Patrick R. Gibbons
The broad-based tax fantasy
Diverse tax codes double likelihood of budget shortfall
The Las Vegas Sun this week highlighted on its front page a recent article from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a left-of-center think tank in Washington, D.C. A March 13 report from the CBPP says Nevada's budget gap for 2010 is 30 percent, the highest in the nation. Not surprisingly, some have taken this to mean that Nevada needs to expand and diversify its tax base. Not so fast.
Regulation should protect consumers, not stifle competition
Nevada's interior-design laws prohibit unlicensed interior designers from operating in Nevada. Ostensibly, the law was passed to protect consumer safety and health. It sounds plausible. After all, we're always hearing about new regulations put in place to protect consumer health and safety. However, we find no trace of Nevada citizens being maimed or killed by unlicensed interior designers before this law was passed.
Nevada needs more charter schools
We can improve education and save money at the same time
Contrary to what some in the public education establishment regularly imply, charter schools in Nevada are public schools. Tuition is free and any student may be admitted regardless of race, religion, sex or academic ability.
A "Master's" pay despite no relationship to achievement
In the Clark County School District (CCSD), teachers with a master's degree earn an extra $5,655 annually, while teachers who also have an advanced certification receive $8,845 more. Nationwide, most school district contracts provide higher salaries based on extra coursework and advanced degrees. Indeed, it is estimated that about half of all teachers in the United States have such an advanced degree.
