Connect with us

Nevada

‘No Tax on Tips’ excites —and divides — Nevada voters

Published

on

‘No Tax on Tips’ excites —and divides — Nevada voters


LAS VEGAS — It’s a taxing question that might just tip the Silver State’s voting results in Donald Trump’s favor come Election Day.

Since the former president’s June 9 declaration of “No Tax on Tips” during a well-attended outdoor rally in Sin City, the idea has caught on with workers in several tip-reliant occupations, from brothels to beauty parlors.

Food and drink servers, unionized or not, also approve.

But it’s a long trip from the serving floor to the enactment of legislation. Despite an impressive lineup of backers — some of whom have no kind words for the ex-prez — the notion still faces formidable odds.

Advertisement

Among supporters are the Silver State’s two US Senators, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, who’ve signed on as the sole Democrat co-sponsors of the “No Tax on Tips Act” introduced in June by Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz.

In the House, Nevada Reps. Steven Horsford and Susie Lee are the only Democrats to co-sponsor Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) measure that mirrors the Cruz bill.

Progress appears slow: The Cruz bill, S. 4 621, was assigned in June to the Senate Finance committee. H.R. 8941, the Donalds bill, was sent to the House Ways and Means panel. But neither measure has been scheduled for hearings.

Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, would love to see the taxman barred from the tip jar.

Pappageorge told The Post that between 18,000 and 20,000 of his local’s 60,000 members are tipped employees.

Advertisement

“There’s no other concentration of tip earners that are actually represented by a union like this anywhere else” in the nation, he said.

Las Vegas has the highest concentration of tipped workers of any location in the country, a union official said. luckybusiness – stock.adobe.com

Pappageorge said his members “never had a peep” from President Joe Biden or Trump during their terms in office, but the union executive applauded the ex-prez for having “got the conversation started.”

Of greater value to tipped workers, Pappageorge said, would be to eliminate the federal “sub-minimum wage” of $2.13, where tips make up the difference between that and the $7.25 regular minimum, and just pay the regular minimum instead. Also helpful would be more sanity on the part of the IRS when the tax agency develops the “tip allocation rate,” its estimate of what tipped employees get in gratuities on which “they charge you taxes accordingly.”

Instead of setting a fixed allocation rate, the tax collectors should view tips “differently than wages,” he said. “We’re not say not taxes, but we’re saying it’s different.”

Pappageorge said the dollar amount of tips collected by his union members is not constant: “It’s up and down.”

Advertisement

Karen Off is the owner-operator of bustling Fringe hair salon in Mesquite, some 90 miles northeast of Las Vegas. She and the independent contractor stylists there get tips on top of fees for specific services, and Off said the idea of “no tax on tips” is appealing. “They tax us enough,” she said.

She said a tip is “an extra bonus that you earn. Because I know if I get a good waitress, she gets more than if I get somebody who never checks on me. … I earn my tips by doing a good job.”

Yolanda Scott, a 32-year Culinary Local 226 member in Las Vegas, said because of IRS tip allocations, “I just get whatever I get, because of the IRS takes control of that, and then my tips are kept. I get my tips at the end of my shift, my work shift.”

She said no taxes on tips would be “a great thing,” particularly since “everything is so expensive. I mean, we have to survive. We want to live.”

Liz Hudson, another union member who’s worked at the New York, New York casino for 25 years delivering drinks to gamblers on the casino floor, said she “would definitely benefit” from tax-free tips.

Advertisement

The benefit would give her “probably triple what I’m making now.”

Hudson said it would even help when patrons forget to tip when served.

“When we get stiffed, we’re getting taxed on that drink that we just brought out, and we get nothing for it,” she said. “So at least if we got rid of getting taxed, it wouldn’t be as much of a pain to not get tipped.”

Away from the Las Vegas Strip, over at the Red Rocks Casino Resort & Spa, server Bridget Brooks supports tax-free tips.

“It would be great,” she said. “They tax us so much we barely get a paycheck. I understand that the money goes to the economy, but how about taking it in other ways so they’re not taxing us more than we make?”

Advertisement

Not everyone is delighted with the proposal, however.

“I’m not sure why we would not tax their earnings versus other people’s earnings,” said David Neumark, distinguished professor of economics at the University of California—Irvine, who has studied the earning of tipped workers. “Everyone should be treated the same.”

He said “wages might fall” if tips aren’t taxed: “If I cut the tax on your income by 30%, your after tax income might not go up by 30% because more people may choose to work and that will lower pay.”

One business owner enthusiastically supports exempting tip income from taxes—and Trump, whose rally comments sparked the current legislation.

Bella Cummins, the 74-year-old operator of Bella’s Hacienda Ranch, a legal brothel in Wells, Nevada, near Reno, said the move would help operators lower operating costs.

Advertisement

“The brothel’s sex workers also benefit,” she said in a statement. “Legal sex workers are independent contractors who pay out of pocket for their medical fees, sheriff cards, and other business essentials such as adult toys and lingerie. When workers receive untaxed tips, it allows them to set more competitive prices for their services, attract more clients, enhance their reputation, and expand their customer base.”



Source link

Nevada

Nevada high school football head coach steps down

Published

on

Nevada high school football head coach steps down


Mojave (Nev.) head football coach Wes Pacheco announced on Sunday morning that he’s stepping down from his position, according to a social media post.

Pacheco announced his resignation after six seasons at the helm of the Rattlers, putting together a 29-22 overall record from 2020-2025.

“I have officially stepped down as Head Coach of the Mojave Football Program,” Pacheco said in his social media post. “Thank you to Principal Cole for giving me the opoortunity make an impact on the lives of Mojave Student-Athletes. I am grateful and blessed to have labored through a 6-year journey of successes, failures, life lessons, character building and growth with the student-athletes myself and my coaching staff have served. I will forever love my Mojave Family, the Mojave Community and believe in the notion that SUCCESS can be attained by showcasing character, treating everyone with respect, and always have the courage to dream big and trust that “ATTACKING THE HARD WORK” & “HIGH MOTORING EVERYTHING” can yield SUCCESS that you want to achieve in life!”

During Pacheco’s half dozen seasons leading Mojave, his best record came in the 2024 season when the Rattlers finished with a 12-1 record. Located out of North Las Vegas, Mojave had to compete against the likes of national high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman during the regular season.

Advertisement

Mojave ended the last season with a 4-6 record and as the state’s No. 23rd ranked team, according to the final 2025 Nevada High School Football Massey Rankings.

More about Mojave High School

Mojave High School, located in North Las Vegas, NV, is a dynamic public high school that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and community involvement. Home of the Rattlers, MHS offers a wide range of academic programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities. With a strong commitment to student success, Mojave emphasizes leadership, college and career readiness, and a supportive school culture that prepares students for life beyond graduation.

For Nevada high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Silver State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across Nevada.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Nevada

IN RESPONSE: Cortez Masto lands bill would keep the proceeds in Nevada

Published

on

IN RESPONSE: Cortez Masto lands bill would keep the proceeds in Nevada


A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.

Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.

What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.

The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.

Advertisement

So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.

I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.

Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.

Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Nevada

Las Vegas High beats Coronado in 5A baseball — PHOTOS

Published

on

Las Vegas High beats Coronado in 5A baseball — PHOTOS