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By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Saturday, July 9, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Sun Archives
- Lawmakers reach deal with mining industry over tax deductions (6-5-11)
- Mining industry offers state cash to ditch effort that cuts deductions (6-2-11)
- Mining industry working to scuttle bill targeting their deductions, find different way to pay $23 million to the state (6-2-11)
- Mining industry can’t make a big dent in state budget (5-23-11)
- Horsford proposes legislation to close mining tax loopholes (5-18-11)
Sun Coverage
For liberal activists who have been fighting the mining industry for years, it seemed the forces had finally aligned.
Thanks to record gold prices and a shift in public opinion, it appeared they would be able to close some of the industry’s generous tax loopholes, increase regulatory oversight of mining and eliminate its power of eminent domain.
The activists went head-to-head with an army of mining lobbyists who spend heavily grooming legislators to vote their way. And on several key battles — much to their surprise in some cases — the liberal activists won.
But now, as they plot how to carry on the fight, some are considering an alliance with their enemy. They are weighing joining forces with mining and other industries to sell voters on a broad-based business tax, instead of a ballot initiative targeted solely at the mining industry.
Mining’s opponents frequently threatened lawmakers that they would simply go to the ballot if the Legislature didn’t raise the industry’s taxes. They envisioned it would be simple to gather support from the public, which is largely convinced that the booming industry isn’t sharing in the economic hardship, to back such a ballot question.
But these activists also believe that Nevada’s wobbly tax structure — which, ironically, is wobbly because it relies too heavily on taxes from a single industry — needs permanent help in the form of a broad-based business tax.
Some in their ranks believe putting both on the ballot at the same time would kill both efforts.
So which do they want more?
“If (a mining tax increase) were on the ballot it would pass, hands down,” said Bob Fulkerson, executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, which has been at the forefront of the fight.
“But if it were on the ballot with another tax initiative, the advertising blitz that would be done against it could doom both to failure. I don’t think anybody wants that on their conscience when Nevada is hurting so bad.”
Perhaps more important, Fulkerson reasoned, they are going to need mining’s help to get a broad-based tax increase passed. “We are going to need all hands on deck to get a broad-based initiative through,” he said.
The mining industry has long supported a broad-based tax increase. To help stave off industry-specific attacks, its lobbyists worked to win the support of key Republicans for the Democrats’ tax increase last session.
They failed, with many industry insiders believing the ballot is the only place such an increase will be successful. And some say liberal activists will need to be part of the coalition pushing the tax increase.
It would be an uneasy alliance for both sides and would fall far short of a truce.
“You have to understand that the motivation for most of these liberal advocacy groups is not to tax mining to fund government; their mission is to tax mining out of existence,” said Pete Ernaut, a lobbyist that used to represent mining and who is expected to be instrumental in building a coalition of business industries to back a broad-based business tax ballot initiative. “They won’t stop until they stop mining in Nevada.”
Fulkerson also made it clear that any cooperation wouldn’t mean he and his allies would back off the industry the next time the Legislature convenes. They want to continue tightening the industry’s tax deductions and working to eliminate the mining tax’s constitutional protection.
“We are still going to be out there with both barrels loaded in 2013,” Fulkerson said. “Our enthusiasm is not waning at all on that. But a ballot proposal in 2012, we’re probably much more pragmatic.”
Not all liberal activists are convinced that having both questions on the ballot would “doom them both to failure.” And the thought of joining a coalition with the mining industry has caused some conflict among liberal groups.
“There’s a disconnect still on the left side of the aisle with respect to mining,” said Erin Neff, executive director of ProgressNow. “Progressives are like, ‘Tax the hell out of them, they deserve it.’ Labor, not so much. They see the potential for jobs.
“I don’t really know at the end of the day if we are going to get there on mining.”
Both the Assembly and State Senate passed bills as the first step in placing an amendment on the ballot that would remove the protection for mining from the State Constitution this session. WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE BILLS?
If I could have only a ballot measure to remove protection from mining or one to mandate a new tax structure, I would choose the former.
A broad-based tax structure can be implemented at any time by the legislature. But tax protection for mining (and the rape of the Nevada taxpayers) can only be stopped by the amendment process, which takes a *lot* more time.
Get mining on the same playing field as everyone else, then look at what the field rules are.
These activists are out of their mind. They want Nevada to be like bankrupt California. A corporate or individual income tax will put us a absolute disadvantage. The mining companies pay far too little in taxes. They are making billions of dollars in profits. Who is kidding who? To have the small business or individual pay more taxes is insane. The activists can go back to California or Oregon and ruin those states. Enough is enough.
How can Nevada politicians change tax laws when they are unwilling to protect working shift miners?
For failing to help managment harass a Mexican tire man at Round mountain Gold Corp.(Kinross-Barrick) Management used safety issues(a reported cab fire in a moving haul truck)and turned it into a personnel issue to terminate employment, NV Mine Safety and Training Section and MSHA and Nevada Governor refuse to investigate as they continue to say its a labor issue.
When did false safety records become personnel issues ALLOWED to be covered up by Mining oversight?
Mining Corps. in Nevada are corrupt from the Governors office to safety over sight.
How can politicians change tax statutes when they can not even protect a working miner?
PRupp B125 SP NV 89047
Anjeanette, you should know better than this. A "broad based business tax" will not help Nevada's "wobbly tax" structure. Business taxes are LESS STABLE than our gaming tax (and this newspaper has even reported on it).
Ernaut, Faulkerson and Neff seem to be just twisting arms and threatening people at this point. I'm not sure what Ernaut's angle is but Faulkerson and Neff just want more spending period and it has nothing to do with creating a stable tax structure.
The author is just towing the LV Sun progressive, liberal line. Just part of the "let's be California-East" crowd. Take them, please. Anyone.
Time to raise taxes on the Koch Brothers, Coors, ET AL. Also a State inheritance tax is in order.
Yes, please, Democrats press hard....very hard for a new taxes on businesses.
Please.....with sugar on top.
Yeah, just attacking the mining companies to get more tax money wasn't sufficient for the liberals. So it's no surprise that they now want to expand their tax insanity to all businesses.
Two companies are looking at opening new mining operations. One of the companies is Newmont Mining in the Carlin Trend which is one of the richest deposits in the world.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/newmont-gold-or...
A company called Comstock Mining is planning on reopening the Comstock Lode.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/may...
Barrick Mining reported record profits and income during a power point presentation at the Barrick Mining annual meeting. One of the mines highlighted in the power point was the Cortez Hills Mine in Northern Nevada. According to the power point, in 2010, the mine produced 114,000,000 ounces of gold (over 35 TONS) at a production cost of $312 per ounce. During the first quarter of 2011, the mine produced 366,000 ounces (over 11 TONS) of gold at a production cost of $220 per ounce. If you project a sale price of $1000 over cost of production,that results in a profit of over $1,500,000,000. Based on what the mining industry paid in taxes in 2009, the tax payment to the state of Nevada will probably be less than 50,000,000. The power point goes on to point out that the projected production from Cortez Hills for 2011 will be between 1.30 to 1.45 MILLION ounces (40-45 TONS)at a production cost of $235-245 per ounce. This is natural resource that should provide significant benefits to the citizens of Nevada. Unless the Legislature acts quickly, another two years will pass without any significant action to change the tax structure of the state. The mining companies are not opening new mines to provide tax benefits to Nevada.
http://media.lasvegassun.com/media/pdfs/...
In 2010, the gaming industry had gross gaming revenue of 5,800,000,000 and paid a tax to the state of Nevada of 416,000,000. In 2009, the mining industry had gross revenue of 5,800,000,000 and paid state taxes of 48,600,000. Yes, the gaming industry paid almost 10 times what mining paid. I would imagine that the mining industry is more than willing to support a broad based business tax to try to stay out of the crosshairs.
Tanker 1975 > School is out(NV legislature) and the turd birds (legislators have flown the coop) Once again the NV legislature left town counting their gifts from the Nevada Mining industry while leaving ALL Nevadans holding an empty bag. . .including miners that continue to wait for lawful timely formal complain(s) to be investigated by Nevada's Big Mining's partner in crime NV Mine Safety and Training Section. Why does Nevada have Mine Safety Oversight. . . good question as there is absolutely no benefit FROM NV Mine Safety Training Section to working miners that file lawful formal complaints for injuries suffered on Nevada's TOO BIG TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE MINING OPERATIONS in Nevada???
PRupp B125 SP NV 89047
Don't make it a TAX INITIATIVE make it a Constitutional Amendment that REMOVES MINING from the State Constitution! Then TAX IT!
What gives the legislature, or any state entity for that matter, the idea that the operating mines in Neavada are a personal piggy bank?
The vast majority of mines in Nevada, including quarries and geothermal plants which are also classified as mines, are located on land THE STATE DOES NOT OWN OR CONTROL. They are on located on federal land which comprises about 85% of this state.