Keystone president: We oppose the mining proposal by the Senate GOP

Just got this -- attributed to conservative Keystone Corp. boss John Gibson:

Keystone Opposes Mining Tax Proposal

"We have always rejected industry-specific taxes as bad public policy and detrimental to Nevada's economic development. Just as we opposed Initiatives that were being circulated lasty ear to impose additional taxes on the gaming and mining industries, we reject current proposals to balance the state budget on the back of the mining industry. The budget proposed by the Governor includes significant increases in funding to meet education goals in Nevada and does so without a job-killing margin tax on businesses nor with taxes targeted at select industries. Wes upport the Governor's budget and will continue to oppose tax increases that will serve to hamper our state's economic recovery."

Ironically, the last attempt to tax mining came from....Keystone member Monte Miller.

Gotta love Nevada politics.

UPDATE: Chatted with Gibson who told me the full Keystone board has not voted yet on the proposal, but "several of us were called together today and we felt that because of the timing, we had to get that out there. Beyond Monte Miller, I'm not sure anyone opposes this (statement)."

Gibson said the full Keystone board will vote on the idea on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Miller has been up in Carson City chatting with lawmakers. I hear that during Miller's meeting with the Assembly Republicans today, one of the members mentioned tax maven Carole Vilardo's description of the margins tax as a "chocolate-covered lemon" and then referred to Senate GOP leader Michael Roberson's idea to tax mining as  more like a "peanut brittle turd."

Oh, this is going to get better and better.