Democrat JoEtta Brown, a 30-year veteran of the corporate banking world, debated the issues with Republican James Settelmeyer, a local rancher, during a forum before a room full of Douglas County residents.
Both are candidates for the District 39 Assembly seat, to be vacated by Lynn Hettrick.
The two talked about everything from the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain to the funding of education and how to accomplish that without raising taxes.
Settelmeyer advocates paying off Nevada's unfunded liability, which he said totals 267 percent of the state's annual budget. Bailing out the public employment system would cost $6 billion and the benefits program, another $4 billion unless we act now.
"If we pay the benefits program as we go, it will cost $1.7 billion," he said. "We need to look at the unfunded liability and make sure our children are not paying our debts."
A fiscal conservative, Settelmeyer said government in Nevada has grown disproportionately to the state's population.
"Government has doubled in the last five to 10 years, but the population didn't grow that much," he said.
Brown, who also considers herself a fiscal conservative, does not want to raise taxes. She advocates development of a projected financial plan, which Nevada does not have.
"We don't need to increase taxes. We have the money," she said. "We need to know when we will need the money for a shortfall. That's when we should have the conversation about increasing taxes."
Brown said the no child left behind program has been destructive. Through this program, teachers are teaching to a test rather than being creative.
"In Las Vegas, we have classrooms without textbooks and supplies," she said. "They're talking about cutting back extracurricular activities, but those activities make a big difference.
"We need to challenge the bright ones and offer technical training for those not interested in the academic world," she said.
Settelmeyer said cutting administrative pay in the rural counties wouldn't do much to help the education budget, but Clark County might be different.
"We need assurances the money is used for education," he said.
He advocates working with teachers unions to set standards. If teachers want a raise, they should have to meet certain qualifications.
"They should go back to school to become better teachers," he said. "There are many great teachers who deserve more money. Working with the teacher's associations, we can achieve that."
Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.
