SUBMITTED RELEASE FROM NEVADA STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
LAS VEGAS–In his State of the State speech tonight, Gov. Jim Gibbons took aim at the federal government for failing to provide funding for our state, once again passing the blame for underfunding key programs in Nevada.
In reality, the state leaves federal dollars on the table every year because it does not fund its programs at levels that qualify for federal matching funds.
And those aren’t the only federal dollars Gov. Gibbons has left on the table. Because the Gibbons administration has dragged its feet, the state has also been slow to spend federal stimulus funds secured by Sen. Harry Reid and our Democratic delegation in Congress, meaning Nevada has consistently ranked at the bottom of lists of allocated federal stimulus dollars actually spent on projects that put people back to work.
And in just another example of how Gibbons has failed the state, he said Monday he would take a month to come up with “quick and creative” ways to lure more tourists to Nevada.
“Shouldn’t the governor of Nevada–a state with an economy based largely on tourism–have started thinking of new and creative ways to bring visitors to the state before proposing draconian cuts to education and other crucial services?” said Phoebe Sweet, communications director for the Nevada State Democratic Party. “We’re shocked to learn that he’s just now thinking about these issues.
“Clearly Jim Gibbons has been asleep at the wheel for the last three years. It’s time for new leadership in the governor’s office.”
