CARSON CITY ? More than 60 candidates for legislative and statewide public office have responded to a questionnaire seeking their views on several key government transparency issues.

The results have been posted on TransparentNevada, a website operated by the Nevada Policy Research Institute. The questions include whether candidates support giving lawmakers and the public three days to read bills before a vote and if candidates support a searchable database of campaign contribution and expense reports.

The responses have come from across the political spectrum, including seven Democrats, 35 Republicans, and 20 minor party and independent candidates running for offices from governor to the state Assembly.

?It really is fundamental, I think, to democratic government that we the people have a right to know how our elected representatives are conducting business and what they are doing with public money,? said Andy Matthews, vice president for operations and communications for NPRI.

?It?s a good sign first of all that more than 60 candidates now have completed the questionnaire – and even more encouraging is that those who have completed the questionnaire are overwhelmingly indicating that they support these transparency measures, I think for just about every question,? he said.

But nearly 100 candidates, including the two leading party candidates for governor, have not yet responded to the questionnaire.

Matthews said candidates are being encouraged to respond. The website will be updated as responses are received through Election Day, he said.

The questionnaire also asks if candidates support putting details of Nevada state government spending online for public review, if they support open meetings for public employee union negotiations and if they support subjecting the Legislature to the state open meeting law.

The final question asks legislative candidates if they would be willing to sponsor legislation on any of the issues.

Some candidates who have not yet responded have indicated support for at least some of the proposals in the questionnaire.

Assemblyman Ed Goedhart, R-Amargosa Valley, has requested a bill draft to require a three-day waiting period before lawmakers can vote on bills.

Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, yesterday announced support for putting the state’s checkbook on line along with several other reforms, including a requirement for all candidates for public office to report every financial contribution, the amount and donor online within 72 hours of receipt.

?Today, we are putting a series of reforms before the public,” Oceguera said. “They are common sense and timely measures, and I will work for bipartisan support in both the Assembly and Senate.?

Secretary of State Ross Miller has requested legislation that would create an online searchable database of candidate contribution and expenditure reports. He pushed for similar legislation in 2009.

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, who is running for the Washoe Senate 1 seat, said she supports transparency in government but is not responding to the survey because of her view that the NPRI has a clear political bias and a response would give the group undeserved credibility.

?I?m accountable to the voters, I?m not accountable to a conservative think tank,? she said. ?It gives them a credibility that I don?t think they deserve. But I?m happy to respond directly to my constituents and certainly do support transparency in government.?

Asked if he is disappointed that neither Democrat Rory Reid nor Republican Brian Sandoval has yet responded, Matthews said it is the voters who should be concerned.

?Anytime you?ve got somebody who is seeking the highest office in the state, and you?ve got an issue like government transparency, which is so important especially in light of all the economic challenges we?re facing today, it?s important that they go on the record and tell voters where they stand,? he said.

The Sandoval campaign said today they will not be filling out the questionnaire. The Reid camp did not immediately respond to a question about whether they will fill it out.

Matthews said he expects that more candidates will respond as Election Day draws near.

___

Audio clips:

Andy Matthews of NPRI says transparency is important for the democratic process:

090810Matthews1 :11 with public money.”

Matthews says those responding so far strongly favor transparency issues:

090810Matthews2 :20 about every question.”

Matthews says voters should question those candidates who do not respond:

090810Matthews3 :20 where they stand.”

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie says she did not reply because group has conservative bias:

090810Leslie1 :22 conservative think tank.”

Leslie says she supports transparency, but answers to her constituents:

090810Leslie2 :24 transparency in government.”

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CARSON CITY ? Nevada?s highway system ranked 15^th among the states in 2008 for performance and cost effectiveness, an improvement of three spots from the prior year, according to a national report released this month by the Reason Foundation.

In first place was North Dakota. Rhode Island ranked 50^th.

Nevada ranked first among states for the quality of its bridges. In this category, Nevada reported the lowest percentage of deficient bridges at 10.96 percent, while Rhode Island reported the highest at 53.43 percent.

It did less well in the percentage of congested urban interstate mileage, ranking 40^th; and in its fatality rate, ranking 41^st. The report shows that 54.4 percent of the state?s urban interstate mileage is congested. The worst was California with 79.81 percent congested. Nevada reported 1.56 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles. The worst was Montana at 2.12.

Reason Foundation?s 19th Annual Highway Report tracks the performance and cost effectiveness of state-owned highway systems of the U.S. from 1984 to 2008.

Eleven indicators make up each state?s overall rating, and cover highway expenditures, pavement and bridge condition, urban interstate congestion, fatality rates and narrow rural lanes.

The study is based on spending and performance data submitted to the federal government by the state highway agencies. States rated high typically have good-condition systems along with relatively thin budgets.

Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Magruder said the agency takes pride in the overall ranking as well as in the first place ranking in the bridges category and the other categories in which the state did well.

Nevada has 5,400 miles of roads and over 1,400 bridges, with very few of them functionally or structurally deficient, he said.

Nevada is also one of seven states to report no narrow rural roadways, Magruder said.

The agency?s goal is to twofold: to address the congestion in urban areas and to maintain and improve the existing system throughout the state, he said.

In a related story, Nevada has one of the top 10 projects in the nation in the running to be named ?best of the best? in transportation. Nevada made the list for its first design-build project involving the widening of Interstate 15. The NDOT project was completed 20 months early and opened in December 2009.

The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently announced the Top 10 finalists in the 2010 America?s Transportation Awards competition.

The Top 10 projects scored the highest number of overall points during four regional contests. A total of 43 projects from 29 states were judged in four categories: ?Best Recovery Act,? ?On Time,? ?Under Budget,? and ?Innovative Management.?

The Nevada project was selected in the ?On Time? category for large projects. The approximately $250 million project widened the I-15 corridor north of the Las Vegas spaghetti bowl. Bridges, lighting, landscaping, sound walls and intelligent transportation systems also were improved to relieve congestion and enhance traffic flow.

The project is also in the running for the People?s Choice Award. Online voting continues through October 18 at: www.americastransportationaward.org

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CARSON CITY ? More than 250 new bill requests were filed for drafting last week by lawmakers and others on issues ranging from requiring health insurance plans to cover acupuncture treatments to implementing a four-year cooling off period before former lawmakers could work as lobbyists.

Other measures would require the precise language of pending legislation to be posted on the Legislature?s website at least three business days before a vote, change the posting dates of campaign contribution and expense reports to make the information more readily available to voters and make changes to the modified business tax to encourage more hiring.

Assemblyman Joe Hogan, D-Las Vegas, said he requested a bill to change the dates of when campaign reports must be filed by candidates so voters would have more time to analyze the information. The current filing deadlines are right before the primary and general elections and give little or no time for voters to review the contribution and expense reports, he said.

The information isn?t available at all to the majority of people who choose to vote early, Hogan said.

Careful voters will try to have a look at the reports to see if a candidate is ?wholly owned? by some special interest, he said.

The bill would also require a candidate to list a specific beginning and ending balance each year, he said.

?It would bring completeness to the reporting system that has been needed for a long time,? Hogan said.

The new bill drafts also include a number of proposals from outgoing Gov. Jim Gibbons, including measures to create a voucher program for students and eliminate mandatory collective bargaining for local governments and their employees.

The proposals, which now total 520, will be drafted into legislation for consideration by the 2011 Legislature. Sept. 1 was the deadline for state and local agencies to submit bill drafts. Lawmakers were also required to have some of their requests submitted by the same date.

Assemblyman Ed Goedhart, R-Amargosa Valley, requested the cooling off and bill posting measures.

?We always talk about how we are going to reform government ? it has to start with transparency,? he said. ?With transparency you will have increased accountability.?

Goedhart said he requested the cooling off measure for lawmakers and statewide office holders even before the controversy arose recently regarding Morse Arberry, who resigned as a long-time Assemblyman to accept a lobbying contract with the Clark County District Court system. That contract was rejected today by the Clark County Commission.

Goedhart said he has seen examples of lawmakers positioning themselves to take advantage of their connections when they leave office. A future payday should not be a reason for someone to run for public office, he said.

Requiring a four- or two-year cooling off period should eliminate that as a reason to run for elective office, Goedhart said.

The bill posting request is to ensure lawmakers and the public have a chance to read a measure before it is voted on, he said.

Goedhart mentioned two specific incidents, one in 2009 and the other in the February special session, where measures were rushed through without time for review. One was dubbed the ?absolution resolution? which he said was intended to give lawmakers cover to vote for tax increases. The other was the last-minute vote in the special session on a bill to create construction jobs in Nevada. The bill in part eliminated the sunset of a tax levy in Clark County to fund the projects.

?It was the biggest tax increase that was never mentioned in the last (special) session,? Goedhart said. ?These are the types of abuses that my bill hopefully will, if not make downright impossible, will at least make them a lot more difficult.?

Assemblyman James Settelmeyer, R-Gardnerville, requested the modified business tax (MBT) measure as a way to encourage hiring by Nevada businesses.

The proposal would be to exempt new employees from the MBT to provide an incentive to employers to hire more workers, he said.

?We have to look at ways to get new jobs,? Settelmeyer said.

The bill requiring acupuncture treatments to be covered by health plans offered in Nevada was requested by Assemblyman Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, who sought a similar measure without success in the 2009 session.

In testimony in 2009, Segerblom said the coverage is not costly and results in health care savings. The state health plan offers acupuncture treatments and the benefit has not cost the plan a significant amount of money, he said.

Insurance company officials and small business representatives expressed concern, however, about the cost of adding mandated coverage because of the increased cost to consumers.

“Frankly this is a noninvasive medical procedure that in fact saves money,” Segerblom said today. “If it cures people, or deals with their pain problems, then it is better for everybody.”

___

Audio clips:

Assemblyman Tick Segerblom says requiring acupuncture coverage will reduce medical costs:

090710Segerblom :14 better for everybody.”

Assemblyman Ed Goedhart says a cooling off period would ensure people run for public office for the right reasons:

090710Goedhart1 :21 payday for themselves.”

Goedhart says giving lawmakers and public time to read bills before vote would reduce the number of questionable measures:

090710Goedhart2 :20 a lot more difficult.”

Goedhart says transparency will bring about accountability, fiscal responsibility:

090710Goedhart3 :18 fiscally responsible government.”

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CARSON CITY ? Nevada?s active voter rolls increased by 7,882 registrations in August, with Democrats picking up just over 2,600 new voters compared to just over 2,000 for Republicans.

Democrats now have 461,461 active registered voters just about two months before the Nov. 2 general election compared to 402,960 for the GOP, a 58,501 edge for Democrats and a slight increase from July.

Nonpartisan voters added 2,249 new registrants in August, bringing the total to 167,802. Nonpartisan voters are expected to play a critical role in the outcome of a number of contests in Nevada, particularly the neck-and-neck race between U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV., and his Republican challenger, Sharron Angle.

In total there are just under 1.1 million active registered voters in Nevada, a number that may grow at a faster rate now that Secretary of State Ross Miller has implemented an online registration program in Clark County.

Only eight other states have online voter registration systems, including Arizona, Utah and Colorado.

The new Online Voter Registration System launched last week gives Clark County residents who are currently unregistered another option for getting signed up as voters. Applicants must have a Nevada state-issued driver?s license or other state ID number. An online voter registration can be completed in just minutes from any computer with internet access. The system was developed in partnership with Clark County and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

From Sept. 1 through today at 10:37 a.m., 275 people took advantage of the new online voter registration system, with 62 registering as Democrats, and 89 each registering as Republican and nonpartisan. The rest were minor party registrants.

?I just don?t think there is an argument to be made that the online system favors a particular party,? Miller told Battle ?10 today. ?Both parties are free to point people to the site.?

Miller said he is encouraged by the early use of the system, and noted it should become the dominant process for people to register to vote as has happened in other states with online registration. Miller said he will expand online registration to other counties, but that it won?t happen this election cycle.

Miller said Clark County was chosen first because 65 percent of the voters reside in the county, and it is where voter fraud problems have been reported in the past. The online system is more secure, he said.

ACORN, or the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, was involved in Nevada voter registration efforts for the 2008 presidential election. The group was investigated in Nevada and criminally charged for alleged fraudulent voter registration efforts.

?My goal as chief elections officer for the state is to make sure every Nevadan who is eligible can register to vote, cast their vote, and have it counted in an electoral process that is fair, safe, and secure,? Miller said in launching the online system. ?The ID-required online system will help us do all of that. It streamlines the registration process by reducing the likelihood of errors inherent in a paper-based system. As a result, fewer voters will encounter questions and delays about their registration status when they show up to vote.?

Miller said surveys show that online voter registration systems are popular in Arizona and Washington, where a vast majority of users say they feel the systems are secure and easy to use. In addition, Arizona officials report a nearly 97 percent reduction in the cost of processing an online registration compared to processing a paper form.

The deadline to register to vote by mail for the November general election is Saturday, October 2. The deadline to register in person is Oct. 12.

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CARSON CITY ? An examination of how well states do in educating their low-income children generated some surprising results and shows Nevada ranking 18^th in the national comparison, the authors of an ALEC report said last week.

The 16th edition of the Report Card on American Education, released by the American Legislative Exchange Council, contains a comprehensive overview of educational achievement levels for the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The report analyzes national comparative student scores in reading and math in the 4^th and 8^th grades, looking at both performance as well as how scores have improved over recent years. In a separate analysis, the authors also assign each state a grade based on its current education reform policies.

Matthew Ladner, one of the authors of the report, said the study examined how students eligible for the free and reduced lunch program performed in each state using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores. Using the scores from this same group of students in each state provides an ?apples to apples? comparison of how states are doing in educating their low-income children and providing an indication of how they are doing overall, he said.

Ladner said the report tries to answer the question: ?What if you had to do life over and you were going to be born as an economically disadvantaged child in the United States. Based on the nation?s report card scores in both reading and math for the 4^th and 8^th grade, which state would you want to be born into.?

Using this comparison of National NAEP scores, also known as the nation?s report card, Nevada performed in the top 20 states. First was Vermont, followed by Massachusetts and Florida. Ranking lowest was South Carolina.

The analysis shows that in Nevada scores for both subjects in both grades saw improvement from 2003 to 2009.

Ladner said the results generated some surprises, such as the inclusion of Florida in the top 10, a state that has a high percentage of minority students in the free and reduced lunch program. Florida has engaged in a number of “very vigorous” education reforms, he said.

Report co-author Andrew LeFevre said the report also makes it clear that money is not the key ingredient to improved student performance.

The District of Columbia and Florida both spent about the same amount of money per child, yet Florida ranked 3^rd and D.C. ranked 26^th in the study, he said.

The report also provides a grade on how well states are doing in the area of education reform. Nevada garnered a C grade, with the highest, a B+, going to Florida. Vermont had the lowest score, a D.

Thirteen factors went into the reform grade, with Nevada earning a C on state academic standards and its charter school law, a ?no? on private school choice, a D- on identifying high quality teachers and a D on retaining effective teachers. The state?s best grade, a B-, came for its ability to remove ineffective teachers.

Despite the fact that it ranked in the top 20 on improvement on the national test scores, Nevada, as do all the other states, have a lot of room for improvement, LeFevre said.

?The good and bad news of the NAEP scores is that yes, Nevada ranked 18^th. . .? he said. ?The bad news about the NAEP data is you still have 75 percent of your students that are not proficient.?

Ladner also noted that the states are graded on a curve, so Nevada’s 18th ranking is relative.

?There is so much room for improvement that we all ought to be striving forward regardless of where we end up in these rankings,? he said.

ALEC is the nation’s largest nonpartisan, individual membership organization of state legislators.

The report comes out as education has taken center stage this week in the first debate between the two leading party candidates for governor: Democrat Rory Reid and Republican Brian Sandoval. In a one-hour debate Sunday, Sandoval came out in support of a voucher school program in Nevada, where parents could use state tax dollars to send their children to private schools.

Reid opposed the idea, saying only the wealthy could afford to take the state funding and augment it with enough personal funds to pay for a private school education. Reid has come out in support of letting parents ?vote with their feet? by taking children out of poorly performing public schools and placing them in other public schools, including charter schools.

Both candidates say also they want to protect public education in the upcoming budget, despite the fact that the state faces a shortfall of as much as $3 billion in the amount of revenue expected to be needed to fund state programs and public education.

Nevada recently lost out on its application for as much as $160 million in federal grant funds to improve student achievement through the ?Race to the Top? program. Nevada did not make the cut as a finalist.

___

Audio clips:

ALEC report co-author Matthew Ladner says the study looks at how well low-income students in each state performed on standardized tests:

090110Ladner1 :26 born into, right.”

ALEC report co-author Andrew LeFevre says money is not the gauge for student achievement:

090110LeFevre1 :17 we’re looking for.”

LeFevre says Nevada does well in comparison with other states, but still has large percentage of students who are not proficient:

090110LeFevre2 :29 doing that well.”

Ladner says all states should continue to work to improve student achievement regardless of ranking in the report:

090110Ladner2 :29 in these rankings.”

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RENO ? Several Nevada business leaders took the opportunity of the upcoming Labor Day holiday to speak out today against federal legislation they say will kill jobs in Nevada at a time when the unemployed total more than 20 percent.

The Alliance to Protect Nevada Jobs held a ?reverse? job fair to convey concerns that if Congress passes the Employee Free Choice Act now pending in the Senate, the country could lose 600,000 jobs within a year of its passage.

Opponents of the measure, which has passed the House of Representatives, say it would eliminate an existing federal requirement that workers be allowed to vote in secret on any unionization proposal. It would also require disputes between unions and employers to be subjected to binding arbitration.

?With 200,000 people looking for work here in Nevada today, the notion of this legislation even being considered is just ridiculous,? said McKay Daniels, speaking on behalf of the alliance.

He said the measure should be called the Employee ?Forced Choice? Act and will result in forced unionization of workers in Nevada and across the country.

A Nevada labor leader said in response that the legislation will not eliminate jobs, but would give workers the right to decide how to form a union.

Daniels was joined by Clara Andriola, president of the Nevada Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Ray Bacon, executive director of the Nevada Manufacturers Association, Randi Thompson, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and Tray Abney, director of government relations with the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce, in speaking out against the legislation and other potentially job-killing proposals now being considered in Washington and in Nevada.

Andriola said: “Forced unionization isn’t going to help turn our economy around. Adding burdens, expenses and red tape onto Nevada’s job producers is the fastest way to destroy jobs, not create them.”

McKay Daniels speaks for the Alliance to Protect Nevada Jobs with a giant "pink slip".

Abney said the reason employers are not investing in jobs in Nevada is because of the high level of uncertainty about the potential for new taxes.

?There is a reason people aren?t investing in Nevada and that?s because of the words of our elected officials, both in Washington and in Carson City,” he said.

Bacon said Nevada employers are already facing the likelihood of big increases in unemployment tax rates next year.

?These increased costs by themselves could force many companies out of business or overseas,? he said. ?To even talk about adding additional expenses or regulations onto struggling businesses during a time like this is just insanity.”

But Danny Thompson, executive secretary-treasurer of the Nevada State AFL-CIO, said the act will not eliminate jobs. It would give workers some rights, he said.

?All it does is give the employees the right to chose how they want to form a union,? Thompson said. ?The system right now that we have in place with the National Labor Relations Act does not work. It is fraught with delay.?

The act does not eliminate the secret ballot, but would allow employees to use alternatives such as sign-up cards if that is their preference, he said.

U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., opposes the legislation while Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., supports the measure.

In a statement Ensign said: “The right for workers to vote by secret ballot in union elections is a fundamental part of our democratic tradition. The big union push for card check not only leaves employees open to union intimidation but also harms the ability of American businesses to create jobs. The unfortunate reality behind card check is that it actually has little to do with protecting workers. Instead, this disastrous policy would only lead to more job losses and greater burdens on small businesses and would do little to help jump start Nevada’s struggling economy.”

___

Audio clips:

McKay Daniels representing the Alliance to Protect Nevada Jobs says pending federal legislation regarding unionization efforts will kill jobs:

090210Daniels :22 is just ridiculous.”

Tray Abney of the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce says uncertainty over taxes stifling job growth:

090210Abney :18 and Carson City.”

Union leader Danny Thompson says the Employee Free Choice Act will not eliminate jobs:

090210Thompson :11 form a union.”

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(Corrected at 2:34 p.m. on Sept. 2, 1010 to reflect average monthly benefit paid to retirees.)

CARSON CITY ? Nevada?s public employee pension system earned a rate of return above its 8 percent target last fiscal year, but the long-term unfunded liability is still expected to see an increase when an analysis is presented this fall.

Dana Bilyeu, executive officer of the Public Employees? Retirement System (PERS), said the retirement board was pleased to learn earlier this month that the return on the plan?s investment hit 10.8 percent for the fiscal year 2010 that ended June 30. This is above the plan?s assumption of an 8 percent return over time, which the PERS plan has achieved.

But the PERS portfolio, a mix of stocks, bonds and other investments worth $22 billion as of June 30, is still accounting for the 15.8 percent loss in the 2009 fiscal year, she said.

The plan, which covers more than 105,000 active state and local employees, including teachers, was 72.5 percent fully funded as of the end of the 2009 fiscal year, down from a high of 85 percent in 2000. The unfunded liability totaled $9.1 billion last year.

Bilyeu said she expects to see that unfunded liability increase a bit when the system?s actuary provides the 2010 data this fall because of the 2009 loss.

The long-term liabilities of public pension plans have become a concern nationwide, with some states doing a much worse job of funding their plans than others. One national study identified Nevada as one of 21 states struggling with funded liabilities of less than 80 percent in 2008.

Some national studies using a different method of calculation suggest the pension plans, including Nevada?s, are unfunded to a much greater degree than what is being officially reported.

Bilyeu said Nevada?s plan is funded based on projections by an independent actuary that must be used by the retirement board. There is a likelihood that the contribution rates will have to go up by 1 or 2 percentage points in the next biennium to ensure the continued solvency of the plan over a 30-year time frame, she said.

The plan is currently funded at a 21.5 percent contribution rate for regular employees, with government entities and employees sharing the cost. The contribution rate for police and fire fighters is higher.

Nevada?s plan has always been funded each year by the amounts set by its actuary, a requirement in the state constitution, Bilyeu said. While other states have employed various mechanisms to avoid making contributions to their plans, that has not been the case in Nevada, she said.

The most recent national attention on the public pension issue has come from New Jersey, where the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission accused state officials of fraud for saying they were properly funding the state?s pension plan when they were not. The matter was settled with a cease and desist order and no penalties were imposed.

But Geoffrey Lawrence, a fiscal policy analyst for the Nevada Policy Research Institute, said Nevada policymakers still must address the challenge of the long-term unfunded liability.

In a recent column about the New Jersey situation, he said: ?The Nevada Legislature has, to the present, faithfully contributed tax dollars into the Nevada Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). However, PERS liabilities over the past decade have well outpaced the system’s assets, given the continued rise in public employee wages and retiree benefits based on those wages.?

Until public employee pay and the retiree benefits based on that pay are brought under control, or until lawmakers move to a rational, defined-contribution retirement plan, the state’s creditworthiness will continue to erode in direct proportion to its growing pension liabilities, Lawrence said.

The PERS popular annual financial report for fiscal year 2009 indicates that the average benefit payment for a regular employee was $2,428 a month, compared to $1,626 in 2000. The average retirement age was 61.

Bilyeu said the state retirement system is doing a cost study of converting to a defined contribution plan, where employees receive a set amount of money to invest each year, versus the current defined benefit plan, where employees are guaranteed a pension amount based on salary and years of service. The information will be presented to the board in the fall and forwarded to the governor and Legislature for their consideration, she said. The PERS board is not advocating for such a change.

Any such change would not apply to current employees vested in the plan, only to future hires.

GOP governor candidate Brian Sandoval has endorsed the idea of switching to a defined contribution plan. Democrat Rory Reid has not offered a position, saying concerns about the plan?s fiscal health must be studied first.

Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce President Matt Crosson said in an interview August 12 the Nevada business community will not accept tax increases in the upcoming 2011 legislative session without ?meaningful? reforms in a number of areas including public employee benefits.

Steve Hill, chairman of the chamber?s state policy task force, said there are several options to solving the public pension issue for new employees going forward, among them: moving to a defined contribution plan; making significant changes to the existing plan regarding retirement ages and other factors to reduce benefits; and making social security part of the public employee retirement plan.

Nevada is one of only seven states that does not have its public employees in the social security system, meaning the state is liable for the entire retirement benefit package, he said.

But whatever the solution, it needs to be a long-term, permanent fix in 2011 that is fair to employees but is also rational and sustainable for taxpayers, Hill said. The chamber also believes the state should end the program of subsidizing health care for retired state employees starting with new workers, he said.

Fundamental changes won?t eliminate the current unfunded retirement system liability but they will stop it from getting worse, Hill said.

The good news is that legislative leadership is in discussions on how best to make the necessary reforms to employee benefits, he said.

?All of the leadership, and regardless of party and regardless of which house, are looking at this, these situations, and realize that something really needs to be done,? Hill said.

Audio clips:

Steve Hill of the Las Vegas Chamber says the Legislature needs to fine a fair but permanent fix to the public employee benefits issues next session:

083110Hill1 :21 ourselves into again.”

Hill says the employee benefits issues should be addressed so the solutions are sustainable over the long term:

083110Hill2 :35 a sustainable program.”

Hills says legislative leadership is working on solutions:

083110Hill3 :14 to be done.”

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Henderson-area small businesses struggling to stay afloat in Nevada?s ongoing recession can look to their neighborhood chamber of commerce for assistance in these tough economic times.

Saint Mary?s Health Plans, in cooperation with the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, is offering two health plans exclusively for chamber members.

The partnership provides a money-saving opportunity for chamber members who are trying to retain their quality employees with benefits and a healthy work environment.

Kirk Clausen, chairman of the board of the chamber, said offering health plan options for small businesses is one way the organization can provide tangible benefits to its members. The chamber, with just over 1,200 members, is also suffering in the economic slowdown as some member businesses are forced to close, he said.

?A hugely important benefit in the way of retaining employees for small business is to be able to offer a benefits package, and so we went after what we felt was one of the very best programs out there,? he said.

A preferred provider organization (PPO) plan has been offered by the chamber for some time. The new offering as of June 1 is a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan. The group plans have very favorable terms saving individual businesses from having to negotiate plans and rates on their own, he said.

Clausen said the offerings have been well received by chamber members.

?So the chamber isn?t much different than businesses out there,? he said. ?We have to have a value proposition, we have to have something we are offering our members to grow and keep our membership and I think this is a critically important (benefit).?

Saint Mary?s Health Plans, owned by Catholic Healthcare West, owner of three local St. Rose hospitals, came to the Las Vegas Valley more than two years ago after experiencing nearly 20 years of success in Northern Nevada. Its main focus is to provide small group health insurance, and although there are 25 plans available, the company offers two plans exclusively for members of the Henderson Chamber, which also utilizes Saint Mary?s for its insurance coverage.

Small groups are defined as having between two and 50 employees.

?More than 90 percent of employer groups in Nevada have fewer than 20 employees,? said Dan Evans, market director for Saint Mary?s Health Plans. ?The economy has been a real disaster, especially in Las Vegas. One of the things a few business owners had to let go was their health insurance coverage. Our partnership with the chamber gives them the opportunity to have it back.?

Saint Mary?s Health Plans has been expanding its provider network in Southern Nevada and has more than 1,800-plus local physicians and ancillary providers in its network in Clark County. Thirteen local hospitals are also in their network. Saint Mary?s Health Plan members have access to 34 hospitals and over 3,500-plus providers in Nevada, as well as access to other provider networks when outside of the state.

Saint Mary?s Health Plans provide members with access to all St. Rose hospitals ? important for the chamber?s Henderson-based membership.

Other chambers offer health plan options to members as well, including the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and the Reno-Sparks chamber.

The Henderson Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit voluntary organization committed to promoting and supporting member businesses.

Audio clips:

Henderson Chamber Board President Kirk Clausen says a benefits package is important for a small business to retain employees:

083010Clausen1 :12 plans out there.”

Clausen says chamber has to offer tangible benefits to members:

083010Clausen2 :11 critically important bene.”

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Former Nevada Gov. Bob Miller said Monday it is unrealistic for both major party candidates for governor to say they won?t raise taxes in the upcoming 2011 session.

Miller, a Democrat who served 10 years as the chief executive, said he, along with former Democrat Gov. Richard Bryan and the late Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn, told a group of Reno business leaders earlier this year that new tax revenues will be an inevitable part of any budget balancing plan next year.

?It?s not possible in the next biennium to balance a budget without some additional revenues, that?s just going to happen,? he said.

Miller made his comments in an interview on Face To Face with Jon Ralston, who also had as a guest former GOP Gov. Robert List.

The state faces an estimated $3 billion shortfall in the amount of revenue expected to be required to fund government services and public education in the next two years, equal to 45 percent of the total general fund budget.

But both Democrat Rory Reid and Republican Brian Sandoval have said they won?t raise taxes to balance the budget if elected governor.

Reid last week presented a plan showing how he would find $2.5 billion in cuts and savings, although some of his numbers have been questioned. Sandoval has not yet presented a plan on how to balance the state budget without a tax increase.

Miller noted that current Senate leadership of both parties has said tax increases are likely next session.

He called it ?wishful thinking? on the part of the candidates to say taxes won?t have to be a part of the budget solution.

Miller said there is also some political posturing because in an election campaign, “you don’t want to be the person out there indicating the bad news.”

“But the reality is it is not going to work to do it any other way,” he said.

Both Miller and List, commenting on the first debate between Sandoval and Reid on Sunday in Las Vegas on education issues, said they saw no surprises in the hour-long discussion.

Reid, trailing significantly in the polls, went on the attack, and Sandoval stayed on message trying not to lose any ground with voters.

List said since both candidates are talking about reform and accountability for public education, there may be an opportunity next session to see some meaningful changes.

The wildcard has always been the public employee unions, with Democrats generally supporting their position, he said.

Reid has broken with that long-time support to a small degree, suggesting there may be an opportunity for some change in 2011, List said.

But List said he believes it will be very difficult for Reid to come out on top on election day Nov. 2.

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Audio clips:

Former Gov. Bob Miller said tax increases in 2011 are inevitable:

083010Miller1 :10 going to happen.”

Miller says not raising issue of taxes partly wishful thinking on part of Reid and Sandoval:

083010Miller2 :15 any other way.”

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Underdog Democratic candidate for governor Rory Reid took the opportunity at a first debate today with leading GOP candidate Brian Sandoval to challenge his opponent?s commitment to spending on public education.

In his opening remarks, Reid said he has a plan to erase a $2.5 billion shortfall it the state budget without cutting education. Sandoval would cut education and lay off teachers, he said.

Sandoval, leading by double-digits in the polls, parried Reid?s attacks, saying his proposals, including given parents the choice to send their children to private schools with public funding, would not result in teacher layoffs.

Sandoval said Reid?s budget plan would cut education despite his comments to the contrary.

The one-hour debate in Las Vegas, held at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy and broadcast statewide, did not appear to produce any serious political gain for either of the two major party candidates.

Reid emphasized his experience as chairman of the Clark County Commission, saying he has balanced budgets as big as Nevada?s for eight years without raising taxes.

?Strength and consistency is what Nevada needs in its next governor,? he said.

Sandoval said his credentials as a lawmaker, gaming regulator, attorney general and federal judge, and said Nevada?s public education needs a shakeup.

?We need to do something tough, we need to challenge the system, we need to shake up the status quo,? he said.

Both candidates talked up their ideas of giving principals, teachers and parents more power over how to spend tax dollars in the classroom as ways to improve student performance and get more mileage out of the state?s public education investment.

Sandoval said he would achieve local control by using block grants to schools to let them decide how best to spend their limited dollars.

Reid said his proposal would be to let parents take their kids out of failing schools and enrollment them in successful public schools. He called his plan true choice.

?I provide real choice, not the false choice Brian?s plan calls for,? he said.

Reid attacked Sandoval on his support of private school vouchers saying it would take $100 million from public schools to fund the private education of those who could afford it.

In response, Sandoval said choice would create competition and improve education.

Not surprisingly, both camps claimed victory immediately after the debate.

The Reid camp said in part: ?If elected in November, Brian Sandoval will continue Jim Gibbons? shameful legacy of taking money from our children?s classrooms to supplement the state budget. Brian Sandoval does not consider education a priority. Brian Sandoval does not understand the simple fact that we will never get out of this economic slump and draw new industry until we have good schools.?

Sandoval?s commented: “My education plan is a bold approach to challenging the status quo. We must end the social promotion of our children, end teacher tenure and give parents choices to seek the best possible education for their children. It’s time to get serious about reform. Our children deserve nothing less.”

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Audio clips:

Rory Reid says Brian Sandoval budget plan would cut public education:

082910Reid1 :38 in your classrooms.”

Brian Sandoval says he has plan to shake up public education system:

082910Sandoval 1 :46 will do that.”

Reid says Sandoval voucher plan bad for Nevada children:

082910Reid2 :08 a bad choice.”

Sandoval says Reid plan would cut education:

082910Sandoval2 :10 cut to education.”

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