No new taxes, even on the wages of sin

The great state of Nevada may be desperate for cash, but not so desperate that it will tax pot or prostitution to make ends meet.

Proposals for new taxes on marijuana and prostitution are just two of the citizen-generated ideas lawmakers and Gov. Jim Gibbons have decided not to include on the agenda for an upcoming special session of the Legislature.

That's despite a budget shortfall estimated at $887 million and assertions that "everything is on the table" when it comes to balancing the state budget without further cuts to education and services for the state's seniors and mentally ill. Other controversial proposals from citizens include replacing incarceration with treatment for nonviolent offenders, changing death sentences to life in prison to reduce litigation costs and allowing illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses.

"I know we are in difficult times here. But at the same time I don't want to change everything just because we are in difficult times," said Assemblyman Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas.

Denis was one of more than 20 state legislators who participated in a Feb. 13 meeting with citizens that lasted nearly eight hours. The meeting gave the public a chance to offer their ideas to solve the state's budget crisis. More than 600 people showed up to give input. Citizens also contributed ideas during a meeting of the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee on Thursday.

In addition to many calls for higher taxes on the mining and gambling industry, there were calls to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana and add Clark County to the list of places where prostitution is legal and could generate tax revenue.

"It could provide huge amounts of money in this state," real estate investor Ed Uehling told the legislators Feb. 13. Immigration lawyer Vicenta Montoya suggested allowing illegal immigrants to apply for driver's licenses, a move she says would make money for the state and prompt many of today's unlicensed immigrant drivers to buy insurance.

"This is a consumer issue," she said. Attorney JoNell Thomas suggested putting an end to the death penalty because, she says, it could reduce litigation costs by $500,000 to $2 million per case when compared to life-in-prison sentences.

"End the incredible expense of the death penalty and let's put that money to good use," Thomas said.

Assemblyman Joe Hogan, D-Las Vegas, has doubts enough of his colleagues support shaking up the status quo to pressure legislative leaders and the governor to include citizens' unconventional ideas on the special session agenda.

"Some of these convention-breaking ideas, in order to be acceptable, need a little time in the public mind, a little time in the Legislature to get people accustomed to it," Hogan said.

Hogan, however, says even unconventional ideas are worth exploring.

"I think the prostitution one is probably a lot harder to get the public to agree with. I have a feeling we may be, pretty much, ready for marijuana," he said.

Assemblyman John Hambrick, R-Las Vegas, said he, too, is willing to consider unconventional ideas such as taxing prostitution.

"I'm not sure that is a legitimate method to raise money. But if the legal brothel industry is going to step forward I'll listen to them," he said.

He was more skeptical that eliminating the death penalty would save money.

"I think you have to have some penalties, some consequences for some very egregious actions," Hambrick said.

Contact Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.

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Comments

Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

1. Independent Feb. 23, 2010 | 2:27 p.m. Report Abuse

   "Religion has no place in government"
   
   Okay, stealing, lying, cheating, and murder should be legal now, because we wouldn't want religion to influence government.
   
   I reject the premise that an opinion based on religious belief has no place in the democratic process. An opinion is an opinion, no less valid than yours.

2. term2 Feb. 23, 2010 | 8:38 a.m. Report Abuse

   I just don't see why there is so much animosity towards sex and marijuana. Here we are in a depression, and the county is getting all virtuous by stopping people from doing what they want to do in Vegas at clubs like Prive.
   
   What do they think people come to the middle of the desert for?
   
   As to marijuana, its proven over and over that restricting drugs just empowers the mob, increases prices of the drugs, and INCREASES not decreases crime.
   
   Allowing marijuana use and relaxing the restrictions on prostitution and sex in general would result in a BOOM here.
   
   Why not do it? Religion has no place in government.

3. Brittanicus Feb. 22, 2010 | 4:34 p.m. Report Abuse

   E-Verify is becoming a nationally known removal symbol, that the federal government introduced against unscrupulous employers who hire illegal labor. Most Liberal Democrats and even Republicans have tried to use their influence, to hide it from public attention. In partnership with certain members of our corrupt government, unions, the church and other groups sympathetic to the illegal alien cause or plain money economics, have used deceit, under funding or the off-switch, to dispose of the computer application. Sen. Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi was the epitome of deception and nearly managed to table it in the Senate. Like any law that trespasses on business profits, E-Verify has been ascertained as full of errors and was worthless. It might have been to the advantage of pariah companies, but not to the 15 million Americans out-of-work. I'm an Independent, but I have thrown my lot in with the tea-baggers, hoping to rid the political parties of raw CORRUPTION.
   
   Think on this! We are told we don't have the money to deport the 20 to 30 million already here? But states like SANCTUARY CALIFORNIA and across our nation, seem to locate the money for education, free health care treatment, prisons and a hundred and one hidden subsidies, that are denied to American's poor in many instances. Time and again, you will read that the PC run program is derogatory to citizens and green card holders alike, when if a E-Verify job applicant is rejected he can assert his rights at the Social security building in his community. SIMPLY STATING THAT NOBODY WITH INELIGIBLE DOCUMENTATION, WILL STAY AT A DISTANCE FROM THE SSA OFFICES. This is obviously not spelled out in the liberal press, associated websites or even negative bloggers comments. The Fact is they don't want to divulge the truth, to the general

4. Brittanicus Feb. 22, 2010 | 4:33 p.m. Report Abuse

   YOU THE TAXPAYER ARE FORKING OUT THE BILLIONS? SO YOU SHOULD GOOGLE THE TRUTH AND FIND OUT WHERE YOUR TAXES ARE GOING? While you about it, research SMARTBUSINESSESPRACTICES. dot.com. NUMBERSUSA.dot.com and read about the WASHINGTON AND STATE CORRUPTION AT JUDICIAL WATCH. dot. org
   
   At the same time call those phonies at the Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121 and ask them why are they trying to sell us on another AMNESTY, when the last one was never enforced. At the same time asked them why they have cut-back on ICE raids or why Janet Napolitano isn't doing her Homeland Security (HSC) job properly and evidently listening to open border lobbyists. HS chief has deliberately cut funding for the State, county and city police training programs, so they can arrest illegal aliens and send them home. In addition E-Verify has been recommended in the future to unmask illegal immigrant fraudulent mortgages and loan restructuring, transportation drivers licenses, vehicle registrations, insurance and health care.irregularities. It could also be used to detect illegal aliens voting in our elections as well. Our country is overrun by not just job seeking illegals, but hardened gangs and a list of habitual criminals who have run rampant.
   
   Be ready to deflate these tired old wealthy legislators brought and sold, beginning with the mid-term elections. PUBLIC UPROAR IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THINGS DONE? American jobs for American people. One flag--One language. No Copyright. Copy and Paste. Watch for illegal aliens voting in--NEVADA--this 2010.

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