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Ross Andreson / AP
Gubernatorial candidates Brian Sandoval, right, and Rory Reid debate Tuesday night at Great Basin College Theater in Elko. Insults were traded and reputations questioned in a feisty debate over the state’s budget crisis, political ambitions and job experience as early voting winds down and Election Day looms.
Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010 | 9:49 p.m.
In the most lively governor’s debate yet, Democrat Rory Reid aggressively attacked Republican Brian Sandoval for not presenting a budget plan, as the GOP frontrunner defended himself as being responsible and deliberate before telling voters what he’d cut.
Sandoval said he wanted to roll back spending to 2007 levels. Since then, he said, the state has lost population and caseload growth in many areas have been flat. He did not go into specifics on how he’d balance the state’s budget, other than to say he couldn’t promise higher education, K-12 and health and human services would be spared without raising taxes.
He has promised not to raise taxes.
Sandoval said voters needed someone who would be “up front with the state of Nevada.” He said Reid’s plan “balanced the budget through fantasy money.”
Early voting ends Friday and with election day a week away, Reid pressed Sandoval repeatedly on what he would cut from the state’s budget to maintain his promise not to raise taxes.
Reid said that Sandoval should be “ashamed” and “embarrassed” for not releasing a plan, his harshest criticism yet of Sandoval.
Out of the three debates, this was Reid’s most forceful, a reflection of the fact that Reid trails significantly in public polls. He had been criticized for a tepid response during the last debate, but Reid started off by pulling out another legal pad (white this time, instead of yellow) to demonstrate that Sandoval has not released plans on the budget or creating jobs, and has proposed cutting $533 million from education.
Reid’s campaign and other Democrats challenged Sandoval’s figures after the debate.
Spending passed in 2005 was at $5.8 billion; in 2007 it was $6.8 billion; currently it’s at about $6.3 billion for the general fund, according to Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas.
“To reset the budget to $5.2 billion, that would take us back to 2005 levels at best,” Horsford said after the debate. “Brian Sandoval wants to move us back to 2005.”
(Sandoval’s campaign said it was comparing spending to fiscal year 2007, which was passed in 2005.)
In the debate, Sandoval said that Reid’s promises to protect each area of the budget amounted to pandering, and would lead to him supporting a tax increase.
“If he’s presented with a budget with a tax increase, he said he’ll sign it and raise taxes on every single Nevadan,” Sandoval said. “Creating jobs — creating an environment for job creation, is the single most important thing a governor should do. The next governor must hold the line on taxes.”
Reid accused Sandoval of passing the buck, and allowing local governments to raise taxes and take on added services.
Sandoval did not deny that. But he pointed to a Las Vegas Sun questionnaire in which Reid supports giving local government home rule. (Reid later pointed out that his budget plan doesn’t rely on shifting services and taxes.)
Reid said under Sandoval, corporations would not get any tax increases. He said when he wakes up at 2 a.m., “I hear a voice saying it — that his real intention is to raise your property tax, raise your sales tax.”
Sandoval said, “With all due respect, I don’t dream about you.”
Reid said, “Those aren’t dreams. They’re nightmares.”
What is wrong with 2005? It was a an economic boom. Why should we be spending MORE MONEY in a massive recession than during an economic boom?
PS, corporate taxes are highly volatile and they are only passed on to workers, consumers and shareholders.
Great points Patrick and Wiz. However, it ultimately comes back to us. Every time someone tries to rollback the out of control social spending and entitlement programs, the press swoops in and crushes them with the sad stories and gloom and doom senarios. The saps like us that go to work every day and contribute by doing well pay for it in the end. Why in world don't people get that all taxes are passed on to the customer/consumer at the end of the chain?
Patrick, please be serious. I don't disagree that we should roll back to the 2007 budget, but to somehow tie that budget with the economic boom is ridiculous. You know that the state/country/world was a very different place at that time. Please try to be objective, especially since you're supposed to be an expert on evaluating the most important sector of the government, which has been a huge failure for years (regardless of how small or big the budget is).
Wizard, I believe both candidates vowed not to raise taxes on the mining industry. That's pandering from both of them. I hate the idea of growing the government, but the tax rates for that industry are absolutely ridiculous, especially when you consider that they do next to nothing for the state except fund political campaigns.
Excercise YOUR right to be politically incorrect - VOTE
With only 6 days until election, I have spent the past 9 months meeting candidates in many races.
Mr. Sandoval's character and integrety standout. I am impressed by his depth of knowledge on every topic he questioned.
Mr. Sandoval is not only the best choice but the only choice for Governor !!
Commissioner Reid was Chair for the SNWA Board during the years that Pat Mulroy spent $300 million on a project know as the water Bank in Arizona (laughable, since you can only withdraw 15% each year), $450 million on a project in California known as the catch Basin (which 50% was paid for by Nevadans and which Nevadans can only claim 25% of what is caught in the basin... explain that one), Both of these project provide only a hand full of jobs for Nevadans and a lot of jobs for Californians and Arizonians.
He was also Chair when he approved a project that totals over $700 million dollars to drill under Lake Mead, a project known as the 'drain,' The only thing this will drain is the pocket books of Clark County homeowners...Keep in mind that the drain was projected to draw water at 860 feet, but because the water is not drinkable at that level it has to be raised to 1,000 feet.. the same as intake No. 2. We could have added a pipe at the 1,000 feet for less than $100 million...
SNWA is holding back announcing two price increases that will quadruple water prices for next year and a new water restrictions that will frustrate most of Clark County until after the election.... ask the SNWA to deny this claim of increase and restrictions... they are almost broke because of the spending spree under the chairmanship of Commission Reid, if not why the increases?.
I just wonder if Governor Reid will be as free in spending the States money as he was spending Clark County's money.
"Even with the secret money Sharon is bringing from the Chamber of Commerce (which includes money from terrorists, China and the Saudis) she can't buy the election."
Good one there TonyCrazo...
NO MORE REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS.
Don't you republicans ever learn?
RORY REID IS THE MAN WITH THE PLAN.
Sandoval's plan is more of the same.
Sandoval supports crazy Angle.
Sandoval wants to repeal health care for low
wage Americans.
Start thinking, Nevadan's.
Mayor Goodman supports RORY REID.
If you need jobs and health care,
VOTE RORY REID.
Rory Reid failed to prove anything other than he can whine. He did manage to get a spray on tan so he did not look like a corpse.
What does it mean by "trusted comments"? I requested for that status and never heard a word. Does it mean you must be a democrat left wing liberal and agree with the editor of this paper? just wondering.
These stupid republicans will vote for someone
who will take away their health care.
WOW.
No wonder they say Las Vegas is the dumbest city
in the country.