As long as Gov. Gibbons sticks to his no new taxes pledge, voters in 2008 will likely have a very clear choice on their hands in 2008 when it comes to legislative races.
Ronald Reagan won two national landslide elections running on a limited government platform. He reminded the nation that “government is not the solution to our problems; government IS the problem.” Last November’s election showed that America hasn’t changed much in this regard over the past quarter-century. A post-election survey showed that 64 percent of voters still want smaller government with fewer services and lower taxes.
That will come as no real surprise to Nevadans. The overriding contrast between Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Gibbons and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Dina “Taxes” last year was that Titus would cost us money and Gibbons would save us money.
Nevada voters went with the guy who promised not to raise their taxes - much to the consternation of the professional political class, meaning Democrats, big-government Republicans, “compassionate conservatives,” most of the mainstream media, government bureaucrats and the army of Carson City lobbyists who get paid to bring home the bacon for their clients.
But not only has Gibbons said no to higher taxes for highway projects, he’s proposed a credible alternative - unlike Republican legislators in 2003 who voted “no” on that $833 million tax hike but failed to offer a comprehensive plan to cut spending instead. They wanted to eat their cake and have it, too. Gov. Gibbons is acting much more responsibly.
The governor’s “radical” plan to fund highway construction is based on a very simple concept: Taxes don’t rise if you just prioritize. Like families on a fixed paycheck, the No New Taxes governor put forward a plan to use future excess room tax revenue currently earmarked for less critical “needs” at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and redirect that money to areas of greater priority. In other words…roads.
Politically, here’s how this could play out: Democrats, with a handful of moderate Republicans, will likely pass some twisted, convoluted “bi-partisan” monstrosity of a plan which will include some level of higher taxes for highway construction. Gov. Gibbons will then veto the bill. Which the Democrats will probably override. And Nevadans will get hit with higher taxes…again. The mainstream media will gleefully label Gibbons a “loser.”
But this “loser” will then be able to go into next year’s campaign season waving a Reaganesque “banner of no pale pastels but bold colors.” The governor will be able to say he promised not to raise taxes and that he kept his promise - but Democrats did what Democrats always do and raised ‘em anyway. And, he’ll tell voters, the only way to keep them from costing us money again in 2009 is to elect more Republicans to the Legislature.
Even though you can’t always get what you want, if Gibbons commits the full weight and prestige of his office to that purpose, he just might find he’ll get what he needs.
Posted on May 13th, 2007 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada
Give credit where it is due, this is the Sheldon Adelson plan. Gibbons is just the lap dog mouth piece. Makes one wonder about that incident in the garage now. It doesn’t take a child to understand that politicians are bought and paid for these days.
About the plan, Sheldon did a good job.