Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, a Republican, has declared he will veto any tax increases sent to him by the Legislature. But not too long ago Lombardo was advocating strongly in favor of a sales tax increase in Clark County”
Joe Lombardo has become a repeat offender, caught yet again angling to take both sides of an issue he’s made central to his campaign for Governor. As a candidate hoping to win a competitive Republican primary, Lombardo has been adamant he would veto any new taxes. But as Sheriff, he not only supported raising taxes–he lobbied hard for the increase.
“There really isn’t anything Joe Lombardo won’t do or say to win,” said Nevada Democratic Victory spokesperson Molly Forgey. “He’s now taken both sides on the issues he’s put front and center in his own campaign just to get through a competitive primary. The only thing Lombardo has been consistent about is being a craven politician.”
Read more about his effort to have it both ways on raising taxes below and see more from his growing rap sheet on Immigration, Vaccines, Defund the Police, and Voter Fraud.
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Steve Sebelius: Taxes and defunding the police
By Steve Sebelius
August 8, 2021
Key points:
- In politics, sooner or later, you see it all. In the governor’s race, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, a Republican, has declared he will veto any tax increases sent to him by the Legislature. But not too long ago Lombardo was advocating strongly in favor of a sales tax increase in Clark County, albeit to add badly needed officers to his department’s ranks.
- Lombardo warns that single-party rule in the Legislature will lead to higher taxes, and surely he has a point: When Republicans controlled both houses and the Governor’s Mansion in 2015, they passed the sweeping commerce tax. (Two other increases also took place under GOP governors, with bipartisan support in the Legislature.)
- But now, a law enforcement chief executive who fought for money to hire officers is running against a Democratic incumbent who stood against it, at least initially.
- Now, to be clear, Sisolak has never embraced “defund the police.” He got more money for Metro during his years as a commissioner and, as governor, signed the first collective bargaining agreement with state law enforcement officers.
- By contrast, Lombardo has tepidly embraced “defund the police,” after a fashion.
- Lombardo also frankly admits that property taxes are a better, more stable way to fund police departments than sales taxes, which fluctuate with the economy. But asked if he’d sign a bill to adjust property tax caps to increase local government revenue, he demurs.
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