It Doesn't Have to Be This Way.

We weren't trying to be mean. No really, we weren't. It's just that Jon Ralston's fantasy of tax reform is just that: a fantasy.

And yesterday, the Washoe County Commission reminded us why it's a fantasy... And why we must come to grips with reality.

Commissioner Kitty Jung began to cry when she explained why she was for Assembly Bill 46.

“We just have to work on continuing to build on the momentum generated from this,” Jung said.

The proposed bill would have applied a sales tax increase of a quarter of a percent and 5 cents per $100 assessed in property values.

The Nevada Legislature passed AB 46 along with the "GovRec Budget" this past spring. And of course, Governor Brian Sandoval (R) signed both. The budget locked in most of the past two sessions' worth of cuts to an already underfunded public education system, while AB 46 passed the buck on raising taxes to better fund Reno area K-12 schools to the Washoe County Commission.

And now, most Washoe Commissioners seem to be content with dropping the buck. Is anyone actually surprised by this? Governor Sandoval did not want to be seen as a "tax raiser" (despite evidence to the contrary)... And neither do 3 of the 5 Washoe County Commissioners.

So where does that leave Washoe County Schools? Now, they're having to consider extra budget cuts. How lively (not).

It doesn't have to be this way. No really, it doesn't. It just confirms what we were saying yesterday. If we want change, we will have to do it ourselves by passing The Education Initiative (TEI) next year.