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Mar. 08, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Gibbons opposed adding surveyors

Lawmaker says public's health jeopardized

By BRENDAN RILEY
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Jim Gibbons
Governor's spokesman dismisses finger-pointing about health surveyor staffing

CARSON CITY -- Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons, who says he wants an all-out effort to prevent clinic practices linked to a hepatitis C outbreak, would have more state staffers for that effort if he hadn't fought approval of additional medical surveyors last year.

As part of his anti-new tax or fee policy, Gibbons cut 10 new surveyor positions from a proposed state Bureau of Licensure and Certification budget during the 2007 legislative session.

Lawmakers challenged the first-term Republican governor, who threatened to veto any tax or fee increases, and in the end approved six new positions. That brought the division's total of surveyors, whose pay is covered by fees paid by clinics surveyed, to 49.

Even with the mid-2007 approvals, however, the bureau is running short-staffed. Thirteen surveyor positions remain vacant, although several could be filled by April. The explanation for the vacancies is the difficulty in finding qualified applicants, rather than a state hiring freeze ordered by Gibbons in response to a looming revenue shortfall.

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    • "The governor's position on not allowing these new positions was wrong during the 2007 session," said Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, who chairs a panel looking into the hepatitis C issue. "It's almost criminal that all these inspectors weren't added simply because he didn't want to raise a fee.

    "The public's health has been jeopardized because we don't have sufficient inspectors in the field," Leslie said Friday. "It's a horrifying situation."

    To get the statewide inspections done quickly, Nevada is getting help from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The first CDC staffers are due to arrive Tuesday, and more are expected later in the week.

    Gibbons spokesman Daniel Burns said of the criticism from Leslie, "As far as finger-pointing and who fought who during the 2007 legislative session, we're not even going there now. We have a problem in March 2008, and we're dealing with that now.

    "We can finger-point all we want after we take care of the health and safety of the people of the state of Nevada."

    Burns also said that "everything will be on the table" in planning to prevent any future problems with clinic practices. But, he added, "There are other ways to do that than raising taxes and fees."

    The Bureau of Licensure and Certification, in charge of inspections at outpatient clinics, has begun reviewing ambulatory surgical centers in the state.

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    Paul wrote on March 10, 2008 07:06 AM: This is illustrative of the dilemma faced by state and local governments in the western part of the country. The citizens of these states profess a love for small government yet complain bitterly when that government is unable to respond as quickly and effectively as needed to prevent a crisis. Unfortunately, you can't have it both ways. Nevada is learning that now.


    David Johann wrote on March 08, 2008 09:43 PM: Both Gibbon's wife and Chrissy Mazzeo know he's a bum.


    Bill Henderson wrote on March 08, 2008 03:58 PM: The foolish people voted the buffoon Gov. into office now everyone must deal with it. Always be careful of what you vote for you might get it and more.


    Vegas Vic wrote on March 08, 2008 03:37 PM: With all the hooha about monetary concerns I'd like to know what happened to all the money from the 2003 Screw Nevadans $833 million tax hike? This state should be ROLLING in money after THAT fiasco, yet the legislature is whining that there's no money to support the current infrastructure. Maybe if they get rid of the excesses....nah....they CAN'T do that. Who will hire their relatives and lobbyist friends if they do?


    kofi annan wrote on March 08, 2008 11:41 AM: Can I be Governor???

    This place seems like a good place to spend my retirement.


    nvkorruption wrote on March 08, 2008 10:56 AM: Regarding federal investigations:

    http://lasvegassun.com/news/2008/mar/08/feds-blitz-30-days-50-clinics/#c6035

    Today's Sun

    The beautiful thing about this is that it give the swarm of feds the opportunity to investigate corruption at all levels of Nevada officials without any specific direction officials can anticipate.

    Investigations into public corruption have been ongoing but descrete.

    A money trail and investigations into negligence should connect a lot of unexpected dots crossing over into a number of issues particularly the nevada justice system.

    Watch what happens over a few months!!!


    AC wrote on March 08, 2008 10:06 AM: I have an answer for our economic woes! It will relieve the hospital overloads and non payment problems. It will help our schools so the kids will get educated and not have to change schools because of overcrowding. It will save our jails and prisons from overcrowding. Crime will take a nose dive. Rapists and murders won't have to flee there because they will be there. Those illness's that were once gone will be gone again. The budgets for all public and private agencies won't include millions of dollars to translate. All those cities and states facing bankruptcy will find they suddenly have a surplus. Oh and lets not forget those million dollar lawsuit payments.

    The answer is simple really. Deport the illegals then have them build a wall from the mexico side of the border. Problem solved. But until then, NO MORE TAXES!


    Mark$ wrote on March 08, 2008 09:48 AM: It's the wonderful dichotomy that will be the death of us all. At the end of the day, the Republican Party stands for one thing, their fire-breathing hatred of paying taxes. Yet Republicans as individual citizens expect & demand the same level of government services, in this case the monitoring & detection of sickeningly unscrupulous business practices. So instead, we get a cracker like Jim Gibbons as our governor, and an economy imploding under $9 trillion in debt, nationally. The American mantra, "Let somebody else pay for it!" while we all go down with the Titanic ..


    Kenny wrote on March 08, 2008 09:44 AM: This is worst Governor we have ever had. He is worthless.


    Gibbons should be recalled wrote on March 08, 2008 09:43 AM: Gibbons has not shown any leadership skills. Desai was on his transition team. So I guess that means that Gibbons respects and seeks Desai' opinion. Most of Gibbons appointments have been of the same caliber as Desai.

    All Gibbons has done since he has been in office is say no new taxes. So when Nevada really starts looking like a third world county because of our roads, medical community and infrastructure we can all thank Gibbons who sat in the Govs mansion and did nothing but say no new taxes. Maybe, Nevada will start looking like Cuba. You know there needs to be a happy medium if we want to enjoy a progressive life style. If not, just freeze the taxes and board up the Governor's mansion and take Gibbons check away that will save those taxes too. Why do we need to pay him to sit up there and do nothing but say no new taxes??? We could have a recording we play every now and then to remind us, No New Taxes.


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