SAGE ADVICE
Nevada’s governor shouldn’t get hopes too high

With much pomp and circumstance, Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons recently signed into existence by Executive Order the Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission — what is being billed as a Nevada version of Ronald Reagan’s “Grace Commission.” Fiscal conservatives were understandably overjoyed at the prospect. But like a number of the Gibbons administration’s other initiatives, the SAGE Commission might well turn out to be all hat and no cattle. 

In creating the commission, Gibbons declared: “The SAGE Commission shall make recommendations that will identify areas of government spending where savings can be found; identify areas where increased efficiencies in state government operations can be found; and identify means to improve state governmental services to citizens.” 

On the surface, this sounds perfectly … well, perfect. But it was what the governor didn’t say which raises concerns and doubts. The stated mission of the commission is to look for ways to make government more “efficient.” Fine. But the stated mission doesn’t instruct the commission to look at various government operations and determine if they are something the government should be doing in the first place. 

I think I could get a lot more excited if the commission’s mission was more in line with the late great Barry Goldwater who famously said, “I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size.” 

Like Sen. Goldwater, I want to reduce the size of Nevada’s government. For example, is it really necessary for taxpayers to continue funding a Civil Rights Commission? After all, we already have laws and courts to deal with illegal discrimination. And if the SAGE Commission is to be privately funded, then why shouldn’t any Civil Rights Commission be privately funded? Why should taxpayers be stuck with this bill? 

And why is the Nevada state government funding an arts council? Or better yet, why are taxpayers funding 175.88 (.88?) government workers at the Department of Cultural Affairs? And what about that “Culture of Pizza” course being taught in the taxpayer-subsidized Nevada System of Higher Education? And was it really necessary for Nevada taxpayers to shell out more than $250,000 to create an oral history of the Nevada Legislature? 

Unfortunately, the SAGE Commission isn’t the first time fiscal conservatives have been sold the sizzle by Gibbons without much steak actually being on the plate. 

Recall the governor also signed an Executive Order earlier this year calling for the creation of a public website where taxpayers could see where every dime of tax money was being spent. Alas, despite the state controller informing us that she could have such a transparency website of the government’s checkbook online within 90 days if the governor would provide the minimal funding necessary to set it up, the governor has opted not to do so. Instead, all we’re now being promised is that the governor’s proposed 2009 budget will be posted online by next January. Big deal.

So fiscal conservatives shouldn’t get their hopes up too high that the highly-touted SAGE Commission will be successful in chopping government down to size. Not unless someone invents an “efficient” time machine and brings back Barry Goldwater.