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. |
