“Speaker Barbara Buckley has submitted four possible choices to the governor for his government efficiency panel - he will choose two of them,” writes Jon Ralston in Flash on Thursday. “They are: Ex-Assemblyman David Goldwater, Harrah’s executive Jan Jones and former United Way chief Garth Winckler. Oh, and the last one shows Buckley’s devilish sense of humor: Former Gov. Kenny Guinn.”
Devilish sense of humor maybe, but Gov. Gibbons should take the suggestion of naming former Gov. Guinn to the SAGE Commission as seriously as a heart attack.
First, no one - but NO ONE - at least as far as elected officials are concerned, knows the state budget better than Kenny Guinn. No one.
While far from being a slash-and-burn fiscal hawk like yours truly, Guinn will be able to tell members of the commission at the drop of a hat what problems there might be in trying to cut here or “efficiencize” there - especially when it comes to matters dealing with federal matching funds.
Secondly, Guinn was one of the only elected officials in the state with the courage to call for absolutely necessary changes in the government employee pension and health care benefits before they bankrupt the state. This is something which absolutely, positively HAS to be in the mix of recommendations coming out of the SAGE Commission if anyone is to take the SAGE Commission seriously.
Thirdly, Guinn had some significant successes while in office making government more efficient and less expensive, particularly in his efforts to privatize the workers compensation system. Been there, done that. Not as much as I would have liked, but hey, no one elected ME governor.
But maybe more importantly than all of that, Gov. Gibbons - embroiled in a messy budget crisis along with a messy divorce - desperately needs to show the world that he realizes he needs to make some serious changes in the way he’s done business the first year and a half of his administration and that things will run better from here on out.
What better way to signal that his changes in attitude and changes in latitude are real and not politically contrived than to bury the hatchet and reach out to Gov. Guinn - with whom he’s had a chilly, to say the least, relationship for years - and ask for his help on the SAGE Commission?
Make no mistake. I’m guessing Guinn would decline the offer. Not out of personal pique or lingering hostility toward the man who moved into his house and office, but because Kenny Guinn has already done more than his fair share for the state of Nevada and is now perfectly content with being retired from politics and spending time with his kids and grand-kids at the beach house in California.
Wish I could get that gig.
Nevertheless, tapping Guinn would be a stroke of political genius by Gibbons. And if by some miracle Guinn DID accept the appointment, the SAGE Commission and the state would benefit immensely.
And pick #2 is a no-brainer, as well. Jan Jones, going away.
So let it be written; so let it be done.
Posted on June 5th, 2008 by chuckmuth
Filed under: Nevada
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