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Need a good reason to support TABOR?
BY GEORGE HARRIS

Why is the Taxpayers' Bill of Rights so important? Here's one good reason - government wages.

First, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation, from June 2004 through June 2005, government wages far surpassed those of the private industry. 

At the state level, government workers have done a great job increasing their salaries over their private sector counterparts - better known as taxpayers. The average wage of a Nevada government worker is $22.79 per hour, while private industry workers' salaries averaged $16.63 per hour. That's a 37 percent difference in favor of the government worker. 

But the gap is even worse at the county and city levels. In Las Vegas, non-government workers make $16.56 per hour while the average hourly wage for the city government worker is $24.18 per hour. That's 46 percent more.

This massive gap in salary compensation has created a privileged government class. We've allowed government workers to obtain a higher standard of living, a better quality of life and even a more secure future than the taxpayers themselves. Folks, the train is about to crash.

If taxpayers don't put the brakes on government spending, the private sector is doomed to fail, because taxpayers and businesses will never be able to create the resources to feed the insatiable hunger of the privileged government worker for their increased wages and benefits.

If we look down the track to 2008, the consequences of all this government spending spells only one thing: D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R! 

Unless we limit government spending to Growth, Population and Inflation, Nevada taxpayers will be faced even more massive tax increases to cover the multi-billions of unfunded liabilities for benefits and pensions of government workers.

Or, as the saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Perhaps we should all become government workers - but then who would pay the bills?