Fiscal
Why is Nevada short on cash?
After Nevada increased taxes in 2003 (new revenues were collected for FY 2004) Nevada's government rode atop a booming revenue source that was riding atop a booming economy. As a result, general fund revenue collections increased 28 percent, and overall government spending increased 17.6 percent.
Read moreNo need for new taxes
During her town-hall forum Monday, Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley made a nice presentation replete with facts. Facts are exactly what the tax-hike advocates should provide. They rarely give us any.
Credit Crisis Hits Imaginations Hard
Alan Reynolds of the Cato Institute published an excellent article in Forbes Magazine recently. Citing the buzz from politicians, wonks and pundits who claim the credit crisis has frozen lending across the country, Mr. Reynolds replies: "Oh really?"
If it is not sustainable, it won't be sustained
SustainLane Media recently ranked Las Vegas 47th out of 50 U.S. cities in terms of "sustainability." After looking at the subcategories of what constitutes "sustainability," I have to say: whoopty-do.
Deregulation didn't do it
Our current economic crisis is more complicated than it is massive. Few people understand what is going on and even fewer know what to do about it. We know there is an investment banking crisis but not a traditional banking crisis (as of yet). Relatively speaking, unemployment numbers are not bad (especially when compared to continental Europe), and America's export industry is performing strongly. People on Main Street are still going about their lives as normal; it is Wall Street that is in a panic.
Bailouts and Funny Money
Many newspaper editorial boards and supposed pundits across the country are busy blaming the mythical, supposedly laissez-faire and deregulated free market for our financial system's current disaster.
The Government can't create jobs
Recently the Center for American Progress and the Nevada Conservation League partnered to report on the economic impact of federal investments in clean energy in Nevada.
What if we increased education spending?
Increasing funds for public education won't result in drastic increases in student achievement. In fact, there is no significant relationship between spending and student achievement. Nevertheless, the advocates of education spending pray that Nevada will summon the "courage" to raise taxes.
Nevada is No. 1 in the nation
Recently I reported that Nevada ranked No. 1 (excluding D.C) for under-reporting per-pupil spending in K-12 education. I recently discovered Nevada has another No. 1 education ranking in which it smashes the competition: debt-to-expenditure ratio.
Moving on up
Nevada's actual per-pupil spending in 2006 was $9,738 (total expenditures divided by student population). That figure is 32.5 percent higher than the state's reported official figure of $7,345.
