(Annie Black) – As Nevada’s economy continues to gush red ink, thanks to Gov. Steve Sisolak’s seemingly never-ending authoritarian and heavy-handed “emergency” shutdown orders, the governor is proposing a budget Band-Aid when a tourniquet is called for.
In a summary of his Executive Budget released on Monday, the governor proposes cutting state government spending in the next biennium by a measly…2 percent.
But even that’s not quite what it seems.
During a special session last July, the Legislature reduced current general fund spending to $8.35 billion. But the governor’s proposed new budget is set at $8.69 billion.
So in reality, the governor is actually proposing a spending INCREASE over current spending while the state is STILL reeling from the Sisolak Shutdown.
That’s not only fiscally irresponsible, but an insult to Nevadans who have suffered unmercifully under his dictatorial reign for the last ten months.
Hang on. It’s actually even worse than THAT.
While Gov. Sisolak divided Nevada’s private sector workers into “essential” and “non-essential” and forced the “non-essential” ones into the unemployment line, he hasn’t done the same for government employees.
Indeed, while hundreds of thousands of Nevadans have been laid off, some permanently, state government employees – both essential and non-essential – face only six days of unpaid “furloughs” for this entire coming year. And no furloughs for the second year.
So much for the governor’s claim that we’re “all in this together.”
Instead of increasing non-essential government spending, we should be cutting non-essential government spending.
Instead of furloughing essential government employees, we should be laying off non-essential government employees.
Instead of tax hikes – or, as Michelle White, the governor’s chief-of-staff, deceptively calls them, “augmentation or refinements” – we should be cutting taxes and fees.
Instead of burdening Nevada businesses with restrictions, fines and harassment from inspectors and enforcers, we should be cutting government regulations.
Instead of keeping Nevada families on virtual house arrest, we should be taking steps to limit ANY governor’s ability to so badly abuse the privilege of “emergency” one-man or one-woman rule in the future.
If you agree, please add your name to the hundreds who have already signed my online petition calling on the Legislature to override the governor’s “emergency” directives, immediately unlock Nevada and end the Sisolak Shutdown.
Click HERE.
QUOTES OF THE DAY
“What scares me most is not the fact that our media is lying to us. It’s the fact that most of you believe them.” – Matt Couch
“Some people seem to think that the answer to all of life’s imperfections is to create a government agency to correct them. If that is your approach, then go straight to totalitarianism. Do not pass ‘Go.’ Do not collect $200.” – Thomas Sowell
“Are there real problems with how elections were conducted in 2020? Absolutely.” – Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter/columnist Debra Saunders, 1/15/21
Annie Black is the Nevada State Assemblywoman representing District 19. You can get more information by visiting www.electannieblack.com
