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Governor: Tax increases last thing Nevada businesses need
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Craig L. Moran/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval didn't back off his vow not to raise taxes while addressing the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. » Buy this photo
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Michael Bonner, chairman of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, speaks at a chamber luncheon Wednesday at the Four Seasons. Craig L. Moran/Las Vegas Review-Journal » Buy this photo
LAS VEGAS BUSINESS PRESS
Tax increases are the last thing Nevada businesses need now, Gov. Brian Sandoval told a receptive audience Wednesday during a speech to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.
Sandoval told a packed room at the Four Seasons that he would not cause "ruin" for many of them by imposing or increasing service and franchise taxes.
"I get letters from businesses all the time that say they are working 60 to 80 hours a week, having to lay off workers and losing money," he said. "Taxes will ruin them. Tax increases are the last thing that struggling businesses and struggling individuals need."
Sandoval also said he won't raise taxes on mining, even though the industry has long been a target for such increases. He pointed to the struggles in Northern Nevada and other rural parts of the states.
"Some rural counties have a higher foreclosure rate than we do," Sandoval said.
Nevada faces as much as a $3 billion budget shortfall, leading to calls by some to change the state's low-tax structure. Sandoval promised to save money in other areas.
"We trimmed $1.6 billion in spending from various departments in state government," he said.
Reforming the Public Employees Retirement System, or PERS, has long been a chamber goal and Sandoval sent his business constituents the message they wanted to hear.
"My understanding is that PERS is an $8 (billion) or $9 billion unfunded liability that Nevada can't afford," he said. Sandoval said benefits reform must start with the new employees hired by the state.
"Eighty percent of our members are small businesses, and more taxes will put a huge burden on them," Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Chairman Michael Bonner said after the speech.
Sandoval's proposed educational reforms have set off a firestorm of protests among teachers' unions and their supporters, but he didn't back down from his harsh criticism of the state's educational system.
He called Nevada's low ranking in many national categories "unacceptable."
Economic development entities will also "be held accountable" for Nevada's future success, or failure, in diversifying the economy.
Sandoval is proposing to eliminate the Nevada Commission on Economic Development and implementing a coalition made of members of both the private and public sectors.
He invited small businesses to take part in his economic revival efforts, and emphasized their importance.
"Seventy percent of the jobs will be generated by you -- all of you in this room," he told the crowd.
Contact reporter Valerie Miller at vmiller@ lvbusinesspress.com or 702-387-5286.
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Well said Lazzio. What happend to shared responsibility. Sandoval plan tax the working class but let the millionaires keep adding to their bank accounts..
Sandoval plan is to tax EVERYONE - university students @ 73%, regular students @ 9%, teachers at 5%, state workers @5%, Cities and counties at a MUCH higher lever...... As long as he keeps his promise to the mining and casino industries NOT to Tax them.... That's why they got him all the money to get elected...
It's sad that people are blind enough not to see that these are TAX Increases to the people of the State of Nevada.... where these cost should be shared by EVERYONE.... including mining and casinos.... EVERYONE....
The Left is just stuck in their socialist utopia of tax and spend big government provider of all things.
Opposes taxes except for public employee and retirees. How else are we to understand a 5% pay cut? Tax public employees GOOD; tax billionaires BAD.
So, if Nevada takes a tiny bit of the value of the silver that the Canadian Corporations remove from Nevada, they will leave it in the ground, pick up their marbles and go home?
Isn't that what Palin is so very proud of doing to the oil companies in Alaska?
Now, while the price of silver has literally skyrocketed in the past two years, please tell us how many more employees they have added.
As a small Nevada business owner for 21 years I have seen the gamut of the economy,and Unemployment Taxes, Workers Compensation, Social Security Tax, Business Tax, Employee Tax, Sales Tax, fees, and fees and more fees. If they would have hit me with one more without giving me something in return there may have been a boarded up commercial property here. My gross last year was exactly the same as my net the previous year. I also work well over 40 hours per week, some of the time for little or nothing. I realize the cushy lifestyle of our Nevada State, city, or county employees; I even tried without success to become one twice. I encouraged my daughter to get an AGS so she could get one because she would never worry about her job.
Sandoval statements of taxes hurting business is downright untrue. Just look at the front page article in Monday's RJ. "But companies aren't sticking strickly with increased pay to bolster employee morale." "Only 5.4 MIGHT cut pay" "Only 10.3 MIGHT cut staff" "Company barbecues have helped employees." "and gave her staffers off the week with pay" "allowing pets in the office, have proven especially popular." That would be your tax breaks working for you. I wonder how the luxury suites at the Thomas and Mack are working out. The tax savings given to business was suppose to create more jobs. With unemployment going up. Corporate profits going up even faster. Standard and Poors statement showed profit margins for American companies are at record levels. The facts are undisputed. Tax breaks in Nevada don't work for business. Trickle down theory is a joke. It was more play money for their perks and enjoyment. Stop the nonsense and tax the greedy business community, If they don't like it, leave. Some other company will step in and take the good profit available. No business is going to leave, just like Illinois raised their taxes. No companies left, get real. Sandoval is just the Republican Corporate Puppet. Just like the other six Republican governors of the states with the highest unemployment. All seven Conservative Governors are cutting education. Just following the party line. The states that are doing well with low unemployment, are not cutting education. Their economies are growing. What a concept. Money into education grows the economy. Only a fool would say money means nothing. Of course Alvin is that fool.
After working hard as usual for 12 hours day to try succeed in business, I must agree with headline!
Alvin, Bad choice using Massachusetts as an example. The state grew its population while others decreased in the Northeast. Texas a low tax state grew by 4.2 million people in the last decade. The lone star state even grew last year as Nevada decreased, must be the weather huh? People like education and other state services.. even if there are no "Wynns", "MGM Grands" or "Caesars Palace" They do not have Sharon Angle and Alvin and the Chipmunks..that must count for everything?
Sandoval is for small business, really. Just the facts please. The taxes imposed on business from the special session last year are due to expire. Governor has said that he will not support those taxes. Ok, Brian got it. One problem from that legislation. The corporations get the tax break, but small business get back their taxes. See the bill imposed taxes on corporations, but gave a nice break to small business. Now Brian has taken that break away. Just the facts. Reality is Sandoval is screwing small business. You betcha.