We especially have work to do in filling Judge Philip Pro's seat which has been vacant since 2011. Only a few days ago fellow Nevada judicial nominee Elissa Cadish, who was nominated to fill this seat, withdrew her nomination. Cadish had been waiting for a blue-slip from Senator Dean Heller for more than a year. Blue-slips from home state senators are required before the Senate Judiciary Committee can conduct a hearing on Cadish's nomination. Cadish stated in her withdrawal that she was concerned that her nomination has impacted Nevada's speedy justice, particularly in civil cases.
Cadish's situation isn't unique Jennifer A. Dorsey another highly qualified female nominee is also waiting for her blue-slip from Sen. Heller. Dorsey was nominated at the same time as Gordon, who today will most likely be confirmed, yet is still five steps behind him in the nomination process. No reason has been given on why her nomination has been delayed, and she is just as qualified as Gordon. If Sen. Heller continues blocking every other qualified candidate from receiving hearings with the Senate Judiciary Committee, our state will end up with a judicial crisis and our right to a speedy trial will be jeopardized.
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Currently, Nevada spends about $9,990 per pupil per year in K-12 education (By the numbers). To put this in perspective, we are ranked 38th highest in per pupil spending and the average state spent $11,700 per student. In order to properly fund our students most agree we need more money per student. Of course throwing money at any problem is not the end all. Reform is also necessary to improve the quality of education, but we can't implement programs like class size reduction without proper funding for more classrooms, teachers and supplies.
According to School Funding Fairness' National Report Card, Nevada has received an "F" in both State Effort and Funding Distribution. About failing schools the Report Card states: "So not only do these states dedicate a low proportion of their fiscal capacity towards their education system, they also have allocated that money in a way that does not systematically ensure that districts with high property levels get more funding."
We currently fund education in Nevada from several funding sources (How the District is Funded).
Sales Taxes - 50%
Property (Ad Valorem) Taxes - 19%
Gaming Taxes - 15%
Federal Programs - 5%
Estate Tax - 0.7%
Mining Tax - 0.3%
Other Revenue Sources - 10%
After examining our current funding sources, you can see that there is an opportunity to tax mining and businesses other than gaming without asking the same Nevadans to pitch in again. As Nevadans we have continually had to pay our fair share and now is the time for these industries to do the same.
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Whether you remember the Lorax from Dr. Seuss' book or from the movie that came out last year, you know that the Lorax is about being kind to the environment. The story is fictional but its lessons are not. For all those who watched the 2012 Lorax film, you'll remember that the citizens of Thneedville would have fresh air delivered to their homes because the air had been so badly polluted. Never would I have imagined that clean air is becoming an expensive commodity in our world today.
I'm sure you are thinking where is air being delivered? Recently I heard a story on NPR about the booming business of air filters in China. Yes, China is the Thneedville of our nonfictional world. Manufacturing and more importantly a lack of concern for the environment have damaged the air quality in parts of the country.
Of course, we are not China or Thneedville and we do have some regulations, specifically the Clean Air Act (CAA). This 1970 federal law regulates air emissions from multiple sources. One main component of the law, which would prevent us from becoming Thneedville and parts of China, is that it authorizes the EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and welfare, and regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants.
The Clean Air Act is our Lorax, but as you know from the film, the protector of the trees was not enough to stop the damage. We need more bite to our bark and only we, like the citizens of Thneedville, have the power to stop us from having to buy our air in plastic bottles like we do our water.
More than 9 out of 10 Americans agree that we have a moral obligation to give our children a non-polluted, non-damaged Earth. And nearly 90% agree that as a country we should make an effort to reduce global warming despite economic costs.
So what's stopping us? Maybe it's the powerful Mr. O'Hare's of the world, but if we learned anything from the Lorax it's that it's never to late to start caring about the environment and that one small person can make a big difference. So what are you waiting for? Do your small part as all small seeds eventually grow into trees.
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LAS VEGAS - Yesterday during a constituent town hall Congressman Joe Heck agreed with an audience member who suggested everyone in America should be able to arm themselves at the same level of firepower as the United States military.
Watch the full video here: http://www.ProgressNowNevada.org/joeheckvideo
"The number one reason that the 2nd amendment is there is for a citizen army and that wasn't addressed at all [tonight]. If we're going to be a citizen army we're going to have to be able to be armed as much as the army is capable of, or own government," the audience member says. He concludes with: "You know, we have to have the same magazine capabilities as them. As a law-abiding citizen, I have the right. I can't see why I should be denied my rights to have my weaponry that I deserve."
Heck's immediate and only response: "I agree with you, sir."
Heck's comments came at the end of a town hall in which he also said he supported the idea of universal background checks and only 12 hours after he seemed to agree with a right-wing radio show host that former Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords was being used as a "prop" in the gun violence debate.
"It was one step forward and two steps back for Representative Heck on gun violence prevention," said ProgressNow Nevada Executive Director Brian Fadie. "I was encouraged to hear his support for universal background checks, but shocked that he agreed to the idea that there should be open access to weapons on the level that would defeat the United States military. Does Joe Heck really think anyone off the street should have access to an RPG or surface-to-air missile?"
About ProgressNow Nevada:
ProgressNow Nevada is a non-profit advocacy network for progressive change in Nevada giving thousands of members a stronger voice online and on the ground across the Silver State.
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So why do must Americans and I support universal background checks? If you are one of the 1 in 10 who still need convincing, here's the number one reason you should consider changing your mind.
In other words, it will prevent those who would be unable to pass a background check because of a criminal record of mental illness from easily obtaining a firearm through law-abiding citizens. As our current laws stand too many dangerous people can purchase firearms, and you could be supplying them. How? Unless you are selling to people you know and trust, you could be selling your firearm to someone dangerous, as private sells don't require "cooling-off" waiting periods or background checks.
Currently, it is estimated that up to 40% of all gun transfers fall into the private sale loophole. Closing this huge loophole would NOT prevent you or me from selling our guns; it would simply prevent criminals and madmen who fail background checks. It would also NOT require background checks in certain transfers between family members and temporary transfers for hunting and sporting purposes. (Access the full White House Plan here.)
The lack of universal background checks creates a situation in which dangerous individuals can easily get a hold of weapons they should not have. It's like having two lines at the airport - one with TSA checkpoints and one with none. Which line do you think criminals and others looking to cause harm will choose? We need to strengthen our laws in order to close the private sales loophole and prevent terrorists, criminals and rapists from getting guns from private sellers without checks.
]]>On the night of the Newtown school shooting I went on Ralston Reports to talk about gun violence prevention and a bill proposed by Assemblywoman Michele Fiore that would allow concealed weapon permit holders to carry guns onto college campuses.
Fiore was also on the program and during the show she asked me if I had ever shot a gun (I had not) and if I would be willing to go through a gun-training course with her (I said I would). We exchanged cards after the show and a few weeks later the Assemblywoman actually followed through on the offer and gave me a call asking if I could attend a shooting course in late January. I'll admit I had not been expecting that to happen, but I kept to my word and we scheduled the class.
Flash forward to January 25 and I'm driving through the desert in the early morning dim heading to Front Sight shooting range outside Pahrump, NV. The facility is located in Nye County, but just barely. About half a mile past the "Now entering Nye County" sign is the front gate. Later in the weekend I learned that at one time Front Site wanted to turn their land into a master planned residential community for gun owners (much like the one in Idaho that's getting attention now). The plans are on hold for now, but Front Site still holds out hope. They're looking to push a bill in the Legislature this year that would allow counties and cities to provide their own tax incentive packages for private companies. Presumably the idea would be to get Nye County or Pahrump to one day cut them a deal to develop their gun-based community.
I met Assemblywoman Fiore in the parking lot and we were on our way. The first thing we did even before stepping into the classroom or receiving any kind of safety instruction was pick up our rental gun and ammo and strap them to our waist.
I've never held a gun before. Other than police officers, I've never been around so many people carrying guns. This reality, paired with the knowledge that many of the people around me had also never fired a gun, instantly induced a feeling of anxiety and unease that would continue at different levels throughout the weekend.
There were over 100 people seated in the large classroom where we started our day, though some were there for the shotgun course or the Uzi course. My handgun safety class had about 40 people. When asked who was there from California about half the room raised their hand. The instructor noted that you're not able to own or shoot a submachine gun in California and "that's criminal."
From the classroom we moved out onto the range and began our hands on training. Instructors would demonstrate and we would replicate how to stand when firing the gun, how to take the gun in and out of the holster, how to make sure the gun was unloaded, how to reload, how to aim, and how to deal with malfunctions. We fired about 200 bullets each during the two-day class, all aimed at human sized paper targets.
Safety procedures were always reinforced, with every drill beginning and ending with a check to make sure the gun was unloaded. A buddy system was also employed in which another trainee would stand over your shoulder and watch to make sure you always unloaded the gun and never accidentally pointed the gun at someone else.
This emphasis on safety during the class was a point of pride with Fiore and I think one of the two main reasons she wanted me to go through it (the other being to fire a gun). But for all of the practice and repetition of safety procedures I cannot say I came away feeling safer around guns or better about our gun laws.
In the final session of the class, after more than 18 hours of learning about our handguns and practicing safety procedures, two separate people forgot their safety training and their gun fired a bullet when it was not supposed to. They were pointing down range at the time so no one was hurt, but that's not the point. This was supposed to be the time during class when people would have the most practice safely handling a gun and they still fired bullets unintentionally.
What scared me even more was an incident in which I forgot the safety procedures myself. During one of the drills I was having a problem removing the magazine from the gun. Suddenly everyone around me started giving advice, even reaching over and handling my gun themselves, and it became a hectic situation. In the commotion I forgot to unload my gun at the end of the drill. Luckily, one of the instructors saw my mistake, came over, and unloaded my gun.
This slip-up really shook me. Because of my unease with the whole situation of being around guns I had tried to make sure I wouldn't be the one to make a mistake. I always paid close attention to the instructors and went through the safety procedures at a measured pace to insure I did them correctly. But here I was being the person that forgot to unload their gun after a drill.
Both of these incidents broke my sense of trust in both my fellow trainees and myself. Regardless of how many times we walked through the safety procedures accidents still happened. And if accidents happened in this controlled environment where safety was constantly top-of-mind, it's easy to see why accidents are common outside the walls of training facilities.
In the end it was my thoughts about guns and trust that evolved most during the class. Overall, I came away feeling more concerned about our gun laws than I had been before I went through the training course. This probably sounds counterintuitive to some, particularly to those who already hold pro-gun views, so let me explain.
The training I went through was great and I'm glad that something like it exists and that some people take advantage of it. However, to buy and keep a gun in Nevada there are no requirements to complete a safety-training course of any kind...ever.
Now compare this to what we require of people who want to operate a car. To drive a car someone must attend a drivers training course in which they go through hours of classroom instruction and actually drive around with a licensed teacher. Then there is a test that must be passed to insure the potential driver knows the laws and safety procedures. A driver must then obtain a license from the state and renew that license at mandated intervals, including passing a vision test at renewal. Finally, the driver must register their vehicle with the state every year and prove that insurance has been purchased to cover the costs of damages that may be caused by the driver while operating the vehicle.
That is what we require of those who wish to drive a car. People seem to generally agree on this procedure as I don't see anyone outside DMV's picketing saying it's unfair.
Additionally, I can't even say I have lasting trust in the people who completed the training course, not only because of the story above where at the theoretical time of greatest safety bullets were still fired accidentally, but because if one does not continue to train then one loses those learned skills, and I have no way of knowing if my fellow classmates will ever train again.
At one point during the training an instructor talked about the "50 percent rule," which he described as the idea that during an actual gun fight on the street the intense nature of the action and the resulting adrenaline generally causes someone to perform at 50 percent of the performance level they were at during their last training session. Later, another instructor made the analogy of asking what happens to a golfer who doesn't swing a club for six months - they get rusty.
The 50 percent rule implies that even someone who is shooting at 100 percent of their ability is going to perform at a failing grade level in a real shootout. And with no requirements to ever have to train with a gun at regular intervals there are bound to be a lot of rusty gunslingers out there.
Even though I now feel more concerned about our gun laws (and honestly, a bit less safe overall), I'm glad that I did it and I thank Assemblywoman Fiore for giving me the opportunity for the experience. I learned that there are people out there who genuinely want to be safe with their guns and who take the initiative to increase their skill level.
It's not as much them that I'm worried about - it's everyone else.
How many guns are purchased where the owner never goes through any training? How many guns are purchased where the owner does go through a training course at the time, but then thinks they're set for life and never return?
After the training I spoke with one of the directors of Front Sight and told him my concerns. He actually agreed and responded "You know how there is drivers ed? We think there should be gun ed."
I couldn't agree more.
Finally, let me address why I attended this class while the week prior I had asked legislators to not attend an NRA lobbyist event.
I encourage lawmakers to gather information about topics they're going to be legislating on. At no time did I ever say that I was asking legislators to not attend the NRA lobbyist event because I didn't want them to get information about guns. At issue was the closed-door nature of the event and the organization that was hosting it.
NRA lobbyists were asking all 63 of our legislators to attend a three-hour closed-door (no media, no public) meeting with them less than three weeks from the start of the legislative session. That alone was cause for concern. Hell, if they had gotten enough of them to attend it could have been a violation of open meeting laws.
Furthermore, I don't believe anyone was/is unclear about what the NRA's leadership was/is proposing as their solution to the Newtown massacre: more guns, including high powered rifles, everywhere, at all times. NRA leadership solidified this position in their numerous national media appearances since Newtown.
If Assemblywoman Fiore had invited legislators to go through a training course with herself I would not have objected. But when NRA lobbyists ask for three-hours of closed-door time with every single one of our legislators less than three weeks before the legislative session, yes, I'm going to speak up.
It's been an amazing ride here at ProgressNow Nevada for the past three years.
I've been honored to watch this organization grow from 500 to tens of thousands of progressive Nevadans.
Together we've had significant electoral victories from ousting Chicken Sue Lowden to Democrat In Name Only John Lee. We've also made tremendous impact on policy, saving social services from budget cuts and leading the charge for more funding for education.
It's been an honor every day working with my amazing staff, Brian Fadie and Michael Flores. It's their creativity and spirit that helps us soar and post such big wins.
Now that this organization is a major political factor in the state, I've decided to move on to another challenge here in our progressive community.
It is with tremendous pride that I'm able to welcome Brian Fadie as our new executive director. Brian has served this organization as technology director and video producer, providing humorous or poignant summaries of the issues we face, time and again.
ProgressNow Nevada is in stellar hands as Brian will lead the day-to-day program efforts. He's already well-known as a tireless environmental advocate, a national delegate for President Obama and a person who walks the walk every day.
Our board governance is strong and ready to guide Brian as he leads ProgressNow Nevada into the 2013 Legislature and beyond.
It's my honor today to leave ProgressNow Nevada in the strongest of hands. I'm honoring this moment with a personal vow to the organization I founded and believe in with all of my heart. I'll match any donation received online from now through Cyber Monday, Nov. 26.
Won't you join me in helping Brian get off to a great start?
Chip in and help me write a big check.
http://www.ProgressNowNevada.org/donate
Brian's got great ideas and plans to take ProgressNow Nevada to even greater heights. With your support, we'll watch that happen together.
Join me today in wishing Brian the best! And together let's give him the financial footing ProgressNow Nevada needs to take on the powerful special interests.
http://www.ProgressNowNevada.org/donate
Thanks for all you do,
Erin Neff
The election is only days away. Early voting has started and our values are on the line at the ballot box.
This will be a close election. Every vote is important and can make the difference.
That's why we've partnered with Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood to help make sure voters know who stands for our values before they go to the polls.
Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood have volunteer opportunities available from now until Election Day to talk with voters and let them know who stands for a better Nevada.
This election is about healthcare and protecting the middle class. We need representatives who will side with people instead of insurance companies.
This election is about education and opportunity. Every child deserves the opportunity to be successful.
We can make these things happen. But it'll only happen if we work for it.
Signup below to do a volunteer shift with Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood:
]]>Please take a stand for progress and help us tell thousands of Nevadans just how dangerous Dean Heller is for students, graduates and the promise of a great future built by home-educated talent.
http://progressnownevada.pnstate.org/site/Donation2?df_id=7920&7920.donation=form1
In Nevada we have a wealth of amazing public lands. Places like Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire in the south and Black Rock Desert and Lake Tahoe in the north.
But how do these places work? How are the managed?
Our "Nevada Public Lands in Plain English" video answers these questions in an uncomplicated, plainspoken manner.
So, to recap, you can enter the contest to win some fantastic artwork by a local artist by doing the following:
1) Click here to watch the "Nevada Public Lands in Plain English" video.
2) At the end of the video a special link appears. Click on the link to go to the entry form.
3) Enter your contact information in the entry form.
We will take entries until Saturday, September 29th at 11:59pm. Then winners will be drawn at random and contacted to receive their prize.
Nevada's public lands are one of our most valuable resources. There are volunteer events happening all across the state for National Public Lands Day this Saturday.
It's a very readable 15 page report that can be downloaded here:
Here's a teaser:
Middle-class Nevadans would pay more in taxes while millionaires pay less. Millionaires in the state would receive an additional $87,000 in tax breaks under the tax plans of Gov. Romney and Rep. Ryan while middle-class families would pay up to $1,800 more in health care taxes and and have to pay $1,066 more because of reductions in the mortgage interest deductions.
Jobs would decline across Nevada. Gov. Romney and Rep. Ryan plan to provide extra tax incentives for corporations to outsource jobs and are pushing policy proposals to cripple the clean energy industry, jeopardizing tens of thousands of jobs across the state.
Drastic cuts to federal spending would shrink Nevada's middle class. The state stands to lose more than $15 billion in federal funding from 2013 through 2022, an average of more than $1.5 billion a year, from cuts to schools, law enforcement, highway repairs, job-training programs and more. These cuts would fall predominantly on middle-class and low-income families, especially cuts to education programs that would result in nearly $250 million in reduced federal support for education and job training in the state in 2013 and 2014 alone.
Seniors in Nevada would lose health care benefits and pay more. Gov. Romney and Rep. Ryan would force seniors in the state to pay at least $590 more for their prescription drugs each year. At the same time, the Romney-Ryan plan to turn Medicare into a voucher would cost current seniors at least $11,000 more out of pocket.
Women in Nevada would pay more for health care but receive less bang for their buck. Gov. Romney and Rep. Ryan would once again allow insurance companies to charge women more than men while taking away preventive care from at least 391,000 women in the state.
Young adults in Nevada would lose access to their families' health insurance. Gov. Romney and Rep. Ryan promise to dismantle Obamacare, which would directly result in 33,000 young adults in Nevada losing the insurance they have today due to the Affordable Care Act.
Other signs of our importance:
Check out pictures of this morning's speakers on our Twitter feed at http://www.Twitter.com/ProgressNowNV
]]>Be sure to follow them for a unique look at all the DNC festivities.
http://www.Facebook.com/ProgressNowNevada
http://www.Twitter.com/ProgressNowNV
My goal is to provide pictures you can't see from the TV coverage and commentary that is Nevada centric.
I'll also be posting some blog updates here on the site to expand on ideas that won't fit into 140 characters, so check back often.
His response?
I didn't say those things, my campaign did. Go ask them.
Nevermind the fact that it's Heller's voice that says "I'm Dean Heller and I approve this message" at the end of all his ads.
I've watched Heller speak a lot over the last two years. He isn't Sharron Angle, but elements are there in terms of lack of critical thinking skills and inability to answer moderate to tough questions with thoughful answers that aren't just a string of pavlovian right-wing phrases.
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