Protesters want Gibbons to rethink cuts to budget

Gov. Jim Gibbons' budget-cutting knife was sharply criticized by about 50 children's advocates, activists and mental health and education professionals during a planned protest in front of University Medical Center on Monday.

The protest, which was part news conference, was held by the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, or PLAN.

Carrying signs and umbrellas, attendees called for Gibbons to rethink his proposed 4.5 percent across-the-board budget cuts in favor of dipping into the state's rainy-day fund.

The protesters called for Gibbons to take straight from the rainy day fund and delay what they called unnecessary capital improvement projects.

"When you trim a budget that's never been healthy to begin with, it's a tragedy. We need to take a better look at what we're doing,'' said Linda Lera Randle-El, director of Straight from the Streets, a homeless outreach program.

Randle-El said children who don't get the mental health or substance abuse treatment they need early will often end up homeless on the streets of Las Vegas.

Additionally, event attendees voiced concern the state's Medicaid program will be hit, requiring caps on enrollment. If that were to happen, children living in working-class families who cannot afford -- or are not provided -- employer-based health insurance may not get the medical attention they need. There was also concern Gibbons' proposed cuts will affect older adults, the disabled and those suffering from mental illness.

Gibbons announced a plan Friday to cut 4.5 percent, instead of 8 percent, from nearly every state agency and program, including public education, to address a revenue shortfall of $440 million. The spending reductions are expected to generate nearly $284 million in savings. The remainder of the shortfall will be made up by tapping the state's rainy day fund and making cuts in capital construction and one-time expenditures.

Patrick Schreiber, a supervisor at Child Haven, the shelter for abused and neglected children, said cuts across the board pit public services against each other.

"There needs to be a better solution,'' he said.

A.J. McClure, a spokesman for PLAN, said the group plans to attend today's Legislative Committee on Health Care meeting to voice concerns to legislators.

The hearing is at 9 a.m. in Carson City and will be teleconferenced to the Sawyer Building In Las Vegas.