I took a look at this study and I think there are a few things you missed.

1. The Expenditure Need is based mostly on percentage of education-age children. The study shows Nevada to be low on school-age children as compared with the national average. That is the reason its “expenditure need is low.” It does not take into account Nevada’s crumbling infrastructure or rapid growth. Nevada has added hundreds of thousands of school-age children in the last decade (the study only goes up through 2002) and I don’t think anyone can argue that our schools are overcrowded.

2. I think the most telling thing in the report is that Nevada’s revenue capacity (as in the amount that could be taxed) is ninth in the nation, but our revenue collection (the amount we actually tax) is 43rd.

Don’t you think with all the traffic congestion, overcrowded schools and growing budget crisis, we could afford to move up a couple of slots? After all, all we’d get for the additional tax revenue is a better-managed state government and better state services.

I’m a fan of yours, Senator, but I think this report does not say what you want it to.

Tom