Balance

CARSON CITY – They speak of limbs hacked off, death and guts.
In a war of words, critics of Gov. Brian Sandoval’s $5.8 billion budget have lambasted his proposed cuts to K-12, higher education and health and human services.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – The Republican minority leadership in the Senate and the Assembly has called on critics of GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed budget to trade their “rhetoric for a plan.”

By Andrew Doughman / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – The state may save more money by spending rather than cutting.
Advocates for mental health funding advanced that seemingly nonsensical argument in a plea to save the state’s mental health courts, which are designed to rehabilitate mentally-ill criminal offenders.

By Andrew Doughman / Nevada News Bureau
Until now, tenured faculty at Nevada’s universities have avoided the budget guillotine that has chopped away at the state budget.
They escaped salary cuts during the past session due to rules governing their pay.

Gaming revenue for the Carson City and Carson Valley areas for fiscal year 2010 were among the state's best considering overall statewide declines, according data released today by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Gaming Revenue for the Carson City and Carson Valley area was down 4.3 percent for fiscal year 2010 over 2009 figures. The Las Vegas strip reported the best revenue figures, down 3.1 percent, according to the control board.

CARSON CITY – A lawmaker today questioned whether state officials did everything possible to negotiate the lowest cost for a recently approved $177 million Medicaid contract.
Sen. Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, asked Medicaid program Administrator Charles Duarte if the contract with HP Enterprise Services reflects a 10 percent reduction in the cost of state contracts sought by lawmakers to help address Nevada’s current fiscal crisis.

By Andrew Doughman / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada’s unemployment-insurance benefit fund could be in the red until 2018 as the state continues to borrow from the federal government to keep sending unemployment checks.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada’s budget process is broken and needs fundamental change to bring about reasonable spending and improved performance in public education and the delivery of other government services, a free market think tank says in a new report.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
The Washoe County Commission today selected former state Assemblyman and U.S. Attorney Greg Brower to replace retired GOP state Sen. Bill Raggio in the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature.

Carl Kuhl, a state Parole and Probation employee of six years, has created a plan that he claims will eliminate Nevada's budget deficit within two years.

In a news release issued on Tuesday, Kuhl said his plan not only will reduce the budget deficit but also help repair Nevada's economy at the same time. It is a pretty big claim, he admits, coming from an Accounting Assistant I, an entry level position.

Details are sketchy. It was reported at one time that Giffords had died, but news outlets have pulled back from that. A hospital spokesperson said she is alive and in surgery. Reports are that 12 people were shot, including a federal judge and members of Giffords' staff, and that six have died. The gunman is reportedly in custody.

CARSON CITY – Local governments would lose some property tax revenue to help fund higher education, and college students could face higher fees, in Gov. Brian Sandoval’s budget to be unveiled Jan 24.
Sandoval, in an interview on Jon Ralston’s Face to Face television program, said both elements are in consideration as his $5.3 billion general fund spending plan is finalized in advance of the 2011 legislative session.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A close adviser to Gov. Brian Sandoval says there are alternatives to balancing the state budget besides cutting programs or raising fees and taxes, and he identified some possibilities that could find their way into the proposed spending plan to be released later this month.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval wasted no time getting to work after being sworn into office today, signing an executive order freezing many proposed administrative regulations as evidence that Nevada is a business friendly state.

Millions of dollars in solar energy projects slated for the Carson City School District hang in the balance after a lawsuit was filed on Monday by a Nevada construction union.

The Northern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council filed a petition in District Court to stop Carson City School District’s plan to build solar energy arrays at five separate school locations in Carson City. A hearing is set for Thursday, 9 a.m. in Carson City District Court.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – There will be no fee increases of any kind in Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval’s budget when it is presented to lawmakers next year, Chief of Staff Heidi Gansert has confirmed.

Carson Kressley, star of the Bravo Channel show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" was in Carson City today filming scenes for his new reality show "Carson Nation."

Kressley bounded up and down the interior of Carson Mall at midday, with cameras in tow, interacting with shoppers and store employees in his high-energy, over-the-top style. He did quickie makeovers on some people, adding make-up, or working on their hair.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board has agreed to appeal to the 9th Circuit District Court a September federal district court ruling that struck down updated ordinances for the shorezone of Lake Tahoe, according to its website.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – When it comes to the budget problems looming for many states over the next two years, a report released this week by the National Conference of State Legislatures makes one point very clear: Nevada is No. 1, and not in a good way.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Despite the need for drastic spending reductions to balance Nevada’s budget, the government program that provides health care to the poor continues to expand, consuming a growing share of the state’s scarce state revenues.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A panel of private sector fiscal experts today projected the Nevada state general fund will have about $5.3 billion in tax revenues to spend on government services for the next two years.
The Nevada Economic Forum spent the day making projections for gaming, sales, business and other major tax revenues for use by Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval and the Legislature in crafting a balanced budget for the two years beginning July 1, 2011.

Nineteen South Lake Tahoe area non-profit organizations got an early holiday surprise Thursday when more than $100,000 was delivered by LIVESTRONG and the American Century Championship.

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority board of directors announced the distribution of $102,377 in contributions on Thursday, Nov. 11.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval said today he will make it a priority as governor to encourage businesses to relocate to Nevada from neighboring states where taxes have been raised to deal with the economic slowdown.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Senate Democrats are running a slate of candidates across the state in the hopes of winning a 14-seat, veto-proof majority for the upcoming 2011 session.
But Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said he does not expect it to happen, and he has not discounted the possibility of the GOP winning the majority.

The Secretary of the Interior announced the approval of $90 million in funding for continued restoration at Lake Tahoe along with other park and trail projects in Nevada as part of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.

The funding includes money for the purchase by the Forest Service of the 13 acre Schulz property near the Kings Canyon Waterfall as well as funding up to 40 percent of the $1.6 million for the acquisition of the Bently, Carson River Canyon property. The balance of the funding and future management will be through the City’s Open Space Program.

Yep, there’s a new guy sitting in the corner office of Heavenly admin building on Kingsbury Grade — Pete Sonntag, one-time ski bum turned management of the giant resort at Lake Tahoe.

So maybe the era of ski bums isn’t over. They may not wear suits but they often are the people doing the suits’ job.

Democratic state Senator Joyce Woodhouse and Republican challenger Michael Roberson debated the budget, taxes and unjustified political attacks today in a race viewed as critical by both parties for the upcoming 2011 legislative session.
Woodhouse, running for a second term in Clark District 5, said the mailers sent out by the Nevada State Democratic Party attacking Roberson did not come from her campaign or have her review.

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.

CARSON CITY – State Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio said today he will make an endorsement in the neck-and-neck U.S. Senate race within the next few days.

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.