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Republican Sens. Randolph Townsend, left, and Bill Raggio, both of Reno, confer on the first day of the special session. Townsend lamented the rift between GOP caucuses, saying those making tough choices on revenue increases “would like some support” from fellow Republicans.
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010 | 2 a.m.
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- Gibbons pulls senior staff from legislative hearings (2-23-10)
- Gibbons denies, then admits taking texting friend to D.C. (2-23-10)
- Lawmakers to tackle water rights during special session (2-23-10)
- Proposal to close state prison meets opposition (2-23-10)
- Budget crunchtime: Lawmakers set to tackle historic deficit (2-23-10)
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New Taxes to Balance the Budget?
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Senate and Assembly Republicans have split over whether to raise revenue or cut deeper to close the state’s $887 million budget deficit.
As the special session began Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, and his fellow Republican senators were advocating raising fees on mining and gaming companies, something both industries have signaled they are willing to accept. Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert, R-Reno, was pushing back, a position that reflects the more conservative leanings of her caucus.
It’s a rare split for Republicans in the Legislature, where Raggio is referred to as “Sir Bill” for his mastery of the process and the expectation that his party will fall in line behind him.
“There may well be differences” between what the Senate and Assembly Republicans are pushing, Gansert acknowledged in an interview Tuesday. “Our caucus wants to cut. We want to reset the baseline budget” for the 2011 legislative session, when the state is expected to face a $2 billion deficit.
She insisted, though, that Assembly and Senate Republicans “are working together.”
Raggio’s top lieutenant, Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, said: “I think there are some philosophical differences among those with R’s after their names in the two houses.”
Townsend noted that in 2003 and 2009 legislative sessions, Senate Republicans took the most heat for raising taxes. This time he would like it to be different.
“For those of us who carried the tax burden in ’03 and ’09, we would like some support,” he said. “This is not a one-man, two-man or three-man show.”
Lawmakers assume Gov. Jim Gibbons will veto parts of any package they negotiate — legislation that will likely include a mixture of cuts, budget gimmicks and fee increases.
If that happens, Democrats hold the necessary two-thirds majority in the Assembly to override a veto. They would, however, need two Republican votes in the Senate to reach two-thirds. In the view of Republican senators, that has forced them to work with Democrats toward a solution, while their Assembly counterparts have been free to take an ideological stand and criticize proposals without having to participate.
Although the governor and legislative leaders have dismissed tax increases as an option, fees are in play and have apparently become the new battleground.
It could prove a divisive issue for the Legislature’s Republicans.
Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert talks with Assemblyman Joe Hardy before the start of the first day of the legislative special session Tuesday, February 23, 2010 in Carson City.
Gansert is often regarded as politically and philosophically aligned with Raggio. She’s the most likely candidate to fill Raggio’s Senate seat — which he has held since 1973 — when term limits force him into retirement in 2012.
But Gansert’s often unruly, anti-tax conservative caucus could put her at odds with her Senate ally. During the 2009 session, seven of the 14 Assembly Republicans formed a splinter group, called the Nevada Republican Study Committee. It was seen as a challenge of Gansert’s leadership.
Assembly Republicans are also conscious of the anti-incumbent, anti-tax fervor developing in advance of the November election.
Fewer Republicans senators are seeking re-election because of term limits and find themselves more interested in preventing deep cuts in institutions such as higher education that they helped build up during long careers.
Assemblyman John Hambrick, R-Las Vegas, a member of the conservative caucus, said: “We have disagreements (with the Senate). We’re looking at different opinions about if there should be fee increases.”
Assemblyman Joe Hardy, R-Boulder City, said he would support higher fees if industries “came to the state and said, ‘To protect education, the health and welfare of the state, we’ll step up.’ In my mind, that’s OK.”
Sounds like a bunch of our forever legislators here in Nevada are as out of touch with reality as the hypocrits we send to Washington. Will they never get the clue that you can not just keep raising taxes (or fees) when you are not responsible enough to say no to spending increases. Enough is enough, I hope the people of Nevada will revolt at the voting booth and reject every lawmaker that will not support spending cuts to balance the budget.
Yeah! Cause Nevadans pay such outrageous taxes as it is... especially large businesses.
To Assemblyman Joe Hardy: You would increase revenues from industries IF they would agree to paying them to protect education!? Let me get this straight. You are relying on "industry" to make critical decisions that we, the voters, elected you to make!? Excuse me!!!???
The answer is obvious -- we should be using the recession to turn Nevada into a republican/libertarian utopia.
First step: close K-12 and give parents a few hundred dollars in tax vouchers and tell them to fend for themselves. If they can't afford to send all of their children to private school, I'm sure they can send one and ask him or her to take really good notes for the other kids.
Step two: disband fire and police departments -- if people want that sort of protection, they can hire private vendors.
Step three: sell the Universities (they're full of liberal elitists) and the state parks (they're even worse -- full of elitist tree-hugging liberals).
Step four: close the prisons and start a "Rent a Room to a Rapist" program so that the public can take advantage of lucrative opportunities in corrections.
Finally: Everyone left in Nevada will pay a flat tax of $0.05 per decade (well, except any sort of business, because we don't want to discourage economic development with an oppressive tax burden).
Ahhh -- Eden.
"Let me get this straight. You are relying on "industry" to make critical decisions that we, the voters, elected you to make!? Excuse me!!!???"
That's what Republicans do every day. They go back to their corporate masters, who command them to "sit" and "stay" or "roll over." At least this Republican is honest about it.
Of tax-welcher extremism, Abe Lincoln would have said;
"You can fool some of the people, ALL of the time"... ;^)
-- cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth
LuvGuv Jim Gibbons BUSTED in airport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stOVCITCl...
In Nevada, Wynn and his fellow casino owners pay a tax of 6.75 percent on the money they win from gamblers.
The Philadelphia casino that Wynn will manage will pay at least 55 percent in taxes on its slot machine winnings and 16 percent on its winnings from table games.
The casino moguls can't pony up additional money in Nevada but they run to Asia and Pennsylvania to pay 55 % on slots! Even a die hard conservative Republican Tea Bagger can see we are not receiving enough from the industry that "supports" our state. Why do we give it away? Why do we allow the gold to disappear with a fee of 1/2 percent.
I am a conservative at heart, but Nevada is just stupid!
Looks like Townsend and Raggio go to the same hair salon- staffed by Goodfellas Beauty School.
No pay for legislators. This reaks even worse from 8 years ago when they couldnt balance a budget then either. Whats up with these clowns? Nothing like an expsense stipend eh legislators for doing nothing but slashing and slashing. This is worse then a B movie..
There is a third party.. Its called Independent/Nonpartisan. Look for a candidate for each office on the ballot November 2 and vote these current morons that represent you out of office once and for all. Get the foxes out of the hen house Nevadans! A state that voted for George Bush 2x has to have some brains somewhere????? Or is everyone as dumb as the dirt poor Kansas farmer that voted for Bush?
tea bagger beware, i put my tea bag on top the there forehead.
Axiom...looks like "Dad" having his over-grown son up to the legislature for "Take your kid to work day."
Spit it out, there perry16149269...
cut the pork and lower our taxes!!!
THIS IS THE BEST LAUGH I HAVE HAD IN A LONG TIME, watching all the FINGER POINTERS SCREAM ABOUT THE DEFICIT the state of NEVADA is having. While I was on the STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, I used to wonder how SMART the people who hide under FAKE NAMES and always complain about the PEOPLE they ELECTED to OFFICE were. Then, watching them pat GOVERNOR JIM GIBBENS on the back while he RAPED a bartender and attack my wife and myself for showing each other LOVE at a BOARD MEETING SHOWED how stupid they were. Now, these same LOSERS ARE ATTACKING THE people who they ELECTED BECAUSE THE LEADERS are trying to find a way to fix the DEFICIT without cutting services for the people who are attacking them under FAKE NAMES. That's why the maggots who use FAKE NAMES don't use their REAL NAMES, because MOST OF THEM ARE ON WELFARE under their REAL NAMES, ETC. If the STATE LEADERS FOUND OUT WHO THEY WERE, THEY WOULD CUT THEM OFF THE WELFARE ROLLS AND THEY KNOW IT, so they hide under a ROCK AND USE FAKE NAMES instead of using their REAL NAMES like gmag39 and LarryVegas do. IF THE STATE LEADERS REALLY WANT TO FIX THIS DEFICIT, THEY SHOULD START A STATE LOTTERY LIKE FLORIDA HAS FROM WHICH THE STATE RECEIVES $750,000,000 A YEAR; THAT'S THE WAY I SEE IT. I DON'T HIDE FROM ANYONE. THIS IS GREG NANCE DAGANI, CANDIDATE FOR STATE CONTROLLER.
hey Rhooster you made by NIGHT I enjoyed your JOKE IN 1 night I have been called a RADICAL A CRAZY PERSON AND NOW A evangelist you are probably the only person in NEVADA that would call me a CONSERVATIVE I am married to a fox who is 29 years younger than me most PEOPLE WOULD here abouts call me a RADICAL I WANT YOU TO KNOW MY WIFE KEEPS SAYING SHE LIKES THIS PERSON WHO CALLS ME An evangelist because she knows what people call me IN life I AM PROBABLY MORE LIKE A LIBERTARIAN I BELEAVE THE GOVERMENT SHOULD STAY THE HELL OUT OF PEOPLES LIVES just because I am a CHRISTIAN doesnt mean I am not RADICAL JESUS WAS VERY RADICAL HE TURNED OVER THE MONEY CHANGERS TABLES IN THE CHURCH HE HUNG OUT WITH PROSTUTES AND TAX COLLECTORS HE DIDNT HANG OUT AT COUNTRY CLUB CHURCHS he was the ORIGANAL RADICAL THANKS FOR THE JOKE
Would someone drive up to D.C. and perform an abdominoperineal resection to remove Harry Reid from politics? Hurry please, he is about to nuclear opt Obama health care thru.
"Finally: Everyone left in Nevada will pay a flat tax of $0.05 per decade (well, except any sort of business, because we don't want to discourage economic development with an oppressive tax burden)."
Or the alternative Emthree is something I am sure you would find more palatable. Let's raise the tax rate to a nice flat 100% with a complete confiscation of all our other assets. The government is wiser in taking care of us that we are. Ahhh Eden when mommy government takes care of us cradle to grave.
Hmmm as extreme a position as you paint libertarians/republicans. Just because we think the government has already taken enough and shouldn't tax us more when we are economically hurting doesn't mean we don't recognize some role for government. We happen to disagree that it should grow larger. You on the other hand, probably never met a government tax you wouldn't want to enforce on others or a government program that you didn't like.
If any of you want to know what sheer MADNESS sounds like, click on the name rev_dagani.
His given name is GREG NANCE.
Go ahead, GOOGLE it. Here, I'll give you a head start.
http://elizabethcrum.blogivists.com/tag/...
http://www.lvrj.com/news/40056007.html
http://www.lvrj.com/news/26861489.html
http://www.lvrj.com/news/ex-education-bo......
HOLY MOLY!
He is stark-raving MAD.
Appropriately, he is running for state office.
If he gets more than 2 votes, something is seriously flawed.
I don't think all the thorazine on the planet could fix that.
FULL FRONTAL LOBOTOMY.
In some of these serious cases, it's the humane thing to do.
Ghostcommando,
Good crap!!! Do you just talk without thinking? You don't even know what a totalitarian is. Are you college? When you get out you will learn a few things about money and taxes. The free market and money gives one that ability to choose. In the real world, outside of ideological books like The Communist Manifesto, we go to work and we make money. With that money we can go buy food that we want to eat (at grocery stores or restaurants), buy a home(or live in apartment), buy a TV or other things as long as we have the money. Some one could spend all their money on shoes if they want.
Sometimes we make choice that get us into jobs that we don't like or that we believe underpay us so we can look for another job and if I am qualified, I can get that job. Not all jobs are worth a lot of money because of the skill involved or because of the difficulty to fill the position.
Government can only operate based on the amount of freedom and choice you are willing to give it. Every bill and every tax increase the amount of power the government has and decreases the amount of power over our own lives.
Totalitarianism is when a centralized government takes away your right by taking away your ability to choose. Not raising taxes doesn't take away choice. You can always donate money to the government. What about those that don't benefit from the programs? Where is the choice in that situation when they are forced to pay taxes?
Support your cause with your money but don't be so foolish to believe that taxes free us and that those that oppose it are totalitarians.
FYI...the crappy republicans are those that have voted for the large spending bills. Not those that oppose new taxes.
Oh oh... I made Greg Nance's hit list. Thank you very much.
I don't care about Greg Nance's politics or his religious convictions.
I do care about Greg Nance's espousing his morals, or lack of, on the rest of us.
I do not want to hear about Greg Nance's sexual escapades with his wife.
If Greg Nance wants people to stay out of his personal life, then he needs to "SHUT UP!"
Declare an emergency and suspend all government pensions. That will save a bundle. And it's only going to cut off a bunch of people that are (at this point) baggage.
GOOD EVENING LADYS AND GENTELMAN AND THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE RADICAL REV.GREG NANCE DAGANI and it is TIME for me to TEACH all you losers out there how STUPID YOU ALL OR YESTERDAY rooster CALLED ME A evangelist shows he talks GARBAGE NOT KNOWING WHO ARE WHAT HE TALKS ABOUT rooster you FAILED YOUR CLASS ASSIGNMENT FOR THAT now you other MORONS STATED I HAD BEEN IN THE FUNNY FARM I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A MENTAL INSTUTION OF ANY SORT in fact give my WIFE YOUR REAL NAMES SO SHE CAN START HER LAWSUIT REMEMBER SHE GOT THE MONEY YOU ALL ENVY FROM A LAWSUIT SO THE MORONS who dont make sure they are stating FACTUAL INFORMATION HAVE FAILED THAT PART OF THE CLASS NOW FOR YOUR CLASS ASSIGNMENT FOR TODAY you all have insinuated that a CHRISTIAN COULDNT ACT LIKE I DO some questions now come to mind THINK VERY HARD ON THEM BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW NONE OF YOU HAVE A BRAIN no cheating question 1 who hung out with TAX COLLECTORS?question 2 who had a GIRLFRIEND WHO WAS A PROSTITUTE NAMED MARY MAGDELINE? question 3 WHO TURNED OVER THE TABLES IN THE CHURCH? question 4 who didnt hang out at COUNTRY CLUB CHURCHS WERE PEOPLE WERE ALREADY CHRISTIANS? question5 WHO STATED THAT HIS FOLLOWERS WERE NOT TO JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE? question 6 who was the leading RADICAL OF HIS DAY? QUESTION7 WHO HUNG OUT IN BARS NOT CHURCHS? question 8 why was I preceived as a consertive when I ALWAYS HANG OUT WITH THE RADICALS JUST BECAUSE I HAVE THE TITLE OF REVEREND? question 8 shouldnt a man be seen with the CROWD THAT PEOPLE SAY HE IS WITH ? question 9 why did I sleep through my last board meeting of the STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND ONLY WOKE UP TO TELL THE FINANCER OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL THAT GOT THERE K-3 LISCENCE FROM THE BOARD CONGRATUATIONS ON GETTING IT WHEN THE SAME BOARD HAD 3 MONTHS EARLIER VOTED IT DOWN ALL EXCEPT MYSELF ? answere to last question is I got them their liscence while I SLEPT ANSWERE TO OTHER QUESTIONS I WILL NOT TELL YOU LETS SEE IF YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT MORONS NOW GO HIDE UNDER YOUR ROCKS AND PRAY SOMEDAY YOU WILL BE A HUMAN BEING