Nevada Business Leaders Warn Legislation in Congress Will Kill Jobs »
(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – Several Nevada business leaders took the opportunity of the upcoming Labor Day holiday to speak out today against federal legislation they say will kill jobs in Nevada at a time when the unemployed total more than 20 percent.
The Alliance to Protect Nevada Jobs held a “reverse” job fair to convey concerns that if Congress passes the Employee Free Choice Act now pending in the Senate, the country could lose 600,000 [...]
How not to get Las Vegas building: Hike building fees 70 percent »
(Victor Joecks/NPRI) – Although the city of Las Vegas has one of the worst housing/building markets in the country, the Las Vegas City Council has a plan — to make things worse. A city council subcommittee is now considering a proposal to hike building permit fees by up to 70 percent.
The proposed ordinance calls for an increase of 65 percent to 70 percent in the fees for plan checks, building permits and inspections. Those fees [...]
Shouldn’t school superintendents be subject to ethics-in-government laws? »
(Karen Gray/NPRI) – All across America, elected officials are required to file personal financial disclosure reports and ethics-acknowledgment statements. Both are intended to promote public integrity.
The financial disclosure reports, usually annual, remind officials of their financial interests and help them avoid conflicts of interest. The ethics-acknowledgment statements — forms stating he or she has read and understands the state’s ethics standards and recognizes his or her obligation to keep abreast of any new amendments — [...]
Going to War over Pete G’s Baby Food Tax »
(Chuck Muth) – As you may recall, Nevada Assembly Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea (R-Another Planet) went on Sam Shad’s “Nevada Newsmakers” program last week and threw his support behind a new $500 million tax on….groceries.
That would be bad enough if a tax-happy Democrat had proposed it….but why in the world would the Republican LEADER in the state assembly propose something to insanely preposterous right smack dab in the middle of this Great Recession? Can [...]
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 [...]
Feds fire warning shot over state pensions »
(Geoffrey Lawrence/NPRI) – A landmark investigation concluded last week in which the federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the first time targeted fraudulent accounting within a state pension system.
The fraud charges filed by the SEC against the State of New Jersey resulted in a cease-and-desist order and sent up a red flag to state policymakers across the country who have underfunded state pension liabilities.
New Jersey has systematically underfunded its pension system for [...]
Regent Urges University Regents to Reject Budget Hike Proposal »
(Ron Knecht) – In the last three years, Nevada’s private economy has lost 180,000 jobs, or 16% of the total. That is, nearly one of every six private-sector jobs has vanished in what looks to be truly a depression in our state.
Public-sector employment has held steady and State employment has even risen a few percent. (I use job numbers to reflect our economic condition because their current levels are available, while [...]
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 [...]
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