Farewell, Gov. Guinn

Former Governor Kenny Guinn (R) died earlier today. And I still can't believe it.

Former Gov. Kenny Guinn, who served during Nevada’s most explosive growth, leading with a pragmatic streak and fierce determination to do what was right rather than what more partisan elements in his party thought, has died.

Guinn guided Nevada from January 1999 through the end of his second term in 2006. He died this morning in Las Vegas after a fall from a roof after suffering a possible heart attack. He was 73. [...]

Guinn, a Republican, helped push through Nevada's popular Millennium Scholarship program, which made it easier for high school graduates in this state to attend Nevada colleges. [...]

After Guinn left office, he laughed about being labeled a RINO – Republican in Name Only. He pointed to conservative acts like cutting $350 million in spending when he first took office in 1999 and accomplishments like privatizing the states workers' compensation system. But he was equally proud of the Millennium Scholarship program now named after him and for the tax increase he advocated in 2003, which was then the largest in state history.

Stories of Guinn and his policy knowledge, particularly when it came to details of the budget, were legendary. He would be in his office on weekends crunching numbers. He would corner reporters to discuss looming unfunded liabilities in the pension system until they begged off.

Farewell, Governor Guinn. I may be a proud "Yellow Dog Democrat", but I respected Kenny Guinn for being willing to "tell it like it is" and make the right decisions for Nevada regardless of party lines or rigid ideology. He was a true gentleman, a proud Nevadan, and an all around good guy. Yes, he was a Republican, but he was one of those politicians who knew how to be practical and how to make things work.

If only Jim Gibbons, Brian Sandoval, and Sharron Angle could understand...

Former Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, a Democrat from Henderson, called Guinn the consummate gentleman. "He was the type of public servant we would all like to be. He didn't play partisan politics. He had a great love for the state and that's what drove him.

"I remember a lot of times sitting in the den at the mansion and that's the way we worked things out -- such as saving the Millennium Scholarship." Despite the difference in parties, Perkins said, "I call him my friend. He really cared about people and the services for people in the state. The guy was truly a robust man. It will be a great loss for the state."

Perkins said Guinn's wife, Dema, "had such an influence over him and how he governed. She was a true partner in the office and how the state was governed."

How to Fill the Deficit?

This is the $888 million question facing the Legislature starting today. According to The RGJ, they still have no plan yet to counter "Luv-Guv Gibbons" and his "destroy the social safety net... but not too much, so let's work around my 'no new taxes' pledge with a few fees here and there" muddled mess of a "plan". So far we have Bill Raggio pushing good GOoPer buddy Brian Sandoval's (What, you thought there would be no campaigning this week? HA!) "Nevada Pay Day Loan Plan" to sell off state assets for the state to lease back, while Steven Horsford is still considering shutting down state parks. HUH??!!

The Sun outlines all the major proposals being discussed by Gibbons and the legislators. As of now, they are:

- Gibbons' 10% across the board service cuts (education, health care, prisons, and more)... But legislators want to pare down cuts in some sectors, like education.

- Gibbons' proposal to bring on Chicago based company InsureNet to install cameras on street corners all over the state to verify insurance registration... But many Democratic legislators are questioning the effectiveness of it and likening it to "Big Brother watching you".

- Gibbons' "4 10's" plan to set state employee work days to 4 10-hour days per week with 10 hours of furlough (no pay) per month... Interestingly enough, this is among the least controversial in Gibbons' plan.

- Gibbons and legislators want to take some of the $4 billion set aside for local governments' capital improvement projects... This is a "strange bedfellows" situation where NSEA (state teachers' union) President Lynn Warne and Brian Sandoval both support the move to stave off further state cuts in programs like K-12 schools, but local government officials across the aisle and across the state vehemently oppose (since the state will be raiding local funds akin to what California has been doing recently).

- Gibbons and legislators agree on the concept of additional fees (don't call them taxes... even though they are) on mining and gaming, but legislators are considering increasing the amounts that Gibbons proposed on mining... The mining industry says it wants to work out a temporary "fix it now, drop it later" deal that legislators aren't buying, but the big Las Vegas players look willing to take the deal on new gaming fees.

- And now, the rest of the heap... The above-mentioned lease back "pay day loan", closing state parks, one-time fund transfers, online sales tax collection, "sweeping" in money meant for specific purposes (like the Millennium Scholarship Fund) into the general fund... Wait, are you sure I'm not back in California?

This week looks to be quite messy in Carson City. And hopefully, our Nevada Legislature will eventually agree to a plan this week that minimizes any more cuts to the most vulnerable in our society while still investing in much needed infrastructure (like K-12 schools and colleges!) and spreading new taxes (including fees) fairly, including those (like the mining industry) who have avoided paying their fair share for far too long. I'm sure some still consider this a pipe dream, but I'm hoping sanity will win the week and we'll save our state.

Gibbons Gets His Way... And Maybe Democrats Can Learn a Lesson?

OK, it's no surprise. Luv Guv Gibbons will take control of the federal stimulus funds. He says he'll be "responsible", but we can never really trust someone who spends state funds on such useful "stimulus" projects as texting a girlfriend from a state-issued cell phone. That's why Democrats (and even some Republicans!) in Carson City are nervous.

The legislators obviously saw the Interim Finance Committee (IFC) as their only way to check and balance the Governor's power. And in these times when we have a complete psychopath as Governor, it's absolutely necessary. However, they may have crossed the legal line in trying to block the Governor from doing what is necessary "for the protection of life and property". Still, just because what Gibbons is doing (in this case) is legal doesn't make it right. This should be a wake-up call to Carson City Democrats to stop with the IFC-esque "quick fixes" and propose the bolder changes we need to really make state government function properly.

Instead of trying to bypass the Nevada Constitution, Democrats should consider amending it to allow for a full-time Legislature. This would prevent any future Governors from abusing their power and spending state funds as they wish when the Legislature is not in session. And perhaps with other reforms, such as curbing lobbyist influence and implementing full, "clean money" public campaign financing (as Arizona and Maine already do), we can really clean house in Carson City and finally make it work again.



Think about it. How would things be different today if Sig Rogich and his band of merry "bidness lobby" multimillionaire/billionaire buddies hadn't bought the 2006 election for Gibbons? And if the Legislature weren't always so susceptible to the powerful corporate lobby? Maybe we'd have a State of Nevada that works for working people?

The Reality of Bush-Arnold Era Shock Doctrine in California

(Originally at OC Progressive)

We need not look further than The Sacramento Bee's interactive map of California job losses to see how bad policies in Washington and Sacramento have really made an impact... In a negative way. Fortunately, there may be signs of life in other parts of the country as President Obama's stimulus spending finally starts to kick in here in Nevada and elsewhere. However, the federal stimulus will likely be offset next door in California by even more massive cuts to the very social safety net that's badly needed to survive a recession.

And with "Arnold Antoinette" pushing for even more brutal slashing of social safety net, California may very well face even worse economic conditions... And threatens to drag Nevada and the entire rest of the nation further down with it.