It’s Time to Make Nevada’s Government Work for the People!
Tony T. Smith is pursuing policies to amend provisions of the Nevada Constitution to end tax breaks and special rules that benefit special interests rather than the people of Nevada. Join our fight to make our State government work for every Nevadan instead of just the wealthy few.
let government work for the people
The Nevada Constitution currently requires a 2/3 majority to pass ANY increase of revenue, no matter how much such an increase would benefit our State’s economy. This provision was placed in our State Constitution over two decades ago after intensive lobbying by wealthy partisan special interests intent on stifling the ability of the people to manage their State’s business.
This is why Tony will work to pass the Let Government Work Amendment to our Constitution so we can end the undemocratic requirement for a supermajority in order for Nevadans to determine the best way to manage our State’s finances. This will allow the people, through their representatives, enact legislation permitting tax fairness in Nevada.
End Unnecessary barriers to entrepreneurship and allow people to innovate
Tony wants to end any unnecessary barriers to entrepreneurship in Nevada by enacting a comprehensive review of existing occupational licensing requirements. We need commonsense regulations to protect the public and ensure basic quality standards, but any needless regulations need to be immediately rescinded.
Tony also wants to create a government that is efficient and as responsive to the people as possible. That is why he will propose legislation to make it easier for citizens to provide active input during the legislative sessions and to streamline government services through an emphasis on technological innovation.
Slash energy costs to create an economic boom
Energy is the single biggest part of the world economy. Part of giving Nevadans an Honest Deal is dramatically lowering our energy costs, which will put more money into the pockets of consumers and will allow businesses to invest more in innovation instead of overhead. Tony supports moving to 100% clean energy as soon as possible.
Having an energy supply that is 100% renewable is not a distant dream. Germany already had over 85% of its energy from renewable sources by 2016, which dramatically lowered consumer energy costs. This means more money to save, to pay for college, or to invest in a new idea or project. Energy costs this low also mean businesses will be spending less on overhead and more on expansion and research.
We must have tax fairness
Nevada's current methods of raising revenue are inefficient products of an earlier time. For example, Nevada is among the world's largest producers of gold, yet the mining companies profiting off of our State's natural resources only pay a 5% tax rate due to outdated provisions in the Nevada Constitution. This is why Tony advocates a renewal of the nearly successful effort to amend our State Constitution to remove the mining tax cap.
Tony also believes in tax fairness, that tax rates should be based on one's ability to pay. This is why Tony proposes a review of Nevada's revenue sources to make sure that Nevada leads the nation by demonstrating a state without a personal income tax can implement tax fairness and raise sufficient revenue to create a robust economy and community. For example, Tony wants to implement legislation to lower vehicle registration fees for lower and middle income families and individuals while increasing fees for luxury vehicles.