I saw nothing in the Governor's proposed cuts that addresses the collection of overpayments and other fees. For example, during the 2007 legislative session the Nevada Medicaid Administrator (Duarte) incredulously reported that "the auditor" found an $8M overpayment to Clark County. We also have overpayments in other DHHS divisions...who's going to push the Governor to address that issue? In addition, in November 2009 in a Nevada News Bureau article, there was an investigation about the credentials of some to the "leaders" in the executive branch...specifically, the Administrator of the Div of Child and Family Services. In the article, it was determined that she is clearly unqualified (no college degree) yet we are paying her over $100K per year plus benefits. Buckley and Leslie both were quoted in the article as supporting such nonsense. I'm sure the DCFS Administrator is not the only person in a leadership position who is lacking in qualification and credentials...the Governor needs to look at these issues. It's one thing to promise not to raise taxes (a philosophy about which I agree) but it's quite another to demonstrate such poor stewardship of our collective tax dollars (esp. when it comes to positions which directly impact the very lives of Nevada's most vulnerable children) which are collected and used to support social service and other Executive Branch programs. Looking at the whole picture in addressing this budget crisis is called leadership...I, for one, would like to see this Governor demonstrate some.

How is it that these proposed budget cuts do not address overpayments yet to be collected and fees which have not been collected. For example, the administrator of Nevada Medicaid and it's fiscal staff made a big "to-do" during the 2007 legislative session about an auditor finding an overpayment of $8M to Clark County...has that $8M overpayment been collected yet? And we have all heard about all the overpayments and fees left uncollected by various state agencies...I saw none of those issues addressed in the Governor's proposed cuts. Why is the Governor's office ignoring this money yet to be collected? Tell state workers to do quit belly aching about salary cuts and lay offs and get out there and do their jobs...go after these big bucks!!

The Governor is taking a hit for our current fiscal woes. Unfortunately, some of our woes are his fault and his alone. He has spent his political capital supporting the good ol' boy system about which most of us who live in Nevada are keenly aware. For example, he has allowed some in "leadership" positions to remain there because of their political connections (see: Administrator of DCFS who did not complete high school but is married to the Governor's good friend, Perry Comeaux, and who's over $100K annual salary is being paid by all of the taxpaying citizenry...this, while children are dying and languishing in the foster care system and the state is facing a potentially multi-million dollar class action lawsuit as a result). I, for one, don't mind at all paying highly qualified and competent professionals entirely their worth...but asking state employees to take a hit when the Governor refuses to hire the best available for these positions is both an insult and wrong-headed. Hire the best there is out there, work on developing and implementing cost-effective, customer service centered, effacious programs, and I suspect we as taxpayers will support you, Governor Gibbons. Otherwise, you're on your own.

Why are none of you making a stink about the Governor's allowing a high school drop out to be the Administrator of the Division of Child and Family Services...with a salary of over $100K per year, kindly paid for by the taxpayers? It seems with children dying, the state facing a probable multi-million dollar class action lawsuit for all the child deaths DCFS failed to prevent, and us taxpayers not only having to pay a totally unqualified candidate for the DCFS Administrator's position (and also a "child welfare consultant" salary of over $50K for approximately 2 months of work to cover for the lack of qualifications in that Administrator) this tourism appointment would be considered small potatoes. The Governor and his cronies either need to do the right thing or they need to get out!

Why isn't anyone making a stink about him allowing a high school drop out to be the Administrator of the Division of Child and Family services and having taxpayers support her salary of over $100K per year? Then allowing that same Division Administrator to hire a child welfare consultant (to the tune of over $50,000 for approximately 2 months of work) to be the shadow administrator of DCFS to cover for her lack of qualifications or credentials? Budget crisis? It's a farce...and all while children are dying and the state is facing a class action lawsuit for those deaths. Gibbons and his cronies need to either do the right thing or they need to go.

Why is no one asking how government/executive branch staff can support cutting $2M from a needed service but seem to not be able to make state employees do their work and cut costs in order to keep the program going. We need to demand more of our state workforce...we need to hire the best available then hold them accountable to do their jobs...that's the real problem with the Department over which Mr. Willden has oversight...it's culture is all about go along to get along, cronism, and excuses. This is what we have witnessed in the child death class action lawsuite, the Hep C debacle, the inability of our early interveniton programs to meet federal standards, the Medicaid program being overspent and poorly managed, etc. etc. etc. As taxpayers, this should be inexcusable to all of us. Mr. Willden, we demand better from you and from those over whom you are responsible.