Taxes

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A Nevada lawmaker has asked for a bill to be drafted to require bottled water to be subjected to the state sales tax.
Assemblyman Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, said bottled water is included under the sales tax exemption for food in Nevada even though it has no nutritional value.

By Nevada News Bureau
Barry Herr, the Republican candidate challenging state Controller Kim Wallin in the November general election, said today he would bring a GOP point of view to the office and use the position to bring conservative influence to the discussion of taxes and other issues.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – The neighborhoods of this capital city and the Washoe Valley just to the north are ground zero for one of the most fiercely contested state legislative races in Nevada this year.
Potentially at stake is the makeup of the 42-member Assembly and whether Democrats can sustain their dominance of the lower house with a 28-member, veto-proof majority.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
Taxes, the state budget and a looming revenue shortfall in 2011 took center stage Thursday in the second debate between the two major party candidates for Nevada governor.

Dave Dawley talks about his reelection campaign for Carson City Assessor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBWY3-rMadc

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – With the Nevada campaign season kicking into high gear in the four weeks remaining before election day, candidates and their supporters are also starting to focus on what could mean the difference between victory and defeat: voter turnout.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons has received a “B� grade from the Cato Institute for his performance in dealing with Nevada’s major budget and fiscal challenges over the past two years.

By Nevada News Bureau staff
CARSON CITY – The head of Nevada’s Retail Association says a tax increase will likely be needed to balance the state budget next year, and expanding the sales tax to include at least some services is one place to look.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Long-time Nevada resident Art Cooke says he is now officially a disenfranchised voter.
After voting in every primary and general election in Carson City for a decade, Cooke sold his Bodie Drive home and became a full-time recreational vehicle resident upon retirement five years ago. Cooke and his wife Rita spend time out-of-state every year, wintering in Yuma, Ariz. and visiting other states in their luxury recreational vehicle.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera said today he believes the Legislature will have a great opportunity in 2011 to look at ways of broadening the state’s tax base to eliminate the volatility that has created Nevada’s boom and bust funding cycles.

Candidate for Carson City Assessor, Ian Mindling, talks about how he would manage the job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27T9YlWJEz4

Assemblyman John Hambrick this week said he will vie for chairmanship of the Republican Assembly Caucus against sitting chairman Pete Goicoechea if he wins reelection in November. He also expressed concerns about what he characterized as an abuse of power by some in Democratic leadership in Carson City.

Nevada News Bureau staff
CARSON CITY – An effort to change Nevada state law to expand the ability to raise money through charitable lotteries is having a tough time gaining support, the sponsor of the proposal said today.

Carson Nugget president Steve Neighbors was on hand to discuss some of the details of the Carson City Center aka Nugget Project at the Nevada Business Connections breakfast this morning at the Gold Dust West.

(You can read all the background materials on the project here. )

Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada state agencies and public education have submitted budgets calling for nearly $8 billion in spending for the upcoming two years, about $3 billion more than what is expected to be available with current tax revenues.

Democrat Rory Reid's campaign for governor made a stop in Dayton on Saturday at the home of Shirley Lafreniere, a member of the Lyon County Democratic Party.

About 30 of Reid’s supporters attended the event. One of those supporters was Charles Lawson. Charles Lawson is running for Lyon County Commissioner. Reid addressed issues on energy, economic development and education.

Reid is a lawyer, business executive and the chairman of the Clark County Commission. He has managed Clark County’s $6 billion budget for seven years without raising taxes.

It’s hardly a surprise to those living in Nevada that the unemployment rate is high, 14 percent more or less depending on who’s counting. The state is in a hole because of poor tax structure, decreased tourist visits and encroaching California Indian casinos, among other things.

And all the experts are predicting a slow growth and return to the basic 3 or 4 percent unemployment.
The Obama Adminnistration in Washington says we’re on the track to recovery and if we can just control the lunacy that is the New York Stock Exchange and others we’ll be all right.

Yeah.

RENO – Several Nevada business leaders took the opportunity of the upcoming Labor Day holiday to speak out today against federal legislation they say will kill jobs in Nevada at a time when the unemployed total more than 20 percent.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
Former Nevada Gov. Bob Miller said Monday it is unrealistic for both major party candidates for governor to say they won’t raise taxes in the upcoming 2011 session.

There is an interesting discussion going on over at the Nevada Appeal site concerning the Nugget Project.

The story begins two week ago when Guy Farmer wrote a rather harsh column that slammed the Nugget Project. In response, last week there was a guest column by Michael Douglass criticizing Farmer's take on the subject.

Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
Underdog Democratic candidate for governor Rory Reid took the opportunity at a first debate today with leading GOP candidate Brian Sandoval to challenge his opponent’s commitment to spending on public education.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A plan released today by Democrat governor candidate Rory Reid on how to balance the Nevada state budget without raising taxes received some praise from a free market think tank even though many questions remain, including whether the proposal includes an overly optimistic prediction of future tax revenue growth.

Laughlin Associates, Inc. invites you to attend a survival course for entrepreneurs: more money less taxes workshop. At the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites in Carson City. Reserve you spot today www.deductandsave.com 1-888-386-3811.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada budget guru Guy Hobbs said Wednesday expanding the sales tax to encompass services is “not a bad place to start� in the effort to broaden the state’s tax base.
“Sixty percent of our economy is services, not a bad place to start,� he said. “A lot of those services are discretionary services, certainly not a bad place to start.�

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Assembly Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea said today Nevada voters should be asked to expand the state sales tax to include food purchases as a way to raise revenue and broaden the tax base.
But any such revenue hike should be accompanied by a reduction in the state’s regressive business taxes, he said.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – The Nevada state Board of Finance today voted to make it easier for those who owe money to the state to pay their debts.

CARSON CITY – Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce President Matt Crosson said Thursday the Nevada business community will not accept tax increases in the upcoming 2011 legislative session without “meaningful� reforms in a number of areas including taxes, education and public employee benefits.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said today he wants to see what strings are attached to the $82 million approved by Congress this week to hire teachers in Nevada before agreeing to accept the funds.

Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Democrat gubernatorial candidate Rory Reid told the Nevada News Bureau yesterday there are other options for moving the state out of its current budget crisis besides increasing taxes and cutting programs.

Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada could find a way out of its $3 billion revenue shortfall next year without raising taxes, but only if the Legislature looks at restructuring the way the state and local governments provide and pay for services, the state’s top fiscal officer said yesterday.