jobs

CARSON CITY – A new national survey of 6,000 small businesses has generated mixed ratings for Nevada, with high marks for its regulations and tax code but also showing one of the least healthy climates overall among the states.

CARSON CITY – The National Retail Federation has launched a nationwide 60-day campaign to raise awareness among lawmakers and the public on how what it calls a loophole exempting online sales from sales tax is hurting local communities and job creation.

If Nevada’s five-member Congressional delegation is any indication, the group has its work cut out for it, with three members opposed and two supportive of the idea to allow states to tax online sales.

CARSON CITY – With education reform a top priority of Gov. Brian Sandoval, the new alignment of the state Board of Education – with four seats up for grabs on the November ballot – is taking on more importance than ever before.

One of the four seats, District 2 which mirrors the new Nevada 2^nd Congressional District from Reno and Carson City east across rural Nevada, has attracted five candidates, two of whom are serving now on the 10-member elected board. The race is nonpartisan.

CARSON CITY – Republican candidates have big leads in fundraising in four of five seats considered critical to control of the state Senate in the 2013 legislative session, with a slight monetary advantage in the fifth, according to campaign contribution reports filed this week.

Both Democrat and Republican caucus leaders are fighting hard to win the seats to control the 21-member house where Democrats now lead 11-10.

The candidates' forum put on Tuesday night by the Carson City Chamber of Commerce allowed the seven people running for Carson City Supervisor to define where they each stand on local issues.

The candidates included current Ward 4 Supervisor Molly Walt, and the two other people running for that seat, Jim Shirk and Amy Clemens. Vying for the open Ward 2 seat were Brad Bonkowski, Dennis Johnson, Stacie Wilke-McCulloch and Maurice White.

CARSON CITY – Three of the Republicans seeking the right to challenge state Democratic Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford for Nevada’s new 4^th Congressional District seat sought to establish their conservative credentials in a televised debate today.

Did you know that our relatively small community has 26 libraries which are not managed, operated or funded in an integrated way?

Each of the 22 private and public schools has its own library. Then there are four public libraries (Western Nevada College, city, State Library and Archives, State Law Library). Two of these libraries (State Library and Archives and the State Law Library) are woefully underutilized.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s jobless rate dropped below 12 percent for the first time in nearly three years in April, a state agency reported today. The statewide seasonally adjusted rate fell three-tenths of a percentage point to 11.7 percent.

CARSON CITY – While Mitt Romney and Barack Obama were campaigning elsewhere today, Nevada Democrats and Republicans took up the battle for the presidency on their behalf.

Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., held a telephone conference call to talk up Romney’s credentials as a “turnaround specialist” who will get the country back on track. He also criticized Obama for failing to get spending or the national deficit under control as he promised early on in his presidency.

RENO – President Barack Obama made a brief stopover here today, visiting with a couple who refinanced their home through a White House initiative helping underwater homeowners who have government-backed loans.

After meeting with Paul and Valerie Keller, Obama urged Congress to expand the Home Affordable Refinancing Program (HARP) to other mortgages as well.

CARSON CITY – They have names like “A Better Nevada PAC”, “A Bolder Nevada” and “The Nevada Hispanic Legislative Caucus”.

They are all political action committees formed or renewed by state lawmakers this year to help promote their parties, push their candidates and protect their ranks in an effort to maintain and/or win control of the Assembly and Senate.

CARSON CITY – A broader measure of Nevada’s unemployment picture, including those who have given up looking for work, showed slight but continued improvement through the first quarter of 2012, a federal report released today shows.

The rate in Nevada dropped from 22.7 percent in the four quarters through Dec. 31, 2011, to 22.3 percent through March 31, according to the quarterly report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

CARSON CITY – A new business index evaluating the states on the effects of their tax systems on entrepreneurship and small business ranks Nevada 3^rd behind South Dakota and Texas.

The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council’s “Business Tax Index 2012” pulls together 18 different tax measures, and combines them into one tax score that allows the 50 states and District of Columbia to be compared and ranked.

CARSON CITY – Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval announced today that the state has reached an agreement with on-line retailing giant Amazon to begin collecting Nevada sales tax on purchases.

Figures released today by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation show the state's unemployment rate in March dropped to 12 percent overall, with Carson City down to 12.4 percent.

Unemployment dropped .3 percent statewide over the previous month, and 1.6 percent over the last year.

The jobs picture in Carson City, while showing improvement, is lagging slightly behind the statewide average, with a .2 percent drop in unemployment over February, and 1.1 percent drop over the last year.

See the DETR press release below:

There was an interesting discussion earlier this morning about overtime worked by Carson City firefighters. Fire Chief Stacey Giomi said firefighters are currently scheduled to work 56 hours a week, and talked about one firefighter who worked 4,100 hours last year, which is equal to two full-time jobs.

LAS VEGAS — Gov. Brian Sandoval today told conservative business group Keystone Corporation that his decision to support a two-year extension of taxes that were scheduled to expire eliminates the need for any new taxes to balance the state budget.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors will hear from the city's finance director Nick Providenti tomorrow on the budget outlook for the next fiscal year, and that outlook will include a call for higher property taxes.

In an interview on Tuesday, Providenti said the property tax rate should be raised from $3.18 to $3.66, which is the limit under current state law. (This rate is for those homes on the west side that are part of the Sierra Forest Fire Protection District. The rest of the city pays 10 cents less.)

CARSON CITY – A new study by the Pew Center on the States identifies Nevada as one of 16 states that did not publish a document between 2007 and 2011 that evaluated the effective of tax incentives.

CARSON CITY – A state agency today reported that significant changes have been made to the unemployment insurance benefit structure affecting both current and future recipients.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s polices of low taxes and small government ranked it 18^th among states in its ability to compete and grow its economy, according to a report released today by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

CARSON CITY – U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., today downplayed the notion of any disagreement with GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval arising from their opposing views on the Small Business Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2010.

More than 50 Carson City and nearby residents are planning to gather on Monday, April 9, to take part in an unprecedented week-long nationwide progressive mobilization, called 99% Spring, to take back the country for the 99%. Reno area residents will also be meeting on Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.

That's the basis of the argument being put forward by some of the more vocal supporters of the Carson City Center Project, aka Nugget Project, as they try to fight back the attempt to put the issue on the November ballot.

They would be wise to follow their own advice.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s unemployment rate fell four-tenths of a percentage point in February to a seasonally adjusted 12.3 percent, but the news is not all positive, a state agency reported today.

Bill Anderson, chief economist with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), said an argument can be made that the forces behind the drop in the jobless rate were signs of weakness.

A group of young men and women who are walking across the country to raise awareness for the DREAM Act made a stop in Carson City on Wednesday, in an unsuccessful attempt to elicit support from Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval.

The Campaign For An American DREAM walkers each have their life stories about how they or their family members came to this country as children, but now face deportation because of their immigration status.

CARSON CITY – A conservative Nevada think tank today filed its notice of appeal to the state Supreme Court in its separation of powers case challenging the ability of state lawmakers to also work in public sector jobs.

The Copper Mountain Solar 1 facility in Boulder City that President Obama visited Wednesday is certainly impressive. With nearly 1 million solar panels, the nation’s largest operating solar facility can provide power for about 17,000 homes without producing any harmful emissions or sending any money out of state for dirty coal or foreign oil.

CARSON CITY – A new report questions the value of tax incentives and regulations approved by many states around the country, including Nevada, to create “green jobs,” noting that subsidies used for such programs can take away revenue for other needs such as public education.

Members of the “40 Days For Life” campaign will gather from 9 AM to noon on Saturday across from Planned Parenthood on North Stewart St. at John St. to pray in what’s being called a “Celebration of Life: From the Beginning to the End.” Contact is Cecelia Merrell, 775-297-6990.

About 40 Days for Life