2012 Voter Guide: Nevada Assembly District 3

With five consecutive terms under her belt, longtime Democratic Assemblywoman Peggy Pierce wants to make it six before she comes "to end of the road," as she puts it. If re-elected to her last term allowed by term limits, she would then try for a state Senate seat .

Her opponent in District 3, Republican Phyllis McGuire Moilanen, wants to stop Pierce at term No. 5, by advocating her desire to reduce spending and taxes. She says that Pierce "hasn't met a tax she doesn't like."

"I'm against tax increases," Moilanen said.

Pierce counters with her claim that a broad-based business tax is needed to fund public education and other services in the state. She argues further that Nevada needs to catch up with the nation's other 49 states in terms of government funding. Doing so would help knock out Nevada's unemployment rate, which at 12.1 percent heading into October was the highest in the nation.

"If we woke up tomorrow and hired 10,000, we'd still have the smallest government," Pierce said.

"Imagine if we had a mental health system functioning instead of relying on a prison system, which is inhumane. Just imagine if we had a government sort of like the other 49 states. It's time to end the experiment."

Pierce noted that to be on par with "even a conservative place, like Utah, we'd have to hire 17,000." Many of those state employees would be teachers and social workers.

A victory by Moilanen in the Nov. 6 general election would put her in a position to review the budget "and cut back where there is unnecessary spending."

"I feel like the money for education is all at the top (positions) so increasing it is not going to improve education. Money for education and public safety needs to be spent wisely and scrutinized very carefully," Moilanen said.

Without knowing exactly what's in the state budget, she declined to say specifically where she would make cuts to balance it.

"Everything could be looked at. There is money probably being spent in areas we don't need," she said.

Moilanen, a former telephone company quality assurance employee, said she would oppose any general tax increase above 2009 levels.

On the other hand, Pierce said she would make no cuts to the state budget. "Nevada by an outstanding margin has the smallest government."

She said her constituents have expressed concerns about public education. "They think our education isn't good enough. You hear that seniors don't want to pay for an education system. I'm not finding that at all."

Pierce said Nevada has "one of the most regressive tax systems in the country. I think Nevadans deserve better."

She said she has an edge over Moilanen because Democrats have a roughly 2-to-1 margin of registered voters over Republicans in the district.

Moilanen contends that Republicans aren't being represented by Pierce.

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