COLUMN: Jon Ralston

     CARSON CITY -- When children misbehave, parents have a choice. They can either ignore the problem or tighten the reins.
      Up here in this capital city, the state's fathers and mothers have given up hoping the locals will mature past the sandbox stage when it comes to the question of paying for Clark County's growth. With county commissioners squabbling and posturing and producing embarrassingly shallow philosophical tracts, key state lawmakers have decided to move forward with plans of their own. The near-universal lack of faith in the Clark County Commission has forced their hand.
      Here's what's happening:
      In the Assembly, the gaming industry's, ahem, the water authority's quarter-cent sales tax legislation to pay for 30 percent of a new plumbing system should finally appear this week. After much sub rosa debate over whether the quarter-cent should be state-imposed or county-imposed, the bill is expected to emerge soon as a state tax -- but it will then be changed to a local tax.
      Yes, only in the so-called legislative process would this political play-acting have to occur: State tax introduced, lawmakers whine about doing gaming's bidding, pretend to sincerely pummel the industry, then amend the bill to give the county the power to enact the tax.
      But there is some method to this madness. By floating a state tax, lawmakers also send a signal that they are players in a game they once wanted left to locals. And, besides, Gov. Bob Miller will only sign a county-imposed tax.
      Assembly Infrastructure Chairman David Goldwater, who has had to suffer through the county's callow behavior, has decided to narrow the focus to schools. "The state needs to be a partner, not a bank," Goldwater said.
      Goldwater, in league with Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, hopes to dedicate to schools the $50 million or so forked over by the magnanimity of the gaming and home-building industries. Moving schools to the top of the infrastructure list not only makes good policy sense, but, for Democrats especially, it's beautiful politics. "We're taking from big business and giving it to schools," noted one lawmaker.
      Must be the same notion that Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones and City Councilman Matthew Callister had in mind Wednesday when they proposed a Callister re-election plank ... ahem, an innovative policy to use impact fees for school construction.
      Goldwater's attitude, although not necessarily his approach, is shared by state Sen. Jon Porter, a thoughtful Republican whose voice will be a welcome addition to the debate. Porter believes there should be "no rush to judgment" by lawmakers considering the lack of communication among local governments, much less among county commissioners. "We can't fix Southern Nevada for the next century in 90 days," said Porter, who believes addressing schools and creating a structure for local government cooperation may be all lawmakers can do.
      There are other voices, too. Accountability seekers such as state Sen. Ann O'Connell want a more comprehensive look at exactly how much money is needed. And Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio also will become a player down the road, especially because he has his own infrastructure worry: finding $180 million to lower railroad tracks in Reno. It was no coincidence, but smart politics that found incoming Clark County Manager Dale Askew having lunch with Sir Bill on Wednesday.
      There is still much to be debated, including what strictures are placed on how the locals can spend the money and whether or not it should be pooled or earmarked. But the feeling here is that because of their misbehavior, the childish locals should be sent to their rooms for the rest of the session and barred from playing in this game.
     
     Jon Ralston publishes "The Ralston Report," a political newsletter. His column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.