Jim Gibbons (Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City: taxes, budget, approval)

[greatbasinguide]

I just read online, so it must be true, that Governor Gibbons approval rating is 28 %! That is lower than Bush's.

It is hard to sink that low that fast, and I can't think of a whole bunch he has done that would cause such a rating.

Any ideas?

I am not doing partisan politics here, just darned curious.

[NevadaGal]

Well, the Las Vegas cocktail waitress thing did not make me feel warm and fuzzy about him-but that was before the election. The way he had the "midnight swear in" before he had the public one was a little suspect. Right after the election didn't he come under federal investigation for something to do with campaign funds?

[jacknevada]

Based on my view from the south, Sig Rogich ran Gibbons campaign. Everything was under control until Gibbons and Sig decided drinking and flirting on Friday night was a good idea. In my opinion, Gibbons thought he might get away with a quickie while Dawn was up north. When that didn't work out too well, I guess that Dawn voted to have Sig booted from the campaign. Again in my opinion, Dawn is now governor and Gibbons is the puppet. Sort of like Cheney and Bush. At least the National Guard hasn't been ordered into Idaho to save democracy as we know it.

[greatbasinguide]

I understand that he and Dawn don't have a particularly close marriage. I have met her a few times, she is very personable, when I took my students to the legislature on field trips she had lots of Nevada swag for the kids.

The problem in Las Vegas did not affect his getting elected, so the decline had to have happened since then.

[olecapt]

I have met with him on some issues up close and personal. He comes across as competent and in charge. He had not been correctly briefed on one issue and we cornered him...but he handled it well.

Reasonably bright self driven executive. Not being directed by anybody and certainly not by Dawn.

Obviously not a great politician. I would thiink this his last hurrah. The demos can't miss next outing. But I think the repubs know that. But if he does not end up in jail he will likely be a fine elder stateman hauling water for others.

I liked him and, as I think I implied, we are not on the same side on a number of issues.

[Tressa]

Heck all of them are crooks.

[athletesfoot]

Teachers certainly don't appreciate his backtracking on education spending. NV already ranks low enough, we don't need his politics messing with the budget. The mailings I get about this issue are not encouraging.

[dano]

It's early on in his term but I like what I see. He's hanging tough on "no new taxes" despite angering a lot of Vegan's who think their traffic congestion is somehow worse than any other growing 2 million population city. Regarding education, while a agree that good teachers should get paid more, I don't think blindly throwing more money at education is the answer.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by dano

It's early on in his term but I like what I see. He's hanging tough on "no new taxes" despite angering a lot of Vegan's who think their traffic congestion is somehow worse than any other growing 2 million population city. Regarding education, while a agree that good teachers should get paid more, I don't think blindly throwing more money at education is the answer.

Spoken like a true Nevadan..so not throwing more money at it is the answer? I think we could probably reach down and manage to fund at something like the US average.

As to Vegans and roads I would merely point out that a very expensive highway is going in between Reno and Carson City for no apparent reason than the northerners want it. If we did a real rack up on need that one would come up some place in the 22nd centruy. Got to be 200 miles of highway in the south more congested and in need of update than that stretch.

[greatbasinguide]

RGJ.com: Protection of lake should be priority