(Janine Hansen) – Yesterday, as I wrote an alert to let people of Elko County know that the Elko County Commission is planning to raise the gas taxes, I had to wonder…why vote for a Republican when they get into office and then they vote like liberal Democrats?
I have witnessed this betrayal by Republican office holders repeatedly, over and over again, as I have served as a volunteer citizen advocate at the Legislature for my entire adult life. Now, we see four of five Republican County Commissioners betraying their party and the people they represent by supporting an increase in the gas tax in Elko County. We could have just as well elected Democrats…the result would have been the same.
Democrat office holders seem to try to solve problems by raising taxes and throwing more public money at the problem. It is apparent that Republican office holders do the same. You might say, that’s why I am an Independent American. We desperately need an alternative to the Twin party Tax and Spend mentality.
Last session of the Legislature, the Republican Governor broke his promise not to extend the small business tax and many of the Republican office holders, including Assembly Republican Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea, voted with the Democrats to extend the taxes. Of course this was no surprise because during the campaign Pete suggested that the Legislature should pass a new 2 percent sales tax on food. What in the world…during a recession with Nevadans suffering the most of any state, Pete wanted to institute a tax on food, which hurts the people the most who can least afford it? (Pete is running for State Senate District 19)
Early this year I met with State Senator Michael Roberson who is the heir apparent to the Republican Leadership in the State Senate. He had met with us in 2010 at the Independent American Party Convention, which was in Elko, promising that if we supported him he would not raise taxes. Well, he kept that promise.
But, in March of this year, he and his colleagues from the State Senate and Assembly met with the Independent American Party Convention again, this time in Carson City. Once again they promised us they would hold the line on taxes. The very next week, Senator Roberson came out publicly supporting the extension of the small business tax. Dejuvu…all over again! Republican office holders somehow always seem to betray us. The thing that was astonishing is that they didn’t even wait and use the tax increase as a bargaining chip at the Legislature!
My alert telling why I oppose the Gas Tax Increase is on the Nevada Families website at www.nevadafamilies.org and my website at www.janinehansen.com. I for one have been betrayed one too many times by Republican office holders who are elected and forget who they represent. That is why I’m running for State Senate in District 19, as an Independent American.
(This column originally appreared in the Elko Daily Free Press)
