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StumbleSUN EDITORIAL:
Governor’s initiative abuse
Gibbons should stop using his government staff to push his personal agenda
Monday, June 28, 2010 | 2:04 a.m.
Gov. Jim Gibbons in May proposed an initiative that would force local governments and employee unions to hold their negotiations in public. The issue is a favorite of conservatives — opening negotiations would, presumably, drive down public employee salaries and benefits — and Gibbons was trying to earn their favor before the primary, not that it worked.
During a news conference to announce the initiative, with members of his staff standing by, Gibbons was asked if he was pursuing the initiative as governor or as a private citizen. Gibbons said he was doing so as a private citizen.
But as David McGrath Schwartz reported in Wednesday’s Las Vegas Sun, Gibbons has been using his staff to get the initiative drive started. His office drafted the initiative and is writing instructions for signature gatherers, and that could be a violation of Nevada law, which says public officials and employees “shall not request or otherwise cause a governmental entity to incur an expense or make an expenditure to support or oppose” a ballot question.
Secretary of State Ross Miller, Nevada’s top election official, said it’s “clear” that Gibbons can push his initiative only as a private citizen.
“He can’t use resources of his office or other state employees to organize or collect signatures,” Miller said. “If the governor were allowed to run the initiative with all the power and resources of the state, he could direct tomorrow, through executive order, all state employees must circulate the petition.”
Gibbons’ staff dismissed Miller’s concerns. Stacy Woodbury, Gibbons’ deputy chief of staff, said a volunteer group is expected to circulate the petition in an effort to get the 97,000 signatures needed by November. Woodbury also said the governor’s office believes it has the legal authority to work on the petition. She compared the initiative to proposed legislation the governor’s office would draft. “This is a policy initiative of the governor,” she said.
But that is a poor analogy. Policy is supposed to be worked out between the governor and the Legislature. That’s the job citizens elect them to do. The initiative process was created as a way for citizens to put an issue before an unresponsive Legislature.
As we have said before, the initiative process is a dangerous way to make policy because it subjects complicated issues to a simple yes-or-note vote. Not that Gibbons cares about such things. He has used the initiative process to pump up his own image. He trumpeted his Education First initiative during his run for governor four years ago. The inane initiative passed, but it did nothing to improve education in the state.
Gibbons’ abuse of the initiative process is a shame. This latest initiative is not about making policy; it’s a vain attempt to help his friends, keep a hand in politics and circumvent the Legislature. The fact that he’s using his government staff to push it is disgraceful.
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another republican acting like a child...
like an itty bitty child...
Gov. Jim Gibbons in May proposed an initiative that would force local governments and employee unions to hold their negotiations in public.
//////////////////////////
So is The LV Sun against reining in the runaway wages and benefits.
Wait I believe The LV Sun said they were for it.
Fact is if Gov. Jim Gibbons does this it will allow no last Name Rory to balance the budget if he wins.
This is one of those issue that The LV Sun should support.
why stop here. The Gov should open HIS budget discussions to the public. Maybe then, he'll spend a few minutes participating in them. We should also have feedback on such "trivial" items like how he would cut the budget 50%.
Why would the public employee unions NOT want the public to see the negotiations? To have a newspaper actually fight more access to the public's "right to know" is amazing.
Apparently the Sun and its corporate governance would rather fight for a party line than the rights of the public. How could letting the SUN cover the negotiations be bad for the SUN or the public? Greenspan amazes me. Bought and paid for.
Neiman;
I don't think the article is against the idea; just that the way the gov is going about it may be illegal.
Future, read the Editorial.
It's against state law for the Governor to use State resources in support of his ballot initiative.
Do you support him wasting State resources that way?
"During a news conference to announce the initiative, with members of his staff standing by, Gibbons was asked if he was pursuing the initiative as governor or as a private citizen. Gibbons said he was doing so as a private citizen."
Did he temporarily hand over power to the lieutenant governor during this presser? If not, he has clearly broken the law.
"Woodbury also said the governor's office believes it has the legal authority to work on the petition. She compared the initiative to proposed legislation the governor's office would draft. "This is a policy initiative of the governor," she said."
Sounds kind of Nixon like. He found out the hard way too.
Glad this Lame Duck is (not) being so gracious in his departure. Most guys would govern quietly after being repudiated so enormously by his own party in the primary, let alone how the whole state feels about him.
You, as well as I know that Gibbons is not a mature man. He never accepts responsibility for his office or personal actions.
Gibbons has been jilted by the Nevada voters and he is now in a spiteful mode.
If he were truly a real objective man, he should undo the harm he has done to the Nevada citizens.