Eugene T. Paslov: Smaller Government?

I heard a Nevada Legislator recently muse about what a smaller Nevada state government would mean. To paraphrase, the legislator suggested that Nevada already has small governments. What would "smaller" look like?

University of Nevada, Reno economist Elliott Parker, recently made some factual observations about the comparative size of our state and local governments.

Fact 1: In total, state and local employees as a share of population, Nevada ranked 51st if we include D.C. This was our peak. To tie for 50th with Pennsylvania, we would have to hire 8,000 more state and local employees. To reach the national average, we would have to hire 26,000 more state and local employees." (Data are from the 2011 Statistical Abstract based on state and local government figures from 2008). The legislator was right to be concerned about the meaning of smaller government. Cutting state and local governments further without additional attention to economic investment and development, and without increased taxes and fees, may well destroy the state.

The anti-government types will never be satisfied with the size of government. In their view, governments are always too large, too restrictive and too wasteful. You can't shrink them enough. The anti-government, pro-corporate automatons salivate when talking about cutting government. It is a "beast" to starve and eventually kill. But If state and local governments die we will be left with anarchy, not unlike Somalia where there is little government; the few very rich (rulers and army) live in well-armed, gated communities. In this country, it is the few, the rich and powerful "haves," not the expanding "have-nots" who demand governments shrink.

If we focus on making government smaller, if we continue to cut K-12 education, accelerate reducing the university's budget, cannibalize social services, slash and burn the arts and humanities, and sharply disembowel children services we will dramatically increase our unemployment rates (already the highest in the nation). We will diminish opportunities to bring high quality businesses to the state; we will impede the health and welfare of our children; finally, we will undercut the quality of life factors that make life worth living.

Budget cutting, making state and local governments smaller, will not solve the problems the middle class. It will only exacerbate them. Governments, like businesses, can always be made more efficient. Let's work on better, not smaller.

I believe the critical job of the governor and the Legislature during this session is to begin to stabilize our tax base/create economic growth. Continue taxes from the '09 Session, if necessary; establish new taxes as required. Let's be smart, thoughtful.

Government is part of the solution, not the problem. Get the job done for the citizens of the State. Anything less will be irresponsible.

• Eugene Paslov is a board member of the Davidson Academy at the University of Nevada, Reno and the former Nevada state superintendent of schools.