Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Sun Editorial:

Building the future

Much needs to be done in the next year to boost the state’s economy

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Gov. Brian Sandoval recently released his economic development plan for Nevada, laying out a blueprint to spur the state’s economy out of its slump.

The plan is a good outline but far from complete, and Steve Hill, the governor’s point man on the issue, acknowledges as much. In all fairness, it would be beyond any reasonable expectation to think that such a plan could be complete at this point, given that there is so much to do.

The real question is whether the governor’s office can gain traction in the next year as it creates a new framework for economic development, which has suffered through benign neglect for years. Nevada rode the economic boom with the rise of gaming and growth and paid little attention to diversifying the economy. As a result, its push for a coordinated economic development effort is far behind other states.

The governor’s plan is a welcome step forward, but it is just a step. Executing it will be difficult. Hill arguably has the toughest job in state government. He will have to bring together a variety of groups across the state to try to get them to work together to bring jobs and development here. That’s not easy in any state, but Nevada has its own issues thanks to tensions between rural and urban regions.

In comparisons with others, Nevada doesn’t stack up well in terms of amenities or services. Nevada’s low taxes have long been the selling point, but business leaders look at more than just the tax bill when they consider starting or relocating operations. And it’s no secret that Nevada is still facing a complex array of problems, including anemic academic achievement and an education system that ranks poorly among other states. For businesses, that may translate into an unsuitable workforce or discourage top talent from relocating to Nevada.

Education will have to be improved to move the economy forward, and that won’t be a quick or simple fix. Education in Nevada has deep and complex problems that the state’s political leadership has yet to adequately address.

Finding consensus in Carson City is rarely easy, and it will take political support to address the underlying problems. Overhauling the state’s economic development organization is an appropriate first move. However, although the Legislature and the governor agreed to put more oomph into the state’s efforts, it didn’t put Nevada on par with other states that have strong operations — and budgets to match. For example, in a classic moment in Nevada politics, the Legislature last year created a special account to fund research and development efforts as part of the economic development plan — but then declined to put any money in the fund.

That’s not to say money is the answer or to argue the merits of such a fund but rather to point out the strange approach politics often brings. In Nevada, the prevailing approach has been to push off the problems with a promise that they will be addressed at some vague point in the future when economic conditions are better. Those times, however, never seem to come.

That can’t be the approach anymore. Nevada has to invest in the future by taking the state’s problems seriously and dealing with them now.

The governor and Hill have their hands full trying to implement the ambitious plan. But the work isn’t theirs alone. Lawmakers, civic leaders and businesses must rally together in fixing the state’s problems and moving Nevada forward.

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