Kenny Guinn Republican viewed as successful political warrior in Time magazine's Nov. 21 issue

The current issue of Time magazine touts the best inventions of 2005.

But it's the reinvention of Kenny Guinn's political career in an article on America's five best governors that is really cutting edge in Nevada two years after Guinn spearheaded a record tax increase.

In the Nov. 21 issue, Guinn is named one of the "hardest working carpenters," the kind the magazine says can build a roof to keep you dry. That's not hard in the desert, but the tax increases Guinn proposed during 2003's fiscal rainy days were exactly the kind of storm Time says Guinn helped the state to weather.

"As Guinn enters the final year of his busy two terms in office, his signature achievement remains the $830 million tax hike, a still controversial but realistic step to shore up the overstretched budget of the nation's fastest-growing state," the article states.

In some sense, Guinn has gone from the worst among many Nevada Republicans to one of the best in the nation. Although re-elected by a huge margin in 2002, Guinn's popularity soured within his own party after the tax increases and has yet to be fully restored.

Time views Guinn as a successful political warrior -- overcoming the civil war in his party for the sake of the state.

Guinn is listed second in the piece, right behind fellow Republican Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. Three Democrats in red states -- Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Mark Warner of Virginia -- round out the top five.

Louisiana's Kathleen Blanco was named the worst governor, with the magazine arguing "Failures aren't born. They're made."

Guinn said he was first contacted by Time in late August and only knew they were doing a "best governors and worst governors."

He didn't believe his staff that he had made the good list and had to wait 10 weeks to see the headline, "A Gambling Governor Makes a Smart Bet."

"I don't know that it's vindication. There's people that no matter what you do, they won't be happy.

I knew that when I had to do what I had to do, it would draw some criticism," Guinn, a former utility and bank executive, said of his tax proposal. "Whether I work for a company, or if I work for the state, I have to do what's best for the people."

Guinn still isn't warmly received at Republican events, but at least he's not greeted with some boos the way he was at his party's state convention in 2004.

The Legislature grappled with taxes for most of 2003 and was gridlocked through two special sessions without the majority needed to pass a tax increase. Guinn sued the Legislature, resulting in the widely-derided Nevada Supreme Court opinion setting aside the two-thirds majority requirement to enact taxes.

"The tax increase was hated by a lot of people, not just Republicans, and that led to the Supreme Court case that was hated by most people," said Dan Burdish, a Republican activist.

Burdish said he considers himself of friend of Guinn's, although they part ways on the taxes, which ultimately did pass with a two-thirds majority.

Even Guinn's legislative critics were deferential Monday.

"Time will tell how it really plays out, and I think he did what he felt was really best for the state," said Assemblyman Garn Mabey, R-Las Vegas and one of the 15 Republicans who worked to block tax increases for much of 2003.

State Republican Party Chairman Paul Adams said that on balance Guinn "has been a good Republican governor."

Time cites Nevada's booming economy and Guinn's establishment of the Millennium Scholarship program, his privatization of the state workers' compensation program, and his fight against the Yucca Mountain Project as notable achievements.

The other four "best governors" were cited for working across political aisles to eradicate deficits or improve social ills.

Guinn, as he often does, cited his own poll numbers in an interview Monday, and seemed appreciative of the national recognition showing up 4 million strong in mailboxes and on newsstands.

In fact, the governor spoke about what may be on the horizon for him -- "I'm going to be helping these schools, they need so many facilities."

Only time will tell if one of America's best governors can help sell a school bond issue.