Once again, nation’s worst

Thursday, April 16, 2009 | 2:07 a.m.

Nevada’s budget deficit is the largest in the country, according to a new study. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C., said Nevada’s shortfall will be 30 percent for the next fiscal year.

The study will certainly set off more debate about taxation and government spending. As David McGrath Schwartz reported in Wednesday’s Las Vegas Sun, the battle lines are clearly drawn in Carson City. Sadly, Gov. Jim Gibbons is once again leading the charge to slash the budget. His spokesman, Dan Burns, said the report is “another piece of proof that action needs to be taken.”

“I know you’ve heard it before, but the action is not to raise taxes and make government bigger,” Burns said.

Tax increases to make government bigger? Please. The tax increases lawmakers have discussed would only prevent drastic cuts to government services, which are now bare bones at best. The state routinely rates among the worst in the nation for government services. Yet Gibbons and other anti-government zealots ignore the facts and use such disingenuous arguments to try to slash the budget.

If Gibbons and his ilk were at all concerned about Nevada, they would drop the bogus arguments and look at the reality of the current situation. They could talk to oncology patients who no longer receive treatment at University Medical Center because of budget shortfalls. Or they could sit down with parents who send their children to public schools and have seen sports and other activities slashed over the past few years. They could also take a drive down Las Vegas’ homeless corridor and ask some of the people on the street about the “big government” benefits they receive.

People are hurting and need help. All Gibbons offers is a deceptive anti-tax screed, so it is up to the Legislature to provide leadership. Lawmakers should find a way to provide at least the current level of services for the next two years and then find ways to put Nevada on stable financial footing for years to come.