November 30, 2010

A recent editorial about Nevada's Boards and Commissions in a Las Vegas paper points out how partisan and short-sighted some people are when it comes to attacking state government. Certainly, every board and commission must be reviewed and some eliminated; it should be a matter of policy to ensure they work for the people of Nevada.

That said, to exclaim that most exist to protect established industries and do not serve to improve the business climate is simplistic. There is more to this than whether they are protectionist and therefore obstructionist. Collectively, all Nevadans have a stake in boards and commissions because they ensure those working in a particular business have a minimum level of competency, and their business operates in a fair and honest fashion.

If we decide to eliminate a board if it is protectionist and serves only the industry they regulate then we must start with the Gaming Control Board and Commission. They regulate the biggest component of our economy and doing away with them would have the greatest impact. So, let's eliminate both and let the market decide whether a gambling business is fair and honest.

Then, let's look at the Nevada State Board of Health with all those pesky business ruining regulations concerning restaurants and hospitals. Or, how about the Nursing or Pharmacy Board?

To shrilly imply that most boards and commissions could be eliminated to save money and improve business climate is like saying the Las Vegas Review Journal is bad because it is partisan and hates state employees. That's not completely so... it's bad because its editorial staff is childish and ignorant.