Stubborn ideologues make poor leaders

Jeremy M. Christensen, Las Vegas

Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.

Just two days after news that Nevada’s tax burden was the second-lowest in the entire country, there are leaders in our community who want to erase that from our memory with a “no-new-taxes” message.

At some point we have to realize that there are people, including Gov. Jim Gibbons, who are solely interested in ideology. There is no room for compromise or consideration — it is their way at all costs, or preferably at no cost. There is nothing more important to them than limited government — nothing.

Every state in our country (except Alaska) believes it needs more tax revenue to provide quality services for its people. Nevada’s rapid growth should suggest a higher need because we require so much new infrastructure. There has been almost no public discussion since I moved here about what level of funding is appropriate — only five years of cliches and the same old tired, hackneyed arguments.

The ideologues bombard us almost daily in an effort to manipulate our opinions and further their agenda. They love to print anything about the “2003 record tax increase.” This is the same record increase that has left us in the midst of massive budget cuts. Perhaps Nevada’s funding was inadequate to begin with and certainly the revenue sources are questionable, as was pointed out in 2003.

Clearly it would take record increases for Nevada to move beyond 49th in the country in too many areas to list here — most involving our children. It is always shocking to me that these same people try to claim some moral or religious superiority, as if Jesus would want the mentally ill to suffer from lack of treatment and children to be stacked 40 or more deep in classrooms. When will we consider what is morally responsible?

We need problem solvers in our state — not fanatics who refuse to consider any alternatives. We need people who can work together, not people who want to manipulate and control information.