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Wednesday, May 25, 2011 | 7:09 p.m.
Chancellor Dan Klaich
Sun coverage
Major casinos, Wal-Mart and gold mining companies would get millions of dollars in tax cuts if the Legislature doesn’t extend taxes passed in 2009, according to a list presented to the Legislature today.
Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Dan Klaich gave the list to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee as it considered a bill to extend the $626 million in taxes.
He noted that just about every company on the list of top 50 beneficiaries testified Wednesday in favor of extending the taxes that will otherwise sunset on June 30.
“Everyone came here and said, ‘Please don’t reduce my taxes,’ ” Klaich said. “I wonder who we’re serving by not allowing sunsets to go forward.”
Under a list compiled through the Employment, Training and Rehab Department, Wynn Resorts would be the biggest beneficiary in the state with the payroll tax reverting to pre-2009 levels. That would save the company $3 million a year.
Wal-Mart was No. 2 with a $2 million annual benefit. That was followed by MGM Grand and the Bellagio, the Venetian, Aria and Newmont Mining.
Hospitals, Southwest Airlines and NV Energy were also in the top 25.
Gov. Brian Sandoval promised during his campaign not to support increased taxes and said he would veto taxes passed by the 2009 Legislature. Assembly Republicans have said they’re willing to negotiate for long-term government reforms, but Senate Republicans have stood firm with Sandoval. The session ends June 7 at 1 a.m.
Oh no, companies might be able to keep some of the money they earn.
Something must be done about this!
Insanity.
Complete, utter insanity.
"He noted that just about every company on the list of top 50 beneficiaries testified Wednesday in favor of extending the taxes that will otherwise sunset on June 30.
"Everyone came here and said, 'Please don't reduce my taxes,' " Klaich said. "I wonder who we're serving by not allowing sunsets to go forward."
"No, no. WE INSIST! NO TAXUS in Nevader, my friend! You don't owe us a DIME! It's really just a pleasure having you around. Hey, give it to YOUR CEO! An extra million or 2 in his stocking ought to get this economy MOVING AGAIN! He's bound to spend it on SOMETHING... SOMEWHERE... well, it all goes somewhere, is what we're saying... just not in OUR COFFERS, NO MAN! We're not like that here in Nevader. We don't like TAXUS. They're evil. The Devil's work. We're God fearing Christians, my friend. No, give it to the Big Guy, and let him stick it in his Bahamian account or somesuch."
YOURS, (LITERALLY!)
Brian Sandoval
The deal that the Republicans who voted for the increase in '09 was that they were to sunset in '11... I think most were hoping we'd be a bit better off than we are now, but a "deal's a deal". It was a temporary boost... it's over... keep the promise and restore a bit of trust.
The 50 companies paying these taxes testified that they wanted to keep paying the taxes to help out the people of the State of Nevada.
Mr. Sandoval tells them we don't want your money.
Headline should read:
"Mr. Sandoval pulls plug on the State of Nevada while big business offered to help save it."
This is what happens when you elect a person that refuses to provide a detailed plan, or any real plan at all to fix the problems facing our State/County/City.
People let emotions instead of common sense get in the way of making rational decisions.
Never hire a person that can not provide you with a plan to fix the problems.
Please Sandoval don't let these taxes expire. You have the businesses who pay them even saying that they don't think it's a good idea to let them expire. They are not new taxes when we have been living with them for 2 years now and even you have stated that the economy is back on its feet. Why take more out of education and give it to big businesses?
Mr. Sandoval wants to be President of the United States. All that Mr. Sandoval cares about is looking good to the far right king makers in the Republican Party. Sandoval can't can't catch the eye of the far right king makers if he is perceived as compromising on his tax pledge. Whatever becomes of Nevada is completely inconsequential to Mr. Sandoval.
I have a nightmare every night. I see Nevada in 5 years. The higher education system is destroyed, as well as K-12. The K-12 classrooms are filled with 50+ students because CCSD can't hire teachers because no teacher will move to Nevada, and the qualified substitute teachers aren't enough to fill all the vacancies. Schools are closed and standing empty. Crime rates are jumping and the visitation to the strip has dropped to record low levels. No high tech businesses have moved to Nevada and in fact, businesses are leaving because they can't find qualified workers and anybody who is qualified won't come to Nevada. Unemployment is Nevada is triple the national rate, which has dropped as the recovery has taken hold in other parts of the country. All along the strip, casinos are closing towers. The long shuttered construction projects are still waiting for completion, and more and more strip malls are empty of stores. The foreclosure rate has doubled as more and more people lose jobs or just walk away. In some blocks, the number of vacant homes outnumber the occupied ones. The population of Las Vegas has dropped by half as people leave to search for jobs. Is it a nightmare or will it become reality? I am afraid that we are well on our way to finding out, and that makes me terrified for this is my home, my children's home and my grandchildren's home. Is this the future you want for your state and city? Because if it is, you are well on your way to getting it, be careful what you wish for, you may get it. And my fellow Nevadans it may be almost impossible to fix, and if it is fixable, it may be very expensive.
If 1800 teachers are laid off, there will be about 1400 houses that go back to the bank for a total around $200 million in real estate property. Cars and boats and motorcycles will also go back to the bank.
$200 million, to a population of 2 million tax payers is a monthly payment of $8/month each for ONE YEAR ONLY. So to save Nevada tax payers $8/month for ONE YEAR ONLY, 1800 teachers will be laid off, classroom sizes will increase over 40 and education will become a travesty.
Brian Sandoval is an ideologue. That means he will pursue his political philosophy no matter how much damage is done to people, because he is "working for Nevada". I hope those cactii and lizards appreciate how hard Brian is working for them.
Bin Laden's dream the destruction of education, science and public medical care is still coming true, even in death. That's what 9/11 was about, the destruction of the economy and millions of peoples lives without firing another shot.
Ten years after, the dreams and goals of bin Laden are succeeding and gaining strength. Bin Laden is, for all practical purposes, could be the Patron Saint of the Republican Party, as they share the same goals.
Who knows the long term impact of these cuts? Will our best and our brightest leave the state never to return? How will we attract the doctors, the engineers, the leaders we need to make the state of Nevada one of the top states in the country? How do we turn around the poor track record on graduation rates, raising test scores? Is the answer increasing class size, and driving away our best and youngest teachers? Compare the test results and graduation rates from the smaller schools in the rural counties to the rates in CCSD and Washoe County. Does the data suggest that smaller class sizes and smaller schools work better than larger? Then why are we moving away from that model. Cutting expenditures without raising revenue is not the answer. You must have a balanced approach, and every day, ask yourself the same question that every teacher asks "Is it right for kids? If it is, then do it."
LVlawdog you are right on! We need to get going on a recall immediately!
Noindex you are bringing STUPID to an all time low/high!
It would be one thing if there was strong public support of allowing the taxes to sunset, but given how the entities who pay these taxes are opposed to allowing them to sunset, I think Sandoval should listen to the people of this state and re-evaluate his position.
Yes, many appreciate his fiscal stance in general, but on this issue he can safely make an exception in the name of serving the people of Nevada.
What a liberal slant in this article. The winners of letting the taxes expire are the people and small businesses. The peasants and the government employees are the only ones that don't want their taxes lowered, they don't pay any. They peasant don't pay any taxes, the government employees collect far, far more in taxes than they can ever pay.
Laughable!
There is nothing preventing these companies from voluntarily submitting the same amount that they would pay if the tax was in place. I wonder if they really feel obliged to keep paying it or are they just blowing smoke. Rescind the tax and see if they pay up. I think that everyone here knows the answer, not one penny will be voluntarily paid.
Rescind the tax and take the pressure off the small business man who is seeing his profits shrink from a back door income tax. Let the jobs come back faster.
I agree with longrun45. Nothing is stopping these companies from paying taxes anyway if they feel so community minded.
@sunjon: you put Bin Laden is this conversation about taxes and say that he's the patron of repubs. Typical name calling liberal, you bud are an a$$
I can see it all now - they'll submit the extra tax money voluntarily and then write it off as a 'charitable contribution'.
Great point made, Anthony!
If those "on the list of top 50 beneficiaries testified Wednesday in favor of extending the taxes that will otherwise sunset on June 30," really felt bad and they feel it's their citizen duty to help Nevada in this economic crisis, then they SHOULD VOLUNTEER TO PAY TAXES!
Yes, they don't enjoy the bad PR of late, goes to show what is being said about them is being read, heard, and taken to heart. But alas, these are empty words to deflect the rage citizens have and are developing towards them. Blowing smoke, yep, big time.
Prediction, Legislature will send a bill to Governor to extend sunsets. Sandoval will veto and it will not get enough votes to over ride the veto.
Please note the assumption in every lefties comment that the money a company (or person) earns somehow belongs to government and, out of the goodness of its heart, the government will "allow" a portion of it to be retained. Wynn will "save" $3 million, my foot! They and every other NV company have had their earnings confiscated by the tax & spend crowd in Carson City for 2 years and now, surprise, the parasitic class wants to make it permanent. What else could we expect of a parasitic class that lives off the hard work and ingenuity of others?
Every person who commented on here to support taxes should voluntarily pay more taxes. If you personally are not willing to pay more taxes, then don't ask/demand companies (who produce tax paying jobs) to pay more.
Maybe ALL should be taxed the SAME FLAT TAX RATE - I'd go for that! Fair is Fair - as an example - why does a single person get taxed at a higher rate than a married person? Don't both have the same needs - food, clothing, housing,utilities etc etc? And please, I don't want to hear about the 'married' person having kids.... they get additional tax exemptions for those kids, not to mention many single people have kids too (but that would have them filing as 'head of household' if they are the ones claiming the kids). All in all - EVERYONE needs to be taxed fairly and EQUALLY... and about those 'jobs' these companies produce?? Jobs overseas don't do the citizens of THIS country any good.... If they're gonna get additional tax breaks to produce jobs I'd say the first requisite would need to be that the jobs being produced are in THIS country and held by LEGAL citizens....
Corporations only promise is to make more profit for shareholders. They testified to keep taxing them because it is good for the corporations bottom line. It puts a better light on them.Makes them look sympathetic.
@smartone - "The deal that the Republicans who voted for the increase in '09 was that they were to sunset in '11... I think most were hoping we'd be a bit better off than we are now, but a "deal's a deal". It was a temporary boost... it's over... keep the promise and restore a bit of trust."
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Kind of like bush's 10-yr. tax cuts for the uber wealthy not being sunsetted, huh? Instead, the republic party held needed things like first responder assistance, unemployment assistance, etc. hostage until they got their way to extend them. Kind of like that "deal's a deal"? You don't see your hypocrisy?
You cons really are not the brightest bulbs in the box, are you?
if the taxes expire..the 50 companies can easily write a check to the state for what their taxes would be if they want to help the state....
And the people?
Ah, let them eat cake!
Maybe the State of Nevada shouldn't tax all these corporation, they should just buy their stocks and call it and collect the profits.