NPRI comments on Economic Forum projections

LAS VEGAS — In response to the news that Nevada’s Economic Forum has increased its projections of tax revenue for the next two years by around $40 million, NPRI’s Vice President of Policy Steven Miller released the following comments:

It’s certainly encouraging to see Nevada’s economy recovering — even if slowly.

But it’s also important to recognize that this recovery, such as it is, is occurring despite the economically destructive policies to which out-of-control politicians at the federal and state levels increasingly love to subject us all.

What recovery is occurring, is occurring only because the great majority of Nevadans and Americans — the individuals in the productive economy — get up and work every day to put food on their family tables. Bit by bit, they’ve been getting the state — and the nation — out of the economic crisis that the political class and its special-interest crony insiders plunged this nation.

That being the source of these funds, Nevada lawmakers need to be clear that this projected state income is not theirs — to be doled out as “one shots” to their political allies.

As we’ve all witnessed for decades, Nevada’s problems cannot be solved by spending more on inefficient government programs, just because those who fatten on those programs want to keep fattening. For the last 50 years, for example, Nevada politicians have tried for to fix education by nearly tripling inflation-adjusted per-pupil spending. It hasn’t worked.

Why would anyone think that giving across-the-board pay raises to employees in a failing school system would increase student achievement?

It’s important to remember that all increases in tax revenue represent financial opportunities that the state is taking away from individuals and families.

Politicians from both parties are also once again positioning themselves to ignore their promises to taxpayers by extending the “sunset” taxes. At a time when so many families and businesses are still struggling with a stagnant economic, lawmakers should be holding taxes level or cutting them to encourage economic growth. At a minimum, the additional tax collections projected by the Economic Forum should be used to offset the sunset tax increases.

Miller noted that NPRI’s Solutions 2013 publication contains solutions in 39 policy areas that allow government to achieve better results for less money.

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