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Published Monday, Feb. 1, 2010 | 2:01 p.m.
Updated Monday, Feb. 1, 2010 | 4:10 p.m.
Gov. Jim Gibbons speaks with reporters in Las Vegas during a Sept. 10 news conference on the I-15 expansion project.
Sun Coverage
Gov. Jim Gibbons told city and county officials today he wouldn't go after local government tax revenues or public works funds to balance the state's $900 million deficit.
"We don't want to pass anything down," Gibbons told reporters after the meeting in Carson City, with some attendees video-conferenced from Las Vegas.
In the budget he presented to the Legislature last year, Gibbons had proposed taking some property tax money from counties. Since then, Gibbons said, local governments have seen their own budgets suffer.
He said he told local government leaders he didn't want local governments to shirk responsibilities, such as some licensing, back to the state.
Some state observers have pointed to $4 billion that local governments have for infrastructure projects as a possible way to avoid painful cuts or a tax increase. Gibbons said he wouldn't recommend going after that money.
Gibbons is set to give a special State of the State speech Monday to address the budget crisis. He is expected to call a special session of the Legislature to Carson City sometime later this month to deal with the state's budget shortfall.
Gibbons offered few specifics in what he would cut.
Gibbons said he would seek "fairness" in how employees' salaries are reduced. While some workers have been forced to take a one-day-a-month furlough, equal to a 4.6 percent pay cut, thousands of others have been exempted. Gibbons said he will seek to impose a pay cut on those who don't take furloughs.
Gibbons said they are also looking at additional salary reductions for state workers, including teachers and university employees. Gibbons said he is looking "how much can we go without people walking." In response to questions, he said he "couldn't go much more than 6 percent."
He said some departments would have to cut more than the 10 percent he told agencies to prepare for, while others, like public safety, would have to cut less.
Asked if any cuts are now off the table, Gibbons said he would not close a state prison in Ely.
How about returning state government budget to 2002 budget when gaming revenues were about the same?
Gibbons is looking more and more like the only guy that can actually govern this state.
Neiman1, you are 100% wrong.
Here is a point I found interesting. Last week, Jeremy Agrerro (sp?), the financial analyst from Applied Analisys (sp?) that the LVCVA and some Republican lawmakers fell in love with way back when he dolled out his first incorrect analysis of state worker's pay, said last week that Nevada should position its economy to attract senior citizens. In other words, we should look to become a more attractive Florida.
Now that Gibbons has focused his gun scope more specifically on state govnernment and its employees, what programs will the King demand that the serfs in the legislature cut? I bet its programs for the poor and the old. Yep, those same people that Jeremy says we should attract.
You see, to Gibbons, "Living withing your means" when you are government never means raising taxes. to Gibbons, when the economy is going great, you never raise taxes because you retard economic growth. When things are bad, you never ask Mining or Wal-Mart to pay their fair share because they might-what-leave? See, taxes are bad no matter what. And why not? Only the poor and the old need government services, right?
Hmmmm. Someone whould ask King Jim who paid the poice officers who investigated and cleared him of assault charges during the Mazzeo incident. Someone should ask King Jim who paid the government officials who determined that he didn't have to pay taxes on the land up north that he conveniently forgot about months ago when it was time to pay property taxes. Oh, and someone should ask King Jim who paid the judge who granted him his divorce last Christmas.
But then again, when your hero is Nero, why care? Fiddle away King Jim; as Michael Caine said in The Dark Knight, "Some men just want to see the world burn." And with Sandoval breathing down his neck, he would rather take the entire state with him into obscurity and oblivion.
You can't blame King Jim for being King Jim. He has refused to work with Republicans and Democrats in the legislature from the start. He is so bad that over 90% of his staff have resigned (you have to wonder if Dan Burns has anything lined up after November-he's the only original one left-maybe KVBC again? Nah, JR would never take him back) But you CAN blame the Rebublicans and the Democrats in the legislature if they choose not to stop him. They can override a veto and they can propose and pass their own plan-they did it before, they can do it again.
So be warned, gang of 64; if you let this man destroy our government, we will send you down the drain with him on June 6.
I am just going from the fact he seems to be the only one that saw how bad it was going to be and is the only one offering real solutions.
The rest of the political class just seems to run on sound bits and protect their donors.
Neiman, if you think Gibbons was the only person in elected state government who saw how bad things were going to be or the only one offering real solutions, then you just weren't paying attention during the last legislative session.
Dozens and dozens of Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature saw how bad it was going to get. Both Buckley and Raggio stated it almost daily. It was Gibbons who refused to work with them. When they proposed the line of credit, for example, Gibbons refused. In fact, the legislature had to pass that legislation over his veto to give him that option-an option he then refused to use.
CJJames....but pardon my french...that is BS.
The state legislature leaders...at least the Democrats...were poo-pooing the budget shortfall and saying that Gibbons was over-reacting and that he did not need to call another session and all he needed to do was to use the credit card account that they gave him.
It is the legislature members that are hiding under the rocks and want nothing to do with this budget shortfall.
Neiman, we will just add your idiotic position on the Gibbons monkey to the existing collection of commentary sewage on these discussion rooms..
If Gibbons saw how bad it was, why is it that he has never come up with new revenue sources, or has made the ones Nevada depend on cough up their fair share? Why is it he has only focused on cutting state employees paycheck? "Cut just far enough that people won't walk".How arrogant. I think every state employee needs to walk off the job and stay off the job. Leave this state in a lerch. No strike, no picketing. Go fishing, watch tv, whatever, for as long as it takes to get someones attention, that this is not ok.
Step 1, cut state pay 4.6% in exchange for a day off.
Step 2, exempt some employees from furlough for various, valid reasons (safety, OT cost).
Step 3, implement straight pay cut against exempted employees.
Politics aside, if this is Gibbon's idea of fairness, we're all in trouble, and I don't mean state employees.
This entire deal was staged between Gibbons and the mayors. Don't fall for it.
"Gibbons says state won't seek local government funds"
Wanna bet? This would be a first!
Any half-witted fifth-grader can subtract big numbers from other big numbers. That is the entirety of the Gym Gibbons "Governorship" of Nevada. We need someone smarter than a half-witted 5th grader governing the state.
Gold price today = $1,103.35
Mining companies cost per ounce = <$500.
Profit per ounce = $600 per ounce
8 million ounces profit = $5 BILLION dollars
This is after all of the bills are paid.
Where does it go? Canada and other countries to develop cheaper, more cost effective and cheaper mines.
Who loses? Nevada citizens getting totally screwed out of millions of dollars of taxes that are due us- not the gold companies.
Sign the gold tax petition! It is our turn!
Harrah's paid $577.7 million in September 2007 for the 175-acre Macau Orient Golf Course and the rights to a land concession contract. The course was rebranded Caesars Golf Macau in December 2008 as part of a nearly $26 million redevelopment of the club.
As always, tons of money to EXPAND overseas, but poor Nevada - we can't pay you an extra nickel!
Anybody see the problem here? Up the gaming tax 2%! DUH
I must agree with CJJames. During the legislative session, legislative leaders were trying to create solutions that worked best and provided for future downturns, including an education rainy day fund. However, the Governor decided that it was better to veto every bill than to try to find reasonable solutions.
This method will not work this time. Governor Gibbons needs to come to the negotiation table with all available options and then work with legislative leaders to craft the best solutions.