Commentary: 2009 budget process " A wasted opportunity

In the wake of the stunning 2008 state elections, Democrats took control of both houses of the Legislature, and promised a return to open government and an intelligent discourse on state revenues and expenditures.

With a veto-proof 28-14 dominance in the Assembly, and a 14-11 -majority in the Senate, the Democratic party had the power to control the agenda, not only during the 2009 Legislature, but in the critical three-month period leading to the session.

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford spoke enthusiastically about innovative new approaches to solving the state's fiscal crisis. Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley conducted town hall meetings to discuss shortcomings in the fields of education, welfare, transportation and health care. Ideas abounded, a thousand flowers bloomed, and we awaited the unveiling of a thoughtful, forward looking budget proposal.

And we waited.

Gov. Jim Gibbons delivered a balanced budget as the Legislature convened. Per his campaign pledge, it contained no new taxes, and significant reductions. His "draconian" budget was savaged by media, leadership in the Legislature, and by many spokespeople for agencies and organizations hard hit by the proposed cuts.

We waited for the Democrats' alternative. Nothing.

The bipartisan SAGE Commission produced recommendations designed to halt the financial tsunami caused by out-of-control public sector benefits that will soon devastate state and municipal budgets. These thoughtful recommendations have been shunted aside.

And still we waited.

Leadership orchestrated testimony after testimony as to the cruel, inhuman cuts proposed by the governor. We waited for a revised template of reductions to analyze ourselves. None came.

We heard rumors of various "revenue enhancements" being considered, and welcomed debate and analysis of what suggestions might be forthcoming that would address the much-criticized "imbalance" in the current tax structure.

None came ... and none have yet surfaced.

The legislative leadership appears unwilling to even discuss one potentially significant source of revenues " the proposed Yucca nuclear waste repository that could bring billions in annual revenues to the state. Nary a word.

Discussions are apparently ongoing behind closed doors in something called the "core group." It is not, we are assured, a "secret group." However, neither the Legislature nor the public have had the opportunity to see, hear or subject these budget proposals to debate and analysis.

We are dismayed that after promising a fresh slate of new ideas and new taxes, none has appeared and we, the public, after waiting so long, will have at best 10 days to scrutinize the final budget.

That's a travesty in itself, but then so has been the whole closed, plodding 2009 Legislative process.

- Tyrus W. Cobb is former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan.