Legislators, governor can toast budget without feeling hangover

As they wipe the sleep from their eyes this morning after a legislative week reminiscent of "The Hangover Part II," it's hard to know which of Nevada's top political players feels a greatest sense of relief.

Not because they awoke with a chicken or without facial tattoos, but because it now appears all Carson City's political party animals will somehow survive their experience without much scorn or a single missing tooth.

They can thank the grown-ups at the state Supreme Court for that. The high court on Thursday wisely ruled that the state acted unconstitutionally when it used legislation in 2009 during Gov. Jim Gibbons' tenure to grab $62 million in Southern Nevada Clean Water Coalition money in an effort to balance the budget. Message to Paul: Stop robbing Peter.

The filching of funds intended for a specific use stunk of bad fiscal policy even in a time of economic crisis, but Gov. Brian Sandoval used the strategy to balance his Bicycle card budget without raising taxes.

In addition to making substantial cuts, his budget sought to divert $247 million in school construction bond reserves into the K-12 operating budget, and another $305 million in resort room and property tax sleight of hand.

When the state Supreme Court decision dropped, Sandoval was smart enough to see the monumental mess in the making, and so he announced he would be willing to extend $626 million in taxes that were set to expire at the end of June.

While megaphone-mouthed conservatives are grousing about Sandoval's responsible decision, the state Supreme Court did the governor a huge favor. It enabled him to end a very difficult first Legislature without looking like Gibbons with a better haircut and less baggage.

Mustering tangible compassion is always the hardest trick for compassionate conservatives, and by allowing the taxes already on the books to continue Sandoval can say he helped save more than 1,000 teachers' jobs and a long list of essential government services that were on the gore-soaked chopping block. If less than convincingly compassionate, Sandoval now at least looks pragmatic.

Meanwhile, the Democrats have never had a problem wringing their hands and tearing up for the state's poor and downtrodden. State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford and Assembly Speaker John Oceguera can quote Nevada's innumerable negative statistics in their sleep.

Their problem during the session was simple: getting enough votes to close the deal -- any deal. They were outboxed during the session by Sandoval, who kept legislative Republicans in line. For all the Democrats' plans to change tax structures and raise new revenues in the name of salvaging the state's flagging quality of life, they weren't able to deliver.

The state Supreme Court ruling saved Horsford and Oceguera from appearing flummoxed and ineffectual. For a couple of fellows rumored to be dreaming of higher office, that's a very good thing.

The legislative session failed to generate a philosophical showdown, as some had hoped. This was one of those political wrestling matches that produced cauliflower ears and an unsatisfying draw.

But it also produced my favorite quote, which was spoken this past week by Sandoval senior policy adviser Dale Erquiaga on the subject of the tax and budget mess.

"The problem is much worse than we thought," Erquiaga said. "Future governors and lawmakers will have to deal with that."

Future governors and lawmakers?

That's priceless.

Wasn't it also the job of the current governor and lawmakers?

The "Hangover Part II" session didn't produce a philosophical melding between progressive Democrats and budget-hawk Republicans, but it did generate relief.

For Sandoval. For Horsford and Oceguera. For big business, casinos, and Nevada's untouchable mining industry.

The only ones certain not to feel relieved on this morning after are the citizens of a state who are poorly served by a mediocre government that lacks the collective will to forge positive change for all its people.

John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Email him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Smith.