Monday, December 23, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Guinn likely to propose up to $1.4 million in tax increases

Additional levies would help state pay for services in next two budget years

Dario Herrera Before and after hair cut

It's likely that when Gov. Kenny Guinn unveils his budget on Jan. 20, he'll be asking for tax increases ranging between $1.2 million and $1.4 million over the next two budget years, said Pete Ernaut, one of the governor's advisers.

Though he said those numbers were simply his opinion, Ernaut agreed Friday his would qualify as an informed opinion.

Ernaut, who is one of the crafters of the Republican governor's Jan. 20 State of the State address, said that speech will look ahead five to eight years.

"It's the most important State of the State in the last 20 years," promised the former Reno assemblyman turned political consultant.

"Ultimately, the questions that will be asked of the legislators and voters are: What kind of Nevada do you want to live in? Do you want to fix this problem or are you content to leading the nation in every bad category imaginable, especially education and health care?" he said.

Guinn has been using an $800 million estimate as what's needed just to maintain existing services. If another $600 million is added to the mix, that would provide money to enhance some areas.

Ernaut said without the $800 million, legislators "will have to make Draconian cuts to balance the budget."

"It means K-12 with no sports, no music, no extracurricular activities," he said. "It means capped university enrollment, closing whole programs and buildings at the university, and raising eligibility levels for Medicaid, leaving senior citizens without health care."

Option B is "going in there and fixing it the right way, looking at per pupil spending and expanding Senior Rx."

Look for Guinn to propose improvements in three areas: education, health care and transportation.

However, if some of the money comes by raiding local government sources, such as property taxes, then the tax fight pits local governments against the state.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said he's going to go to the Legislature to fight for more dollars for police officers.

"I'll scream loud and long exposing people who try to hurt public safety," the former criminal defense attorney said at his weekly news conference.

Buzz cut buzz

Before or after? You decide.

Clark County Commissioner Dario Herrera is sporting a new buzz cut, at the request of his wife, Emily.

The image-building begins. The start of a comeback?

Handicapping 2004

In speaking to federal public lands managers last week in Las Vegas, Sen. Harry Reid offered to change the topic from a pep talk to political forum.

"We don't have to talk about land issues. We can talk about Trent Lott," he told more than 100 employees from the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.

Later the Democrat, who's in line to become the next Senate minority leader should Tom Daschle of South Dakota opt to give up the job, analyzed his party's presidential hopefuls, listing fellow senators Daschle, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, John Edwards of North Carolina, John Kerry of Massachusetts, and Vermont Gov. Howard Dean.

"If Daschle decides to run, I think he'll take Iowa," Reid predicted, noting later that Dean has a good chance on the national front because he's a health care expert "and health care is the number one issue in America."

Reid described Edwards as "a young man with limited experience."

When asked later who is leading the pack, Reid said there are no front runners.

Review-Journal writer Keith Rogers contributed to this report.