KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasGov. Gibbons Calls for Special Session in State of the State
CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Nevada is in a state in crisis and it's clear from Monday night's address from Governor Jim Gibbons that things won't be getting any better soon.
With a near $900 million shortfall, and no real plan for new taxes, budgets will be cut and the governor says so will employees. But some say school and government agencies can't survive with more cuts.
Gibbons took the offensive, blasting lawmakers for taxes, hitting that core issue -- one of the few issues supporters rally behind.
He laid the blame on the continued shortfall on legislators, saying they gambled on new taxes, and lost.
"The Nevada Legislature disregarded my solution. They raised taxes $1 billion and they made government bigger. They made the wrong call," he said.
Promising he would not raise taxes, he said he wants to shrink what he called a "bloated" state government. Saying private businesses have dealt with less and that Nevada's government cannot help everyone, he said programs and jobs will be lost.
"We will have to eliminate programs and services which make some people feel good, but which we simply can no longer afford. We must cut government spending to ease the burden on our citizens and our businesses," he said.
In calling for the special session set to get underway on February 23, 2010, Gibbons proposed some ways to trim the budget.
One would close the 140 year old Nevada State Prison outside of Carson City. This idea has come and gone, but it may happen this time.
The governor also flatly said there will be layoffs. They are inevitable he said.
He also took a tough stance on what Nevada should provide to citizens. The governor expects to reduce health care support and benefits, saying these kinds of programs simply cost too much.
Gibbons also pushed for a recycling and waste program that could raise money and allow Nevada to import trash for cash.
When it came to education, the governor was aggressive, saying "It's time to stop whining that education in Nevada doesn't work because of a lack of funding."
He wants his education reforms to get a fair hearing during the session. We're told it's essentially dead on arrival due to lack of support.
The theme of the speech, besides the tax issue, was Nevada government can't be all things to all people. The governor wants a leaner state that does less for its citizens, because Nevada can't afford it.
