SHERMAN FREDERICK: More taxes for Nevadans? - Opinion

PRINT THIS Popular

Jun. 17, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

SHERMAN FREDERICK: More taxes for Nevadans?

I'm NOT with stupid

SHERMAN FREDERICK
MORE COLUMNS

When it comes to deep thoughts on public policy, the Las Vegas Sun's Brian Greenspun is, with no room for dispute, the Paris Hilton of Nevada's brain trust.

Consider his whimpering at the end of the 2007 Nevada Legislature, which adjourned this month without passing any new taxes on residents. Like Paris when she was hauled back to jail, Brian stamped his feet, cried for his mommy and sobbed: "It isn't fair!"

Most Popular Stories

EDITORIAL: A pre-9/11 approach to terror

LETTERS: Public-sector workers are still doing well

LETTERS: Harry Reid: Working hard for all Americans

VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Barefooted, gun-toting hayseeds?

LETTERS: Senator just trying to kiss up to Harry Reid

EDITORIAL: 'That's the ticket!'

LETTERS: A giant octopus threatens rural Nevada

EDITORIAL: The time is right

LETTERS: America should try terrorists in open court

EDITORIAL: Religious freedom

A typical Greenspun column makes about as much sense as the ending of "The Sopranos." But in his rant of June 3, Brian's basic premise could not have been more clear: "Stupid, stupid Nevadans! Pay more taxes! Waaa! Waaa! Waaa!"

In fact, this is a recurring theme with the Sun. Greenspun is a mindless advocate for increasing just about any tax you can name. (Although he did oppose the creation of a levy on country club dues -- I kid you not). Jack up the gasoline tax? Just do it. Tear up the Nevada Constitution and create a state income tax? Beautiful. Tax the bejabbers out of homeowners and businesses? Yippie-ki-yay, my friend.

And, in the mind of Brian, why, oh why, won't the Legislature and the governor do these things? Because the big, bad ol' anti-tax Las Vegas Review-Journal maintains a Svengali hold on the minds of Nevada politicians and voters.

Where should a rebuttal to this lunacy begin?

Let's start with this: Nevada is a good place. This is so because the first instinct of a long line of Nevadans has been not how to tax the living hell out of people, but how to spread and lighten the tax load while still achieving the things that make our state better. We start with the basics (public safety, roads, education) and then move to other priorities only as growth and better management allow.

The idea that Nevadans are somehow escaping taxation is baloney. According to the Tax Foundation, Nevada ranks fifth in the percentage of individual income confiscated by local, state and federal taxes, trailing only the big-government paradises of Connecticut, New York, the District of Columbia and New Jersey.

If my esteemed colleague spent more time in Las Vegas and less time at his house in Malibu, Calif., he might remember this.

As for casting the Review-Journal as the chief advocate of efficient government and lower taxes, Brian unwittingly pays this newspaper a high compliment.

But the real point, which apparently will come to Brian like a news flash, is this: For some two years, the Sun has been distributed with the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Every day for the past 630 days, he's enjoyed the opportunity to expound his world view to the readership of the largest newspaper in the state. In literally hundreds of editorials and columns, he's had an equal chance to sell his soap.

And guess what?

Nobody's buying.

That's not because the Review-Journal hypnotizes people. Readers know what they are doing. They benefit from reading two newspapers with two different views each morning. And when they see the patronizing "I am smart, you are stupid" editorials in the Sun, they reject them.

Now look. I'm sure that when Brian goes home and talks this over with his dog and his neighbors, they'll find the idea of low taxes foreign to the discussion of community betterment. Malibu is a unique place on the political map.

But, brothers and sisters, it ain't Nevada.

Nevertheless, in the winter of his discontent, far be it from me to deny Brian an opportunity to put his money where his mouth is. After all, he says the Review-Journal is "greedy" because it pays its tax bill in full and would prefer not to pay any extra. If that's "greedy," then let me give my soft-headed colleague a chance to be "generous."

Let's create a special tax for him. Call it the Alternative Idiot Tax.

Want an AIT state income tax? Knock yourself out. How does 6 percent on the first $2 million of income and 75 percent of everything beyond that sound? Step up to the plate, big boy. The state will love your money.

How about an AIT making gasoline $7 a gallon? And heck, while we're at it, tack an extra $100 on each gallon of fuel for the private jet. That'll make those Malibu commutes to Las Vegas just a bit more satisfying.

Be a leader. Pay the idiot tax.

Or stop your Paris Hilton whining.

A new book

Many moons ago local attorney Robert Massi told me he was thinking about writing a book about how people get legally abused by "the system." He had a title in mind.

"What do you think about this title for a book?" he asked.

Because I'm a newspaper publisher and therefore used to giving anyone who will listen the benefit of my uninformed opinion, I told him: "If you have the guts to use that title, you'll sell a lot of books."

Well, for better or worse, he did it.

If you get a chance this summer, pick up a copy of "People Get Screwed All The Time." It's by a local-boy-made-good. And I think you'll enjoy it.

Sherman Frederick is publisher of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and president of Stephens Media. Readers may write him at sfrederick@ reviewjournal.com.

Share & Save

Leave Your Comment	10 Reader Comments
Terms & Conditions The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor. Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. Sherm Frederick wrote on July 01, 2007 02:55 PM: Enjoyed reading the comments. Thanks. Alicia Kittess wrote on June 19, 2007 08:06 AM: Anyone who thinks we should pay more taxes here is an idiot! If anything we should be paying less starting with a Prop. 13 amendment. A lot of money is collected and spent considering the population is only around 2 million! cas127 wrote on June 18, 2007 10:55 AM: A lot of us are very interested as to how the joint publishing agreement works between the RJ and the Sun - why doesn't the RJ ever publish a story on it? I know the agreement is pursuant to a federal statute intended to foster the "diversity" of "community" voices (Malibu-based, millionaire lefty whackos at Sun - check, Aliante pimping business interests at Sun - check). Did the RJ buy the Sun (Greenspun family fortune - check) and therefore has to publish the Sun in order to get some sort of antitrust exemption? The Sun carries very little advertising so my guess is that the RJ heavily subsidizes the Sun operations at this point, correct? Doesn't this fed-mandated gift to the Greenspuns run until something like 2030 (weary, eye rolling Sun readers, check)? Hell, if I could control a multimillion dollar publishing operation without being responsible for my profits or losses, I'd probably be a seven figure socialist too... Randy Bolton wrote on June 17, 2007 02:05 PM: Steve, I do not know what kind of family income you have. I challenge you to refuse any raises for the next ten years. If you are married, your wife must do the same. You cannot receive any income tax refunds. Your total income must be frozen at the current level. For the next 10 years you have to "control your spending" to pay for car repairs, house repairs, increased utility costs, etc. You have to refuse any and all types of aid. No Social Security, no medicare, no medicade, no food stamps - NOTHING. If you can honestly do this, then you can run for public office and tell us how to fix the roads in Clark County, etc. without any more money. Your letter is an execellent example of mindless diatribe, not intelligent discussion. And I will match my IQ with yours and day of the week. Josie wrote on June 17, 2007 09:17 AM: Sherman, I think I love you! I lived in LV for 10 years, recently returning to the Carson City-Reno area to retire. I often wished SOMEONE with a high profile bully pulpit would tell Greenspun to shut up. Your comparison to another airhead, Ms. Hilton, is apt, since niether seem to have the vaguest concept of reality. The reason we moved to Nevada, many years ago, was the western mindset and low taxes, both of which have been obliterated by the mind-numbing influx of Californians hell-bent on re-creating California in the Nevada desert. Personally, I wish Mr. Greenspun would STAY in Malibu and quit annoying Nevadans. Steve wrote on June 17, 2007 09:12 AM: Greenspun should pay a MIT instead of AIT....he's not an alternate idiot...he's the MAIN idiot...Why does he think he could sell enough newspapers to keep his business going? No one wanted to hear his extreme left-wing radical "thoughts". New taxes are NOT needed, regardless of what Greenspun and Randy Bolton think. Both of them together aren't intelligent enough to figure out that controlled spending IS needed and more taxes are NOT needed. Greenspun and Bolton should be required to give up 75% of every cent they currently have and 50% of everything they make in the future to fund education and roads in Nevada...I'm sure they'd be OK with that. linton lewis wrote on June 17, 2007 08:32 AM: Loved it, Sherm. Keep up the heat. David Layland wrote on June 17, 2007 07:13 AM: I am not a wealthy man and like most folks do not want any more money taken from me than must be. But having said that let me also say that I also believe that taxes are a necessary evil. I have tried to live my life responsible. I have no children but believe that the education of all children is important. A well educated child is usually a responsible adult. So I do not complain about property taxes. I use the roads so I do not complain about the fuel tax. If I owned a business I would not complain about the taxes for that either. The thing is that people will always want more and if we do not keep a close eye on things they will get out of hand. The RJ has been a faithful servant in its efforts to inform the public and that's way I buy from the rack and read it faithfully. I do not think Nevada's' teachers are paid enough and our roads are not in the best of shape but, I am not sure whether this is because of an insufficient tax base or the mishandling of funds by the people in charge of the money. I have lots of questions and few answers. Like, way is the Clark County School district so management top heavy. Administrators verses teachers on a four to one ratio? That can not be right? Of course we have to pay taxes but that should not mean that we must be stupid about it. In Utah they tax milk and diary products. I think that falls just short of criminal. No new taxes is a promise that should become a constitutional guarantee. Raising taxes should be done only after careful consideration. And a I think that we need to audit the state coffers every other year or so. Randy Bolton wrote on June 17, 2007 06:42 AM: Mr. Sherman, You are excellant at mud slinging but devoid of intelligent thought. Would you please tell us how you propose to pay for the the infrastructure improvements that this county needs to survive? Perhaps the RJ and the Republicans you parrot can pull money from your nether regions. For the rest of the county, new taxation is an issue that needs to be addressed intelligently, not with diatribe. Aaron wrote on June 17, 2007 04:20 AM: Thank you Mr. Frederick for pointing out just how much of a nanny-state wannabe Greenspun is. Your suggestion for an AIT for screwballs like this is excellent. Maybe that and liberal doses of Thorazine would calm the "tax the hell out of the people" attitude that Brian Greenspun has. Then again, it might not because one has to have some existence of intelligence, not to mention at least a half-functioning brain for Thorazine to have an effect.