With legislators being criticized for taking pricey concert tickets from lobbyists, elected officials routinely taking campaign contributions from entities whose interests they are in a position to influence and four former Clark County commissioners recently going down on bribery charges, what should be done to improve ethics in government?
The solution is more transparency. "I would like to make every contribution candidates receive open for public inspection from the day it's received to the day of the election." All gifts also should be disclosed, and there should be limits on their value.
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Has a 12-step ethics platform that includes banning all gifts to officials and public employees, increasing the amount and frequency of required campaign and financial disclosures, and forbidding "double dipping" by requiring legislators to take unpaid leaves from jobs in government. Also, politicians could be found guilty of ethics violations even if they are not "willful."
How should Nevada deal with the rapid growth of the state's population and economy, which has created issues including urban sprawl and affordable housing?
"Affordable housing is market-driven. We need the federal government to release more land for development instead of the law of supply and demand forcing prices up to a level where there can be no affordable housing."
"We need smart growth. We have to have considerations for infrastructure in advance of development and not have the tail wag the dog." The state's role is to work with local governments to put that infrastructure into place where it's needed, such as roads.
Southern Nevada faces a water crisis, and Clark County interests want to create a pipeline to take groundwater from White Pine County, whose residents are adamantly opposed to such a plan. Where do you stand?
Would not decide which side to take until a full scientific study of the groundwater availability and sustainability is conducted, preferably by the Nevada university system's Desert Research Institute. Different areas' resource needs must be balanced. "We are in a desert state with the fastest growing population and a great economy, but we have to make sure we can all live the American dream."
The issue needs more study. Any importation of water must be combined with an emphasis on conservation, limits on urban sprawl, and continued efforts to negotiate more water from the Colorado River. "As we look at importing water from the rest of the state, we have to be very careful that we keep sustainability at the forefront. We've got to sustain agriculture, sustain ranching, sustain rural counties that need water for economic development purposes, and in addition sustain the environment."
A state committee has concluded that we face a $3.8 billion shortfall in needed transportation funds over the coming decade and has proposed getting the revenue from increased taxes and fees. How do you propose to deal with this problem? Should transportation priorities be set by need or by regional parity?
Would consider putting part of the surplus into a bond fund so that projects could be funded and receive federal matching grants in advance. "I am not going to raise gas taxes on the people of this state, and I'm not interested in talking about toll roads either." Priorities should be determined based first on safety, secondly on economic considerations.
Bonding is a possibility but would be complicated and difficult. Opposes gas taxes and toll roads, and doesn't think the Legislature would approve any of the committee's other tax proposals. "We might look at putting it on the ballot," seeing if voters would approve a tax or bond measure for their local road projects, as Clark County voters approved a sales tax hike to hire more police.
Should Nevada be increasing its production of energy from alternative sources, and if so, how?
"We have to have energy independence so that Nevada is not tethered to California or to the Gulf of Mexico, but can produce its own energy." Geothermal energy currently is viable and being developed, but the state should use tax incentives or infrastructure building to increase the competitiveness of solar and wind power, which aren't cost effective. Government also should encourage the development of ethanol and biodiesel for vehicles to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.
Says aggressively pushing to make Nevada a national leader in renewable energy, especially sun and wind, would be one of her first priorities as governor. Also believes the renewable energy industry will create jobs and be a linchpin of Nevada's future economic development.
What is your position on the ballot question that would change Nevada statute to make it legal for adults to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and create a regulatory structure for its sale and distribution?
Opposes it. "Marijuana is a gateway drug."
"I supported medical marijuana, but I don't support this." Although the initiative purports to save the time and money police spend punishing small-scale marijuana users, Titus believes it would actually create more difficulties in enforcement and regulation. "I don't think law enforcement is very focused on small amounts of marijuana anyway. Methamphetamine is a much bigger problem."
Where do you stand on the ballot initiative that would amend the constitution to raise Nevada's minimum wage to $1 above the federal level, currently $5.15 per hour, and increase it further every year based on inflation?
Supports raising the minimum wage by that amount or more, but opposes the ballot initiative itself because of other provisions it contains.
Supports the initiative. Sponsored 2005 legislation that would have done the same thing by statute rather than constitutional amendment.
What is your position on the two smoking restriction initiatives on the ballot? One measure, called Responsibly Protect Nevadans from Second-Hand Smoke, would do little to change existing Nevada law, which already prohibits smoking in video arcades and day care centers; the other initiative, called the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act, would ban smoking in all restaurants and bars that serve food, but not on casino floors or in bars without food service.
Supports only the less restrictive measure. "You can regulate it (smoking), but I don't believe you should ban it." The more restrictive proposal would hurt business.
Supports the more restrictive measure. "I've always supported in the Legislature anti-smoking bills to protect children."
Where do you stand on the People's Initiative to Stop the Taking of Our Land ballot measure, which would amend the constitution to limit government's powers of eminent domain?
"I cannot support government taking private property and giving it to another private owner just because it would produce more taxes."
Supports it.
Where do you stand on the Education First ballot initiative, which would amend the Nevada Constitution to require that the Legislature pass the education budget before any other budgets?
Authored Education First and is its chief proponent.
Calls the initiative "pointless." Believes the important thing is putting enough funding into education, not funding it at a certain time.
Should public employee unions have the right of collective bargaining? What should be done about the liability posed by the public employee retirement and retirement health care systems?
"I've always supported collective bargaining for first responders. Other state employees don't need that sort of protection." The Public Employees Retirement System of Nevada "is a very viable system that should not be touched." The state workers' health care program, however, poses a problem. Gibbons would not change what current employees get but supports reducing future hires' benefits along the lines of what Gov. Kenny Guinn proposed unsuccessfully in 2005. "Kenny Guinn was correct to be proactive. I want to be proactive on this. I want to sit down with the unions and listen to their ideas to keep it (the system) viable."
"All state employees should have the right to collective bargaining." The retirement system is sound, but the health care system is a liability. "I don't believe you should cut off the subsidy (for retirement health care), because then you'll never hire anybody decent." Would consider phasing in health savings accounts or changing the technical provisions that prevent state employees being eligible for Social Security and Medicare.
Should Nevada taxes be raised or lowered? Should Nevada government spending be reined in or expanded?
Pledges not to raise taxes. "Keeping the economy strong means making sure taxes stay low and encouraging businesses to move to Nevada so we create jobs for all those Millennium Scholars."
Taxes should be kept at current levels, with the cap on property taxes maintained and the 2005 business tax rollback renewed so it doesn't expire. If the economy stays strong, there will be plenty of revenue for needed programs. "I just think it's irresponsible to say I will never raise taxes when you don't know what's going to happen down the road. You could end up like George (H.W.) Bush, saying, 'Read my lips, no new taxes,' and then having to raise taxes." Would target economic development at industries that will provide good jobs with benefits, such as renewable energy and biotechnology.
How should the Millennium Scholarship be preserved? Should it be endowed? Should academic standards for it be raised? Should it be limited to people who couldn't otherwise afford to go to college ("means testing")?
Create an endowment; don't raise the current grade-point standard, but also consider including a standardized test score requirement to guard against grade inflation. "I don't think it (means testing) is needed right now. ... The Millennium Scholarship is designed to encourage every child to attend college, not just poor kids. We want them staying and working in Nevada."
Endow the scholarship. Don't raise the grade-point average required to get the scholarship, but require students to get better grades in college to keep it and don't allow scholarship money to be used to pay for remedial courses. Opposes means testing.
What should be done with the state's projected revenue surplus, estimated to be at least $100 million?
"My number one plan would be to invest in one-shot items that are critical to the state's future and don't grow government." Priorities include seeding an endowment for the Millennium Scholarship, doubling the state's rainy day fund and putting any additional monies into education and transportation infrastructure.
Would fund her education proposals, chiefly universal full-day kindergarten and increased vocational education.
What is your position on education proposals such as universal full-day kindergarten, increasing teacher salaries, merit pay for teachers and state-mandated class-size reduction?
Supports raising teacher salaries, with merit pay for standards-based good performance. Says the state's pilot all-day kindergarten program must be further studied before he can support expanding it. Believes class-size reduction is good overall but needs increased flexibility for rural districts.
Education platform stresses all-day kindergarten for every child and increasing vocational education. Also supports raising teacher salaries and implementing pay for performance, but it should not be tied to test scores.
Do you agree with state-level proposals to address illegal immigration such as denying state benefits to undocumented people? Should illegal immigrants be allowed to have Nevada driver's licenses? Should illegal immigrants who meet the requirements get the Millennium Scholarship?
Education, including the Millennium Scholarship, must be available to everyone regardless of citizenship status. "No child should be denied the Millennium Scholarship and no child of illegal immigrants is going to be taken off the Millennium Scholarship. We want every child educated to his or her fullest potential. That drives the economy." Undocumented people shouldn't get driver's licenses. No one can be denied "emergent services" such as emergency medical care, but Gibbons would consider denying other benefits to illegal immigrants if the Legislature proposes it.
Has always opposed driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Some state services, such as Medicaid, already are unavailable to those without documents, but education shouldn't be denied. "You can't tell children they cannot go to school, no matter where they come from." Opposes linking Millennium Scholarship eligibility to citizenship status.
