I believe every Nevadan should express an opinion in the
political process. However, I also strongly believe that we
should each express an informed opinion.
I’m writing to you today to warn you that a group is
currently in your neighborhoods seeking signatures on
petitions for a deceptive ballot measure. These people are
counting on you signing their petition before you learn the
facts about how damaging it could be to our state and our
industry.
The success of our state’s education system is a top
priority for our company, the same as I’m sure it is for
each of you. But the fact of the matter is gaming companies
already pay taxes that make up 50% of Nevada’s budget. Much
of this money goes toward paying for children’s educations.
Some time ago, the leadership of the teachers’ union
decided to try and make the biggest tax grab in Nevada
history. Their plan: Change our state Constitution and raise
the gaming tax by 44%. In the eyes of the teachers’ union
leadership, this money would be used to give huge raises to
every one of their members, with no direct tie to
performance evaluations or accountability measures.
Teachers’ union leaders would have us give them hundreds
of millions of dollars in new taxes for teacher pay raises,
but would have no limits on how raises are assigned, no
teacher performance standards, and no accountability
controls to prove these millions of new tax dollars actually
improve our education system at all. This tax would pay for
no new books for our students, no new equipment for our
classrooms, no improvements for our campuses.
The teachers’ union wants the promise of higher pay with
no promise that Nevada’s children would receive a better
education.
While the teachers’ union proposal is full of
uncertainties, one thing is certain; a 44% increase in the
state gaming tax would have a terrible impact on our
company.
Money that could build new developments to attract
tourists to Las Vegas would be lost.
Money that could create jobs and opportunities for our
family of employees would be lost.
Money that could provide the best possible health care to
our employees and their families would be lost.
Let me be clear - We are not against improving education
in Nevada. Far from it, but if we are going to provide more
money for education, we all deserve to know that money is
going to be spent wisely, that there will be accountability
for every dollar spent, and that our children will actually
benefit through a better education.
This teachers’ union tax grab gives us none of those
assurances, and will have a devastating impact on our
company and our state. None of us should support that; and
none of us should sign this deceptive petition.
If you oppose this misleading tax grab amendment, the
most important thing you can do is ask the hard questions
and not sign their petition.
