ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 20

Ask the three candidates in the Assembly District 20 race what they will do about the state budget crisis, and their answer, in a nutshell, is belt-tightening.

Independent American candidate Richard Wayne O'Dell immediately will attack unnecessary spending.

"A lot of these frivolous government programs have got to cease," O'Dell said, pointing to special-interest groups.

He also would like to see less federal influence in Nevada land ownership. "I'm not for the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) owning 85 percent of Nevada."

And a lesson should be learned from the federal government's $700 billion bailout plan.

"You work all your life to build up some savings for retirement, and you've got a bunch of bureaucrats figuring out a way to take it away from you," he said. "Has anybody asked the question of what happens if this doesn't work?"

Despite tight financial times, O'Dell said, Nevada must invest in education.

"I know our education has to get better than it is. We have to give these teachers more money than what they're getting," he said.

Democrat Dan Briggs said he hopes to bring fresh ideas to the task of solving the budget crisis.

"We have a very small pool that provides our running budget," Briggs said, referring to the gaming and property taxes.

The mining industry, he said, could shoulder more of the burden in light of the rising price of gold and the present tax cap on mining.

"I just want them to pay a little bit more of their share," Briggs said.

He would like to see the state and federal governments target programs to develop Nevada's renewable energy potential.

Solar, wind and geothermal power should become "a new wealth, a new source of revenue, something that becomes a cornerstone of our economy," he said. "The only thing that holds us back is lack of an energy grid. I want people to start thinking outside the box."

Incumbent Joe Hardy is seeking his fourth term in the Assembly. If he is re-elected, he said, this term will be the most challenging in terms of economic challenges.

"It's going to be pretty ugly this next session."

Hardy said only essential programs and agencies that are critically needed should be funded to appropriate levels.

The climate will be ripe for inviting public-private partnerships to cover expenses for items such as highway construction, he said.

"I don't think this is the climate where you raise taxes," he said.

Programs that are headed for the chopping block will have to be weighed on how necessary they are.

"It's a matter of what do we need versus what do we want," Hardy said.

He would hesitate to lay off state workers.

"The short answer is no. The long answer is you have to look at protecting your middle group of state employees," he said.

Teachers should be spared from layoffs, Hardy said. "There will always be a shortage of teachers in the world. We want to keep teachers. That's our future."

Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.