So if legislators are willing to do what the rest of us are already doing – tightening the state government’s belt, setting priorities, cutting non-essential expenses and living within its means – it absolutely can be done without “people dying.” And when you hear the Left predicting the end of the world and screaming for higher taxes, you’ll know they’re full of flapdoodle.

Pass a budget at five point one; so let it be written, so let it be done.

And this guy is in charge of the Legislature’s MONEY committee in the Assembly? We’re doomed.

And all the while, parents of children trapped in public schools being taught by drunks and perverts couldn’t even get a common-sense, money saving Republican school choice bill heard in committee this session, let alone a recorded vote. Makes perfect sense.

Um, duh. No, it’s not.

The only people who would claim that a national popular vote is “the American way” are people who have learned their American history in a public school. The Founders had very sound and thoughtful reasons for setting up our electoral system the way it is. Anyone who claims that a national popular vote for president is “the American way” is woefully ignorant of our nation’s history.

Alas, that would appear to be the vast majority of Americans today. How sad.

There’s nothing “secret” about it.

Nevada’s government is STILL spending money we don’t have on things we don’t need. Period. And as long as taxpayers are funding the Nevada Arts Council, then that means there are things which could be cut without, as Democrat Speaker Barbara Buckley so melodramatically put it this week, people dying.

I mean, who’s going to die if taxpayers no longer pick up the tab for free newspapers being delivered to public libraries? Who’s going to die if a museum is only open five days a week instead of seven. Who’s going to die if we sell off the taxpayer-subsidized Las Vegas convention center to a private operator? Who’s going to die if the Culture of Pizza course at UNLV is eliminated? Barbara Buckley and her liberal cohorts are full of beans.

The absolute truth is, the ONLY way to force government to set spending priorities and shrink is to choke off the money going to it. Starve the beast, as they say. And the ONLY silver lining around the dark cloud of this economic recession is that the lack of revenue is going to FORCE legislators to make the kinds of necessary cuts to non-essential government services and programs they’d never make otherwise.

As Congressman Ron Paul says, “Once created, government programs are nearly impossible to eliminate.” Or as Ronald Reagan famously put it, “A government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!”

Now if there’s been some big “secret” that fiscal conservatives are happy about that then clearly Steve and I haven’t been going out for beers often enough….an intolerable situation demanding immediate action THIS WEEK! (Steve, you pick the place; first round is on me.)

Seriously though, I AM happy that the declining revenue projections *might* result in non-essential government being sliced. However, I’m afraid that instead of doing what’s hard and right, legislators will again take the easy way out and raise taxes.

Or they’ll cut truly essential services to save some of their pet liberal projects.

They’ll choose subsidized college sports over autism treatments. They’ll choose unnecessary, ineffective, hugely costly full-day kindergarten over health care for the poor. They’ll choose to keep the class-size reduction boondoggle which has grown out of control like The Blob instead of putting more cops on the street. (Scott, call me….we’ll do lunch)

As for “hating government,” hate is a bit harsh. But conservatives can absolutely relate to the view of government held by Founding Father George Washington who said, “Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” Or as Lyn Nofziger, Ronald Reagan’s former press secretary, famously put it, “I don’t like government; it’s just that simple.”

And it’s no secret.

Oh, and by the way, how much money was spent remodeling Speaker Buckley’s office just before the session started? How many people would have died if the Speaker would have just kept things the way they were? Inquiring minds wanna know.

Look, EVERYONE has known about these budget problems since at least the fall of 2007. That’s almost two years ago. The Legislature was called into Special Session twice to deal with the problem last year. And Speaker Buckley traipsed all over the state doing her dog-and-pony “town hall” meetings on the budget throughout 2008 as well. Plus, the Legislature has now been in session for three of its scheduled four months of full-time legislating.

And to this day, we STILL don’t have a Democrat plan! And they’re the majority party in both the state Assembly and the state Senate! Plus, Speaker Buckley enjoys a veto-proof majority in the Assembly!

What the hell are these people waiting for?

Talk about political cowardice. Bawk, bawk, bawk!!!

She did speak up yesterday and defended what she and the Democrats have done so far this session in adding back into the budget some $72 million worth of government spending without proposing how to pay for it or proposing alternative spending cuts to offset the spending which was added back in. “The increases are very small given the size of the budget and do provide essential services,” Gansert said.

OK, fine. But that’s not the point.

How does Leader Gansert intend to pay for the $70 million worth of “add backs”? To simply put $70 million worth of government spending back in the budget without funding it is irresponsible. It sure as hell isn’t fiscally conservative and certainly shouldn’t be the Republican way. The least she could have done was PROPOSE to cut $70 million of non-essential services (see above) as an offset. Since $70 million is such a “small” amount, that shouldn’t be too hard, should it?

Heidi Gansert is a nice lady – but she’s been a totally ineffective opposition leader this session – and anything but a conservative. Worse, she’s often been an active ally in advancing the Democrats’ agenda.

Unfortunately, much as I hate to say it, Minority Leader Gansert needs to be replaced immediately after this session is over with someone who isn’t suffering from “Battered Republican Syndrome.” Someone who actually believes in the limited-government philosophy and isn’t afraid to defend it. Someone who will fight for a conservative legislative agenda. Someone who won’t gleefully accept legislative table scraps just to get a seat at the table. Someone committed to winning a Republican majority in the Assembly; not someone comfortable in the minority or someone just biding their time until they can become a state senator.

And someone not afraid to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge…..and honor it!

Democrat Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford said yesterday that “we have to raise $600 to $700 million of new revenue.” The Majority Leader said he wants to do that by implementing a new corporate income tax on businesses which are already hurting and laying people off and/or imposing a “service” tax on things such as haircuts, dry cleaning and automobile repair.

And, unbelievably, REPUBLICAN Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea is pushing for a sales tax hike on people who have lost their jobs, lost their homes and lost much of their life’s savings…..leading one to think the rural assemblyman has lost his marbles.

“I think (raising the sales tax) is the least onerous,” Goicoechea told the Associated Press. “It’s broad based and everyone has to pay it. That’s why I support it.”

Somebody test that man for swine flu. Or mad cow.