The Economy of a New Nevada

These are certainly unsettling times for all Nevadans. The economic wellbeing of our households, our businesses, and our state are in a flux. These difficult times compel everyone to re-examine their priorities and how they use their resources to address those priorities. The State of Nevada is going through the painful but necessary process of looking at its fundamental relationship with its citizens. What is missing in this vital exercise is a vision.

What kind of State do we want? Before we can responsibly spend the taxpayers’ money we need to answer that question. If we don’t know what we want Nevada to look like in the future then every dollar we spend has the potential to be misdirected, wasteful, or un-needed. I want to be a governor that can lead Nevada in creating a vision that recognizes that our greatest strength is in the resourcefulness, responsibility, and hard work of its citizens.

The vast majority of Nevadans are from states that have high personal and corporate income taxes. Many transplanted Nevadans had small businesses that were constantly under fire from burdensome regulations and high taxes. Nevada has always represented opportunity and it can continue to do so if we preserve and enhance the very essence of what Nevada economic opportunity has always meant.

Every politician talks about bringing high paying jobs to Nevada. These jobs don’t come to Nevada unless Nevada sets its economic table properly. We have the natural resources, land and sun, to lead the world in renewable energy and the technologies that will spin off of this over the next fifty years. The only way that this will be realized is through a comprehensive plan of providing an educated workforce, low taxation, and an infrastructure that can provide the opportunity for a quality lifestyle.

The government can’t create these jobs in the future. These are created by the formation of new businesses and the arrival of other businesses from states and countries that prey on success.

I had the opportunity of being the Mayor of the fastest growing city in the United States. I quickly realized that economic growth doesn’t happen by accident. It is the result of leadership in bringing everyone together to manage a shared vision in good times and bad. It’s this unique leadership experience that has convinced me to be a candidate for the Governor of Nevada.