Our Sponsors:

Nevada NewsMakers Blogs

 

Term Limits

Published: 4/18/2008 8:25:48 AM

I’ll admit that most voters don’t generally know the intended and unintended consequences of some ballot questions, especially when they are intentionally confusing.  The competing smoking ban questions in the 2006 election, or the multiple questions to limit malpractice liability in 2004, were intended to confuse voters.  That is a bad way for special interests to change policy in this state, let alone deceptive to the voters.   Now it appears that some legislators are playing a similar game of trickery. 

 

Veteran legislators are now saying that the voters didn’t vote for the exact same question twice, and thus the term limits law is not “legal.”

 

The 1994 ballot question limited terms for all elected officials, including judges.  But the Supreme Court stepped in and split the 1996 question into two parts. One covered judges and was rejected by voters.  The second part covered all other officials and passed, with about 70% of the vote.   Voters voted twice to limit legislators and local officials.  Their intention is perfectly clear.  Whether it’s legal is in question, but shame on the courts for not correcting this issue by saying that both questions should appear again in 1998.  But the intent of the issue is clear.  Voters want term limits.  To blatantly go against voter intent is not only outrageous, but incredibly self-serving for the noblesse oblige who run our legislature. (Of course, they are getting third parties to do fight the battle so that they don’t look self-serving.)

 

Voters know the intended consequences of term limits – they don’t want career politicians who become beholden to the special interests.  They also knew the unintended consequences – that some long-time leaders, whom they may like, won’t be able to run anymore.  But that is a price they are willing to pay so that they can have a little control over the election system.

 

I’m not surprised at the assault on term limits.  Some of these folks just can’t let the power go.  I just hope that the voters will revolt at this blatant attempt at job protection and fight off this end run around the constitution and voter intent. I also hope that the court rules that  while the Supreme Court messed up by separating the 1994 question into two questions in 1996, voter intent was clear on the issue.  We voted twice to limit the term of legislators. If the court doesn’t rule this way, then they should be prepared for another term limits fight – and this time it should include judges!

---

Leave it to a kid from Sudan

Published: 4/14/2008 4:31:31 PM

After reading what John Bul Dau and thousands of other kids went through to get an education in a Sudanese refugee camp - and how they were able to pass their exams each year despite not having pencils and papers, let alone a computer - well, I just don’t have much sympathy for the financial "crisis" our educational leaders desperately want us to believe exists in Washoe County today.
 
In a fascinating book of survival, God Grew Tired of Us, Dau - one of the Lost Boys of the Sudan – relates how important education was to these kids who had to flee their villages during the 1980’s and 1990’s as civil war broke out. Over 25,000 boys were left to grow up in refuge camps around Africa, and the only way out was to get an education.  
 
Dau, who started first grade at age 18, talks of his desire to learn, despite sitting in the hot African sun for hours on end, having no supplies or books, and having to understand his lessons in his native tongue as well as English.
 
The teachers in the refugee camp in northern Kenya, “were a mix of Sudanese adult caretakers and educators from the Kenyan school system. They didn’t have any fancy school supplies. My teachers made their own blackboard and markers. They built a three-legged easel out of long sticks and a handful of nails. Atop the crossbeam they placed a blackboard fashioned from the bottoms of a half-dozen square tins that originally held vegetable oil, topped with a layer of corrugated cardboard. In place of chalk they marked on the cardboard with lumps of charcoal rescued from the camp’s fire pits. When they were done, they wiped the smudges clean with a cloth.”
 
Dau talks of how the refugees understood that without an education, they had no future. He would watch his friends get the results of their tests, and they would cry if they did not pass. “A score of 350 meant the end of the line for a refugee student, with no appeal.”
 
When was the last time you saw a Nevada student cry at not passing a test?
 
Dau talks of the challenge of getting access to books, and said that his biggest problem was getting inside the library. “Most boys wanted to study just as hard as I did, and long lines formed outside the library doors every day. The librarians would not allow anyone to remove a book from the building, so I had to wait in line for as long as two hours for people on the inside to finish reading.”
 
To ease the over crowding, a system was set up that designated certain schools to access the library on certain days. “I made a note of which days had been set aside for my school and jumped out of bed before dawn to get a spot near the head of the line.”  I wonder how many kids jump out of bed to study these days.
 
When was the last time you saw a line to get into a Nevada library?
 
I can’t help but compare Dau's experiences with the comments I read from the principal of my old high school, Reno High. In an April 7th Reno Gazette Journal story, Reno High Principal Bob Sullivan said the school's windows need to be replaced because they're showing their age and allow cold air into the school. The heating and cooling system also needs to be modernized.

---

Realities of a Recession....

Published: 3/28/2008 3:31:37 PM

There may be more budget reductions coming soon to state government, and what do educators say? 

 

According to a Las Vegas Review Journal story, state public schools Chief Keith Rheault said that the next round of cuts could lead to reductions in staffing for athletics or other non-teaching programs.

 

Now, I like Keith Rheault, but come on, Athletics?  Well that is one way to get the parents engaged.  Cut athletics instead of oh, say, a few administrators, or a few assistant principals. 

 

He’s taking a page from the teacher’s union handbook and making cuts that will get the public’s attention.  They are considering cuts to programs that parents actually help pay for!  That’ll tick them off and get them to come out and vote for a ballot question to raise taxes for schools, because they will see that the school boards have cut all that they can, now that they are cutting athletics.  Oh please!

Come on Mr. Rheault – do the right thing and get rid of the middle management as the private sector does when money gets tight.   Early retirement buy outs are good, too. 

 

But doing that won’t get the public’s attention. 

 

But my favorite gripe comes from Mary Jo Parise-Malloy of Nevadans for Quality Education.  She is mad at the Governor for further cuts in education, saying “education wasn't supposed to be a part of the cuts last time around either. “  

 

Oh come on.  Education is 35% of the state budget.   You can’t take it out of the mix.  Across the board cuts are the most equitable cuts.  Considering that 80% of the state budget goes to salaries, the reality is that real budget cuts mean job losses.  Just like in the private sector. 

 

I have three friends who have lost their jobs in the past few months.  It sucks, but it happens.  I fail to understand how government employees feel that their jobs are above “cutting”. 

 

And for all of you that say, “oh let’s just raise taxes.”  That is the last thing the government should do in a recession!  We all have to slow our spending, and government is no different. 

---

McCain's Lead Gives Me Hope

Published: 2/12/2008 8:29:39 PM

I’m not a big McCain fan - can’t say I was thrilled with any of the candidates running for President.  But McCain’s lead indicates, to me at least, that the Christian right wing, pro-life activist don’t control the Republican Party.  It gives me hope that moderates still have a voice in the GOP.  And it shows that the silent majority is really us moderates – the folks that the media totally ignores. 

Let me remind you that the basic core value of the Republican Party is less government in our life.  To me, and many others, that means it’s not the role of government to tell you how to run your life - how many kids you should have, or who you should marry.  Those are decisions better dictated by your religious beliefs than by your government.   This position is more aligned now with the Libertarian Party, but it truly is a Republican position.
 
Sure McCain is pro-life, but he’s not suggesting a constitutional ban on abortion like Huckabee, I can handle a pro-lifer like McCain.

Sure McCain is not the best fiscal conservative, but if he sticks to his promises of making the Bush tax cuts permanent and will veto spending bills containing earmarks, then I can live with that.

I like McCain because he has risen above the negative rhetoric and hate-speak that dominates national politics. He’s reached across the isle to work with “the enemy.”   What a novel concept.

Now maybe McCain-Feingold-Cochran is not the best bill ever, but at least he was wiling to go where few politicians have in the past and do something to level the playing field in campaigns.  Much more needs to be done, but his bill was a start.

Our elected leaders should take a clue from McCain and try working with the other party.  Voters are fed up with the hate-speak and rhetoric.  We want you guys to work together, to get along, and to find common ground.  McCain has done that, and we like.  Get a clue politicians – stop bashing the other party and start working with them to tackle the tough issues. 

And for those who say McCain is too liberal, just look at the recent National Journal’s ratings of the Senators.  Obama was the most liberal Senator, while Clinton ranks 16th.   McCain is looking a little better.

---

Nevada’s Role in Presidential Politics is Not New

Published: 1/22/2008 1:09:55 PM

It was the votes of Nevada, and the money from gaming, which gave Kennedy his win over Nixon. As we continue to play an important role in presidential elections, let’s hope it isn’t quite so tainted.

---

Democracy is not a perfect system

Published: 1/21/2008 8:39:21 AM

While Democracy is a participatory sport - caucusing requires full body contact.

 

That’s what made the caucus so fun to me. You could not help but get engaged in the democratic process.

 

Unlike a primary where you just go vote in an atmosphere of anonymity, the caucus forced you to interact with other voters. People talked with their neighbors about issues and listened respectfully as people shared their beliefs.

 

As a worker at the Galena High caucus, I went from room to room to provide guidance on the process. I was impressed with the way people were not afraid to share their views and opinions on issues from immigration to the economy. But I was most impressed with the respect and civility that these strangers showed their neighbors.

 

While I’m torn on whether we should caucus again, or go back to a primary, I’m glad that I participated. I have renewed faith in the voters of Reno. I’m proud of those who expressed their opinion on issues or candidates. I’m pleased with how many of you sought a delegate spot to the convention. But I’m most impressed with the sheer number of people who came out on a beautiful Saturday morning to participate.

 

Democracy is not a perfect system. Neither is caucusing. But for those that participated, you experienced democracy at the most personal and important level.

 

Now as we move forward, it is the job of the State and County party to keep you engaged, and I will work to help make that happen!

 

And on a different note about the caucuses: Why aren’t the Democrats releasing the vote totals for the candidates like the GOP did. They released the delegate count, but are refusing to release the actual votes that each candidate got.

 

I suspect that in their precinct meetings they only really counted the number of delegates that went for Clinton or Obama, but if they are boasting about the record turnout, why don’t they authenticate it with the actual numbers of people that voted? Seems like a smart idea to me. But then, I’m a Republican.

---

In an attempt to make Nevada relevant, Nevada GOP voters became irrelevant

Published: 1/16/2008 11:02:13 AM

I hope the state GOP leadership will analyze the situation and develop a solution that makes our votes count. Let’s either go back to a September primary, or change the process to ensure that we have a say in the election process.

---

Huckabee Runs Counter to our Constitution

Published: 1/8/2008 11:40:36 AM

Mike Huckabee is doing just that; and for that, he should not be President.

---

It's not Global Warming, It's Arson

Published: 11/7/2007 1:47:38 PM

I can’t believe all these politicians that are getting media attention as they try to blame Bush or Iraq or Global Warming for the fires raging in Southern California. 

 

There is only one reason for the fires – ARSON.... Or should I say arsonists.  There are apparently several sick people out there who started fires.

 

Now, no, not ALL of the fires were started by arson, but frankly, that’s not important right now anyway.  Eventually it will be.  And looking at how the environmentalists have refused to let forest managers conduct controlled burns is a good place to start…but not yet.  

 

Instead of trying to gain headlines by looking for the cause of the fire, it sure would be nice if those whiney California Liberals would instead look for the money and resources that are needed to get the fires out and the people back on their feet.

 

I seriously doubt the families who just lost all their positions give a damn about what caused the fires.  If I was one of them, I’d sure as hell be mad at folks like the Lt. Gov of California, or Pelosi or Feinstein who used my misery to make political headlines.  They were really thinking of their constituents.

 

And PLEASE stop with all the comparison talk of how the government responded to these fires versus Katrina and Rita.   There is no comparison, because these areas of the country are worlds apart.

Let’s just start with the simple fact that this part of California is economically more affluent. These people are not dependent on government subsidizes as a majority of the people affected by Katrina were – especially those in the 9th Ward.  Many of these Southern Californians are more self-reliant and fiscally responsible. They look to themselves first to get back on their feet.  They’ll reach out to family, friends, and neighbors before even pursuing support from agencies like the Red Cross, let alone government.  Sure, they will deal with local government for help with “paperwork,” but they won’t be looking for a hand out, or expecting FEMA to put them in a trailer while they rebuild.  The role of the Federal government is not as prominent here, because it is not a prominent part of their lives.

 

Now I know this is a generalization about the populations of these two parts of our county. But we as a nation have got to understand that personal responsibility is the key to re-building our life.  Looking to government is not the answer.  But after Katrina, it seems that the media and the liberal whiners now expect the government to jump in and take over after a disaster. 

 

As a Republic, we need to get back to the idea that the best government is that which governs least. The most effective, responsible and responsive government is the government closest to the people.  And the foundation of a sound Republic is personal responsibility.

 

If you doubt this, let’s see where Southern California is in two years after this disaster.   Let’s hope they are further along than Louisiana is now.

---

What is Brewing for 2008 and 2009 - Hide Your Wallets!

Published: 10/5/2007 12:52:26 PM

Expect to see Tax Increases and Tax Caps on the Ballot Next Fall

The 2007 legislative session can really be labeled "Much Ado About Nothing."
Before the session started in February, Legislators were told to expect a surplus of $500 to $800 million. By May that figures was down to under $100 million. The Democrats were pushing for full day kindergarten in every school, but in the end it was only expanded to 63 schools. The Governor wanted "empowerment" for all elementary schools across the state, but funding was granted for only 30 schools. A $5 Billion backlog loomed for road construction, but in the end less than $1 Billion was allocated from existing revenues.

With so many hopes dashed for funding increases, the 2007 session has really done just one thing: forced everyone to revamp their plan for how to get more money in the next election and the next session.

So that means the 2008 election is shaping up to be a battle for tax increase, and it’s a three-way war: Teachers vs. Gaming vs. Business.

Already we hear that the teachers are threatening a ballot initiative to increase gaming taxes to go toward education – that is why you’re seeing ads by gaming saying how they are already pay 50% of the education budget. Expect to see ads, sponsored by gaming, saying how the business community should be paying more to build roads (since a chunk of change was allocated to road construction from the room tax in Vegas - room tax money that normally goes to the Convention Authority.)
In Washoe County, school board officials are putting together a tax package for the 2008 ballot that is likely to increase fees on developers and taxes on real estate.

The question on eminent domain that was on the ballot in 2006 will be on again, even though the legislature did pass a measure dealing with the issue this year. The legislative action should make the ballot question moot, but since they both are amending the constitution, both have more hoops to jump through before either becomes law.

We also hear that The Sands Corp. is considering underwriting the cost of a ballot initiative for 2008 to take "new" room tax revenues and put it into building roads, expanding on the room tax funds that were diverted from the Convention Authority this past session. With so many new high-end rooms opening or planned, expansions at The Venetian and Wynn and new construction with Echelon Place and MGM Mirage's CityCenter, some estimate "new" room taxes might raise as much as $200 million a year for transportation needs. To make this more "saleable," they may toss some of the money at education.

Meanwhile, there are individuals with their own agenda. University Chancellor Jim Rogers is personally paying for a study to determine the feasibility (and potential acceptance) of personal income tax. This action would require amending the constitution, and for decades Nevadans have said "no way" to an income tax.

Former Assemblywoman Sharron Angle is still on the path for a Prop 13 style tax relief for homeowners, but the AFL-CIO and Teachers Union filed a law suit against her petition and it has been stopped,for now. Angle claims that the property tax cap that was passed in 2005 is unconstitutional since it set a different cap for residential (3%) and commercial (8%) property.

We are now feeling the economic impact of past ballot questions that raised the minimum wage and banned smoking in stores and restaurants, so we are very concerned with what may happen in 2008 on these questions that will likely raise taxes and fees. Battle lines are being drawn and money is being raised to support or oppose these questions. The bottom line is that your bottom line is threatened. Hold tight to your wallet, and make sure your voice is heard at the ballot box! If not, it could cost you dearly.

---

2007 Was NOT a Business-Friendly Session

Published: 6/26/2007 3:13:44 PM

2007 Was Not a Business-Friendly Session

On the surface this legislative session looked fairly business-friendly.   No taxes were increased, the pay roll tax did not go up .02% as required under the 2005 bill, and money was allocated for highway construction. 

 

But if you knew what was happening behind the scenes, you’d soon learn that the Legislature, especially the Assembly, is growing more and more anti business.

 

Legislators were a bit spoiled last session when they had about $800 million of “surplus” taxpayer money to play with. After they returned $300 million to drivers, they still doled out money to numerous projects and organizations that normally would not get money from the legislature. What a trend that started! Many of those organizations were back again, asking for even more money. But when the Economic Forum in May said that a surplus just wasn’t gonna happen, let alone cuts should be made in the Governor’s request, reality should have hit hard.   But it didn’t.

 

Barbara Buckley continued her push for full day kindergarten with a $100 million price tag.   Shelia Leslie still wanted $20 million for the homeless. Dina Titus wanted $60 million for teacher incentive. They wanted the money despite the reality that there wasn’t any to spare. So what was their answer? Raise taxes.

 

At one point Buckley was pushing a tax increase of close to $2 billion to cover roads and schools

 

But it wasn’t state programs that were the only problem. Private sector organizations like The Cancer Institute wanted $10 million, Truckee Flood Control wanted $20 million, $1 million for Chronic Fatigue… the list goes on and on. With little surplus available, the fight over the scraps intensified. 

 

The real kicker was the one no legislator wanted to touch – a $5 billion shortfall in transportation with a pledge of no new taxes from the Governor! This legislature was looking for money every day, and they were looking for it in ways that could circumvent the Governor’s pledge. They’d passed bills out of committee that added on a fee, only to have the fee stricken later. So when that didn’t work, they tried the unusual tactic of “letting the VOTERS decide”. That’s a surefire way to kill a new levy—the voters won’t support it. Then they want to put a question on the ballot to see if voters want to raise money for school construction. They tried another one for roads, but that bill died. 

When they weren’t trying to raise taxes and fees, they were reducing existing tax breaks. We all know how they changed the “green tax” to reduce the property tax abatement. They also killed any bills that would have reduced payroll tax, even if it encouraged health insurance, or property tax abatements for education. They also refused to roll back the bank franchise fee or adjust the higher payroll rate, which many believe are unconstitutional, let alone totally unfair.

 

Beyond the money issues, the Democrat leaders in the Assembly tried time and again to put more rules and regulations on businesses.   From trying to manage Pay Day loans out of business, to forcing stores to report every shipment of allergy pills, business lobbyists spent more time killing bad bills that limited competition, then pushing ones that encouraged free enterprise. This anti-business sentiment is only getting stronger, and it will continue as long as the Assembly remains in Democrat (and union) hands.

 

The business community has got to come together and find qualified business people to run for the Assembly. With term limits, there will be 10 Democratic Assembly seats opening up in 2010 (while only 2 Republican seats are open in solid GOP districts.) If you’re a boss, you need to look ay your employees and see if there is someone you can spare for a few months. Otherwise, we’ll continue to have an Assembly run by government workers!

 

But Business also has to come together on the transportation issue. Business in general was united in its opposition to increasing the weight distance fee or the diesel tax, as its cost would hurt commerce and consumers. Gaming opposed the reallocation of their room tax. And no one would touch a gas tax increase – the most logical source. The Governor’s plan is a temporary fix until business and gaming can come together. And they had better do so by 2009, or the tax fight of 2003 will look like a schoolyard brawl compared to the championship smackdown that will be 2009. I don’t want ringside seats for that fight!

Last week an “emergency” bill came out of the Democrat-controlled Assembly to overturn the “green” tax. This was a 50% reduction on property taxes for companies that spent more in the construction of their building to comply with strict national environmental standards. The Dems created this bill in 2005, but they failed to look at the full consequences of it – which is nothing new.

 

The idea was to encourage companies to be more “green.” But when education leaders cried “poor” this year due to the enactment of the 2005 property tax cap (that Democrats Titus and Perkins pushed to help their failed runs for Governor) and this “green” tax abatement, the Assembly Democrats saw red and turned yellow.

 

They chickened out.  They caved to the teachers union. They chose education over the environment. They chose taxpayer funded day care (full day kindergarten) over clean air. 

 

Now this isn’t a shock. We know they are the party of the teachers union. But to consider this an emergency and go back on their word is bad policy. They are once again reacting too quickly to something they created. They failed once again to look at the unintended consequences of their actions.  

 

Luckily the Governor is being more responsible and looking at the legal ramifications of removing this tax abatement. And he’s not buying the teacher’s union cry for more money. Until educators and Democrats realize that our education system is failed (over 30% drop out rate) they will continue to face a fight from the rest of us who don’t want to throw money at a failed system. 

Rookie Democrat Ruben Kihuen is the latest legislator to fall into the hands of the teachers union. He is pushing a bill that allows a teacher to continue to teach for up to 90 days after their teaching license lapses. 

 

I watched him on Headline News Legislative Update and I just couldn’t believe his rationale for this bill.  

 

I’ll paraphrase some of the highlights: