Who knew that when voters picked an empty suit to represent them in Carson City that his vaccuum of ideas, intellect and action would be filled by dozens of people nowhere near the ballot?

So goes the transition from the Nov. 7 election to the Jan. 1 inauguration of Gov.-elect Jim Gibbons.

While much of the Nevada political world has slowed down for the holidays, Gibbons seems to have shut down completely.

He's only emerged once since the election, tagging along for the negotiations to end the valley's nursing labor dispute. Those talks were aptly led by Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid after some serious pressure from his dad, incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Rep. Shelley Berkley.

Other than Gibbons' brief opening statement to the warring parties about the community needing resolution, we haven't heard a peep from him since Nov. 7. The Republican congressman is not just hiding from Washington, where he chose not to attend the lame duck session of Congress, he's out of sight completely at home.

Transitions are periods of change, and typically the new guy on the block leaps forward after victory to cement his policies, budget and political appointments.

It's clear Gibbons really doesn't know what to do with the job he's won.

When he kicked off his campaign for governor, he didn't know how to answer questions from reporters in Las Vegas. The only thing he seemed to know about Las Vegas -- his little pad at Hughes Center near the office of his adviser, Sig Rogich -- led to his night of drinking and an assault allegation that, despite a lack of corroborating evidence, has dogged Gibbons.

There have been no comments on any pressing state issue, from the Economic Forum's fiscal forecast to the recommended solutions to the state's $3.8 billion shortfall in funding for planned highway projects.

Is he fearful of civil litigation involving cocktail waitress Chrissy Mazzeo? Or is he hiding to avoid further scrutiny of the pay-for-play Washington scandal involving a no-bid, off-budget federal contract worth tens of millions of dollars that he helped friend Warren Trepp snag?

Or maybe, just maybe, he's trying to figure out how not to look like a complete Gibbon monkey when he is sworn in and has to sign off on a budget and give a State of the State address. We already know how that's going to look based on the flag-waving-American-dream speeches he used to give to the Legislature as a visiting congressman.

After the requisite honor guards, patriotic songs and hero-worshipping credit to servicemen and women, Gibbons will probably say the state of the state is strong and there's no need to raise taxes. Cheers, cheers.

Gov. Kenny Guinn used his State of the State addresses, largely, to highlight his budget. One year he hyped his fundamental review and the money saved. One year he touted the Millennium Scholarship. In 2003 he warned that Nevada was at a crossroads and needed to make tough decisions about how to diversify the revenue base. In his last speech, Guinn warned of the looming liability in public employee benefits and suggested a solution.

It's hard to imagine Gibbons suggesting a solution to anything.

But with whom does he confer? His three staff appointments don't engender much confidence. Who will be his legal adviser? Who fills his budget team? And more importantly, who makes those decisions? Is it his wife, Dawn, or Sig or Chief of Staff Mike Dayton? I can picture any of those three, but can't imagine Gibbons making his own decisions.

Remember, his entire election campaign was based on the premise that Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dina Titus would cost you money and he wouldn't. She would raise taxes, he wouldn't. What else do you remember?

Gibbons has assembled "working groups" of dozens of people to advise him on highway funding, health care and education.

Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, has already submitted her bill draft to implement full-day kindergarten. She told me that she can't envision adjournment in 2007 without its passage.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, has already lambasted Gibbons' Education First initiative, which voters approved as a constitutional amendment, and has had a solid look at Guinn's budget.

There has never been much deference paid to the governor's budget in Senate Finance or Assembly Ways and Means. But Guinn's details, staffing levels and numbers may seem more appropriate.

Maybe Gibbons has so many transition advisers because he's trying to get used to working with 63 others. He'd be wiser to sit down with legislative leaders. He could start with Raggio and Assembly Minority Leader Garn Mabey, R-Las Vegas.

Gibbons will probably emerge Jan. 1 to be sworn in before hunkering down again until he has to unveil a budget and actually express an idea about the state government he was chosen to lead.

Erin Neff's column normally runs Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at 387-2906, or by e-mail at eneff@reviewjournal.com.