If the reality of the budget crisis hadn't sunk in before, it surely has now, with-the force of a guillotine falling on the necks of every Nevadan.
Gov. Gibbons unveiled his budget proposal Thursday, and followed it with a State of the State speech outlining the magnitude of the challenges Nevada faces amid the worst economy in decades.
They are deep and painful challenges, to be sure. In what seems like the blink of an eye, Nevada went from a thriving oasis, flush with tourists, gamblers, new business and builders, to an economic desert with rising unemployment, stagnant development and a devastated housing market. No governor, under the circumstances, could draft a budget without leaving many, many unhappy constituents.
Gibbons and his staff faced a monumental task in balancing that budget. They achieved it, but at costs in certain areas that Nevadans will find untenable.
- Cutting higher education spending by more than 35 percent, which would send tuition spiraling out of reach of most college-bound Nevadans " untenable.
- Slashing benefits for the lowest-paid state workers that result in the equivalent of a 13-percent pay decrease " untenable.
- Risking the closure of rural hospitals and mental health clinics " untenable.
- Placing an unfair share of the burden on state workers " untenable.
Gibbons stalwartly stood by his promise not to raise taxes, stating that in these times, individuals and businesses are hurting enough. That is true. And he outlined plans to rescind certain reductions if the economy turns around before the next biennium. Let's all hope that is what transpires, and soon.
After the speech, Democrats, education officials and others lined up to take their swipes. Most said they are depending on the Legislature to find a more workable solution that will soften the gut-punch that a few segments are taking, and spread the pain around.
There is no easy answer, no perfect solution out there, waiting to be discovered. Whatever comes out of the Legislature will be just as reviled in some quarters as the governor's current plan is in others.
It will take thousands of hours of hard work, cooperation and compromise between the Legislature and the governor to start to turn the state of this state around. They must rise to the occasion and work together. All of our necks are on the line.