The Economic Forum, a group of private business leaders, meets today in Carson City and will determine how much money the state government can spend in 2001-03. The forum's findings are binding on Guinn and the Legislature. The Nevada Policy Research Institute, a conservative think tank that often is critical of government spending, agreed with Guinn's findings. That is why the state has a high turnover rate. The state has become an entry level employer.
People start working in the state prisons and then move to the county jails.
Others start with the Nevada Highway Patrol and then move to the county sheriff and police departments. The survey results reflect his thinking. The biggest gap, however, is in pay for registered professional engineers. Bob Gagnier, executive director of the State of Nevada Employees Association, said pay must be increased or the state will lose good employees. The state must find a way to provide adequate pay raises.