Anti-budget cut coalition taking shape

ProgressNow Nevada, the new grass-roots liberal group, is spearheading a coalition of voices to oppose severe state budget cuts, according to an e-mail the group sent to its members today.

"We all must stand together to make sure the drastic cuts about to come still protect public safety and welfare as best we can," says the e-mail from ProgressNow's executive director, former R-J columnist Erin Neff. "Join the coaltion and urge serious discussion about new revenue and making the cuts carefully."

Neff says the Save Our State coalition will bring together ProgressNow, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, labor groups, and K-12 and higher education advocates. It is set to formally launch Monday with events all over the state.

With writerly flair, Neff's e-mail creates some vivid images of a budget situation that often evokes a horror movie: "Jim Gibbons presented a budget earlier this year that hacked money with all the finesse of Leatherface. Legislators now must treat this budget like a triage nurse, treating the most serious and vital wounds first."

The group is seeking members for the new campaign at its Web site.