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By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 | 11:20 a.m.
Sun Coverage
As lawmakers hurtle into an all out battle over taxes, liberal activists this morning delivered their demands for an overhaul of the state’s tax structure, calling for an elimination of the current payroll tax and implementing corporate income tax, higher taxes on mining companies and expanding the sales tax to services.
The call in some ways mirrors a tax plan expected to be released by Democrats on Thursday.
Democrats are expected to call for a permanent lifting of the sunsets on the 2009 increase, expanding the sales tax to services and implementing a business franchise tax to offset Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed cuts to education and health and human services.
Democratic leaders also would replace the payroll taxes with the new business tax.
Their plan is being put forth as a series of options to fund various add backs to the budget, as well as stabilize the tax structure.
Democrats have worked hard to garner the support of important business industry leaders. Some of those leaders are expected to express their support for varying parts of the plan in an open meeting tomorrow.
One business lobbyist said this week the services tax, which the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce fought for in 2003, would likely see more support than the franchise tax.
Republicans in the Legislature have remained adamant in their support of Sandoval’s $6 billion budget, which includes no tax increases but relies on a variety of short-term funding options to increase spending beyond existing tax revenue.
Liberal activists with the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada held a press conference today lambasting Sandoval’s budget and urging lawmakers to provide enough funding to preserve government jobs and services.
“It’s inconceivable for some of us how Gov. Sandoval can sleep at night,” PLAN director Bob Fulkerson said.
But activists said they also hold Democrats responsible for avoiding a true debate about the state’s tax structure and made clear they expect Democratic lawmakers to succeed in raising taxes this session.
“If they don’t have mining in there, we will be very, very discouraged,” activist Jan Gilbert said.
If the Democrats want to increase taxes on business why don't we spread the love around. Tax union dues like they were business or service incomes. If unions want to have equal standing with businesses its time they do their part to help the community in the same way.
If Jan Gilbert wants higher taxes, then she can pay mine. I'm sure she would love to do so, since it's for the "children". The same kids that skipped school for "education". What a joke this state has become. Like I said, you want taxes raised. YOU pay them.
Let's add up the score.
Did these libs push hard for a person to raise taxes during the Democratic nomination of gov?
NO
So what are they whining about again?
Shocking. Libs want taxes increased and they will do whatever they can do to get more money into government hands so their politics can be perpetuated.
We are committing suicide as a nation with our excess spending. Spending is the problem, not the income.
I applaud the activists and everything they are doing. History is on our side right now.
Republicans do their damndest to jump up and down, foam at the mouth, make a spectacle of themselves, loudly screaming to support the propaganda that the filthy rich and the corporations need more and more and even more and most tax breaks we can give them. And the mistaken belief that the middle class and the poor have to sacrifice even more to support their excesses.
The reality is catching up to them right now.
And the reality is they need to pay their fair share of taxes. Fair share they should have been paying for a very long time now. And it's not a tax increase for them. And no, it's not raising taxes on everyone. No amount of propaganda they spew can fight the truth of the matter. We're onto them.
No matter what happens, we need to keep up the pressure. Grab them by the lapels and forcibly drag them into the 21st Century. They can kick, fight and scream all they want, but the truth of the matter is it's going to happen. There is no other alternative.
Their Tea Baghead mantra that this spending must stop is crap. Very hard to justify that when revenue is not coming in to spend. How can spending happen when there is no revenue coming in to spend? And no, it's not busting into services and entitlements to crap on the middle class even more. That is not the answer.
Get used to it. We don't live in a Republican hell anymore.
Those stupid Reagan years and all the witch doctor economics that Republicans regurgitate regularly don't cut it. We see through it.
Brothels want a tax...also legalize and tax pot. Allow gambling on elections, etc. tax it. Also, tax Churches that don't spend at least 20% of their revenues on charitable activities.
Why not have those that want to pay higher taxes be allowed to pay them and those that don't, don't. This way they can have the warm and fuzzy feeling that they want.
It is very interesting that in other countries where rich people and business pay fair taxes that they have
national health care
up to date infrastructure
more transparent government
more holidays
twice as much vacation and free time
longer life expectancy
people are twice as healthy compared to the US
and there is 90% less deparity of wealth
The US is a 3rd world country that only makes weapons that kill people.
They are "allowed" to pay them chuck333. All they have to do is send in the check. How about they start a campaign to have all registered democrats send in as much money as they want to set an example. Hey PLAN leaders how about you go first. We will all wait for your press release.
At a time of an unprecedented deficit and the highest deficit of any other state in the nation, I am sorry to say this, and I don't particularly want to pay higher taxes myself, but leaving tax increases off the table right now would be the height of stupidity.
Increased revenue is needed, but it must be coupled with responsible budget cuts as well. Ideally, the legislature will start the amendment process to remove the protected status from mining.
To all those who demand that everyone pay their fair share, I suggest you stroke a check to the state and federal revenues offices for more than YOU paid this year.
I'd bet that among those who regurgitate this mindless drivel, they pay little to no taxes themselves.
Any increase in taxes paid by business is passed on to consumers as the cost of doing business, something liberals fail to comprehend. A tax on services is a tax on labor which will discourage the hiring of service providers. It often results in less revenue collected and fewer small businessmen and entrepreneurs.
Invariably, the majority of those whose knee jerk screams are for more taxes are the very ones who contribute the least. The ol' do as I say, not as I do crowd -- liberal hypocrites.
Bob 635-then move to one of those glorious countries you speak of. I do not want their problems in this country. Everyone in this country should pay taxes, no one should be exempt. Some may pay little, but they should pay. The wealthy earned their money and do much more good by keeping their wealth and creating jobs-something the government can't do nor can liberals.
Ya wanna know what we should tax? Campaign contributions and or Media buys. Why do media moguls get a free pass! I wonder?
News Flash for Colon: President Frank Marshall Davis-Obama II will be gone in two years!
@ColinfromLasVegas
How much can I tax you personally? Obviously you aren't paying enough.
Miners rape our land for its minerals...Casinos rape their customers for their cash...and NEITHER pays their fair share of taxes due to a completely corrupt legislature.
And you morons ask why we are in the shape we are in?
Dear Brass - there is a need for adequate services which necessitate a rearrangement of revenue sources. The rich contribute very very very heavily to the Republicans and others who will do their will. One thing of note is the neither the Republicrats nor the Demicans control any of this. Big business does. So quit buying Chevy's, Fords, Tv's, computers, food, houses, etc. Oh, that isn't realistic - instead arrange the chairs so everyone shares in the responsibility for a good society.
Hold on to your wallets folks, the liberal looters are coming on strong.
What some call greed I call able and competent
"If the Democrats want to increase taxes on business why don't we spread the love around. Tax union dues like they were business or service incomes. If unions want to have equal standing with businesses its time they do their part to help the community in the same way."
If your standard is simply large organization which work to exert their political influence, that reasoning can easily recommend we tax the Catholic church, the LDS Church, etc.
All in favor?
Get your budgets under control before even thinking about raising taxes.
I am sick of hearing about 6 figure cops and fire thieves, with 6 figure pensions.
I am sick of hearing about cutting vacant positions to save money.
I am sick of all this nickel and diming that gets us nowhere.
I am sick of 2% paycuts, but 4% increase in longevity, or merit, or whatever bs name the unions have come up with to get more money.
I am sick of hearing about sick leave, and over-time, and call-back, etc etc etc.
I am sick of all the baloney titles to justify more pay, and the baloney classes taken on the clock on the taxpayers expense to justify more pay.
I am sick of all the administrators making 6 figures for pushing paperwork.
I am sick of 6 figure metro cop bullys, I am sick of 6 figure fire thieves that don't fight fires.
CUT THE COSTS, AND TRIM ALL THE FAT BEFORE ASKING FOR ANOTHER DIME.!!!!!!!!
PUT THESE PUBLIC SERVANTS ON STRAIGHT SALARY, AND IF THEY DON"T WANT THE JOB, THEN WE WILL FIND SOMEONE THAT WILL.
Because I don't think I am the only one that is sick of this.
Raising taxes may create a short term bump in the state's funds but, that too will dry up and then we'll be told that the only way to keep going is by raising taxes again, and again, and again. Clearly, we need to do something which includes cuts in programs, cuts in budgets, etc. Once all the cuts are made then we start looking possible taxes. Maybe wages are too high and need to be reduced, maybe there is too many state vehicles running around, the education system is too full of office people, maybe too many teacher assistance, etc. Everything needs to be on the table. During the good times government grew and probably much of that growth should go away.
Comment removed by moderator.
@CBess: Oh you can bet I've paid my fair share of taxes thats for sure. You have a way of putting words in peoples mouths for instance saying that I believe in a no taxed world. Problem is people like you that want MORE taxes let your Lib buddies just spend spend spend without being accountable. You want to pay more than do it. We pay enough already and raiseing taxes only will give people like you the opportunity to waste it on programs that obviously don't work.
Once again through the threat of jail, those of us who earn, produce, create jobs and wealth will have more taken from us to pay for those who don't earn, produce, create jobs or wealth.
In other words it's up to the competents to pay for the incompetents.
Rich people, THE TOPPERMOST OF THE TOTEM POLL...
DO NOT WANT TO PAY TAXES. (many do not).
Corporations that give MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BONUSES,
and were "bailed out" by the rest of us,
DO NOT WANT TO PAY TAXES. (many do not).
That leaves us middle-class fools to fork over half our paychecks so they won't be burdened with such trivialities.
Married, Middle-class, hard working Americans are the BACKBONE of the country... they pay the biggest portion of our bills, buy the most goods & services and STILL, the Hater's HATE and work to destroy this typical, classic American way of life.
It surely does boggle the mind.
Again, I ask you;
Who's gonna buy all your crap when we're broke?
When a huge corporate business like mining, doesn't pay its fair share . . . it means that the rest of us foot the bills. Miners use our roads, schools, hospitals, social services, government buildings, police, fire etc. . . It simply isn't fair that a foreign corporation can come into Nevada and take our gold - use our stuff - and leave.
I don't hear anyone from mining coming forward to offer to pay their fair share - even though gold is making RECORD profits. I do know they are happily reporting the new "windfall" due to economic downturn to their stockholders. The worse the economy gets - the more people are investing in gold.
Nevada would be literally recession proof if mining paid its fair share. When times are good - people vacation in our state. When times are bad - people want to buy gold. But we are upside down - LITERALLY right now because mining doesn't pay it's fair share.
The amount we would need is small compare to the information and profits they show on their quarterly reports. It's time for mining to pay - BEFORE they take our gold for free.
Most think tanks that analyze Nevada, plus its business leaders, including (amazingly) the Chamber of Commerce, agree: our state needs a more stable and balanced tax base in order to support growth into the 21st Century. Without it, Nevada will lag behind; and that's not good for anyone.
Scrapping the current tax code and replacing it with a broad-based business tax will yield much more stable revenues and won't increase overall taxes that much; and Nevada citizens are angry over the freeloading mining companies that pay almost no taxes at all: a constitutional ammendment is on the way, and the mining companies can only blame themselves for their limitless greed plus their flim-flamming and scamming their way out of paying their fair share of taxes even under the existing code.
Also: a good GOP poster here suggests a BTU tax on energy consumption. That's a good idea, provided it does not apply to gasoline; and it's as fair as a tax can be, as the poor use less energy than the rich. In sum: there are solutions out there, and both political parties need to think their way through them. Nevada can't compete, or even survive, or not very well, without adequate public services and quality education.
Right now: it's NOT the time to "sunset" the 2009 tax fix and cut taxes. So: first step is to leave the existing tax base in place. State services can then be streamlined and reformed rationally, and in a way that can sustain vital infrastructure to build on for the future.
Foreign mining corporations that are not being taxed by Governor Sandogibbons appreciate the additional taxes and lower wages that Nevada's working families will be accepting from the Gov. so they can continue to make record profits off Nevadans' misery. Don't like it? Cal your legislator at 1-800-978-2878 and demand that the foreign mining corporations be taxed and that Nevada's working families get the tax breaks!
I'm in NYC, we have all the taxes you could possibly want, and more. We also have all the same problems you have, and more. No matter how much they raise the taxes, they spend them, run out of money, and ask for more. All you'll be left with is a class of lazy, worthless, beggers who only suck at the government nipple.
Do whatever you need to keep your taxes as low as possible.
I'm still waiting for someone -- anyone -- here who is advocating for higher taxes to step forward and say that they are meeting their own tax obligations in this state. I specifically refer to the use tax, which is required for all consumers on all out-of-state purchases where sales tax has not been paid.
Since most people don't pay this tax on their Internet purchases, I still find the demands that other people pay more taxes as hollow, coming from people who don't even meet their own legal obligations.
Horsford and Oceguera's Tax plan is just STUPID !!