Transportation Study Likely to Resurrect Calls for Higher Taxes
The state has used a combination of federal and state funding to improve its surface transportation network over the past decade, but many needed road projects remain unfunded, according to the report released by TRIP, a Washington, D.C., based national transportation organization. Read more…
Lowden to Serve Coffee and Donuts at Biden-Reid Event
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sue Lowden will be hosting a meet-n-greet event in Reno this Friday morning at the Grand Sierra Hotel parking lot while Vice President Joe Biden is busy raising campaign funds for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Read more…
A Halloween Sermon
The Democratic Party is like Christmas. It has its Santa figures and its lore about sleighs full of goodies and a lot of activity in chimneys, being swept clean, etc. The Republican Party is like Halloween: A bit scary sometimes – sometimes too eager to throw out the Bill of Rights….and its own Santa-ish treat giveaways. Read more…
MUTH’S TRUTHS
Snowe Job
Sen. Olympia Snowe (RINO-Maine) says she only voted for the health care bill in the Senate Finance Committee yesterday to keep the process moving, not necessarily because she supports the bill. Bull. The Democrats have a veto-proof majority in the Senate. They didn’t need her vote to keep the process moving. This bill will advance with or without Olympia Snowe. All she did by voting for it in committee was give aid-and-comfort to the opposition. Snowe ought to just “pull a Specter” and join the Democrat Party.
Million Reasons to Dump McCain-Feingold
Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Chachas says Nevada Sen. Harry Reid is bad for Nevada and bad for the country, so he wants him defeated next year. Chachas believes this is so necessary that he donated $1 million to his own campaign for the GOP nomination to run against Reid in November.
The only problem: John Chachas doesn’t live in Nevada; doesn’t work in Nevada; doesn’t send his kids to school in Nevada; doesn’t pay taxes in Nevada; and doesn’t shop in Nevada.
Wouldn’t it be better if John Chachas was able to donate that million dollars to, you know, a Nevada candidate instead of to himself as long as it’s fully disclosed? Isn’t it time to abolish these stupid campaign finance restrictions?
Those Who Know Nothing About American History….
In a letter-to-the-editor in today’s Las Vegas Review-Journal, George Appleton writes: “As for those who say Sen. Harry Reid doesn’t do enough for Nevada, read the Constitution. House members are our direct representatives, with the job of ‘bringing home the goodies.’ Senators are supposed to act in the best interests of the entire United States.”
Thank you, public schools.
Actually, the House is, indeed, the people’s house. However, senators were intended to protect the states from ever-growing federal encroachment on their prerogatives. That’s why senators were originally elected by state legislatures, not the people. Harry Reid’s job, as envisioned by our Founders, is to protect the state of Nevada from the federal government, not act as the federal government’s agent.
You could look it up, Mr. Appleton.
Raggio: Stay Off My Turf!
Liberal Republican Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he doesn’t support giving Nevada cities and counties “home rule” because they might use “the power to raise taxes on their own.”
And dad-blam it, that’s Sen. Raggio’s job!
A Semi-Anointment
Speaking of Sen. Raggio, the Minority Leader leads an impressive establishment cast of endorsers for an October 22nd fundraiser for GOP Assembly candidate Jodi Stephens. The list of supporters includes a bevy of special interest associations and incumbent Republicans who didn’t score very well on Citizen Outreach’s conservative ratings in the last legislative session.
Conspicuously missing on the co-host list: The incumbent conservative assemblyman Stephens hopes to replace, as well as the current and immediate past chairmen of the conservative Nevada Republican Study Committee.
Even more curiously missing: Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert’s name.
Why is the SENATE Minority Leader endorsing Stephens for this state ASSEMBLY seat but not the ASSEMBLY Minority Leader? What kind of anointment is that?
What Are You Waiting For, Rory?
Sen. Harry Reid’s son, Rory Reid (D), is expected to formally announce his candidacy for Nevada governor today. In an interview yesterday, Rory told the Reno Gazette-Journal that “he has ideas that would result in immediate job creation.”
Question: If that’s true, why hasn’t he aleady put those ideas into action in the Las Vegas area where he’s the CHAIRMAN of the Clark County Commission and where unemployment right now is worse than anywhere in the United States other than Detroit?
Vision Déjà Vu
The Las Vegas Sun reports this morning that Rory Reid’s (D) economic vision “calls for a comprehensive performance review of state government to find savings.” Except….
Gov. Kenny Guinn already did that in his first term, and taxes went up. And Gov. Jim Gibbons already did that, through the creation of the SAGE Commission, in his first term and taxes still went up.
The fact is you’ll never find enough savings by reviewing the government’s performance. You’ll only find savings by actually shrinking government. Starting with layoffs of large numbers of non-essential state workers.
Gibbons Announcement Ups Pressure on Ensign to Resign
By announcing yesterday that he wouldn’t appoint himself to fill Sen. John Ensign’s seat should the embattled, scandal-plagued senator resign, Gov. Jim Gibbons has given the green light to a lot of folks who would like to see Ensign vamoose before he pulls down every other GOP candidate on the ballot next year but who were worried about the brouhaha which would erupt if the governor tapped himself for the vacancy.
This move may not seem that big of a deal on the surface, but it’s a huge underground development. The pressure on Ensign to call it quits will only increase and grow stronger now.
The Daily Kos’ Fuzzy Math
The liberal Daily Kos noted yesterday that “Republicans have added just 1,549 voters since February,” while the D’s have added 4,869 and independents “grew by 3,783.” And that, the Mighty Kos-ter proclaims, means Sen. Harry Reid will win re-election next year easily because “Republicans have made zero gains with the broader public.”
But it’s the independent voters who will decide Reid’s fate, not Republicans. And Reid and Obama are losing independents. Methinks Kos’, who admittedly doesn’t care for Reid, is missing the political boat on this one.
OTHER NEWS
OTHER OPINION
TUBE TIP
Sam Shad’s guest on today’s Nevada Newsmakers program will be George Harris, Publisher, Liberty Watch Magazine. The program airs on KRNV-TV Channel 4 at 12:30 pm in Reno and on Cox Cable Channel 123 at 4:30 pm and 11:35 pm in Las Vegas. Or view online at http://www.nevadanewsmakers.com
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
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“I have looked at it carefully and I still don’t support home rule. If you give local governments the power to raise taxes on their own, how will that affect other jurisdictions?” – Liberal Republican Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio,, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 10/14/09
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“I have always believed that government closest to the people is the best government. They (local governments) should be able to make the decisions for the constituents.” – Conservative Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons, saying he “absolutely” supports home rule for Nevada cities and counties, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 10/14/09
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“As business-friendly as his vision may seem, don’t expect (Democrat gubernatorial candidate Rory) Reid to have Grover Norquist at his announcement. There will be no ‘no new taxes’ promises, no signing of the written pledge. . . . On the other hand, there will be no unfurling of a tax plan, either – Reid won’t commit political suicide at his announcement.” – Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston, 10/14/09
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“As you look to the beginning of 2010, I think unemployment in Nevada will spike even higher. I think this is bad for the country but good for Republican politics. We are in for a lousy 2010. As an economy, we are going to continue to see job losses” – Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Chachas, The Hill, 10/13/09
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“The fact that Mr. Chachas hasn’t lived here, hasn’t voted here, that’ll make it very tough for him.” – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Danny Tarkanian on the fact that fellow GOP U.S. Senate candidate John Chachas still lives in New York, The Hill, 10/13/09
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“Did I mention that I live here? Did I mention that I vote here? Did I mention that my children go to school here? I just thought I’d mention that.” – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sue Lowden mentioning that she lives in Nevada, unlike fellow GOP candidate John Chachas, The Hill, 10/13/09
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“Other than John Chachas, the New Yorker who wants to come home to defeat Reid and has $1.4 million banked, no one on the GOP side has a respectable amount. Danny Tarkanian has raised $250,000. Chuck Kozak has raised $82,000. And talk show host Mike Wiley has raised a little hell.” – Jon Ralston, Flash, 10/13/09
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“Both Little Tark (Danny Tarkanian) and (Chuck) Kozak put out news releases with the all-too-familiar ‘Look we have so many donors’ line and overheated rhetoric. But combined, they have what Reid spends on paper clips.” – Jon Ralston, Flash, 10/13/09
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“If a candidate’s ability to raise special interest money from Washington was the barometer for success on election day, Senator Reid would clearly be at the head of the pack. Unfortunately for Senator Reid, it’s the voters of Nevada who will have the final say and despite raising millions of dollars, not a single poll this year has shown Senator Reid ahead, which is remarkable for a four-term Senator with a 100 percent name ID.” – Brian Walsh, spokesman, National Republican Senatorial Committee
