In a Las Vegas Sun story on Sunday, my friend Paul Enos, Nevada’s trucking industry lobbyist, decried the notion of raising the mining tax while simultaneously lowering the vehicle registration tax on average Nevada citizens.
“We’re against industry-specific taxes,” Enos told reporter Anjeanette Damon. “I don’t think you can say mining are the big bad guys, go tax them. A few years ago it was truckers. In 2003, it was banks. Then it was gaming. We need to take a much different approach.”
Well, the problem here is that unless you adopt the position that we don’t raise taxes on ANYONE, then the choice becomes not whether or not to raise taxes, but on whom. And if we don’t raise taxes on a specific industry, then the average Nevada citizen is the one who will be hit with a tax hike – most likely in their sales, property and/or vehicle registration fees.
So until business industry lobbyists for trucking, mining, gaming, retail, manufacturing, chamber or commerce, etc., decide to get with the program and force the government to do what most Nevada businesses have already done, cut spending, they will continue to be targets for those of us who don’t want OUR taxes raised.
If Paul would like to take a much different approach, he and his industry ought to join us and take the position that they are opposed to raising ANYBODY’S taxes….period. Otherwise, his client and others are fair game.
