If there is a more pathetic political group in Nevada than Assembly Republicans, I’d love to hear about them.
While their fellow Republican governor and GOP colleagues in the state Senate have united in taking tax hikes off the table for the duration of this legislative session – including any extension of the $650 million worth of “sunsetted” tax hikes due to expire in June – Assembly Republicans decided to pre-emptively prostitute themselves to the Democrats.
A few weeks ago, Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea offered to go along with extending the sunsetted tax hikes if Democrats would meet five impossible legislative demands. No one ever thought the Democrats would go along, and they didn’t. Indeed, the “offer” was so ridiculous that the Democrats didn’t even bother to respond, let alone extend a counter-offer.
And when the deadline came two weeks ago for bills to move forward or not, Democrats killed every one of the Republicans’ demands.
So, naturally Assembly Republicans finally came around and are now backing the governor’s no-new-taxes budget 100%, right?
Wrong.
Instead, Goicoechea is urging his caucus to water down their list of demands, hoping that maybe, just maybe, the Democrats will work with them to extend the sunsetted tax hikes. In other words, not only are they continuing to prostitute themselves, but they’re offering a discount!
These sad sacks are, literally, negotiating with themselves. AND LOSING!
Only four Assembly Republicans – Hambrick, McArthur, Livermore and Goedhart – have officially and publicly taken tax hikes off the table. The other dozen continue to let their leadership make them look like complete boobs.
But we’re coming soon – if we’re not there already – the point where you can no longer blame the leadership and have to blame the individuals who are unwilling to stand up to their leaders and do the right thing. Yesterday’s new numbers from the Economic Forum may be their last chance to get with the program and save a little face.
I give the odds of them taking the opportunity at just barely over zero percent. You can’t fix stupid.
