Home manage Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue

Opinion


EDITORIAL: Stacked deck

No taxpayer advocates on tax panel

Is it too much to ask that just one of the 19 Nevadans nominated to the state's latest tax study group be a champion of taxpayer interests, economic liberty and limited government?

Judging from the list of people picked to serve in the group, the answer is a resounding yes.


Most Popular Stories
  • J.C. WATTS: Bad dog food for the Democrats
  • EDITORIAL: Leaving Las Vegas -- alone
  • VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Exposing the 'secure our borders' lie
  • LETTERS: President delivers another blow to Las Vegas
  • THOMAS MITCHELL: The audacity of hypocrisy
  • LETTERS: Mayor doesn't deserve to be labeled a 'racist'
  • LETTERS: Death of Yucca Mountain not worth a news release?
  • LETTERS: Suspend sports, reorganize district to save money
  • EDITORIAL: Hiking permits
  • LETTERS: Yucca Mountain presents an opportunity




  • A legislative subcommittee selected a limited range of representatives to recommend changes to Nevada's tax code. Their collective charge, in working with a contracted research firm, is to "review proposals for broad-based taxes which are fair and equitable" and "develop a quality of life vision" for Nevada for the next 20 years, according to the resolution establishing the study. Its proposals will be forwarded to the 2011 Legislature.

    Among those chosen to repeat the work of previous tax study panels: former Washoe County School District Superintendent Paul Dugan; Brian Rippett of the state teachers union; Cedric Williams of the North Las Vegas Fire Department; Washoe County Manager Katy Simon; and Susan Rhodes of the National Association of Social Workers.

    The only reason to stack the study group with so many tax consumers is to make sure they ask for more taxes to consume. It's telling that this panel has not been specifically directed to achieve a revenue-neutral restructuring of Nevada's tax code -- that after recommending new, "fair and equitable" broad-based taxes, they must suggest an equivalent decrease in other taxes or the elimination of some levies entirely. It's also telling that they've been told their ideas for new taxes -- taxes that will hit more individuals and employers amid a desolating economic downturn -- will correlate to an improvement in our collective quality of life.

    Who are these people to decide that taking more of our money for themselves will improve our quality of life? Teachers union officials, firefighters, local government bureaucrats and social workers have no expertise on tax policy and its effects on private-sector investment and job creation.

    Yes, lawmakers also selected a handful of gaming and business figures to the study group, but not nearly enough to match the interests of bigger government. Considering the handful of tax increases that have won voter approval over the past decade were close decisions, at least six or seven study group members should be inclined to ask some obvious questions about their charge.

    Why does the state need a new tax structure when the existing one allowed government budgets to grow faster than Nevada's population for 20 years? Why are so many states that have "broad-based taxes" like personal and corporate income levies dealing with budget problems as bad as Nevada's?

    Nevada's public-sector budget woes are rooted in this lingering recession, years of over-spending on new programs and unsustainable wage and benefit increases for government workers. And there is no "fair and equitable" tax structure that can supply steady increases in revenue when the economy tanks.

    But those perspectives clearly won't be popular when the unelected members of this study group begin their deliberations.

    Newsvine Digg Fark Technorati reddit StumbleUpon del.icio.us Slashdot Propeller Mixx Furl Twitter MySpace Facebook Google Bookmarks Yahoo! Bookmarks Windows Live Favorites Ask MyStuff myAOL Favorites

    Leave Your Comment 12 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.
    Current Word Count:

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

    Helen Weils has Paranoid Personality Disorder wrote on November 22, 2009 06:07 PM: Helen Weils, with Paranoid Personality Disorder, like all personality disorders, has serious cognitive processing impairment.

    "HERE'S A COMMON SENSE QUESTION:
    WHY DO THEY SEND A FIRE ENGINE EVERYTIME
    THEY SEND AN AMBULANCE???"

    Because in life / death emergencies the lacky transport meat wagon drivers need real EMT supervision before letting someone die or transporting a stubbed toe to the ER.

    WHY CAN'T BUSINESS GO TO PRIVATE AMBULANCES?

    Because, as we have seen in the current health-care crisis, private companies are completely untrustworthy, and we are tired of giving all our money to the investor class, as the middle-class shrinks and the working poor grow in numbers.

    WHY ARE WE PAYING FOR ALL OF THIS?
    EXACTLY WHAT BENEFITS DO I GET FROM PAYING FOR WELFARE AND FOODSTAMPS?

    It's so you don't have emaciated childred dying on the street in front of your front door.

    WHAT BENEFIT DO I GET FOR ALLOWING ILLEGALS TO RAPE OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS INCLUDING FLYING INTO THIS COUNTRY TO
    HAVE THEIR BABIES?

    Ask the fathead Republicons. If they wanted to undo illegal immigration there would be prison for every FATHEAD REPUBLICON who ever hired an illegal.

    WHY ARE WE ALLOWING BUREAUCRATS TO RUIN OUR LIVES? EXTORT MONEY AND SEND US THE BILL?

    That's because you are are a Republicon. Please re-read the message above for better understanding.

    BUT HELEWIELSHASAPERSONALITYDISORDERANDISBEYONDREASON.


    Anthony Wright wrote on November 22, 2009 04:50 PM: This band of looters must be stopped.

    They are like vultures picking at the caucus of a dead animal, thinking they can heal it into producing more food.

    The people are not represented on this board and as such is, it nothing more than a bunch of thieves that need to be charged with armed robbery. They have no orders to do this “fact finding” and are an illegal body, spending the people’s money.


    HELEN WEILS wrote on November 22, 2009 04:31 PM: HERE'S A COMMON SENSE QUESTION:
    WHY DO THEY SEND A FIREENGINE EVERYTIME
    THEY SEND AN AMBULANCE???
    WHY CAN'T BUSINESS GO TO PRIVATE AMBULANCES?
    WHY ARE WE PAYING FOR ALL OF THIS?
    EXACTLY WHAT BENEFITS DO I GET FROM PAYING FOR WELFARE AND FOODSTAMPS?
    WHAT BENEFIT DO I GET FOR ALLOWING ILLEGALS TO RAPE OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS INCLUDING FLYING INTO THIS COUNTRY TO
    HAVE THEIR BABIES?
    WHY ARE WE ALLOWING BUREAUCRATS TO RUIN OUR LIVES? EXTORT MONEY AND SEND US THE BILL?

    SOMETHING HAS GOT TO CHANGE. AND OBAMA ISN'T IT.


    HELEN WEILS wrote on November 22, 2009 04:25 PM: THE RHINOS AND DUMMYCRATS WHO SUCK UP TO THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNIONS ARE THEMSELVES PUBLIC EMPLOYEES.
    THE FOX IS IN THE HENHOUSE DOING AS HE PLEASES AND WE ARE THE CHICKENS.
    TIME TO BAN THE PUBLIC UNION EMPLOYEES
    FROM THE LEGISLATURE. THEY ARE BLOOD SUCKING VAMPIRES WHO WILL NEVER STOP UNTIL WE ARE DEAD.
    THE UNIONS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN NEVADA'S BIGGEST PROBLEM. THEY ARE, AFTER ALL, NOTHING BUT THUGS.
    ALLOWING THEM TO VOTE THEMSELVES RAISES
    AND BENEFITS IS CRIMINAL BY SITTING IN THE LEGISLATURE THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE DOING.


    Gas Passer wrote on November 22, 2009 12:50 PM: Not only will this stacked deck of tax and spend advocates who will find new ways to tax, fee, and fine the citizens, there is something else that will raise state taxes.

    According to Dick Morris, Obamacare Will Trigger Huge State Tax Hikes....where the governors will get the blame for the Obamacare tax hikes!

    Here is a quote from Dick Morris article.

    "Anxious to avoid raising taxes too much to pay for their healthcare proposals, the Obama administration and its congressional allies hit on a great new idea: Make the states raise their taxes to fund the program instead."

    To read this taxing Dick Morris article....go here.

    http://www.newsmax.com/morris/Obamacare_tax_hikes/2009/11/20/289211.html


    Tim wrote on November 22, 2009 12:03 PM: Go figure,a tax committee put together by the tax and spend crowd.
    That would funny if it was'nt so scary.

    Kinda like the foxes union wanting control over the henhouses.
    If they want to steal our money, at least they could find a more creative or less outrageous way to do it.

    This is what we get when idiots vote and gov.unions take over our cities and states.It NEVER ends!


    FED UP wrote on November 22, 2009 08:28 AM: Like I have been saying, Wake up Nevada and do not elect a single politician that will raise your or your boss's taxes in 2010!!! That will ensure their findings on having to raise any taxes moot.


    Hard Times wrote on November 22, 2009 08:08 AM: This sure isn't a big surprise. It's been going on for decades. Clark County always stacks its "citizen advisory committees" full of self-serving "stakeholders," a.k.a. "special interests."

    Years ago Nevada lawmakers made sure corporations, unions, governments, and just about every other "special interest" had "free speech" in political campaigns. "Free," of course, for those who can afford to make their contributions.

    Take a look at how "Person" is defined in the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS):

    NRS 294A.009 “Person” defined. “Person” means:

    1. A natural person;

    2. Any form of business or social organization;

    3. Any nongovernmental legal entity, including, without limitation, a corporation, partnership, association, trust, unincorporated organization, labor union, committee for political action, political party and committee sponsored by a political party; or

    4. A government, governmental agency or political subdivision of a government.

    (Added to NRS by 1983, 1373; A 1985, 514; 1997, 239)

    http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-294A.html#NRS294ASec007

    We get the government we deserve, don't we? Let's hear some chatter about this problem, R-J. It's the root of most inequities in local and state government.


    PAUL wrote on November 22, 2009 08:04 AM: MYWIFE AND I MOVED TO NEVADA AFTER WE RETIRED BECAUSE OF ITS TAX STRUCTURE. IF NEVADA ENACTS AN INCOME TAX, WE ARE RELOCATING TO TEXAS OR FLORIDA, WHERE WE HAVE RESIDED IN THE PAST. AND BELIEVE ME, WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS VIEW.


    Bill wrote on November 22, 2009 08:02 AM: The bloodsuckers will decide that they need new "revenue sources". Shhhhh. Don't say the "T" word out loud.

    More spending. More goodies. More handouts. More free lunches (for some).

    Maybe just a veeeeerrrrrrry small income tax, you know, guaranteed not to be over 1%, kinda like the first national income tax was guaranteed? Just on the ultra rich? Sure. Just wait.


    Read All Comments