President Obama proposes to spend $625 million more this year on nuclear weapons over what was spent last year. We already have an insane number of nuclear weapons and the last thing we need is more. $625 million would do wonders for education, healthcare, helping states that are in crisis, and dozens of other worthwhile causes. I've yet to hear a sound reason for increasing our nuclear weapon supply. This is the last thing I expected out of this president.

(Also at Nevada Progressive. I wrote this at my blog last week, but I think the serious issues facing Lake Las Vegas still stand. We must still ask ourselves how this fits into our hopes for a more sustainable Southern Nevada.)

Today's Sun has a blistering story on the disasters now plaguing the once grand and luxurious Lake Las Vegas. It's hard to imagine that anyone was imagining this for the synthetic "lakeside village".   Read More »

OK, I know I've been keeping you waiting for almost a week now. Sorry about that. As you can tell, I've been super busy! Yes, yes, and I took Thursday off.
(Also at Stonewall and Nevada Progressive)


Again, sorry about that. But hey, now we get to talk about the Clark County Commission! Many thanks to the Henderson Democratic Club for hosting this event last week and giving us a chance to get to know David Parks, Greg Esposito, Mary Beth Scow, and Ron Newell.   Read More »

I am committed to the nourishment of a restorative and reconciled community. My strategy is to discover ways to engage the disengaged through working with existing associations and through direct invitation. My efforts will focus on direct efforts to bring into conversation those groups of people who are not in relationship with civic possibility, civic accountability, and civic commitment; thus increasing the power of associations to engage citizens in their efforts.

What is that saying: You'll get a better response with honey than vinegar. Even the cube root of anyone's income is still a pretty steeply progressive tax.
Wasn't anybody else paying attention in math class. The more people paying any tax the lower all taxes should go.
The following is a little oversimplified but it's better than the system we have now.
In increases of 100x:
A) If just 100 people pay any tax the maximum tax rate is limited to 1%.
B) If 10,000 people pay a tax the maximum rate is limited to 1/10,000ths.
C)If 1,000,000 people pay a tax the top rate isdrops to 1/1,000,000ths.
If 100,000,000 people pay a tax the top rate drops to 1/100,000,000ths
The above plan is roughly equivalent to the following
A) City
B) County
C) State
D) Federal
So there you have it all politicians will try to dumb us down.

It is really embarassing whtching Republicans, in the senate go aginst progress when it comes to Health Care and now they deny Global Warming as thier excuse to try and prevent us from creating jobs and cleaning up our energy mess. It is worse when I think that at one time , in the Regan Years, I was a registered Republican. Now , it is almost too much to admit. I am dumbfounded as I watch them stand in the way of those of us that know our very lives are at stake, our jobs , our homes. Las Vegas is number one in forclosures and I hate to let you know thts is just the beginning. The marshals claim 500 evictions a day and climbing. We also have "no cause evictions" here in this state. There is no due process what so ever with regard to tenants and owners trying to save their homes. There is so much to tell but suffice it to say , I created a plan to build a sustainalbe resort here in Paradise Palms.   Read More »

I spent from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. getting my driver's license renewed at the Henderson, Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. We need a new source of income to support the many services needed in Nevada-Education, Fire Fighters, Police, Hospitals, State Workers, etc.

It is time to start taxing businesses, mining, and any other ventures that operate in Nevada.

We need a dependable source of income that our Nevada State Citizens and Nevada State Employees can depend on.

We also could tax liquor, gambling, cigarettes, brothels, etc.

We need to stop depending on gambling and tourism for our primary source of income to support this state.

We should start a State Lottery to help support our Schools and Teachers.

It has been too long that mining interests, gambling interests, and other business interests have gone without fair taxation to support education etc.

As I sit here at home this morning watching CNN. (R-KY) Senator Jim Bunning is on his soap box trying to filibuster the jobs bill. Which was initially approved by Democrats with the help of 5 republicans. Attached to this jobs bill is a extension for unemployment benefits and the cobra assistance plan. Which helps workers who have lost their jobs keep their medical insurance. The cobra assistance plan will pay up to 65% of the premium for 15 months. By obstructing this bill Senator Bunning has prevented over 100 thousand people from getting their much needed benefits, including his own state of Kentucky. Unless this bill is passed in the next week it could effect up to 400 thousand people. By playing GOD Senator Bunning is a embarrassment not only to his own party but to the people of the United States. This has left good men, women and their families wondering where their next meal will come from. Having to visit food banks instead of supermarkets. Deciding how to pay the rent, utilities, medical premiums and in some cases much needed medicine. This leaves many Americans having to make tough decisions every day just to survive. Which leads too much stress in the many households across America. Is this the America I knew growing up, Hell no! Then you wonder why most Americans think government is broken. Most politicians are out of touch with the working Men and Woman of America. Especially the party of NO! Its time we send a clear message to our elected state and federal officials. That they start listening to the people who put them there and not the special interest groups and lobbyist. Such as the Gaming and Mining industries who strip our natural resources and put profits before people. I think every elected official and hopeful should get out and talk to the people on the street. They would say give us good jobs with benefits and not the Walmart variety jobs. Where you are at their beckon call and might work 20 hours one week and 32 the next. Then pay for your own health care if you can afford it. I think Senator Reid is on the right track. Laying the foundation with stimulus monies to create good paying jobs in renewable energy. Which in the future this state can be #1 out of 50 in jobs in the energy field. To not re-elect Senator Reid would be a great injustice to the people of Nevada. Whether you like him or not the Senate Majority Leader brings a lot to the table and if not re-elected. Nevada would be relegated to 3 world status. Well with that said. I think we all should search our souls. Especially our elected officials to do what is morally right for our fellow man and country. Lets make America the great country it once was. After 8 years of King Cheney sorry I meant Bush our image has been tarnished around the world. So lets get to work out there and roll up our selves. To get a lot of good Democrats elected to office. In closing President Obama is on the verge of signing into law a Health Care Bill. Which future generations can build on. I think its every Americans right to have health care in the greatest country in the world.

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

(Also at Nevada Progressive)

Harry Reid's in.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid officially filed today to keep his Senate seat.

“While we have made significant progress through the Recovery Act and other measures to prevent this recession from becoming a depression, there is much work to be done. We must never forget our fellow Nevadans who are suffering during this economic downturn," Reid said. "That is why I filed for re-election today."

Reid is being challenged by Republican front-runners Danny Tarkanian, a lawyer and former UNLV basketball star, and Sue Lowden, a former state senator and one-time chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party.

Reid said his goals during another term in office would be diversifying the state's economy and making health care more affordable.

“I will spend the next seven months sharing that vision with the people of Nevada," he said. "I hope they will support my re-election so that I can continue fighting to get Nevada moving again."

Now as usual, we're hearing all the typical premature obituaries. Yeah, yeah, yeah, "Reid is dead". Uh huh. That's why the unions are getting ready for a BIG campaign to help Harry Reid and reveal the real Suzy Lowdown.   Read More »

End the grip of the corporate military industrial complex which is destroying our country with the help of the wall street thieves !

End these insane wars of occupation now ! And bring all of our troops home !

We must have a single payer public option in health care reform and there is no excuse not to !

Okay, I'll admit it - I was inspired to blog because of possibility of receiving tickets to the Jefferson-Jackson dinner. But that's entirely related to the fact that I left private practice and joined the Special Public Defender's Office. I did so because I want to work on appeals in death penalty cases and this is the best place to do so. I also did so because the cost of private health insurance for me, my two employees and our families was outrageously expensive and the policy we had was pure crap. The only way we were able to get a policy at all was through the Chamber of Commerce and I hated belonging to that organization.

Anyway, I recently read a local editorial which claimed that attorneys for government agencies make about the average for attorneys in private practice and the government attorneys get better benefits. And my response: bullshit. First year law students who are hired at major law firms make more than my salary, despite my 15 years of experience. I made twice as much in private practice as I do as a public defender and I earned less than many of my friends who were also in private practice. I make a decent salary, and I'm not complaining because I know I'm fortunate to get to do the work that is my life's passion, but the idea that all government employees are earning more than those in the private sector is just wrong.

I'm running out of heart and patience for angry Progressives doing their best to defeat the health care reform bill. I expect Republicans to try to thwart this legislation, that's pretty much a given. But when those who call themselves Democrats or Progressives or Liberals, etc. do it I feel frustrated. While each side's reasons (and values) are different they have one thing solidly in common, and that is the insistence on total purity and the complete unwillingness to consider anything but the everything they want.

   Read More »

We're not buying the RJ's political coverage and we think none of you should buy the paper.
Today, the paper has eight local stories (if you don't count sports). Of these eight, four are columns (Norm Clarke, Jane Ann Morrison, Doug Elfman, The Political Eye).
And the Political Eye simply retreads a six-day old blog post from the Wall Street Journal.
It's embarrassing really that anyone would subscribe.   Read More »

It is testing season again at CCSD. Yes, once again our children have been subjected to hours of meaningless assessments designed to determine whether or not their teachers can keep their jobs. Our last administration, in its infinite wisdom, decided that all children are created equal, and that by 2014, should all be able to pass standardized state-issued assessments at 100% proficiency. So every spring, our school district goes into a total tizzy. Schools hold Pass the Test rallies, encouraging students to pledge their commitment to doing their best on the CRTs. Schools bribe students to show up on test days by promising raffles for Ipods and gift cards. Some schools will even call students who are absent on test days and offer rides to school. Why, you ask? Because schools who do not have high enough test scores on CRTs are put on watch lists, jobs are on the line. All because former President Bush decided that all students are capable of scoring 100% on a meaningless test. President Obama, please kill No Child Left Behind. It would be your greatest legacy to the future of America.

It's really telling how the current campaign season is unraveling. None of the myriad right wingers running for the U.S. Senate supports the jobs bill that Sen. Harry Reid pushed through this week. We're seeing so much NO, it's impressive how a YES still matters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC211h9AY-4    Read More »

For years, those of us who wanted to end Yucca Mountain's designation as the nation's nuclear waste dumping ground were dreaming of what it would mean to have the Department of Energy withdraw the license application.
While Nevada has been courted by politicians on both sides of the aisle making promises, Barack Obama made good on his, to great political trouble from his home state's bevvy of nuclear waste producers.   Read More »

Last night Rory Reid - along with the rest of the "I'm running for something" gaggle – stopped by the Stonewall Dems of Southern Nevada meeting to try out his latest stump speech and A some Q’s from the GLBT crowd.   Read More »

The commemorative special session mugs notwithstanding, the past week in Carson City is nothing worth remembering.
We're pleased that lawmakers did come to their senses and begin searching for new forms of revenue to offset the horrendous cuts.
But we're not at all happy with the 6.9 percent cuts to K-12 and higher education.   Read More »