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Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
Sen. Bill Raggio (R) talks to State Budget Director Andrew Clinger during the first day of the legislative special session Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, in Carson City. Gov. Jim Gibbons told Clinger and Director of the Department of Health and Human Services Mike Willden not to testify anymore because it was, in his opinion, a waste of time.
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010 | 5:27 p.m.
Sun Coverage
Gov. Jim Gibbons has pulled two of his senior staff members from the Legislative Building, with his spokesman saying that lawmakers' questions are getting repetitive and "berating."
Gibbons personally sent his senior staff to pull budget director Andrew Clinger and Department of Health and Human Services Director Mike Willden to leave the Legislature this evening, said spokesman Dan Burns.
"How many days, how many hours do we have to spend listening to this?" Burns asked. "It's laughable. It gets to the point where they're just verbally berating hardworking state employees."
Gibbons called the Legislature to Carson City today for a special session to close the state's $887 million budget shortfall. This first day has been spent in public hearings on the proposed budget cuts in the Assembly and Senate. A smaller group of legislators have spent the past two weeks holding similar hearings.
It's unclear how the governor's actions could impact the rest of the special session. Burns did not indicate how the governor planned to handle department heads scheduled to deliver future testimony before the Legislature.
Clinger and Willden faced tough questions from lawmakers about the governor's proposals. In one instance, Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, pressed Clinger on why some fee increases, to things such as beds in veterans' homes and children's health care, were OK, while others, for restaurant health inspections, were not.
Clinger explained that in some instances, such as the veterans' home increase, groups supported the increase.
"Are you saying that children, or the parents of children looking to purchase health care through the state, support a 300 percent increase in the fees?" Horsford asked Clinger.
"No, that's not what I'm saying," Clinger responded.
Burns said that much of Tuesday has been a repetition of legislative meetings held over the past two weeks on the potential impact of budget cuts. He noted it costs $150,000 for the first day of the special session and $50,000 for each day thereafter.
For Dan Burns to refer to "hardworking state employees" after he and the administration he works for have been ignoring the problems state employees face is a bit like his boss giving a lecture on how to have a successful marriage.
The administrators are not ignoring the problems the state employees are having. They just ran out of other people's money to spend. It is really that simple.
Tom Collins caught wearing his cowboy costume.
"It's laughable. It gets to the point where they're just verbally berating hardworking state employees."
Um, is his spokesman referring to how Gibbons speaks of teachers? I'll guarantee you, a teacher can last multiple days in their job taking beatings, making decisions every minute, and waiting 3 hours to go to the bathroom. The governor and his spokesman don't even have the foggiest what a hardworking state employee is. They are such lightweights! It's laughable!
If King Jim can't have it his way, he takes all his toys and goes home to whomever he's ataying with tonight.
Committee of the whole: when the entire Assembly or Senate meets as one large committee, as opposed to the smaller, standing committees.
Whiz...
You missed the empty kleenex box on the desk in Gym's office!
Must be a LOT of CRYIN' goin' on up yonder.
I wonder if Steve Horsford's SUV is in Handicapped Parking again, lol.
It is too bad our elected legislature does not bring any solutions to the table, all they can do is harass the State officials. The legislature has total control and authority over the budget, so this their issue. They need to do their homework, they knew the special session was coming.
Of course Gibbons is making it as difficult on the State Legislature as possible. He does not want the truth out there.
If the Legislature deems it necessary to ask questions of State staffers why is Gibbons prohibiting that?
He is a worthless piece of pond scum.
I watched hearings all day (for work purposes, not because I have no life) and I saw no "berating" of staff. In fact, they were thanked for their hard work more than once & the fact that much of the testimony was repetitive given the recent IFC meetings was acknowledged. Horsford's request for clarification on the "acceptance" of fees was legitimate.
Knee-jerk reactions from any side are not going to help things.
of course Michael Green doesn't state that he is a public employee with earnings and pension far higher than Nevada's $14 average.
"hard-working state employees" = in Republispeak... anyone designated and sent by the Gibbon's Branch of government to deliver a one-dimensional, take-it-or-leave-it, smoke-without-mirror, pontification of the Lord-High Governor.
The swipe at Democrats as looking like "mental ward escapees" does have a bright side... when Gibbo closes all the public institutions as unaffordable.. at least they will blend in.
Time is ripe for strong Legislative action. The Govern8r has returned, weak and well-drained, from his trip without/with/without his boast-trusted advisor. At least by taking/not taking/taking her with him, Nevada will not/will / will not be embare-assed by the release of Executive sexting messages. The Dawn of a new era (eros?)!!
Why are so many employees of the "System" in the legislature?
.. in some instances,, people supported.. very strickly said. Its been said, shared and understood and legislative action to save public savings. I think this conversation attach weight to the most common problem, those two days are enough to burn the money for none; except for the agreement.