He said it before he ran, and as a candidate for governor, Bob Beers said it again after filing the Tax and Spending Control (TASC) petition in Carson City Dec. 12. Even more than deciding who is governor, TASC will be the most important issue facing voters in 2006.
A measure that could take effect as early as 2009, TASC would cap government spending during the 2005-2006 budget cycle, adjusted for population, growth and inflation. Its underlying purpose is to permanently leave the decision to increase government spending with taxpayers rather than special interests and politicians. Should voters not support increased spending under TASC, Nevadans would receive their share of a taxpayer rebate.
"People have to live within their budget," Beers said. "We all prioritize and perhaps give up some things we'd like to do because of the things we must do. For a number of years now, there has been no such prioritization in state and local government. There has been no living within the budget because there is so much surplus of revenue on hand. I believe it is time for government to live within the same kind of constraints that all of Nevada's families and small businesses have had to live under. Time, signatures and votes will tell if I have the right idea or not."
TASC would establish two reserve accounts that surplus revenue would enter before any rebates are distributed. Once funds in those accounts reach a set ceiling of 3 percent in an emergency account and 5 percent in a rainy day fund, surplus revenue would be used to reduce the payroll tax and reduce Department of Motor Vehicle fees.
Beers, a Las Vegas Republican State Senator, said the initiative is similar to Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, but is stronger in that it has measures to prevent the current fiscal woes Colorado is experiencing.
"I framed the Nevada initiative to be more specific than the Colorado law about how surplus revenues will be used and how they would be rebated," Beers said.
But is time an ally of TASC's?
Assemblywoman Sharron Angle has had her Prop 13-esque petition circulating for months. Also, volunteers and staff for TASC won't start collecting signatures until Feb. 1 thanks to the statutory 30-day period petitioners allow for challenges. One has to ask: Why was this petition just submitted, and not, say, two months ago?
"Too big a committee and too many lawyers on it," Beers said.
With what seems a narrow window, it's suggested that those behind TASC need to rely on paid professionals versus volunteers who may be passionate, but inexperienced. Beers could not offer a solid answer yet, but said there's early indication that there will be a significant number of volunteers.
"We'll know in two months," Beers said. "The entire focus up to this point has been writing the language. We have not gone out and solicited financial contributions directly with the language in hand. Now we go into heavy organizational mode."
Ann O'Connell, chairperson of the TASC committee, isn't concerned about time with this effort. TASC leaders will be working with a proven signature-gathering firm based out of Reno, O'Connell said.
"We think we do have enough time because of the expertise of the people who will be working with us on the petition," O'Connell offered. "I worked with the firm on the doctor/medical malpractice issue. They have enough qualified staff, which makes the collection not a big concern."
Should TASC avoid legal challenge, the petition will be circulated for signatures in February in hopes of making the goal of 83,184 signatures by June to qualify for the 2006 general election ballot. If successful, it would have to be approved again in 2008.
Beers does not foresee a legal challenge.
"I don't know how you can claim that a constitutional amendment is unconstitutional," Beers said. "I think the only legal challenge applicable to the entire amendment is that there is an opportunity in the 200-word description to say it is somehow an inaccurate reflection of the contents of the amendment itself. I don't believe any such challenge would find legs, but we'll have to wait and see."
As for how much money the TASC committee has raised, Beers said, "Not enough to trigger reporting."
But if TASC, for one reason or another, does not make it out of the petition phase, supporters of it have Beers to fall back on. He has made it clear that if elected governor, he would veto any budget that did not meet the requirements of the TASC initiative. LW
