Picking on the Dairy Commission won’t balance the budget

I know, most of you probably didn’t know Nevada even had a Dairy Commission. It’s in the news this week because its reserve account looks mighty good to Gov. Jim Gibbons as he looks for places to collect money in an effort to offset the state’s $871 million budget deficit. Gibbons mentioned the Dairy Commission in Tuesday’s proclamation, which called for a Special Session of the Legislature and named more than two dozen funds and commissions to drain.

Trouble is, the Dairy Commission isn’t part of the general fund for a reason: It’s self-funded by the Nevada dairy industry. Its reserve account, about $500,000 at present, is what it uses to pays its bills, run its office, and regulate the state’s milk producers.

Read more about it in my Wednesday column.