(Todd Taxpayer Bailey) – After attending the April 21 meeting of the Nevada Vision Stakeholder Group (also known as the Secret Stakeholders), I've come to the conclusion that, as a group, they are simply blind to the daily reality that most Nevadans are faced with in 2010, and are often lost somewhere in the desert north of Las Vegas.
It's understandable, since Senator Steven Horsford dreamed up SCR-37 that created the Stakeholders Group with the sole purpose of developing an academic excuse to raise taxes, they've been doing their best to look busy.
The Chairman is a sociology professor who just arrived at UNLV in January to head up the Brookings Institute, the new jet set in Las Vegas. He sets the agenda, decides what will be discussed, decides what will be voted on, and will decide on the final language of the report to the Nevada Legislature that will be voted on by the group at the last meeting.
How does one man get so much power, after living here such a short time, without any local credentials? Does the Obama Administration have a mole in the Nevada Vision Stakeholders Group? How did this man become chairman of the group that is coming up with an academic reason to raise everyone's taxes in Nevada? Only Senator Steven Horsford has the answer.
How do I know the Nevada Vision Stakeholders Group is blind to the reality of the average Nevada Taxpayer, and lost somewhere in the desert? Without identifying who made the statements, just read what some of the members of the Nevada Vision Stakeholders Group had to say at the April 21, 2010 meeting.
“Stabilizing Tax Revenue is number 1”
“What we really need is revenue assessment districts, so all we have to do is draw a line”
“Nevada needs to access more Federal funds”
“The solution to the problems facing Nevada's tourism industry is the legalization Gay Marriage. It would be neat and novel, we just need a clever way to package that up”
“Immigration is good and will solve the problems with Social Security, so Nevadans should be willing to pay for the education of all immigrants because they are helping us”
“Education is holding Nevada back. We need more PhD's like me”
“Increased funding for education must be a part of the future, regardless of who pays for it”
“Norway and Finland are good examples of great education”
“We need longer school days, and longer school years, to deal with all the social issues kids bring to school, even if that means more money, and higher taxes”
“Early childhood development should be the responsibility of the state starting at age 3, requires certified professionals, which are better than parents because they are trained professionals in child development”
“Parents who don't take this seriously are bad parents. If parents don't do the right thing, then we will intervene”
“Importation of water must be a permanent goal”
“Reno's water supply is NOT a problem, there is plenty of room to grow”
“People living near trees are Free Riders if they are not paying more for fire protection”
“It seems like we are leaving some of the most important issues on the side of the road, such as government accountability”
“Instead of accomplishing anything, Nevada just spends money, and then talks about being last in every category”
“We, at the Brookings Institute, will tell you in Nevada, if this is a success or failure”
Seriously, does this sound like a group that can define the values of the State of Nevada? Should they be creating the vision that will guide our public policy decisions in 2011 at the Nevada Legislature? Why is the chairman of this group someone who just moved here, and what does he know about Nevada, he's from Washington D.C.?
As a candidate for the Nevada Senate, I called on the leadership of the Nevada Legislature to DISSOLVE The Nevada Vision Stakeholders Group on January 7, 2010. If I'm elected to the Nevada Senate, I'm going to bring these statements with me when they try to raise taxes with whatever academic excuse they come up with at the Nevada Vision Stakeholders Group. They might be blind and lost in the desert when it comes to the daily lives of the Nevada Taxpayer, I am not.
(Mr. Bailey is a Republican state Senate candidate in District 4 in Washoe County)
