The $600 million+ worth of “temporary” tax hikes weren’t needed in 2009, when the recession was at its worst. Then-Gov. Jim Gibbons submitted a balanced budget that did not include those hikes. The Legislature, with aid-and-comfort by a number of Republicans, overrode Gibbons’ veto.
Gov. Brian Sandoval campaigned on not extending the “temporary” tax hikes from 2009, then broke his word in 2011 and extended them anyway. We didn’t need the tax hikes in 2009, and we certainly didn’t need them in 2011 when the economy was better (not good, but better). Even Sen. Moderate Mike Roberson agreed in 2011 that extending those tax hikes wasn’t necessary that year.
We didn’t need the tax hikes in 2009 or 2011, yet in 2012, a year before the next legislative session, Gov. Sandoval and Moderate Mike announced they were going to extend the tax hikes again in 2013 when the economy, again, was stronger than it was in 2009 and 2011.
If we didn’t need those tax hikes in 2009, 2011 or 2013, we sure as hell don’t need them now. That the governor refuses to rule out extending them again next year means he fully intends to extend them again.
The only thing stopping him will be the election of a lot more CONSERVATIVE Republicans to the Legislature,
