The week in review...
It’s the day every overpaid government bureaucrat dreads.
It’s the day when the sun shines in and everyone can see exactly how much government employees make.
This year, that day was yesterday. What day am I referring to?
The day NPRI releases government salary information on TransparentNevada.com, and everyone in the state can see exactly what government employees made in the last year.
Thanks to NPRI’s TransparentNevada, everyone can now see that, in 2013, a whopping 2,022 government workers made more than Gov. Brian Sandoval’s $183,120.29 compensation package. It didn’t stop there — 22,052 public workers made over $100,000 and 1,290 made over $200,000.
Beyond just the raw numbers, TransparentNevada reveals shocking increases in government compensation.
Take the City of North Las Vegas, which is still teetering on the brink of insolvency. Did its employees see a big pay decrease? Nope. Just the opposite.
The 500 highest earners in the city saw their compensation increase by an average of $5,000 apiece, for a total increase of $2.52 million. This included the cash-strapped city’s library director, who took home $427,487.15. And she wasn’t even the highest paid employee. North Las Vegas had a deputy chief of police pocket $458,146.39 in 2013.
With salaries like these, it’s no wonder that governments are constantly demanding more and more from taxpayers.
In Washoe County, citizens had to fight tooth and nail to stop a property- and sales-tax increase. Clark County has recently increased its gas tax, and there are attempts to raise sales and property taxes, too. And of course, there’s the margin tax looming on the November ballot.
Why is more never enough with government?
In large part, it’s because of exactly what you find on TransparentNevada — government salaries keep getting bigger and bigger, and union bosses still demand more!
How will spending more on education help anything, when the Clark County School District went from having two administrators making over $200,000 in 2012 to five in 2013? This lack of accountability is just one reason spending more won’t improve education or other government services. How will paying more to the same people doing the same job improve anything?
It won’t.
This is why we need TransparentNevada. TransparentNevada exposes the salaries government bureaucrats desperately want to hide and produces the outrage that makes it politically possible to challenge government unions.
Will you support our TransparentNevada efforts right now by donating $20.22 in “honor” of the 2,022 government employees who took home more than the governor?
The information on TransparentNevada is a crucial part of showing why tax increases aren’t necessary.
Consider Las Vegas Metro, which has been pushing for a sales-tax increase for over a year. In 2013, it paid two assistant sheriffs $512,469.92 and $467,529.63.
Why give more tax money to a government agency that shelled out roughly $1 million to two employees?
Last year, the City of Henderson, which wants to raise property taxes on its residents, paid a deputy fire chief $500,560.95.
And lest you think it’s only Southern Nevada that has high employee compensation, nine of the 10 highest paid government employees are in Reno, including the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority president who collected $521,674.92.
Then there are the three Washoe County Sheriff Deputies who made more in overtime than in base pay in 2013.
And this is happening as the average Nevadan has faced a decline in income of more than 13 percent over the last several years.
It’s outrageous, and only TransparentNevada lets you easily see and share this information, which changes the hearts and minds of those who are exposed to it.
Will you donate $20.22 or more right now to ensure that even more Nevadans learn about these outrageous salaries?
Thank you for support.
Sincerely,
Andy Matthews
NPRI President
P.S. Last year TransparentNevada earned almost 2 million page views, and by the end of the week, we’ll surpass 1 million page views for 2014, which will put us on pace to reach more people than ever before with this information.
This salary information — searchable by name — is changing the public’s attitude about government employee compensation and helping voters realize that high salaries are causing budget problems throughout our state.
Will you help us share TransparentNevada with more people than ever before by making a donation of $20.22 or more immediately, in recognition of the 2,022 government employees who last year made more than the governor?
Your support of TransparentNevada will make a difference for liberty. Thank you.
Commentary
Al Shanker identifies why margin tax wouldn't improve Nevada education
By Steven Miller
Albert Shanker, the late president of the American Federation of Teachers union, explained the fundamental problem with public schools: Without competition, there’s no incentive for schools to improve.
• Read the full commentary
Press release
TransparentNevada releases 2013 public-employee salary information
Searchable salary data for over 128,000 Nevada government employees, for the 2013 calendar year, is now available at TransparentNevada.com, a website operated by the Nevada Policy Research Institute to make government spending transparent to taxpayers.
• Read the full press release
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Copyright 2014 Nevada Policy Research Institute. NPRI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that seeks private solutions to public challenges facing Nevada, the West and the nation. An independent organization, the Institute neither seeks nor accepts government subsidies. It exists solely through the generous support of individuals, corporations, foundations and trusts.
Contributions are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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