificate. I would like to see Sandoval's. "New" Mexico? come on now, we heard that before.
So, he's going to be just like Gibbons?
sandoval scares me.
Judge Sandoval will bring with him common sense and fiscal responsibility to our great state.
how?