Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Governor's grim task

MANAGING expectations.

By now most Nevadans have had an opportunity to read and understand most of what Nevada's newest governor, Kenny Guinn, had to report in his State of the State address Monday night. For those in Southern Nevada who didn't get to watch the hour-long speech live on Las Vegas 1, the newspaper analysts have pretty much dissected and resected his first major effort as our first governor for the 21st century.

I believe that even though we heard all of what Guinn had to say, probably much louder was what he didn't say before the assembled lawmakers in Carson City. Most of the real story is yet to be told. That's because it has not yet been written.

When Guinn decided to run for governor, his expectations, like most of ours, probably centered on the myriad possibilities that would continue to come the way of one of the fastest growing states in the union. He has been subject to the same press releases, magazine cover stories and gaming industry PR blitzes that everyone else in America has seen, almost all of which have trumpeted the story of the All-American city, the envy of the modern business world, and the way capitalism and courage work to create jobs, jobs and jobs.

I can only imagine the shock that set in when, after he was elected and went to work, he found out that the rosy pictures we had all painted for ourselves, and believed to the point of delusion, were not quite the way things were -- and are. It must have been akin to the shock I and other Nevadans heard Monday night as we listened to Kenny tell us the way he believes it is and will be for some time.

But like all speeches, political and otherwise, it is necessary to reflect on their words, purpose and meaning before jumping too far down the road to unwarranted conclusions. For certain, there is no misunderstanding the difficult message that our governor sent. It said, in effect, tough times may be here again, so tough decisions are right behind. That was the prelude to some nasty news that multimillions of dollars had already been cut from programs designed to help, in most cases, the most needy of our people. To be fair, Kenny talked about the difference between reducing the money allotted for growth as opposed to cutting benefits already being received. And with the kind of fresh air that only a man of Guinn's stature can bring to the table, he told us the bad news in a way that we could not only believe him but that our inclination is to work until we all survive the crisis together.

I am as interested, though, in what our new governor didn't say as much as in what he did tell us, the things about which he only hinted, because it is in those ideas that I believe Kenny Guinn will manage the kind of expectations that Nevadans of good will have always had.

Being a politician these days is as difficult a profession as I can imagine. Where at one time it must have been a lot of fun, today there are no winners in the world of public service. No matter what you say you want to do and no matter what you ultimately do for the people, it is never enough, or it is always colored by some obscure set of facts that mean nothing except to political enemies who find value in the taunting. In short, the price of public service has gone up dramatically in recent years, which means those willing to pay are in shorter supply.

Against this backdrop comes a man like Kenny Guinn, who would love nothing more than to make his first speech to the state that elected him one of promise and hope and prosperity. Instead he talked of cuts where it hurts, no raises for hard-working state employees and the promise, perhaps, of worse times ahead. He did manage some great ideas but they, too, are subject to the economic vagaries of our time.

I contend that the speech Kenny wanted to make is exactly the one he gave. Because, in telling us what we didn't know and certainly didn't want to hear, he was managing our expectations against what he believes will be his ability to accomplish. Let me explain.

We are a bit of a fiscal mess in this state. Everyone knows there are significant undercurrents of economic power which are continually wreaking havoc on our ability to grow or maintain sufficient and stable sources of revenue for this fast-growing state. If it isn't the gaming industry screaming as the public reaches out to stick it once more, it is a business community that has had it so good for so long that it can't recognize the value of giving a little of its own. And if it isn't those who have lived here forever looking to shut the door on any more growth, it is the newcomers, including a large number of graduating senior citizens, who come with the preconceived idea that they have already paid their dues. In short, nobody is going to budge when it comes to making sure that government is funded sufficiently to do what government must do.

That isn't news. It has been going on this way for many years. But it is the kind of news that Guinn understands will prevent him from being all the governor he can be for the people who have placed in him their trust and hopes for a better future. Kenny knows that stability is the key to revenues, and that means just about anything other than what we have now.

What he didn't say -- so loudly that it was heard across the state -- is that he will do what is necessary to educate our citizens of the need to change our tax laws and sources so that schools will no longer go begging, those in need will not be subject to the whim of a sometimes too-fiscally-conservative Economic Forum, and the promise that is Nevada's for the taking can be paid for when the price is asked.

And that means telling us what we don't want to hear. That means telling taxpayers that the way things are is not the way things will have to be if we are to grow our way into the kind of state of which we can all be proud.

I think there is a widespread belief that come the end of April when the Economic Forum revises its numbers, the huge shortfall it has predicted will give way to better news, and that will mean some of those programs that will go underfunded will get the money they need and those state employees who will work for no raises will get something new in their pay envelopes. That will take care of this year and next.

What Nevadans elected this governor for is the next few years. We believed he had the ability to make the kind of tough decisions that any growing state reaching young adulthood would need in order to prosper in the coming century. We voted for Kenny Guinn because we believed that even if he had to cut, he could do it with the compassion that comes with experience and would restore those dollars as soon as he is able.

And we voted for Kenny because we believed that he would do the job necessary to make sure that Nevada would have the wherewithal to lead the nation in the good categories and fall way behind in those that cause infamy and disgrace.

What I didn't hear our governor say in his speech is what it was absolutely clear he is committed to do. It will take the next year or so but when the time comes, we will hear the truth. We will hear it straight. And we will hear what we haven't wanted to but what we know will be right.

Guinn managed the state of Nevada's expectations Monday night by lowering them to workable levels. In doing so he raised our own expectations of him and his tenure as governor.

It remains to be seen if he is up to the challenge. I expect that he is.

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