(Nancy Dallas) – Michael Roberson is a Republican candidate for the District 5 seat for the Nevada State Senate in Clark County. Sen. Joyce Woodhouse, a Democrat, currently holds the seat. His website is: www.votemichaelroberson.com
Roberson is a business attorney and member of the State Bar of Nevada. He is a member of the Advisory Board for the Advanced Technologies Academy and serves on the Government Affairs Committee for the National Association of Industrial Office Properties. He lives in Henderson with his wife Liberty Leavitt Roberson, a public school teacher.
(Editor’s note: In agreeing to participate in these Email interviews, candidates are informed that follow-up questions may be asked after review of their original response. While his answers are well thought out, several follow-up questions were asked of Mr. Roberson which he chose to not respond to. It is the candidate’s prerogative to not respond to them and I understand the busy schedules of each candidate; however, as the initiator of these interviews I believe readers should know what follow-ups were asked.)
This appears to be your first entry into a political race. Why did you decide to run for this particular position?
I have been very disappointed with the direction of our state legislature over the past few years. It seems to me, that too many of the folks in Carson City have a fundamental misunderstanding of basic economics. They do not understand that it is the private sector, not the government, which creates jobs and economic prosperity. They do not understand (or care) that wasteful government spending and increased taxes, equals fewer private sector jobs and less economic growth.
What personal attributes do you feel will best serve you in this position?
I have a strong moral compass, something that, unfortunately, is sorely lacking in politics today. I’m certainly far from perfect, but I know right from wrong, and I am willing to admit when I make a mistake. I also know what I believe and why I believe it. My views will not change with the direction of the winds or political pressure from special interests.
Too many of our elected leaders seem to have a hard time relating to, or understanding, the problems that everyday folks face. I grew up very poor, in a single parent household, and I know what it’s like to struggle to make ends meet. I understand what the people of Nevada are going through.
Finally, as a business transactional attorney, I advise businesses, small and large, on a daily basis. I understand what it takes to create jobs and I know first-hand what an obstacle an overreaching and intrusive government can be to job creation. This is a perspective that is needed in the state Senate.
Do you have a campaign team and game plan in place? Explain. How to you intend to reach out to and inform the voters in your district?
Yes. My campaign is being managed by Robert Uithoven and Jen Harrington of J3 Strategies. We have been assembling volunteers, raising money and gathering support since September. Now that 2010 is here, we are implementing an aggressive grassroots campaign.
Senate District 5 is a big district and we have a lot of ground to cover and a lot of voters to reach. My team and I will be reaching those voters through a variety of means, including, door-to-door contact, coalitions, direct mail, Internet and radio. Make no mistake, I will outwork my opponent.
Do you intend to invest your own money in this campaign? To what degree?
I think most candidates invest their own money to a certain extent. I’m sure that I will, too. I’m committed to winning this race and we have a fundraising plan in place that we are implementing successfully.
Do you think there should be a change in candidate contribution disclosure laws – making public, online disclosure of contributions mandatory within 48 – 72 hours?
*(Candidate did not respond)
Describe the political and demographic make-up of your district.
Senate District 5 is a swing district. Currently, there are approximately 59,000 registered Democrats, 54,000 registered Republicans and 23,000 non-partisans. This district has been held by several Republicans in recent years, including Sen. Ann O’Connell, Sen. Sandra Tiffany and Sen. Joe Heck. I like my chances.
You were endorsed early by the Republican Senate Caucus. Has this endorsement benefited your campaign? Explain. Is there more you think the caucus and the party could do to help you in your race? Explain.
I do think the endorsement by the Republican Senate Caucus has been helpful. When you’re a first-time candidate, and relatively unknown to most voters, an endorsement from your party lends a certain amount of credibility.
Having said that, there are many conservatives who are not happy with the votes of some members of the caucus during the last legislative session. For some of these folks, an endorsement from the caucus may be viewed as a negative, and I understand that.
The important thing to remember, is that I am a conservative first and a Republican second. No endorsement from any particular group, including the caucus, will have any effect on how I vote as a state Senator.
To answer your second question, the caucus, the county party and the state party need to do more to help Republican candidates. If we’re going to elect more common-sense conservatives in 2010, we need a strong party structure and strong party leadership. I am confident that will happen in the coming months.
Who are your major contributors/supporters?
*(Candidate did not respond)
What will be your legislative priorities if elected? Elaborate on each.
My priorities can be summed up by my version of the three R’s: 1. Restore Jobs to Nevadans; 2. Reduce Waste and Inefficiency in State Government; and 3. Reform Education.
To Restore Jobs to Nevadans, we need to start by making it easier for small business to thrive in Nevada. Higher taxes and regulations on small business, and a bloated, inefficient state government, make it more difficult for businesses to be in a position to succeed.
To Reduce Waste and Inefficiency in State Government, we must implement zero-based budgeting, just as in the private sector. We need to evaluate every government department and program. If a program or department is not essential or duplicative of other departments or programs, it needs to be eliminated. If a program or department is essential and not duplicative, but is not running efficiently, it needs to be streamlined and/or reformed.
To Reform Education, we have to decentralize the decision-making, put more of the available dollars in the hands of teachers and principals, and inject competition and free-market principles into the system.
In reducing waste and inefficiency in government, do you have some specific departments in mind?
*(Candidate did not respond)
Would you support Governor Gibbon’s proposal to de-unionize public school employees?
*(Candidate did not respond)
What measures would you support to “inject competition and free-market principles into the education system?
*(Candidate did not respond)
What is your definition of “limited government?” What within Nevada’s governmental structure would you look to changing to meet this definition?
We first need to start with the Nevada State Constitution and the functions of state government outlined therein.
From my perspective, limited government means that we need to limit the government’s role to those programs and services that are truly essential. From my perspective, that includes education, public safety, transportation and infrastructure, and health and human services for those most in need. We need to reevaluate every program and department in state government to determine if each such program is truly essential.
We also need to practice zero-based budgeting to determine where we are overspending or being inefficient.
What legislative incentives would you consider implementing to encourage the diversification and broadening of Nevada’s tax base?
We need to re-establish Nevada as the number one state in the country for business development. We need to create, from a tax and regulatory perspective, a clear difference between Nevada and other states such as California, Arizona and Texas, for businesses considering investing capital and creating jobs in Nevada.
The Nevada Development Authority is aggressively promoting Nevada as such and they are doing a good job. Currently, businesses which relocate to Nevada and invest capital and hire Nevadans are eligible for sales and use tax abatements. I will work to expand these abatements and work with the private sector to introduce creative incentives to bring jobs to Nevada.
Give some specific examples of measures you would support to encourage broadening Nevada’s economic base?
*(Candidate did not respond)
Would you consider voting to extend the tax increases of the 2009 session that are scheduled to “sunset” before the start of the next biennium? If not, where would you look for the revenue to help eliminate the projected $2.4 billion budget deficit?
The answer is no, I will not consider voting to extend the tax increases which are scheduled to sunset.
As to your second question, I do not agree with the premise that there is a $2.4 billion budget deficit. What we have is a state legislature which is looking to overspend by $2.4 billion, and I will not go along with this.
State spending has increased by 35% in real dollars since 2005, taking into account inflation and population increases. This spending was not necessary and we simply cannot afford to continue this overspending.
The revenues are what they are and will not likely increase in 2010. The government must tighten its belt, just as we in the private sector have had to do during this recession. If we don’t, we will look more and more like California, which is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy and looking for a handout from the federal government, i.e., the taxpayers.
You support giving parents, teachers and principals a greater voice in how education funds are spent. I assume this means you would support taking powers from the state and delegating more responsibilities to the local school boards/districts. Please elaborate.
Yes, we do need to decentralize decision-making authority and the top-down bureaucratic model of education needs to be reversed. Teachers and principals are on the front-lines of education and they are also the ones with whom parents have the most contact.
The empowerment model is a good start and this model needs to be expanded. From my experience, bureaucrats do not know best. The greater distance you have between the decision-makers and the folks implementing those decisions and policies, the poorer the results.
The State currently has a student based public school funding formula. Do you support this system? Elaborate. Do you believe the state should support to the same degree those students attending charter, magnet and empowerment schools?
I do support student-based budgeting, in combination with site-based management; wherein, local schools determine how best to use the funds allocated to them, rather than having those decisions dictated to them by unaccountable bureaucrats.
Yes, I do support funding charter, magnet and empowerment schools to the same degree.
The State Legislature meets for limited sessions in odd numbered years. An Interim Finance Committee addresses fiscal issues between sessions. Do you agree with this system? If not, how would you propose addressing the state’s interim financial issues?
The problem with the Interim Finance Committee is that a limited number of legislators make decisions that affect all Nevadans, many of whom are not represented on the IFC. This arguably violates the equal-protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.
In the event there is a need for the government to make spending decisions between sessions, the appropriate and legal course of action is for the Governor to call a special session to handle such issues.
Reapportionment will be a major political battle in the 2011 legislature. Do you think a reapportionment plan maintaining the current number of Assemblymen and Senators will fairly represent the residents of Nevada? Why/why not?
I’m not sure that we need to increase the number of Assemblymen and Senators. More importantly, we need to take politics out of reapportionment. Reapportionment should not be based on benefitting one party or the other.
What can Nevada do to better address the State’s healthcare issues?
More portability and providing Nevadans with the ability to cross state lines to obtain health insurance is a good start. In addition, we need to eliminate the duplication of services between the state and county governments. There is no reason for taxpaxers to pay for the same services twice.
As you know, the federal government is currently trying to effectively takeover health care. I am strongly against the Reid-Obama plan for a government takeover of healthcare. If they are successful, the result will be rationed healthcare for Nevadans and at a cost that we simply cannot bear.
In fact, Nevada would likely be hit harder than any other state. The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the Reid-Obama plan would expand the number of Medicaid-eligible individuals in Nevada by 97.7 percent. This would result in an unfunded federal mandate of hundreds of millions of dollars on the backs of Nevada taxpayers.
Senator Reid has cut a deal with Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, the so-called “Nebraska Compromise”, for his vote on the Reid-Obama plan. This back-room deal would result in the elimination of any such unfunded mandates on the State of Nebraska. To make matters worse, Nevadans will end up footing the bill for Nebraska’s freebie.
Currently, 13 state attorneys general are preparing to sue the federal government over this unconstitutional scheme. However, Nevada’s state attorney general, Catherine Cortez Masto, for reasons she has failed to make clear, is refusing to join them. Apparently, she’s preoccupied with other matters.
I think a good many Nevadans probably agree politics should be taken out of the re-apportionment process; however, political reality says this will never happen and, if elected, you will be in the midst of this battle. Do you believe the reapportionment of 2001 was equitable? If not, what would you like to see addressed to make it more equitable?
*(Candidate did not respond)
Nevada is one of five states without constitutional provisions, amendments or laws providing for home rule to municipalities or counties. A ‘summit’ was recently held by Nevada city and county officials to discuss ‘home rule’ – which among other powers, could give local jurisdictions the power to tax without legislative approval and limit the ability of the Legislature to take local government tax revenue. What is your position in regards to “home rule”?
Local governments in Clark County are currently dominated by some of the most liberal, tax-and-spend politicians in the state. I would be reluctant to give these folks the power to tax, just as I would be reluctant to give an inebriated teenager the keys to my car.
Having said that, giving these politicians home-rule might reveal them for the tax-and-spenders that they truly are, and the end result would likely be that at the local level, the citizens of Nevada would elect more common-sense, limited-government representatives.
Would you support imposing unfunded mandates on local governments to help alleviate some of the State’s fiscal woes?
No, I am against unfunded mandates. The federal government is wrong to impose unfunded mandates on Nevada and the State of Nevada would be wrong to impose unfunded mandates on local government.
Do you believe the mining and gaming industries pay their ‘fair share’ to Nevada’s economy?
I believe Nevada is taxed enough and that rather than looking at increasing taxes on any particular industry, we need to limit the expanse of the ever-growing government spending, and promote tax policies that encourage economic development and job growth. Higher taxes thwart economic development and retard job growth.
Follow up: Do you believe the mining and gaming industries pay their ‘fair share’ to Nevada’s economy?
*(Candidate did not respond)
Nevada is the only state that does not use a market based system to determine the assessed value of property. (Nevada uses market value to determine vacant land values. The values of improvements to the land are determined by formula. The land and improvement values are then added together to determine the property’s taxable value.) Do you think the State’s property tax system need to be reformed? Should the State Legislature be involved?
Without question, the current system needs reform and is likely unconstitutional, to the extent that property tax assessments are not based upon uniform assessment standards throughout the state. The State Legislature is going to need to address this issue.
Is there an issue I failed to address that you would like to expound upon?
The one issue that I would like to address is not one of policy, but rather one of spirit.
Nevada’s down right now, but we’re not out–not by a long-shot. This state and this country have experienced hard times before and we’ve come through, time and time again. We will get through these tough times as well. We simply have to pick ourselves up by the bootstraps and make the right decisions going forward and we have to believe, with Reagan-like optimism, that things will get better, because they will. They have to.
We cannot give in to the fear-mongering of the big-government folks who want us all to believe that the only way to prosperity is by giving our freedom and liberty over to them. We must all fight to preserve our freedoms and liberties, because there is nothing more precious. To quote Winston Churchill “Never, never, never, never give up”.
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