Loading ...Union vs. Nevada Gaming
October 12th, 2007One of our government employee unions is planning to put an initiative on the ballot to increase the gaming tax by 20%. Two reasons are given by the union… first, they want more money, and second, Pennsylvania casinos pay many, many more percent tax than our Nevada casinos do.
I have most recently addressed the robust nature (top 10%, apparently) of Nevada’s government funding here.
I don’t find the argument that a casino back east pays a higher percent for its monopoly or near-monopoly operation compelling. We don’t compete with casinos back east. When you look at casinos in our region and in our surrounding states, Nevada has the highest gaming tax of any of them.
That’s because our regional competitors pay zero percent tax. They are sovereign indians. Do we make our industry less competitive where it counts when we crank up their taxes?
They called it killing the goose that lays the golden eggs when they taught us to not be greedy as children.
October 13th, 2007 at 6:50 am
If the casinos are taxed at higher rates, locals who gamble will suffer from lower payouts, as will out of state players, resulting in perhaps, fewer visitors. Also, higher taxes on casinos means less money to pay local casino employees. How does that sit with taxpayers? How does that sit with the Culinary Workers Union?
October 13th, 2007 at 7:14 am
We had better learn to leave the goose alone or we will just be another ghost town in the desert. The schools have more money today than they ever had yet continue their downhill slide. The money is being spent teaching the children of illegals instead of teaching our kids reading writing and math. The huge Clark County district needs to be broken up so local parents can regain control. We keep taxing the golden goose or telling them when and where people can smoke and tourists will go elsewhere.
October 13th, 2007 at 9:26 am
As I understand it, an attorney is proposing the gaming industry would pay a tax of 18.25%. The teachers union wants a 3% tax. I don’t believe either is responsible. I guess the hotel/casino workers would find it difficult to increase their wages and benefits if the industry says we had to give the money to additional taxes and you lose. It looks like this would have a trickle down effect on all of us who live here. The adage has been used before, “don’t bite the hand that feeds you”. Gaming is our industry and we need it for us to continue the benefits of living in a great state. Maybe it is time the educational system try to become lean and mean and fiscally responsible. I am sure that would help. I always have been a proponent of dividing the school district in Clark County in two several districts so they are more efficient and financially responsible to the people in their district. I know Bob is the expert on the financial end of the educational system in the state and I look forward to his expertise in this matter.
October 15th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
The repercussions of this fiasco are already hitting home with credit union members as one casino group has locked their credit union out.
They are lumping the credit union in with the labor unions and saying any kind of organized union is not good and we don’t want them at our workplace. Ironically, the credit union is trying to come in and help the employees be better off financially.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
My recommendation to ANY union … Build your own casino/hotel (automotive assembly line, airline, trucking company, ocean shipping company, school system, etc.) and KEEP ALL the Profits.
November 14th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
We, the citizens of Nevada, pay high taxes on our homes and gasoline and know they will rise. Sales taxes will increase and Police/Fire response time will increase. Crime will rise and our court systems will continue to bog down. We will pay more and more to defend the thugs arrested in illegal activities.
Our highways will continue to deteriorate. City streets will become potholed.
All the while this is happening the Casinos will continue to realize profits of $1 BILLION or more each month. A BILLION DOLLARS!
We, the tax payers, paid for the highways, the streets,Police and Fire services,watched real property values soar to unimaginable heightsand paid outrageous gasoline prices while the Casinos bragged, “LOOK, anothwer BILLION this month.”
It is the out-of-state visitors that benefit from our tax dollars with no cost to themselves. Sure, they want inexpensive vacations but they will continue to come to Las Vegas. It’s the nature of the ‘Beast.’
Casino shows uased to cost the price of THREE DRINKS! You paid more only if you tipped to get a better seat. Food costs were next to nothing. Hotel rooms were comped in a heartbeat. Now, everything costs a BUNDLE and they keep right on comming! Heck, I once attended a show with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior and more of the Rat Packers and paid for three drinks, tipped $50.00 for a really good seat and had a blast. The same thing, at today’s prices would cost me and my wife over $500.00 plus drinks!
So, establish a sales tax for tourists. A tax on room rates, drinks, shows, and TAX the Casinos more!
I am a Conservative Republican but I am also a retired businessman. I do not want to support out of staters that profit only the Casinos. At the same time, our odds at winning at the Casinos are no more in our favor than an out-of-state visitor. Why? CASINOs LUST after our dollars too! So…thwey need to be wised up…out of staters and Casinos should bear the burden and our taxes should be reduced!