Only crazy people talk about overhauling state’s financial structure

You can't accuse Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley of dreaming small. Then again, the problems facing Nevadans aren't small, either.

At a time of economic misery that finds Gov. Jim Gibbons clinging to his no-new-taxes pledge and keeping the kind of low profile usually reserved for members of the federal Witness Protection Program, Buckley is stepping up and calling for a dramatic change flying under the working title, "Overhauling Nevada's Financial Structure."

Her political opponents will write off the tour as a political stunt designed to improve the Democrat's profile in a run-up to the 2010 race for governor. At the very least, her effort is a stern rebuke of the status quo in the Silver State and the policies and philosophy of the current administration. If you were looking for an undeniable sign of Gibbons' diminished strength, look no further than Buckley's road show: coming soon to a town hall meeting near you.

While Gibbons' small-government approach has plenty in common with the Maytag Repairman, Buckley declares she's ready to tear Nevada's financial structure down to bare metal and wrench it into a smoother-running machine. Her critics suspect that translates into a hefty tax increase.

The political machinations aside, Nevadans have undeniable need. M*A*S*H units have less hemorrhaging and a higher quality of life.

Buckley notes the Tax Foundation has determined Nevada has the lowest state and local tax rate outside Alaska, and is dead last in the number of government employees per 1,000 residents. But low taxes, small state government, and a laissez-faire business philosophy haven't translated into a vibrant and diverse economic climate.

The reasons are clear: Outsiders see what Nevada residents experience in the quality-of-life categories: education, health, crime, and the cost of living.

The statewide high school dropout rate places us 46th, with student-teacher ratios and per-pupil spending 47th.

For all the problems facing public education, our school districts aren't struggling because of an overabundance of funding.

The pathetic rankings are no better when it comes to higher education.

When the subject is health care, we remain on the frontier: 49th in number of nurses per 100,000 population, and 46th in the number of available doctors.

Then again, who needs doctors when you lack health insurance? When it comes to children without health insurance, we're third in the nation. When it comes to the number of qualifying children covered by Medicaid, we're dead last. Infant immunization? Last. Preventative care? Last.

Hey, at least we're consistent.

We are No. 1 in the rate of senior suicide, but don't add that to the state seal.

From mediocre care for the mentally ill to rocketing rates of incarceration, Nevada has plenty of holes in the ship of state.

In the middle of an economic crisis, the likes of which most have never experienced, steps Buckley. With calls for cuts coming from Carson City in 2009 that threaten to turn state government into a part-time enterprise, she counters with a call for an overhaul in the tax structure and real changes.

Talk about a cockeyed optimist. This woman must be crazy.

Fortunately, the state's mental health system is so overwhelmed she'd probably never be treated.

Identifying the need is the easy part. Anyone with a pair of eyes and a clear conscience can do it. But how do we meaningfully address the problems?

By making substantive changes, Buckley says. "We can do better. And we must do better. The future of the state depends on it."

Her one-woman crusade calls for stating priorities and making hard choices. For her, the choices are obviously education, public safety, health and transportation. She's calling for aggressive enforcement of existing tax laws, a thorough review of the state's labyrinth of tax abatements and exemptions, and an increased emphasis on securing federal grants and matching funds.

From BLM land releases and an open door to public-private partnerships that feed those prioritized programs, Buckley is raising pertinent issues at a difficult time.

And she's done so without saying she'll call for big tax increases at the upcoming session of the Legislature -- at least, not yet.

Can a majority of her goals be accomplished?

As a certified skeptic, I think she's dreaming.

But Barbara Buckley deserves credit for trying to turn her dream of a better Nevada into reality.

John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. E-mail him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295.