Vote for Mining. They need your tough love right now!

Here’s a little email that the Northwest Mining Association has sent out to members, regarding a poll that the Reno Gazette-Journal has asked Nevada Citizens to take regarding the financial future of our sad, sad state …

NWMA Members:

The Reno Gazette Journal is running a poll asking if taxes must be raised in Nevada, who should pay increased taxes? Please support Nevada’s mining industry by voting for any category except mines.

http://rgj.posterous.com/take-poll-if-taxes-must-be-raised-who-should

Note that the only industries specifically named are Mines and Casinos with other groups such as cigarette smokers and the wealthy.

Thank you for participating,

Northwest Mining Association

So that said, take the poll, dear reader and vote for MINING! Give Mining your tough love and tell them that it’s time they stepped up to the plate and helped Nevada drag itself up from the bottom of every ranking - education, social services, medical care, number of uninsured children et al.

Take the Poll NOW: If Taxes Must Be Raised, Who Should Face the Biggest Burden?

Last week’s poll was on which suggestion for diversifying Nevada’s economy would have the best chance of success. The biggest vote getter was expanding not just green energy but expanding the manufacture of green energy equipment. No. 2 was legalizing gay marriage to capitalize on related tourism.

This week, the topic is raising taxes. Although there are promises not to raise taxes, Nevada has the worst gap between its budget and projected revenues of any state in the nation. We’re hurting and, some say, to not raise taxes would be foolish in the long term because the depth of cuts, if that’s the only method of balancing the budget considered, would devastate Nevada in the long run. Regardless of whether you oppose raising taxes, let’s say they must be raised. If that’s the case, who do you think should take the biggest hit for the team?

Note that the RG-J said ‘bear the biggest burden’. Not me. I don’t think Mining needs to support the entire state budget. BUT.  I think Mining should make up way more than the pittance they’ve been getting away with for nearly a century - Then let’s talk about Gaming again. Fair is fair. Let the mining companies operating here in Nevada pay taxes on a par with what mining pays in other western states. Now, there’s a thought.

Let’s say that you don’t really understand why Nevada mining should ante up a bit more in the way of tax share. That’s why I’m here - to help you understand the issues.

Nevada’s budget deficit. The numbers speak for themselves

The New York Times weighs in on the Nevada Mining Tax Initiative

Nevada is drowning. Revising mining taxes are the answer.

Budget shortfall and Nevada mining: Money talks and ….

We just love boom and bust. Right?

Here’s why you all need to express your tough love for Nevada’s mining industry - they would love to see these results continue, with ‘everybody’ (meaning me and you) taking the brunt of any tax increases.

How’s that work for you?

Oh, and Cigarette Smokers? Gasoline Users? Is the RG-J nuts? Talk about putting an unfair burden on those who can least afford it. Only the poor and uneducated are still smoking, and damn near everybody drives a car to work - except the uber wealthy. Aviation fuel for the corporate jet is a different tax.

Don't pee on my shoes and tell me it's raining: No new taxes?

For once the Reno Gazette-Journal got it right in todays’ op-ed page piece “Don’t believe the anti-tax talk”. The money has to come from somewhere, taxes or fees or something. Like my late boss and advertising man, Chris Demaris, used to say, “you can’t sell from an empty cart.”

According to the Gazette-Journal: ” No one should accept the governor’s rhetoric about not raising taxes on Nevadans, however. There may be no increase in sales or property taxes in Gibbons’ budget; there may be no new business taxes either. But Nevadans will be taxed.”

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Can you say same old, same old? Tired tax recommendations from the dark side

Flipping my way through the ever shrinking Reno Gazette-Journal this morning ( is the RG-J on its’ way through the ‘Looking Glass’?) , I eagerly scanned the state budget article, “Differing solutions offered” for the straight scoop from the Nevada Policy Research Institute.

According to NPRI spokesman, Andy Matthews, “The problem with Nevada is not a revenue problem at all. It’s a spending problem.” Hmmm. That seems to fly straight in the face of the, uh, numbers. But I cut ‘em some slack and read on.

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Economic crossroads for Nevada: Taxation

This morning I received an email from Bob Fulkerson, of PLAN ( The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada), complete with an excellent, concise and easy to understand summary of the current state budgetary crisis. It’s called “Fool’s Gold. The Silver State’s Tax Structure: Inadaquate and Inequitable.”

This crisis isn’t looming, it’s already here.

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