Timm Herdt of the Ventura County Star focuses on a statement from Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval in today’s must-read column:
One thing that hasn’t changed in Nevada is that its Republican politicians continue to be fiscal conservatives. But if GOP lawmakers from California were to return to Reno this year to pick up any lessons, they might be surprised at one thing they’d learn.
They’d find out that the state’s constitutional amendment, passed in 1994, that requires any tax increases be approved by a two-thirds vote of legislators includes a provision that gives ultimate authority to voters. To place a tax increase proposal on the ballot, it says, shall require only a simple majority vote of lawmakers.
Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, who promised during his campaign to oppose any tax increases, appears to also believe that a public vote on taxes ought to carry more weight than his own opinion.
Asked whether he would sign a bill to put a tax increase on the ballot, Sandoval this week told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “We’ll cross that bridge when it comes, but I’ve always been supportive of people’s right to vote.”(Ventura County Star)
Now, let’s say this first, Brian Sandoval is nobody’s moderate. He’s a pretty right-wing governor, and hardly somebody that you could really call anything other than anti-tax/anti-goverment.
But, in the system we have out west, governments frequently defer (for better or worse) to the people. Perhaps Tony Strickland and his TeaParty Caucus should consider the fact that despite what Grover Norquist is telling them, a vote for Brown’s budget package will increase no taxes. That’s up to the people, and unless Tony and the Gang don’t trust the people, he should get moving on that pronto.
I would not have a problem deferring it to the people except for the fact that the unions will run a 60 million dollar ad campaign showing crime victims, closed schools and burning homes to try to scare the ill informed into voting for more taxes. There is no tax payer group that can counter the money that the unions will pour into the propaganda. If JB really wants to leave it to the people then he needs to also put a tax cut along with the 35 billion dollar services and education cut on the ballot.
Unless Jerry Brown and the Gang don’t trust the people, he should get moving on that pronto.
Grover Norquist, He’s been accused of being a part of the Muslim Brotherhood, Now I really don’t trust Him and on top of that since His wife was born a Muslim(She could not under penalty of Death marry a Non-Muslim from what I’ve read), Then He may also be one, So who is His loyalty(Fealty) to? The USA or? Al-Qaeda maybe?
I think that Nevada has a solid Republican legislature
They also have a Republican governor
They’ve had both for years
Yet, they’re in fiscal difficulty too
A big part of the state’s economic problems is the Bush recession
Cut spending in California, but go ahead and put the tax extension on the ballot for a vote
You DON’T NEED Republican support to get this on the ballot
WHY give Republican legislators a veto over the tax extension ?
Cowardly Democrats