There's More to This Story

We've seen the headlines. We've seen the studies. And we've seen the rankings. But is there more to this story?

The hard working folks at Vegas PBS and Clark County School District say there is. And they have slides to illustrate their side of the story. While the tale of public education in Nevada is often told as a horror story, the Vegas PBS presenters who came to visit the Henderson Democratic Club last night beg to differ.





Jami Miller dove into the nitty gritty of Nevada school rankings to demonstrate where there's been improvement in recent years. She also took a glance at where schools are improving the most... And where they're not. (Sorry, Michelle Rhee.)



And that wasn't all. Debra Solt then stepped up to talk about what Vegas PBS is doing to improve Nevada's economy. But wait, how might a PBS station be doing that? Sure, "Sesame Street" and "NOVA" are educational... But how do they strengthen Nevada's worforce?



It turns out that Vegas PBS has been working one one big GOAL since 2010, and that's to improve Nevada's workforce by providing advanced training courses and making them more accessible to more Nevadans who need them.



It's amazing to think of everything Vegas PBS & CCSD are doing in the community to build a stronger and better educated workforce. And it truly is what we need more of. If we're to ever free ourselves from our own prison, then we must break from the mistakes of the past and build the solid foundation we need for a brighter future.

It's just too bad we can only imagine what our public education system could do if it wasn't so "grossly underfunded". Just imagine what our public infrastructure could support & sustain if we actually kept it up. Instead of having to explain why we're "not really in 51st place", we could aspire to be more than just 36th.

Henderson Council Member John Marz @hendems

What a difference a year makes. Remember this?

Yet last night, a wild card emerged that shattered many observers' expectations of what was to ensue at the Henderson Council Meeting to fill the Ward 3 vacancy. Henderson Planning Commissioner John Marz was another of the 14 applicants, and he really distinguished himself during question time. Unlike most of the other applicants, Marz was able to explain in depth the problems Henderson, and specifically Ward 3, face. He spoke about retail vacancies, home foreclosures, the pending Science Center and Union Village developments near The Galleria, and how his business experience can help him build consensus on the council to solve the problems the bad economy showered upon Henderson.

Oh, and then Marz dropped a bombshell. He promised not to run for a full term in 2013. That immediately sparked a bad reaction from Ward 1 Council Member Gerri Schroder, who declared that the city needs a long-term commitment from the new Ward 3 pick, and that he or she should be ready to run for election. Sam Bateman, on the other hand, took it well and said that this solution is one that best preserves the voters' right to ultimately decide on a long-term replacement in 2013. Ward 2 Council Member Debra March mostly agreed with Bateman and found it noble that Marz was not trying to get a political lift with this. Mayor Andy Hafen sounded quite impressed with Marz, but also noted Schroder's concerns about the need for a long-term replacement.

Whoops. John Marz also came to last night's Henderson Democratic Club candidate forum. And yes, he came as a candidate. Last night, Marz explained why he changed his mind.



Earlier, Marz went into more depth in explaining what he wants to continue doing on the Henderson City Council.





Marz was asked a few more tough questions. One was on development and growth.



And as mentioned earlier, this is the greatest challenge for Henderson going forward. For most of the last 25 years, the city has been accustomed to rapid growth and easy development decisions. Yet since "The Great Recession" hit, Henderson has had to adjust to a new reality.

Meanwhile, many neighborhoods in Ward 3 are facing a different kind of development problem. As the neighborhoods of Green Valley North age, they're increasingly facing the same issues of blight and decay that have been plaguing other older neighborhoods throughout the Las Vegas Valley. While some neighborhoods have had vigilant HOA's out to preserve quality, others have not been as fortunate. And thoughout Ward 3, there's aging public infrastructure that needs to be maintained... And even rehabilitated in some areas.

Last night, John Marz promised to continue advocating for proper stewardship of the neighborhoods of Ward 3. And he suggested his past year of experience on the council gives him a leg up on the competition in doing that and working to balance the city's budget. He has about a month to convince voters of this.

AD 29: Meeting Lesley Cohen

As 2013 begins, all eyes turn to the Legislature as the new session begins. And during this session, #NVLeg will be tackling everything from immigrant rights to LGBTQ equality to health care to environmental stewardship... And, of course, the budget.

That's why a decent crowd showed up at the Henderson Democratic Club last night. Late last month, attorney Lesley Cohen was appointed by the Clark County Commission to fill the 29th District (Henderson-Green Valley) Assembly seat that was vacated by April Mastroluca shortly after the election. So last night, Cohen came to the Henderson Democratic Club to meet some of her new constituents and answer some questions.

Here's Cohen introducing herself.



Shortly after, she did a Q&A session. And of course, folks had questions about the budget. Cohen handled the questions by saying she needs more time to listen to constituents.



State Senator Joyce Woodhouse (D-Henderson), whose district overlaps AD 29, was also there. And she spoke up to mention her plan to co-host local town halls with Cohen and Assembly Member Andy Eisen (D-Paradise), whose 21st Assembly District overlaps with the other half of SD 5.



Cohen has certainly jumped into a difficult position here. She now must fill a full term that someone else just recently won. Still, she will be the one filling that full term representing AD 29. And she will have some major decisions to make.

This probably won't be the last time we hear from Lesley Cohen. It's now just a matter of how long of a sojourn to Carson City she can handle.

Farewell, Assembly Member Mastroluca.

Last night, everyone was shocked. Hardly anyone was expecting this.

April Mastroluca [D-Henderson], a Democratic assemblywoman poised to play a key role in the 2013 Legislature, will send a letter to Gov. Brian Sandoval on Friday announcing her resignation.

The stunning move comes after the potential Ways and Means chairwoman decided, she says, that she could no longer serve because of what she described as family issues. She declined to elaborate, but she sounded shaken during a phone conversation. [...]

"This has been a difficult decision," Mastroluca told me. "I have struggled with it for weeks. But I have to put my family first."

There was early speculation that this involved a possible conflict of interest with her day job with national PTA, but that's looking increasingly unlikely. Rather, this probably involves some kind of family tragedy. It's very saddening and unfortunate.

Mastroluca tended to be a rare "straight shooter" in the Legislature who said what was on her mind and cut through the BS. She was especially passionate about education, children's, and women's issues. And she was already set to play a huge role in the 77th session as the incoming Assembly Ways and Means Chair.

Clearly, these are some big heels to fill. But already, there's plenty of speculation on who will replace her. Remember that the Clark County Commission will officially do so. Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick (D-North Las Vegas) was hoping the Commission would take care of this next Tuesday, but the state open meeting law (requiring a three business day advance notice of agenda) won't allow for that. Yet even though the next scheduled meeting will be December 18, the Commission may call a special meeting earlier to appoint a replacement.

Remember that under state law, the Clark County Commission must appoint another Democrat who lives in Assembly District 29 to replace Mastroluca. So now, all political eyes turn to Henderson as discussion ramps up on who will replace April Mastroluca. All I can say right now is that so far discussion is centered around a few women involved with the Henderson Democratic Club and Emerge Nevada (an organization that cultivates Democratic women to run for office). Mastroluca herself, along with Speaker-in-waiting Kirkpatrick, will likely have a hand in choosing her own replacement.

Right now, most everyone is still in shock over the turn of events in the past 24 hours. And many hearts have been going out to April Mastroluca and her family. But of course, politics can't be put aside forever. And this weekend, we'll be hearing more about this new race to fill her vacant Assembly seat. Let the games begin.

Meet the Candidates: Assembly District 12 (Ohrenschall)

On Wednesday, we heard from plenty of Legislature candidates at the Henderson Democratic Club's April candidate forum. So far, we've talked about the Democratic candidates running in the AD 20 and AD 21 open seats. However, we also heard from a couple incumbent legislators whose districts were radically reshaped in redistricting. One of them was Assembly Member James Ohrenschall (D-Sunrise Manor).

He's running again, but he must now run in a much different district. As we discussed last week, this seat has become more competitive with the addition of the tony (and VERY heavily Republican) Henderson communities of Lake Las Vegas and Calico Ridge. Apparently, he even got a primary challenger last month. Yet despite all this, Ohrenschall intends to keep fighting.

I sensed some of that fighting spirit in his speech on Wednesday. He discussed not only his upcoming campaign for the new AD 12, but also why he first ran for Assembly in 2006 and what he's been doing in Carson City since then. It's so easy to become cynical and discouraged after seeing what happens there. And even though I could sense some frustration from him, James Ohrenschall didn't sound like someone who wanted to throw in the towel and give up.



He pretty much laid it all on the line. And he didn't back away from any of his progressive values. In my humble opinion, he really looked and sounded courageous. And after hearing his story, I started to get that little glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, good things can come out of Carson City in the near future. We shall see.

Meet the Candidates: Assembly District 21 (Eisen, Parke, & Wilkening)

On Wednesday, plenty of candidates came to the Henderson Democratic Club's April Legislature candidate night to razzle-dazzle local activists. In addition to hearing from two Assembly candidates running in District 20, we also heard from all three Democratic candidates running in District 21. Now remember, Mark Sherwood declined to run for reelection and AD 21 is one of the top pick-up opportunities for Assembly Democrats, so this is definitely a race the Democrats don't want to f**k up.





And hearing from the three candidates, it sounded like they wanted the room to know they had no intention of doing that.

Andy Eisen began by giving his personal background and saying why he wants to go to Carson City.



Steve Parke then gave his speech, which mixed his personal story with some hard policy... And it still came in under five minutes!



And finally, we heard from Rick Wilkening, who explained why he's stepping out of retirement to run for office.



In AD 21, we have three Democratic candidates who are all stepping out of private life to run for public office. All three now seem to be out in the field. All three seem serious about competing for the grand prize in November. And on Wednesday, all three had an opportunity to share with local voters and activists why they're running and what they want to do in Carson City next year.

Without a doubt, this is a seat that will be full of campaign activity all throughout the cycle! My neighbors here must be eager to meet these candidates at their doorsteps very soon. ;-)

Meet the Candidates: Assembly District 20 (Spiegel & Ivey)

The Henderson Democratic Club continued its great tradition of hosting candidate nights last night when we were greeted by mostly Legislature candidates all eager to introduce (or reintroduce) themselves to a room full of activists.







It was a long night, but certainly the kind of long night that political junkies can't get enough of. There was some "speechifying", but there were also some fascinating frank moments. And I figured I could at least do a good public service and provide some of the best highlights of the night here at the blog.

There were quite a few candidates who spoke last night, but I'll begin by highlighting the candidates in AD 20. Remember that this seat is unique in that's been uprooted from Boulder City & Mesquite, and moved to urban Paradise and North Henderson. This should be a safe Democratic pick-up this fall, so the action here will mostly be in the primary.

Since Gloria Bonaventura wasn't present at the forum last night, we just heard from State Assembly candidates Ellen Spiegel and Kent Ivey.

Ivey began the evening's program with an introduction. Apparently, he has quite the resume!



Spiegel was next, and she reminded the audience of her local ties. (She served as an Assembly Member from 2009-10.)



And then, the real fun began. Both candidates were asked about the state budget, but we saw different answers emerge. Here's Ellen Spiegel's response.



And here's Kent Ivey's.



Both sounded open to mining tax reform, and neither wanted to be completely pigeon holed. However, Ivey seems to be swinging out of right field with the sales tax hike. Weird. Meanwhile, Spiegel sounded more open to changing business taxes, which is quite interesting considering she's a small business owner herself and she previously represented a more Republican leaning swing district.

It looks like Democrats in AD 20 will be facing a tough choice. We'll have to see what happens in the next two months.

(And stay tuned tomorrow for more candidate info directly from the candidates.)

First Thoughts on Henderson City Council Forum

Wow. It's one thing to hear all the rumors swirling around the campaigns and candidates of 2011, but it's something else to hear directly from the people in the news. That's what happened last night when I grabbed a front row seat at the Henderson Democratic Club Candidate Forum.

Here's what I noticed last night:

- Debra March is definitely knowledgeable on Henderson issues and what she feels she can do to continue making this city great. She had an interesting take on "rightsizing" local government- that is, making local government more efficient while continuing to improve the essential services that everyone loves about Henderson. I was definitely getting a Clintonesque vibe... In a good way, of course! And as the former Director of The Lied Institute for Real Estate Studies at UNLV, I could most definitely see her inner policy wonk shine through! As y'all know, I do have a soft spot in my heart for wonks. ;-)

- Sam Bateman is new to campaigning. I could tell. However, he isn't new to community service. As soon as he started talking about his "family values" of utilizing local policy to ensure Henderson families have access to good jobs and economic security, I was melting. And when he described in depth what Henderson's Planning Commission does and how he relishes his role in protecting the quality of local neighborhoods, I could tell he may be new to campaigning, but not new to getting a tough job done.

- Gerri Schroder has real passion. I could feel it, and I most definitely heard it in her speech last night. She clearly knows Henderson and knows Ward 1, as she was telling us stories of fighting NV Energy's attempt to mount huge transformers in people's backyards, meeting regularly with rural homeowners who want to preserve their community as they know it and love it, and working on a truly balanced budget that keeps city finances in the black while also keeping people working and services running. It was hard not to be moved.

- Kevinn Donovan also showed up. He explained why he jumped into this race after losing his State Assembly race last fall. After November, someone reminded him of a promise he made to run in this election after the decision was made on the Ward 2 appointment in 2009. He spoke about being on the job at Cosmopolitan as the new casino was opening, and that his business experience there best qualifies him to run Henderson. He then proceeded to attack current Henderson leadership, then offered proposals on issues like severing Henderson from Clark County School District, issues that I don't think the city has too much control over.

That's what I saw last night. Oh, and the snapshots above as well. Local politics certainly isn't dull, and Henderson may be in for quite a dramatic election this year.

Dina Titus, Stonewall Democrats, Henderson Democrats, & Even More Nevada Democrats at Boulder City Damboree Parade

OK, here was some of what I was up to this past weekend. I was hanging with Dina Titus, Joyce Woodhouse, Stonewall, Henderson Dems, Team Reid, and plenty more awesome Nevada Democrats.







We marched... And then many of us marched again in "the wet zone"... Yes, I got soaked! And so did Senator Woodhouse!

But then, I dried off and headed over to the Henderson Democratic Club's after party in Green Valley Ranch. And guess who I found? In addition to some friends & neighbors, Congresswoman Titus dropped by... And so did Rory Reid! He chatted with us for a few minutes about why he's running for Governor.





All in all, we had a great Third of July, and I think we threw some great celebrations for America's Birthday. Happy B-day, USA! :-D

Scenes from the Henderson Democratic Club Last Night

Rory Reid, Ross Miller, and Ellen Spiegel (my great Assembly Member) were among the luminaries coming to visit us at the Henderson Democratic Club pizza party last night.

All in all, it was a great event. Rory answered some questions on taxes (he's interested in reform, but didn't want to single out mining), education (which he was REALLY eager to discuss), and jobs. Ross Miller spoke about voter registration and participation, as well as some factoids on Nevada becoming "The Delaware of the West" when it comes to business incorporation. (Interesting stuff!) Oh, and my favorite Assembly Member was there to connect with us... And provide an award for the outgoing Henderson Dems President!

Good times, I say... See what you non-Hendersonians are missing out on? ;-)

Scenes from Stonewall's Henderson Mixer on Monday!

Yes, yes, yes! Finally, Stonewall was here in my 'hood this week! We had a chance to speak with Assembly Member Ellen Spiegel, State Senator Joyce Woodhouse, Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, and more!

It was great to actually speak to her directly about the recent issue of the Nevada DMV denying accurate driver's licenses for transgender persons, and she said she'd be on the case. Ellen Spiegel said she was proud to testify in support of SB 283 and be the 28th vote to override "Luv-Guv" Gibbons' veto of domestic partnerships. Joyce Woodhouse spoke about what she's doing in the Senate on education, renewable energy, the budget, and more.

All in all, it was very informative and very fun. And yes, I was so glad that we were able to do it so close to home! :-)

The Long Awaited Henderson Democratic Club Lieutenant Governor Debate!

So how was that Lieutenant Governor candidates' debate? Well, I'm about to answer this and some more questions you may have about the Henderson Democratic Club's debate on Wednesday. We had four Democratic candidates come by to visit and take questions: Paul Murad, Jessica Sferrazza, Robert Randazzo, and Bob Goodman. Clark County Democratic Party Chair Roberta Lange moderated.

The debate started with opening statements. Bob Goodman began by describing his work on the Nevada Tourism Commission in the 1970s and 1980s, and the progress he mad on the economic front with Governor Mike O'Callaghan. Paul Murad was next, opening by declaring, "I'm ready to serve on Day One!" He then went into a little bio of him as a small business owner in Las Vegas, and his call to "keep the job local". Robert Randazzo then tried to "one-up" that, saying that "ordinary Nevadans like me should get more involved" as he was describing his private sector accomplishments in Reno. And finally, Jessica Sferrazza declared, "I'm proud to be a lifelong Democrat!", and said how experience in local government in Reno prepared her for the job.

And from there, it was on to questions. You can take a look at the Stonewall Twitter page to see all the details of what was asked. I'll shake it up this time by just cutting to the chase with each of the candidates and what they said.

They all claimed records of achievement. However, Murad and Randazzo highlighted their business careers while Sferrazza and Goodman noted their track record in public service. (Sferrazza serves on the Reno City Council, while Goodman was appointed to the Tourism and Economic Development Commissions by Gov. Mike O'Callaghan.) Sferrazza said that "now is not the time for on the job training in this economic crisis",

All of them talked about the need for more renewable energy development in Nevada, and all touted their respective records. Sferrazza spearheaded the "clean energy bonds" that have funded a number of green projects in Reno, and said she would like to make this program statewide. Murad mentioned that he actually drives a Prius, and that he's already been working on green projects in the private sector. Randazzo highlighted his plans to recruit more renewable energy projects for the state, and then create a private fund to collect clean energy royalties and create tax free money for people to use for education and health care.

All of them talked about tourism and expanding our entertainment industry, but each of the candidates had a slightly different take on what to actually do to make it happen. Goodman talked about his experience with Gov. O'Callaghan in the 1970s in working to bring TV show production to Nevada. Murad mentioned his experience in bringing New York and LA professionals to Vegas, so he said that means he has what it takes to lure the film industry to Nevada. Sferrazza, meanwhile, mentioned that she's already worked in Reno to bring more TV and film crews to Reno. Randazzo then said, "Our support of the movie industry must start from the ground up", and promised that he would have a direct line to TV and film professionals, and that he would use these contacts to bring them here to Nevada.

The candidates also went at it on tourism. Sferrazza thanked Senator Harry Reid for the Tourism Promotion Act, and discussed her experience in Reno in bringing major events to town, getting the Reno Aces' Stadium built, and bringing more national conventions to Reno. Randazzo talked about his experience in selling airline tickets, and that he's especially prepared to increase Nevada tourism. Murad talked about high speed rail and brining the Winter Olympics to Reno and Tahoe.

And then, the inevitable... The question on North vs. South. Doesn't the North get more money than the South? Doesn't the South need more help on economic diversification than the South? Goodman proclaimed that "everyone has to work together, or no one will succeed". Sferrazza then proclaimed that "we are one Nevada", and talked about her work with the Nevada League of Cities to fight state raids of local budgets and her work with Senator Reid to secure $22 million in foreclosure relief funds for Reno. Murad, on the other hand, blurted out that "there is a North/South divide", but then said that he's neither a Southern or Northern candidate and that he's work hard for all parts of Nevada.

Toward the end, the candidates had a chance to talk more about their backgrounds. Rendazzo started off cleaning toilets for United Airlines, then began selling tickets for United, and now runs a software company in the Reno area... And is still a union member, and he talked about how he thinks about his employees every day when making business decisions. Murad talked about growing up in the former Soviet Union, emigrating to America, and not letting his "rags to riches" story get the best of him... He's still giving back to the community today. Goodman described his humble beginnings as a truck driver, all the way to serving Gov. O'Callaghan and moving on to the private sector.

And finally, there was a question of what one would first do upon taking office. Goodman said he wants to "fire all the cronies" and only hire competent professionals. Randazzo said he wanted to start immediately on redirecting sales tax revenue to fund needed public works projects. Sferrazza said she wanted to start working immediately on bringing more renewable energy projects to Nevada. Murad said he wanted to start on his "50/50 plan" to recruit the 50 top domestic companies and 50 top international companies to do business in Nevada.

So what attacks were thrown out? Honestly, it didn't get too bad. Sferrazza just threw something out about Nevada needing a Lieutenant Governor who didn't need "on the job training", and Murad said he wasn't a "career politician". And other than that, Goodman just seemed to laugh all of it off as he kept reminding us that he was around when the other candidates were still in elementary school.

So who won? And who lost? I'll let you decide. And again, please check my Twitter notes to see all that was said. And whomever wins the primary, he or she will be far better at the job than "Krooklicki" is now.

Henderson Dem Club Lt. Gov. Debate TONIGHT!

If you're here in the 'hood (you know, my bad@ss hood of Green Valley!), please stop by, say hi, and learn more about these candidates... Hopefully, one of them will be our next Lieutenant Governor!

Lt. Governor (D) Candidates Round Table Debate
Type:
Meetings - Informational Meeting
Date:
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Time:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:
IBPAT 1701 Ramrod Ave, Henderson
Description
Lt Gov candidates are scheduled to participate in a roundtable discussion: Reno Councilwoman Jessica Sferrazza, Las Vegas Businessman Paul Murad, former Director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Economic Development Robert E. Goodman and Reno Businessman Robert Randazzo.

CC Democratic Central Committee Chairman Roberta Lange will speak about the importance of the primary election, as well as give us a Central Committee update, and she will moderate the discussion.

Doors open at 6:30pm Meeting starts at 7pm

And in case you can't make it, I'll (AGAIN!) be live-tweeting it tonight! Just follow Stonewall at @LVStonewallDems, and you can follow the play-by-play online from the comfort of wherever you're at.

So I'll see you tonight! :-)

The Henderson Democratic Club Clark County Commission District G Debate: Part 2

(Continued from Part 1, also at Stonewall)

So where was I? Oh yes, we were talking about the SNWA Water Grab when we had to leave yesterday. Let's pick it up from there.

The final question was for each candidate to describe how he or she is different from the others and what his or her priorities will be when on the Commission. David Parks got to answer first, and he went into detail on his past local and state government experience, experience that ranges from handling the Las Vegas city budget to working on RTC transportation plans to serving in the Nevada Legislature. He then said his priority will be to make Clark County a model (in a good way!) government for America and improve the overall Southern Nevada quality of life.

Greg Esposito was next, and he described how he has a different set of skills. He came here in 1991 on a Greyhound bus, then went from kitchen handyamn to plumber and pipefitter to Clark County Commission candidate. He said his priorities will be economic recovery, doing what he can on the local level to address the foreclosure crisis, bringing new industries to Southern Nevada, address crime, and take on the UMC challenge.

Ron Newell then answered, admitting that he's a novice to politics and that he was inspired to run by a Shermie column in The R-J. (Huh?) He also said he has common sense that he'll be using when on the board.

He was followed by Mary Beth Scow, who said that she's the only candidate who has already served on a large government board. She talked about her six years of service on the Clark County School District Board of Trustees (and chairing it for three of those years). Scow then said she's already "dealth with thorny issues", "been getting her fingernails dirty", and has a "heart to help the community". Scow then said he priorities are creating new jobs, fixing Southern Nevada's economy, improving education, preventing blight, and keeping more families in their homes.

And then, what we were all waiting for... We were finally at closing statements! Greg Esposito started and kept it concise. Ron Newell, however, did not... Let's just say he went on for a little over the 30 second time limit. (The moderator had to stop him at about a minute.) Mary Beth Scow then delivered a bit of a surprise with her closing statement, using it to declare false the rumors that have been spreading about her being anti-union and "not a real Democrat". She declared she's been a life-long Democrat, has never had a problematic relationship with the unions, and is a proven "consensus builder". David Parks was last, and he again stressed his experience and that he's ready to do the job.

And after some club business and a few intros to some other local candidates, the meeting was adjourned.

So what do I think? To be fair, I personally won't endorse any candidate at this time (and Stonewall as a club will not make a primary endorsement) and I'll check my biases at the door to deliver as honest an assessment as possible.

To a certain extent, Jon Ralston is right that we didn't hear enough specifics on enough issues. There was plenty of talk of "studies" (especially on UMC and the home rule issue) and plenty of generalities thrown around. However, the debate was still far from the throwaway that Ralston seemed to marginalize it as. We were still treated to some interesting policy revelations.

David Parks and Mary Beth Scow did have their shining moments when they brought forward their past experience and demonstrated some real know-how on how county government works. And for the "newcomer", Greg Esposito was able to go toe-to-toe with Parks and Scow on offering up some innovative ideas (especially on sustainable development!) that may just work. And while Ron Newell did have some odd moments at times, he also added something worthwhile to the conversation.

So who won last Wednesday? Well, I'll let you read my notes and decide for yourself. :-)

The Long Awaited Henderson Democratic Club Clark County Commission District G Debate!

(Also at Stonewall)

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.

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.

So what happened? If you follow Stonewall's Twitter page, you know. And if you couldn't, then let me recap it for you right here, without that pesky 140 character limit. ;-)

So let's start with who showed up. We had all four above mentioned Democratic candidates, plus the Chair of the local branch of the League of Women Voters to moderate. Oh yes, and a certain Las Vegas Sun columnist also dropped by to take it all in.

And while I can understand Mr. Ralston's frustration over the lack of specifics on some issues, I also have to give the candidates some credit for offering some ideas on some of the issues we really care about. So where did the drama begin?

Let's start with the first question on how Clark County government will survive with less revenue. County Planning Commission member Ron Newell answered by expressing his view that the county should "be run like a business" and that more county worker layoffs are absolutely necessary. Clark County School Board Trustee Mary Beth Scow, on the other hand, focused more on bringing in new revenue. While she did suggest streamlining county government, she also talked about raising more money for the county by bringing in new jobs in fashion, furniture, senior care, and putting in more and better requests for more federal stimulus dollars. State Senator David Parks also beat the drums for more economic diversification and local government consolidation. And finally, former Plumbers & Pipefitters (Union) Local 525 chief Greg Esposito also mentioned finding new ways to bring in new revenue as well as focusing more on community empowerment and letting neighborhoods take on their own problems (like graffiti).

The next question was about future population growth in Southern Nevada and how to handle it better (than these last 20 years of epic growth followed by epic meltdown). Mary Beth Scow reiterated the importance of enticing more senior citizens to move to Clark County to provide new opportunities for economic diversification. (I guess this means we'll soon need more doctors, nurses, and home health care workers.) She stated that just gaming & mining can't take care of us any more, so diversification is necessary. Now David Parks, on the other hand, addressed the continuing need for us to update our infrastructure, as well as completing infill development to fix "leap frog development" (aka places like Rhodes Ranch). Parks specifically addressed the need for better roads, more mass transit, more high-tech jobs, and more businessed relocating from the "poor business climate" of California (sorry, Cali). Now Greg Esposito expressed a little relief that growth is no longer too rapid and "now we have a chance to breathe". He stressed the importance of improving neighborhood parks, curbing excessive water usage, and encouraging more green building and overall more sustainable development including smarter transit options & closer employment centers. Ron Newell, meanwhile, showed support for slower growth, better planning, better infill plans, and getting long-planned public works projects up and running ASAP.

After that, the sparks really began to fly! Why, you ask? Oh, we got the question that's always on our minds: HOME RULE. David Parks was first to answer, and he expressed full support for Clark County home rule. He explained the precedent set by NV governed by Missouri's "Dillon's Rule", explaining that Clark County can do whatever state of Nevada says we can do... So if the state lets the county take more control of our tax dollars and chart our own course, it's completely legal and totally doable. Parks stated that home rule would be good for us because "government which is closest to the people is best for the people".

But interestingly, Parks turned out to be the only candidate to fully endorse home rule. Greg Esposito countered that we need to be careful what we wish for, as this needs to be studied first so the county can be aware of possible negative "unintended consequences". He even said that if done wrong, home rule can become our "Prop 13". (California's now infamous property tax initiative that has all but crippled the state.) Ron Newell and Mary Beth Scow both echoed Esposito's concern, but then veered in different directions. Newell focused on Clark County and again stressed consolidating local government, while Scow was a little more open to home rule (even if not endorsing it just yet) citing her experience with CCSD enduring many state "unfunded mandates", constant micromanaging, and state raids of CCSD funds (like this year's budget fiasco).

The next question moved onto the perpetually troubled UMC hospital and what the county should do about it. All candidates expressed praise for Rory Reid, former University of Nevada chief (and current KVBC-3 TV station owner) Jim Rogers, and Rogers' plan to make UMC a teaching hospital. And since all four essentially said the same thing, I'll leave it there. (On this issue, sadly, Jon Ralston was right that no one really had anything new to offer.)

After that, the following question was on transportation on what the county should do on road improvement and RTC transit expansion. Greg Newell started the response train by showing support for a possible ACE ("light rail like" rapid bus) line connecting Downtown and The Strip to Henderson. (Henderson still has no rapid transit yet, but RTC has talked recently about possibly bringing an ACE Line here like the new Downtown/Strip ACE Line and North Las Vegas' MAX Line.) Scow echoed his support, but also stated she'd like an actual light rail line running on the existing Union Pacific railway (something Newell said he opposes) and said this would be a smart way to snatch more federal stimulus funds for mass transit, along with developing a plan for improving the (long neglected) 95 Freeway on the East Side from Downtown to Henderson. Parks then explained how his past experience dealing with local transit issues with Clark County (like his work on developing the original CAT system in 1992!) shows he's ready for today's transit problems. He also showed support for a possible light rail line to Henderson, as well as a high-speed rail line to California (he hinted he leans more toward Maglev over DesertXpress, but overall contrasted with Newell expressing doubt that we'd ever get any new train to Cali). Greg Esposito then countered with his own experience growing up in New York City (where they have real mass transit!), then coming here in the early '90s and discovering just how much Las Vegans love their cars. He then said that if RTC can succeed in finally building the 215 Beltway around the valley, that they can be more creative in following through on their transit plans and giving more workers more viable alternatives to their long car commutes.

Now once this was done, the sparks started flying again! This time, the other big question on SNWA's long planned "Water Grab" to build a pipeline from Northern Nevada's (and Utah's!) Snake Valley to pump their water down south for our use. Now all four candidates (likely much to the chagrin of PLAN and most Northerners) endorsed the Water Grab, but to various degrees. Scow was first and most supportive of this, as she flat out stated that "Clark County carries the state, so the rurals can't cut us off at knees!" However, she did also say that SNWA needs to be more sensitive to rural needs and move forward in the most environmentally sensitive way possible. Parks echoed this, but also said that the county should consider other possible plans since "Lake Mead's third straw" won't be enough and the state Supreme Court ruled against SNWA. Newell said that water conservation will be key to our survival, but that all new water options must be on the table, including getting California to build more desalinization plants along its coast to free up more Colorado River water for Nevada (again, sorry Cali!). Esposito agreed with Newell on conservation, while also agreeing with Scow that we need to tread carefully in pursuing SNWA's Snake Valley plan.

Now there was a little more in the debate that I'll get to later today, along with more of my honest assessments of the candidates and the District G race. But without a doubt, last Wednesday wasn't really a snoozefest to those of us crazed policy wonks. (Sorry, Mr. Ralston.) ;-)