Slash and burn

Nevada politicos, social service advocates enraged by Bush budget plan

By Emmily Bristol

President Bush's proposed 2006 budget, which includes deep cuts in social programs, has leading Nevada Democrats on the attack.

"Bush proposes cuts to programs that make a difference for Nevada families, from very young children to the elderly," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said in a written statement. "It is a budget of wrong choices and wrong priorities."

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., agreed. "It's a fiscally irresponsible budget that cuts programs that ought not be cut," she said.

Berkley said particularly onerous Bush proposals that affect Nevada include a measure to take the majority of proceeds from Nevada federal land sales to fill federal coffers; the addition of a $2.50 one-way airline ticket charge for Homeland Security; and a provision to use casinos as a tool to force deadbeat dads to pay child support. The latter, which would require casinos to do background checks before paying winnings on cash-based gambling, would affect Nevada more than any other state.

"No other industry in the United States is singled out like this," Berkley said. "It asks people without the proper training to do something no other business is being asked to do."

And with Nevada leading the nation in population growth of veterans and seniors, cuts to these programs could arbitrarily hurt Nevada more than other states, Berkley said.

In like fashion, Nevada social advocacy groups teamed up on Valentine's Day to decry the proposed $2.57 trillion federal budget, which they said would hit the poorest Silver Staters hardest. The press conference brought together more than two dozen organizations and Democrats in Carson City to stir public opinion about proposed cuts in programs such as Medicaid, education, child care for low-income families, veterans benefits and food stamps.

The three-month-old Nevadans Against Cuts and Caps spearheaded the heart-themed event held at the Legislature. "We hope to keep this issue in front of the public as much as possible," said Jon Sasser, one of a handful who founded NACC and the Legal Services statewide advocacy coordinator.

The proposed budget, submitted to Congress last week, promotes defense and war spending while cutting domestic spending and doing little to address the federal debt, which stands at $7 trillion.

Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said if the proposed funding cuts pass, they will leave Nevada scrambling to provide locally based services where none exist now.

"The question is, where is the money going to come from?" Buckley said. "If you don't fund a senior in a nursing home, what are you going to do? Evict them?"

Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada state director Bob Fulkerson said his organization supports reducing the deficit and balancing the budget, but not by abandoning the weakest members of society through budget cuts. "This federal budget is seeking to dump all these problems on the state of Nevada," Fulkerson said. "There's got to be a more responsible way to get this done."

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research policy organization that analyzes government spending and how it affects low-income Americans, reported that the proposed budget includes $212 billion in domestic spending cuts (not including Homeland Security). And according to NACC, Nevada's Medicaid cuts would come to more than $166 million over the next decade. Additionally, the budget proposes to require a $250 veteran benefit enrollment fee and double veterans' prescription drug co-pays.

NACC and PLAN will spread their message throughout the spring until Congress votes on the budget, which is expected in March. PLAN is coordinating radio and TV spots highlighting specific Nevada populations affected. NACC has already met with Gov. Kenny Guinn and Reid, who have both pledged support on the issue. The organization hopes to meet with Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., later this month. Ensign did not return phone calls by press time.

"It's going to be decided in the Senate," Sasser said. "It would be hard to turn the House at this point."

Fulkerson is also urging citizens to get involved by contacting their representatives and writing letters to the editors of their community's newspapers. "Particularly to the editors at the R-J," Fulkerson said. "The stinginess and heartlessness of their editors is reprehensible."