The Nevada State Assembly tonight passed the second major tax hike this session, 33-9.
AB 146 doubles the annual fee businesses must pay to the government and requires businesses with more than one location to pay the new fee on EACH location. The bill is estimated to be worth an additional $72 million to the state government.
Combined with the already-passed $232 million room tax hike, the Assembly has now voted to increase taxes by well over $300 million….and counting.
Voting with the Democrats were five RINOs – Republicans in Name Only. They were:
Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert
Assistant Minority Leader Lynn Stewart
Minority Whip Pete Goicoechea
Assemblyman Joe Hardy
Assemblywoman Melissa Woodbury
Three quick points:
1.) The entire Republican caucus leadership has voted for both of these tax hikes so far, and are likely to continue voting for further tax hikes before all is said and done. Question: When your “leaders” are leading you off a cliff, isn’t it time to push those “leaders” off the cliff instead?
2.) Not one of the Republicans who voted for both of the tax hikes so far has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. Remember that next year when a candidate, especially a Republican candidate, comes trolling for your vote. Just tell ’em…..you no sign the Pledge, I no vote for you.
3.) These Republicans – especially Gansert and Stewart – have been trying to sell us on the notion that they wouldn’t vote for tax hikes without serious budget reforms and long-term liability reforms. Well, guess what? Democrats got their tax hike votes but Republicans didn’t get any of the promised reforms. Go figure.
Once again, thanks to the embarrassingly pathetic “leadership” of Republicans in the Assembly, Democrats got the gold mine and we got the shaft.
Remember this next year: It’s not enough to just elect more Republicans; we need to elect better ones, as well. And maybe a couple of Libertarians and IAPs, too.
