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Tuesday, May 24, 2011 | 7:41 p.m.
Sun coverage
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CARSON CITY — In an effort to compromise with Republicans on spending, Democratic lawmakers voted for about $250 million in budget cuts Tuesday but said that’s as far as they are willing to go.
Republicans, meanwhile, sent the message that they are standing with Gov. Brian Sandoval and his budget, dimming hopes that the 2011 Nevada Legislature can even extend taxes passed in 2009 scheduled to expire next month.
The votes fell along party lines.
“This is our last, final offer. We’re not funding below this level. This level is below what the state needs,” Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, said.
Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno, said he would not be supporting options that didn’t meet the funding available without sunsets.
Assembly Ways and Means Chairwoman Debbie Smith, D-Reno, said she was “sad and embarrassed.”
“My constituents want give-and-take,” she said. “I feel like I’m giving. I don’t feel like I’m getting. I feel like on this day, we approach a precipice.”
Democrats reopened the budgets “in the spirit of compromise and cooperation,” Smith said.
Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, said he would continue to compromise. “I’m not giving up,” he said.
He repeated that he wants a “balanced approach to this budget crisis, which includes some revenue.”
The taxes passed last session have not “impeded our economic recovery one iota,” he said.
Assembly Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, said extending the taxes approaching their sunset was still alive.
“We hold our nose,” he said.
The budgets passed Tuesday more closely aligned the Democrats’ spending with the revenue that extending sun-setting taxes would provide. Extending those taxes would raise about $676 more than Sandoval has proposed spending.
Among the cuts passed on Tuesday:
• Reduce funding to school districts, assuming a 2.5 percent salary reduction. The eventual cut to teacher, administrator and other employee pay would be determined by the collective bargaining process. But it would reduce overall funding to districts to the equivalent of that pay cut.
• Reduce basic per-pupil funding by $100 a year to save $85 million.
• Another $10 million a year cut to higher education over what Democrats had approved.
• Increase the waiting list for children with autism to get treatment.
• Eliminate day care subsidies for a few hundred poor parents.
• Eliminate housing slots for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled, such as those who are mentally retarded or have fetal alcohol syndrome.
"The taxes passed last session have not "impeded our economic recovery one iota"
What economic recovery is talking about? The one on Mars?
"Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, said he would continue to compromise. "I'm not giving up," he said.He repeated that he wants a "balanced approach to this budget crisis, which includes some revenue."The taxes passed last session have not "impeded our economic recovery one iota," he said."
I think he is alone if he thinks the added taxes hasn't slowed our recovery. The rest of the country has faired far better than us in unemployment. The same buisnesses he seeks to raise taxes on are the same ones having trouble now. How many casinos have folded or gone bankrupt in the last two years. How many employee's have been laid off. These are the companies that already pay more than they have ever paid. The taxes are down because the profits are down. Why would a company ever move he if every two years they raise the taxes.
I say no deals!
The arrogance and insensitivity of this administration is much deadlier than the buffoonery of the last one. These budget sessions have nothing to do with the well being, security and care of our citizens and everything to do with corporate greed and pure malice.
Interesting how money can now blatantly buy politicians and no collective conscience exists. (Not even a "pretend" one)
Why would any company ever move to Nevada if it's the last in the nation in: education, health care, social services, public works? Not on your life. We've already hit the bottom, and the GOP decimations will only make our state worse off than before.
There comes a point when cutting revenue destroys beyond the possibilities of rebuilding. That's the tragedy threatened by current Republican policy in Nevada. Without quality schools and higher education opportunities especially, this state will continue its downward spiral and become what the rest of the country will soon perceive that it is: a cheap adult carnival in the middle of a dump for waste.
Mark my words: if Republicans destroy our vital infrastructure this much in the name of ideology and ideology alone (against the advice even of business, including the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce), they will wear these grievous decisions like cement shoes in the next election. The people will vote them out of office in outrage!
If the school district can't reduce staffing by 5% then we definitely have a major problem with both teachers and school administrators. Extreme talk over a 5% staff reduction, not buying the whine job, not this year, not this recession.