Gibson, Titus differ slightly on arbitration for state workers

Democratic gubernatorial candidates Jim Gibson and Dina Titus both said Wednesday they support giving state workers collective-bargaining rights.

But Gibson, who is mayor of Henderson, went a step farther than Titus, saying he would support collective bargaining for salaries as well as benefits and work conditions.

"It works wonderfully well for us," he said of his city. "There needs to be an opportunity for them to advance their concerns, and I think the full range of issues typically the subject of collective bargaining ought to be available."

Titus, minority leader of the Nevada Senate, said she has long supported allowing state workers collective-bargaining rights for benefits and work conditions.

But she said salaries raise a legal problem because the Legislature controls the budget, which must cover those costs.

Legislative legal counsel has said the Legislature could not be legally bound by the results of arbitration for state workers' salaries.

State government workers are the only public employees in the state who don't have collective-bargaining rights, including arbitration.

The candidates spoke to a crowd of 300 at the Carson Valley Inn Wednesday night in a candidate forum sponsored by Douglas County builders.

The only one of three Republican candidates for governor to participate was State Sen. Bob Beers of Las Vegas. Rep. Jim Gibbons was in Las Vegas on political and congressional business, and Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt was unavailable.

Gibson, Titus and Beers all said they would oppose tax increases, but differed on how to control governmental spending. Titus said, given Nevada's boom economy, she doesn't believe tax increases will be required in the foreseeable future.

Beers pushed support for his Tax and Spending Control constitutional amendment, saying the past five years has seen an increase in the cost of Nevada governments at all levels, which "I frankly don't think we can sustain."

He said the state, through bond sales, "has been on a borrowing binge" that will hurt in the future as the bills come due.

All other candidates in the race have come out against that amendment, which would limit revenue growth to inflation plus population growth, unless voters approve increases.

Beers said there are numerous places in state government where cuts can be made, pointing particularly to what he said are very generous optional benefits in Medicaid and other entitlements.

Titus countered by saying anti-tax caps won't handle the state's needs, and that the next governor should work to eliminate real waste. She said there are ways to do so without hurting vital services or the most vulnerable citizens.

Gibson, in his second term as Henderson mayor, said his is one of Nevada's fastest-growing cities, but he has a record of managing budgets and growth while improving the quality of life.

He said, for example, Henderson makes developers contribute land for parks, schools, infrastructure and other costs of growth. And he said he would bring those types of creative solutions to state government.

Titus said the question isn't growth or no growth: "It has to be smart growth."

Beers said the core problem is still governmental growth outstripping economic growth.

-- Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.