Rory's Plan For the Future of Nevada

Nevada stands at a virtual crossroads.

We face some of the most daunting days in our state’s history: The second-highest unemployment rate in the country, the highest home foreclosure rate, a $2 billion state budget shortfall, and for the first time in a decade, more people are moving out than moving in.

We face difficult choices about the kind of future we want and the road we will take to get there. Some believe that we can continue on our traditional path – a narrow economic base dependent on cycles of boom and bust that, when it works, puts people to work with their hands, and, when it doesn’t, sends them packing. We have a state government built for the 19th Century and happy to stay there, looking no further ahead than yesterday, squandering what we have today, and failing to invest in tomorrow.

As I’ve traveled the state in recent months talking with people about the future of Nevada, the words of a young woman in Reno brought it all home for me. It was at a house party and at the end I was taking questions from the group. This young woman stood up and said, “My question is a simple one: I’m from Nevada, went to school here, and am thinking about a future here. Given all the problems facing our state, I’m wondering if it even makes sense to stay. Why should I make my home and raise my own family in Nevada?” I think that’s the question that the next governor needs to answer.

My answer is simple: I see a different road ahead for Nevada. We don’t have to continue to rely on an economy and a state government based primarily on hospitality: When the good times roll around the world, they come rolling in to Nevada – but when there’s a global economic slowdown, we come to a stop. Tourism will always be a large part of our economy and identity, but we need to broaden that economy and enlarge that identity to include new industries and businesses that have the potential for greater growth and higher-paying jobs in the 21st Century. We must invest in our schools and universities. But we cannot without a thriving economy.

We need to solve the reoccurring budget mess in Carson City to make Nevada a more attractive place to grow or move a business. But ultimately, we’re not going to end the state’s fiscal problems, either, unless we build a broader economy. So we must set off in that direction and not stop until we have a 21st Century economy that provides opportunity for every Nevadan. We have a unique opportunity to make Nevada a center for 21st Century industries – but only if we seize the moment and act intelligently to help build them here.

We therefore face a stark choice between continuing down the same path we have always traveled – which got us into this mess – or striking out in a bold new direction, which promises greater gains in the long term.