CARSON CITY - When asked to compare his political style to other politicians', Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid has self-deprecatingly described himself as the political equivalent of a street light in a town full of neon.
But at Gov. Jim Gibbons' budget summit Wednesday, Reid effectively asserted himself in the middle of state politics. In what played out as a series of verbal showdowns with the governor, Reid offered some of the most pointed criticism of Gibbons' request for spending cuts.
His stage: a meeting, attended by 18 of the state's top elected officials, that was not quite like any other in the past 30 years.
Gibbons, who has been buffeted with criticism of his request to cut spending, had gathered the various elected officials to press the need to prepare for budget cuts, while not raising taxes. The outlook he relayed, a $256 million shortfall over two years, was grim.
He rebuffed calls from Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, and university system Chancellor Jim Rogers, to look at new revenue sources.
Reid was blunt in making his point that child welfare services and juvenile justice programs should be exempted from budget cuts.
Reid said 45 of 85 child welfare positions will not be filled if departments are forced to make 5 percent cuts.
"The children most vulnerable should not be in the discussion," he said. "Even Bob Beers agrees with that."
That line got a chuckle, because Beers, a state senator representing Las Vegas, has forged a reputation as an ardent supporter of cutting many government programs. But it also pointedly put the governor in an awkward position.
Gibbons had said earlier he would do his best to spare programs that help children. He wouldn't make a firm commitment , though, to leave child welfare services untouched. Beers has.
So Reid implied that Gibbons is more opposed to government services than even Beers is .
"You've made the case, and it's well represented," Gibbons allowed. Still, the governor told the gathering there was no final decision on what will be cut.
And Gibbons might have liked to have moved on, but Reid wouldn't let him.
"Final decisions have been made on what would be exempted," Reid said. "These have not."
Gibbons responded that he will "minimize any impact" on the most vulnerable children.
"I'll take that as a yes," Reid said, sitting back in his chair.
Gibbons and others laughed. Reid did not.
Perhaps he had good reason to hold his mirth. Gibbons, pressed about child welfare by a gaggle of reporters after the formal hearings, again repeated that no decision is final and would not rule out cuts to child services.
If Reid wants to raise his profile, he'll need to exhibit his skills more often in settings like this one. And so his performance Wednesday caught attention.
Reid's political consultant, Dan Hart, said the meeting allowed Reid to display his passion on "a bigger stage."
"For Commissioner Reid, this is something he feels passionate about - the delivery of essential services to the taxpayers," Hart said. "Maybe a lot of people are now going to experience the leadership we've experienced in Clark County."
It's not hard to imagine Hart's comments being translated into a campaign slogan.
Reid was not alone in his criticism of the governor's position, just as the governor was not without his supporters.
Indeed, after Gibbons gave a short introduction - " Asking for modest reductions is not unreasonable," he said - his budget director gave the grim outlook.
Gibbons took his first question from a friendly face, Washoe County Commission Chairman Robert Larkin, who called the governor's request "proactive" and said his board was also considering implementing 5 percent cuts to county departments.
Then Gibbons called on Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who delivered a different message.
Goodman said the city has been forced to cut, but said he didn't know whether there is any more that could be cut.
"If we want to make Las Vegas a great city, and have this continue to be a great state ... we should look at our revenue - raising devices," he said. Translation: Consider raising taxes.
Goodman said Wall Street investors worry about how the state is meeting its education needs and that they consider the state's tax structure "medieval."
Gibbons parried by turning the question to Beers, who was sitting in for Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, who was travelling.
Gibbons seemed unflappable during the 1 1/2-hour sitdown. He laid out how every governor since Bob List, who left office in 1983, has been forced to make cuts in advance of a legislative session. He laid out dim numbers on sales tax projections, based on only two months of data.
But, unlike other governors, observers say, he has faced significant resistance and protest from elected leaders.
Buckley, for instance, said capital projects could be delayed until the economy and state revenue rebound. She pointed not only to the programs Reid defended, but also mental health programs. She even picked up on a couple of Gibbons' priorities - autism funding and the fight against methamphetamine.
Afterward, Buckley said she thought there was some good debate.
"What I expected was just a dog and pony show," she said . "I think we had a real dialogue."
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