Ideas
Please submit your ideas as to how we can help balance the budget. Every suggestion can help and add up. Also go to the Legislature’s website to send ideas.
Travel
1. Reduce out of state travel in all agencies. Start by elminating such travel for the governor and his staff then apply it to all of his appointees.
2. Provide a financial incentive to agencies which reduce travel expenditures.
State Prisons
1. The Federal government has a program called State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP). It makes payments to states and counties for costs associated with incarcerating undocumented criminal aliens. Make certain the amounts money the Federal government promises to pay is actually paid. The State Department of Prisons was supposed to get $3,415,645 in 2008. Did that happen?
Electronic Devices
1. Review the need for and use of cell phones, blackberries and other portable devices especially if employees have more than one of them.
Insurance
1. Give cash buyouts to participants in PEBP who agree to be covered under a spouse’s or domestic partner’s health insurance.
Drug and Alcohol Testing
1. After an on the job injury requiring immediate medical care the employee must be tested for drugs and alcohol. Any employee found impaired must be denied workers compensation coverage.
2. Anyone working in the highway right-away as part of their regular duties must be part of the random drug and alcohol testing program. The right of way is a dangerous area and mistakes can cost the lives of the public and co-workers.
3. All Legislators must be tested for drugs and alcohol at random points during the Session. First at the beginning and twice during the session.
4. Pre-employment drug testing must be required of all new hires starting in July 2009.
Mining
1. Raise the mining tax on gold mining operations from the current half a percent to 5 percent. Eliminate the current deductions they can take and tax the net income.
Gaming
1. Poorly operating casinos are a drag to the local economy. It is best to keep the number of casinos limited to protect well run and profitable ones and save jobs. Suspend the liceses of poorly performing casinos.
2. Raise Gaming taxes 1 percent a year for three years starting in 2010.
3. Raise the slot machine and games taxes by $25 for each of three years starting July 1, 2009.
DMV
1. Charge a fee of $25 to all drivers who must take a driving test for their license. If they fail three times, then they have to pay the fee again.
2. I heard that companies that teach people to drive send employees to DMV offices and pick up as many drivers manuals they want… for free. It seems they should pay for them. Nevada should not subsidize a particular business at taxpayers expense. However, Nevada does subsidize casinos and mining companies with ridiculously low taxes. That should change too.
State Supreme Court
1. Make the Nevada Supreme Court self supporting. Their budget should be separate and apart since that;s is how they see themselves already. Besides the state Constitution says they are separate. They can increase fees for those admitted to the bar, charge for certification to appear before them, charge for documents they must provide, etc.
2. The Supreme Court judges need to give back the substantial raise they received January 1, 2009.
3. After the state Supreme Court makes a decision they send out copies of it in paper form to every attorney of record. This process takes lots of staff time, paper and postage. How about having them post decisions only on their website? If attorneys or anyone else wants a paper copy then they can pay for it. There could even be a subscription service for those not willing to download the decisions from the website.
Nevada State Employee Focus 
Don’t know if you’ve heard of the “Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act of 2015”. http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hr711/
I know it’s not 2015 anymore, but there’s always hope.
Thanks. I will check it out.
White elephant in the room – mandatory early retirement for any state employee not performing up to their work performance standards, or here is a novel idea, how about actually USING the progressive discipline system instead of thinking that permanent state employees don’t have any need to perform. I’m so sick of snoring bosses, porn, 2 and 3 hours lunches, coming in 15 minutes late daily, hour long breaks, personal time on computers, Facebook, shopping, etc all day long and then the higher ups just say “they are permanent we can’t do anything to them”. If Joe Public knew how much WASTE there is in our state offices just because of the dinosaurs that tell productive employees like me to “slow down because you are making the rest of us look bad”, I think they would flip out.
Most state employees word and follow the rules. I working private industry as well as the state. There are lazy people everywhere.
I would like to get in touch with you and talk to you about linking your web site and using your slogan. I am a state employee and could possibly use your help on a project I am working on. Email me at keazzbop3@yahoo.com
My email is jimpiercenv@gmail.com.
(Sing to the tune of “Down in the Valley”)
“Come to Nevada
We’re waiting for you
If you have children
Drive right on through.
The Guv doesn’t care for
Universities and schools
Education’s not supported
Private education it rules.
If you’ve got money
Come right on in
Support Canadian mining
Casinos will win!
Billions in gold out
Our budget is dry
Lobbyist line hallways
Children just cry.
Retirees you’re welcome
To come suck us dry
Your kids are all grown now
Nevada’s can cry.
Casinos are lit up
With promises galore
They send their money
To new buildings off shore
Families go hungry
Services go down
Homes, they are empty
But hey, don’t you frown
The gov’s got his castle
Kids in private schools
Nevada’s employees smashed
For him, all is cool.
Republicans sit in corners
“We follow the guv,
He is our leader,
We bask in his love.”
Dems they just hide out
Play wait and see
“We’ve got a plan now”
Nothing for State Employees.”
So come to Nevada
Before we are through
Soon we’ll gone though
So hurry if you do.
First and foremost,I don’t understand why NDOT employees are having to take furloughs when most of the monies come from the Highway fund which is paid from the Federal Government. We are not paid from the General Fund. Second, I don’t understand why we don’t stay on four ten hour shifts year around. If NDOT shut down one day a week, this would have to be a great savings, and help out on the overtime every week especially in the winter time. Third, take all the machinery thats wore out and not being of any use and scrap that is laying around in all the maintenance yards and haul it off for the money to go back into fund. Last, anybody that is close to retirement should take it and it would open the door for employees that would start at a salary much less than those that could retire. THANKS, for this opportunity for comment.
Provide a an incentive to agencies which don’t spend all of their end of the fiscal year money. Talk about waste!
Under the current budget scheme in Nevada, agencies which do not spend their money are penalized in the next budget cycle. The Legislature figures if you didn’t need all the money during the base budget year they will cut the amount you saved or did not need from future budgets.
How about using the tons of welfare or unenployed people who are collecting from the state to provide some services. like cleaning windows or bathrooms at state buildings or even picking up the parking lots at state buildings. the state has a bunch of vehicles that could be washed too. we pay inmates for this type of work all of the time. but we require them to work for the money they get.
What about the “Job-sharing” regulation? I think that it would be a great alternative to layoffs.
Propose a early buyout for state employees that are within 3 years of retirement.