Sandoval won’t ‘trade taxes for anything’

Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval on Tuesday killed any notion that he might trade his promise not to raise taxes for education reform or other changes he wants from the Nevada Legislature.

In a speech to the conservative Keystone Corporation business group in Las Vegas, Sandoval said he would continue to oppose Democratic leaders who want to raise more revenue via taxes. And he slammed those same lawmakers who have criticized his $5.8 billion budget without offering an alternative.

"There may have been some speculation in Carson City with regard to my position on taxes. So let me be perfectly clear: I'm not going to trade taxes for anything," Sandoval said, drawing applause from the friendly crowd.

Sandoval's speech to 170 people attending Keystone's annual meeting at the Silverton hotel-casino came a day after the governor vetoed his first bill.

The Democrat-approved measure would have used school bond reserves to fix buildings. But Sandoval instead used the $300 million in bond reserves for school operating funds in his spending plan. He said Democrats didn't replace the money and haven't proposed ways to raise more.

"They've made a lot of noise with regard to, quote, 'new revenue,' but there is no plan," said Sandoval, who has been meeting privately with Democratic legislators. "At least any plan that I've asked for."

The Nevada Legislature has been meeting for two months and has two months more to finish its work. Democratic leaders of the Senate and Assembly have not proposed a formal tax package, although Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, has said the governor's spending plan is a couple of billion dollars short.

Democrats have said education will be hurt the most under Sandoval's budget cuts.

Yet Sandoval argued that his package of proposed education reforms would improve schools and that increased funding isn't the answer. The reforms range from ending teacher tenure and social promotion of children who can't read to giving schools block grants to spend as they wish on programs to boost student performance and graduation rates.

The governor introduced his education reform package last week. Sandoval announced that Michelle Rhee, the controversial former head of Washington, D.C., schools, will come to Las Vegas this week to promote his reforms.

Also, former Florida Republican Gov. Jeb Bush will be in Carson City on April 20 to back Sandoval's ideas, he said.

"They know that reform, not just more money, is what will help our students in the long run," Sandoval said.

In his 30-minute speech, Sandoval quoted President Theodore Roosevelt about staying optimistic during difficult times -- such as the economic downturn in Nevada that has caused record joblessness, home foreclosures and bankruptcies.

"Believe you can and you're halfway there," he said, quoting Roosevelt.

Before his speech, Sandoval said he's confident Republicans in the Legislature will continue to back him in opposing taxes.

"There's an understanding that raising taxes is the worst thing we could do right now," he said.

Still, some GOP legislators have suggested they might compromise and extend the sunset on an $800 million tax package passed in 2009. Sandoval's speech Tuesday sent a clear message that he wouldn't go along with that.

The governor and GOP lawmakers argue that imposing higher taxes now would stifle private business efforts to hire workers and grow as the state suffers a 13.6 percent unemployment rate.

Democrats believe that deeply cutting funding for schools, colleges and universities will discourage companies from coming to Nevada and stunt the state's efforts to raise dismal student performance.

Democrats don't have the two-thirds vote needed in the Legislature to pass taxes or overcome a Sandoval veto.

Contact reporter Laura Myers at lmyers@review
journal.com or 702-387-2919.