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Opinion
Let's say you have a really bad headache. And then along comes somebody who says what you really need to relieve the pain is a bonk on the head with a hammer. Absurd, right?
OK, consider Nevada's current economy and unemployment problem. Now consider that there are at least five active efforts to increase taxes on Nevada businesses percolating. Absurd, right? Right. But that ain't stoppin' 'em.
Legislative Democrats last year wanted to take the 2009 “temporary” tax hikes — currently valued at $620 million — and make them permanent. These tax hikes in clude an increase in the payroll tax and a doubling of the penalty/fee every business must pay for the “privilege” of operating in Ne vada.
Enough GOP opposition forced the Democrats to accept “only” a two-year extension of those “temporary” tax hikes; however, like the boogey-man in a bad horror flick, efforts to make those “temporary” tax hikes permanent will be back next year.
In addition, Democrats also trotted out last session a secretly connived, eleventh-hour scheme to slam Nevada's business community with a new $1.2 billion corporate income/gross receipts/ margins tax ... which they also plan to bring back again next year.
In the meantime, the anti-business organized labor movement — especially the AFL-CIO and teachers unions — isn't waiting for legislative Democrats.
The unionistas recognize that a solid contingent of conservative Republicans in the state Senate isn't about to give Democrats the 2/3 vote they would need to pass a new business tax. So they're preparing to gather enough signatures to put a new corporate tax measure on the ballot — rolling the dice that getting 50 percent-plus-1 in the electorate will be easier than getting 2/3 in the Legislature.
Which, of course, is the reason we need a new ballot initiative to require future tax-hike ballot initiatives to obtain the same 2/3 super-majority vote for approval as is required for tax hikes proposed in the Legislature. But that's another issue for another day.
Nevertheless, it's not just the Left looking to raise taxes via the ballot. Citizen-activist Kermitt Waters also is mulling a tax initiative which would sock the mining industry, as is conservative businessman Monte Miller. And both may be eying similar targeting of gaming.
It's M.A.D. — Mutual Assured Destruction. Instead of mining, gaming and small businesses combining forces and fighting to reduce spending, the end result could be that everybody's ox gets gored. Winner? Government and anti-business liberals.
Of course, the fiscally responsible thing is to just say “no” to ALL tax hike proposals. To that end, every business owner in Nevada should tell every candidate asking for donations this year that if the candidate doesn't sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, the business owner ain't signing the donation check.
So let it be written; so let it be done.
• Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach. He may be reached at chuck@chuckmuth.com
OK, consider Nevada's current economy and unemployment problem. Now consider that there are at least five active efforts to increase taxes on Nevada businesses percolating. Absurd, right? Right. But that ain't stoppin' 'em.
Legislative Democrats last year wanted to take the 2009 “temporary” tax hikes — currently valued at $620 million — and make them permanent. These tax hikes in clude an increase in the payroll tax and a doubling of the penalty/fee every business must pay for the “privilege” of operating in Ne vada.
Enough GOP opposition forced the Democrats to accept “only” a two-year extension of those “temporary” tax hikes; however, like the boogey-man in a bad horror flick, efforts to make those “temporary” tax hikes permanent will be back next year.
In addition, Democrats also trotted out last session a secretly connived, eleventh-hour scheme to slam Nevada's business community with a new $1.2 billion corporate income/gross receipts/ margins tax ... which they also plan to bring back again next year.
In the meantime, the anti-business organized labor movement — especially the AFL-CIO and teachers unions — isn't waiting for legislative Democrats.
The unionistas recognize that a solid contingent of conservative Republicans in the state Senate isn't about to give Democrats the 2/3 vote they would need to pass a new business tax. So they're preparing to gather enough signatures to put a new corporate tax measure on the ballot — rolling the dice that getting 50 percent-plus-1 in the electorate will be easier than getting 2/3 in the Legislature.
Which, of course, is the reason we need a new ballot initiative to require future tax-hike ballot initiatives to obtain the same 2/3 super-majority vote for approval as is required for tax hikes proposed in the Legislature. But that's another issue for another day.
Nevertheless, it's not just the Left looking to raise taxes via the ballot. Citizen-activist Kermitt Waters also is mulling a tax initiative which would sock the mining industry, as is conservative businessman Monte Miller. And both may be eying similar targeting of gaming.
It's M.A.D. — Mutual Assured Destruction. Instead of mining, gaming and small businesses combining forces and fighting to reduce spending, the end result could be that everybody's ox gets gored. Winner? Government and anti-business liberals.
Of course, the fiscally responsible thing is to just say “no” to ALL tax hike proposals. To that end, every business owner in Nevada should tell every candidate asking for donations this year that if the candidate doesn't sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, the business owner ain't signing the donation check.
So let it be written; so let it be done.
• Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach. He may be reached at chuck@chuckmuth.com
