Political Update – September 9, 2014
Half-baked study cooks margins taxGlenn Cook Question 3, the business margins tax, is a study in overreach. So it’s appropriate and unsurprising that the most recent and likely last pre-election study on the initiative’s economic impact holds even less water than the question itself. What was surprising, however, was UNLV delivering exactly what the question’s supporters wanted in exchange for the commission they paid to the university: an analysis that says a huge new tax on employers will boost the economy and increase overall employment. Every other credible study says Question 3, if approved by voters in November, will immediately give Nevada one of the least-friendly business climates in the West, reduce consumers’ disposable income and wipe out thousands of private-sector jobs. The 2 percent tax on businesses with at least $1 million in annual revenues, minus deductions for the cost of materials or labor, will turn barely profitable companies into money losers and prompt some employers to close their doors. The question isn’t whether Question 3 will blast Nevada — its mere presence on the ballot is hurting the state’s efforts to attract new industry — but how badly it will damage the state’s economy if it passes. However, UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research would have everyone believe that transferring private capital to government control is the path to prosperity. The conclusions were so laughable that UNLV issued a news release discrediting the Question 3 analysis upon its release this month. Acting UNLV President Don Snyder asked the Washington-based Brookings Institution to review the study and assess its quality. As if we need verification that it stinks. Question 3, called The Education Initiative, was placed on the ballot by the state teachers union, which asserts that a huge infusion of money will fix Nevada’s underachieving schools. The tax could take anywhere between $460 million and $860 million per year from the state’s employers. UNLV’s study buys into the argument that increased spending will produce better results from schools, even though there is plenty of research to the contrary. The authors use this premise to assert that the benefits of improved schools and the hiring of thousands of teachers will exceed the economic harm caused by the tax, yielding a net economic benefit. The study ignores several economic and political realities: 1. Businesses that lack the capital to reinvest can’t grow. When government employees are hired at the expense of private-sector jobs, those government positions aren’t sustainable.
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Quote: “The question isn’t whether Question 3 will blast Nevada — its mere presence on the ballot is hurting the state’s efforts to attract new industry — but how badly it will damage the state’s economy if it passes.“– Glenn Cook, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Letter: Vote ‘no’ on Education InitiativeElko Daily PressEditor: Mr. Cooper (Letters, August 28, 2014) argues for a new business tax to fund an Education Initiative. Like many arguing for higher taxes, he assumes that government will spend the money wisely. But facts say otherwise. A 2012 Harvard study by Hanushek, Peterson, and Woessmann was “unable to find significant evidence that increased school expenditure, by itself, makes much of a difference.” 
Co Chairs Darren and Cheryl Wilson Invite Honoree with Dennis Miller October 14, 2014
Well known for his conservative political opinions Dennis is a regular political commentator on Fox News Channel’s The O’Reilly Factor. He is a stand up comedian and political commentator as well as a TV & radio personality. The Venetian Download The Table and Sponsorship Information Here
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