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Sunday, April 22, 2012 | 2 a.m.
The tax battle is over. And if you don’t like state funding for education, health care or government services in general, you are on the losing side.
This fight has defined Nevada politics for at least the past decade. But recently, those in favor of higher taxes have concluded a significant revenue increase won’t get through the Legislature for the foreseeable future.
Led by Gov. Brian Sandoval, Republicans are promising to keep taxes at the current levels when the 2013 Legislature convenes. Without their support, doing anything more is impossible given the constitutional requirement that taxes pass with a two-thirds vote.
Going around the Legislature isn’t working either. A once-ballyhooed ballot initiative calling for a $1 billion business-profit tax still hasn’t been filed. More importantly, it has failed to draw the kind of broad coalition that could fund signature gathering and a public campaign.
That has spread a sense of resignation among those who believe state government and schools are underfunded. With higher taxes off the table, the pragmatists in this group have instead shifted to the more amorphous goal of “restructuring” the state tax base, in effect, laying the groundwork for more state money in the future.
Consider, for example, this statement from Sheila Leslie, a former state senator and one of the most liberal legislators: “I think the only way to get tax reform through the Legislature in the next two years is to have it be revenue neutral.”
Billy Vassiliadis, lobbyist for the Nevada Resort Association and a leading Democratic political consultant, said Republicans’ willingness to discuss “tax reform,” even if it doesn’t mean more money, is progress.
“We would welcome any step forward that seems smart, business-friendly and sensitive to constituencies served in education and health care,” he said.
Even, if it’s revenue neutral.
“If the discussion is meaningful, it’s a good place to start,” he said.
Bob Fulkerson, executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said “it’s pretty clear” that taxes won’t be raised significantly in the immediate future.
“In the short term, next session, maybe the next one, it’s almost impossible to get taxes,” he said.
Liberals’ only hope for something sooner is “if the AFL-CIO gets enough support to pass its initiative,” he said.
The AFL-CIO, the state’s largest labor organization, has been talking about an initiative petition calling for a tax on business profits. The money would be earmarked for education.
The initiative is the outgrowth of frustration with the 2011 Legislative session, when Democrats and pro-tax businesses concluded the legislative process was broken and that it was impossible to reach the two-thirds requirement to pass a tax increase.
That left the ballot as the only way to raise taxes.
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Danny Thompson said the group plans to move forward with its initiative.
But they won’t have any help or money. The mining and gaming industries, which have long called for a broad-based business tax, won’t be there. The teacher’s union, which supports the concept and certainly the funding for education, won’t sign on.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Las Vegas, said last week that he would be open to a discussion of the state’s tax structure during the session but has also reaffirmed that he won’t support additional taxes.
State Sen. Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, who will likely lead Democrats in 2013, said that for those who want more teachers in the classroom, or to restore state employees’ pay cuts, “there is no short-term solution.”
He said instead, there should be a discussion from the first day of the session on the state’s tax structure.
“There are things we can do that might be tax neutral,” he said.
Democrats and Republicans say that a solution will likely have to be bipartisan and be led by a popular governor.
Sandoval plans to run for re-election in 2014. But Sandoval is widely believed to harbor greater political ambitions that would make his support of a major tax increase less likely.
So for now, the tax fight is on hold.
Then there is no reason for the legislature to convene. Or do you think they will want to pass even more stupid laws that take money from your pocket.
Education will not be improved or reformed and we will still have a entitlement minded, dumb as rocks graduates.
To effect any change towards a positive state budget, the Nevada State Constitution must be changed. We have tax laws for the mining and gaming industries that are over 100 years old!
Times have changed, yet there has been virtually zero effective changes to reflect the growth and needs of the State of Nevada.
We need to educate the citizens of Nevada, and we need effective LAWMAKERS, who are not allied with special interests as the mining and gaming industries paying into their campaigns for election.
Every resident in the State of Nevada are suffering due to the effects of this crisis economy. We have to change the way we behave and have been doing things. Teach the People about the problems and the needed solutions towards change. That is a start. Empower their voice and vote.
Blessings and Peace,
Star
If the AFL-CIO wants higher tax they should levy a fee on their members and send it to the state treasurer. If it comes out of the business they work for it will come out of their next paycheck anyway in form of lower wage increase. Pretty dumb to bite the hand that feeds you.
Perfect, no tax increases is better for those who don't rely on the system or the liberal programs who demand we fund through taxes to further their sick immoral agenda. I for one am glad they lost and I hope never get any more money for their cause that supports or promotes their no good nothing lazy pathetic voting pool and their offspring and they all move to California where they can suck off their system and they're liked.
We have tax laws for the mining and gaming industries that are over 100 years old!
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I know that the Sun comment pages aren't exactly renown for their accuracy much of the time, but the above statement is particularly amusing in its inaccuracy.
Given that gaming was only made legal in this state in 1931, stating that the laws are more than 100 years old is rather laughable -- especially since the last tax rate change was made less than ten years ago.
And the current constitutional provisions for mining? They were put into place way back when -- in 1989. The amendment approved by voters then increased the tax to allow for the current state tax -- before then, it was a wholly local tax, with the rate equivalent to the local property tax rate.
This is about money pure and simple. Here's some data to help you decide.
In 2009, the mining industry had gross revenue of 5,800,000,000. After deductions, including some that may have not complied with state law, the net profit was 1,800,000,000. The tax paid to the state of Nevada was 48,600,000. For comparison, in 2010 gaming had the same gross revenue and paid over 425,000,000 in taxes to the state.
The state of Alaska collects a royalty of 25% on oil. Alaska currently has a 3 BILLION surplus in the state budget, and Exxon just reported record 1st quarter profits of over 10 BILLION, so the royalty payment doesn't seem to be causing the oil companies financial problems.
The Barrack annual report has just been published, and shows record profits and dividends above the record levels of 2009. This is a link to the report, you may want to look closely at pages 2, 3, and 4. http://media.lasvegassun.com/media/pdfs/............... Net earnings and profits have jumped dramatically between 2009 and 2010. Shareholders return on investment jumped from 12% in 2009 to 19% in 2010.
In 2010, the Cortez Hill mine in Nevada produced 1.14 MILLION ounces (31.6 TONS) of gold at a cost of $312 per ounce. In the first quarter of 2011, the mine produced 366000 ounces (11.4 TONS) at a cost of $220 per ounce. Nevada is one of the largest producers of gold in the world. Assuming a profit of $1000 per ounce, that amounts to a profit from one mine of $366,000,000 for one quarter. That amounts to a profit of $1,464,000,000 if production for each quarter remains the same. Of that profit, Nevada will see between $10,000,000 and $20,000,000 based on current rates. Of course, the mining industry is fairly taxed, NOT!!!!!!