Budget Watch Nevada

Rarely is there good news out of Carson City during the legislative session (unless you’re a government union employee or a well-connected special interest), so I was delighted to read in today’s R-J that State Senator Bob Beers has proposed a 50% cut in the car registration tax. Hallelujah! People should be shouting from the rooftops in support of this bill. Saving you a couple hundred dollars a year is tantamount to the cost of gasoline dropping from $2.50 a gallon to $2.09 per gallon!
According to the article, “A bill introduced by state Sen. Bob Beers on Thursday would cut in half the taxes people pay when they register their motor vehicles every year.”
“Senate Bill 93 would eliminate the revenues from what is called the Basic Governmental Services Tax that now go to counties, cities and other local government agencies across the state. The equal share that goes to local school districts would remain.”
Of course the cities and counties are whining about it. Boo-hoo and sob, sob. Counties like Clark and Washoe are flush in revenues since property values skyrocketed in the last 3 years. Which means property tax revenues and real property transfer taxes skyrocketed as well.

This practical but doomed tax reduction would give us beleaguered taxpayers a refund of $281 million to spend, save, or invest the way we see fit, instead of it being given to the nanny-state know-it-alls up in Carson City. I’m sure this measure will be killed by the liberal Ds and Rs in the legislature because they know better than you how to spend your money. They want to “invest” in the “common good,” instead of what’s good for the common man.

So pick up the phone or send an email to your representative and demand your share of the $281 million they squander every year. And then two years from now, let’s go after the other half of the registration tax.