Tax Hike Lover Hearts Tax Hike Proposals »
(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – Nevada budget guru Guy Hobbs said Wednesday expanding the sales tax to encompass services is “not a bad place to start” in the effort to broaden the state’s tax base.
“Sixty percent of our economy is services, not a bad place to start,” he said. “A lot of those services are discretionary services, certainly not a bad place to start.”
Hobbs, a former director of finance for Clark County, and now an [...]
Non-Union Contractors Complain about Pro-Union Bias in Horsford’s Weatherization Program »
(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – A Nevada group that offers training to non-union construction workers has sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford alleging an improper pro-union bias by some members of the State Apprenticeship Council.
The allegation comes following the failure of the Nevada Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. (ABC) to win approval of an apprentice weatherization program for its non-union construction workers. The same council approved a union-backed program [...]
GOP Leader Calls for Massive Tax Hike, Including Groceries »
(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – Assembly Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea said on Monday Nevada voters should be asked to expand the state sales tax to include food purchases as a way to raise revenue and broaden the tax base.
Nevada Jobless Rate Actually Above 20 Percent »
(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – Nevada’s worst in the nation 14.3 percent unemployment rate for July does not even begin to tell the real story of the state’s dismal job situation, a state agency reported today.
The actual unemployment rate in Nevada through the second quarter of 2010 is 21.5 percent, according to data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The announced jobless rate reported over the same time frame was 13.1 percent, an [...]
Horsford Picks Census Bureau Liaison as New Secretary of the Senate »
(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – Nevada state Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford announced today he has selected David Byerman to serve as the secretary of the Senate beginning Aug. 30.
Byerman will replace former secretary Claire Clift, who Horsford asked to step down earlier this year. Horsford said at the time he wanted a change but offered no further explanation for his decision.
The search for a new Senate secretary took two months and considered 200 applicants. [...]
Under Fire, Horsford Pulls Plug On ‘Pay To Play’ »
(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, today criticized a fund-raising “pay to play” letter sent out recently by Majority Leader Steven Horsford, saying it borders on an ethics violation.
“I have always avoided that kind of a fundraiser,” he said. “I think it is inappropriate. The perception is that to have access to a leader or chairman you have to pay. I think that sends a terrible message.”
The Nevada News Bureau [...]
Rory REID Dons Conservative Sheep’s Clothing »
(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – Democrat gubernatorial candidate Rory Reid told the Nevada News Bureau yesterday there are other options for moving the state out of its current budget crisis besides increasing taxes and cutting programs.
In an interview at a local coffee shop, Reid pulled out two pieces of paper. One showed an organization chart for the state’s public education system from 1989. The other shows how it looks now.
The newer chart showed many more [...]
Budget Director Says Major Changes Needed To Fund Government Services »
(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – Nevada could find a way out of its $3 billion revenue shortfall next year without raising taxes, but only if the Legislature looks at restructuring the way the state and local governments provide and pay for services, the state’s top fiscal officer said yesterday.
State Budget Director Andrew Clinger, interviewed Monday on the Nevada NewsMakers television program, said the Legislature would also have to consider changes to the state’s collective bargaining [...]
Fiscal Expert Says State Governments In Big Trouble »
(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – State governments across the country are facing budget deficits and a tough economy right now, but failure to get a handle on long-term liabilities, from unfunded pensions to subsidized health care for retired workers, could jeopardize any recovery, a fiscal expert said today.
Bob Williams, founder and senior fellow of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation and a member of the ALEC board of scholars, said states may have to deal with decades [...]
List Blasts Reid For False Ad Claiming To Have Saved Teacher’s Job »
Former Nevada governor and state Republican Committeeman Bob List yesterday called on Sen. Harry Reid to stop running a television ad claiming to have saved a school teacher’s job with federal stimulus funds.
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