Gov. Jim Gibbons told members of the Builders Association of Western Nevada on Tuesday that he has no regrets about his no-new-taxes stance even if it's unpopular.
"It may not be popular to say no new taxes, but I'll be damned if I'm going to watch more people get laid off, I'll be damned if I'm going to let businesses close their doors and go away," Gibbons said.
Gibbons and Independent candidate Eugene "Gino" DiSimone were the only two gubernatorial candidates to address the crowd of about three dozen inside the Gold Dust West in Carson City. Both candidates took firm stances against taxation and growth in government.
Republican candidates Brian Sandoval and Michael Montandon and Democrat Rory Reid were invited to the breakfast.
Gibbons said when he first took office, his predecessor, Gov. Kenny Guinn, told Gibbons he would "take the second year of the biennial budget, multiply it by two and that's my budget for next year,'" Gibbons said. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, my dog could do that ... that doesn't reflect the reality of today."
Reached for comment Tuesday evening at his home in San Diego, Guinn said that's not what he told Gibbons.
He said he advised Gibbons that, when money is tight, "you take the second year of the biennium, double it and that's the budget for the next biennium."
He said he never suggested to Gibbons that the budget should double each cycle.
"He got that messed up," he said. "I only met with him that one time and you guys (the press) were there."
DiSimone said he will detail his "economic stimulus" plan May 16 in Minden.
"I can eliminate all taxes for small businesses that earn less than $100,000 a year," he said, adding all new businesses that come to the state would not pay taxes for the first two years under his plan.
He said his plans would make Nevada "the first tax-free state."
Gibbons said talks of generating revenue for the state is "code" for a creating a state income tax.
"We're losing because we're constantly talking about this mythical new tax that is going to solve the problems of the state of Nevada," he said.
"Who do you tax, who do you take it from," he said, adding taxing the mining industry won't help balance the state budget because, "it won't be long before the prices of gold drops again."
