The doctor is in and your taxes are due
Nevada is facing tough times, again. Tax revenue is not coming in as expected, even after a 20 percent tax hike. Governor Gibbons is calling for across-the-board budget cuts again, and this has upset some people.
The governor's solution lacks imagination. Targeted cuts would be more appropriate. For example, why did the state employ 25 psychiatrists who earned more than $150,000 in 2008? Geoff Lawrence has already written extensively on government programs that could be cut or could be run more efficiently by the private sector.
High salaries for potentially questionable positions or programs is a big part of the problem.
According to TransparentNevada, Governor Gibbons made about $140,250 last year. But there are 100 state employees in 2008 who made more - many of whom were psychiatrists. Maybe the governing class feels bad about spending so much of our money that they need to talk to someone about their guilt.
Highly paid officials aren't just a state-government problem - the problem exists at every level of government. Clark County's highest-paid employees are firefighters, with the top earner making over $640,000 in 2008. In all, 948 people in Clark County earn more than the governor.
How many OTHER government employees make more than the governor?
The answer: 159 people at UNLV, 150 people in Washoe County, 130 people in the City of Henderson, 26 in Douglas County, six in Churchill County, six in Elko County, three in Lyon County and one in Lander County
There are certainly more, as several counties and cities have yet to turn over their PUBLIC records to NPRI in response to requests - including the City of Las Vegas.
