Hands Up. Don't Shoot.

It's been said repeatedly this month. Protesters have chanted it all across the nation. It seems like such a simple message to understand. So why do so many police officers and G-O-TEA media pundits act as if it's incomprehensible?

"Hands up. Don't shoot!"

That message came here to Southern Nevada last night as protesters gathered on Martin Luther King Blvd. in North Las Vegas for the 51st anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, "I Have a Dream" speech... And to remember the life and legacy of Michael Brown.



"Hands up. Don't shoot!"

Las Vegas Metro Police still seem to have a tough time understanding this. And they're not alone. In St. Paul, Minnesota, Christopher Lollie was tased and arrested for simply sitting in a park as he was waiting for his kids to be released from preschool. In Beverly Hills, California, film producer Charles Belk was arrested and detained because he "matched the profile of a suspected bank robber". And in Hartford, Connecticut, outrage over the stunning and arrest of Luis Anglero, Jr., has grown so strong that Hartford Police Chief James Rovella actually joined protesters demonstrating against his arrest.

"Hands up. Don't shoot!"

In North Las Vegas, police weren't just at peace with demonstrators. They were hugging, engagung in conversation, and posing for photos last night. For a moment, it looked like a real breakthrough.

And frankly, this is what we need more of. As we've said before, this problem isn't just limited to Ferguson and other areas of Missouri. It's happened here, and it's happened elsewhere in America. It's part of the legacy of institutionalized racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and all other forms of xenophobia America has struggled with since the first European settlers arrived on this continent. While we've seen much progress in building bridges in the last 51 years, there's still so much more to be done.

"Hands up. Don't shoot." Hopefully one day, we won't have to say that any more. Hopefully one day, we can all join hands and put the guns away.

Plenty to Say

This was no ordinary town hall meeting. Three members of Congress came to North Las Vegas City Hall on Monday to listen to Nevadans who had plenty to say on the state of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) on Capitol Hill. They also discussed the real hardship their families and communities face due to sweeping ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) raids and deportations.



Bryan Rivera shared his story on Monday. He spoke about his mother, who was being physically abused by his father. When she sought a way out, her abusive spouse reported her to ICE. She was then held at Henderson Detention Center for nearly a month, even though she was the domestic abuse victim.

It took Bryan Rivera's testimony at this hearing, then pressure on ICE from Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas), to free Bryan Rivera's mother from Henderson Detention Center. She can now prepare her legal appeal to stay in the US, and Bryan can finally resume his studies at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. But as Jon Ralston pointed out yesterday, they're fortunate in that they happened to meet the right people at the right time. Sadly, most families dealing with our current immigration system are not this fortunate.

And those American families will face even more hardship if House Republicans get their way. They voted last week for two anti-immigrant bills meant to challenge President Obama's ability to use discretion when enforcing current immigration law. Basically, they want to undo DACA. And they want to deport more immigrants like Bryan Rivera's mother.

Just before the House voted on its latest & greatest anti-immigrant bills, Rep. Dina Titus (D-Paradise) had something to say about the House G-O-TEA's latest counterproductive stunt.



And by the way, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Flip-flop) voted for both of the anti-CIR bills. So what part of "can't have it both ways" doesn't he understand?

While Rep. Heck and his fellow G-O-TEA Culture Warriors always have excuses for killing their own damned "principles for immigration reform", they never seem to offer any real reform. And they wonder why no one believes them any more? Must they wonder why a discharge petition for CIR is underway?

If Rep. Heck and the handful of other House Republicans who claim to want CIR actually want to move CIR forward, they know what to do. Too many American families are facing too much unnecessary hardship due to the lower house's inaction. They've had plenty to say on immigration reform. But now, it's time to act (and not in a counterproductive way).

Final Municipal Election Primary Report

So has anything changed since last night? Well, not enough to actually change the results that looked quite apparent last night. So what happened?

In Henderson, Mayor Andy Hafen slipped just under 55%, but that's still more than enough to avoid a runoff. Incumbent Ward 3 Council Member John Marz now stands just under 52%, and that's also more than enough to avoid a June runoff. The only runoff happening here will be for Municipal Judge, as incumbent Mark Stevens only scored 42% to Sandy DiGiacomo's 41%.

Again, Las Vegas will have no June runoffs at all. Ward 2's Bob Beers and Ward 4's Stavros Anthony are still above 75%. And while Ward 6 tightened up a bit, Steve Ross still finished just below 53%, which means no June runoff.

Yet while the other two major Southern Nevada cities were ho-hum, North Las Vegas was full of drama last night. We saw both a stunning rebuke (for one) and an epic comeback (for the other) as Former State Senator John Lee defeated incumbent Mayor Shari Buck 53% to 35%. Buck won't even have the chance of a June runoff, since Lee scored over 50%. However, Ward 1 will go to June runoff, as Isaac Barron scored 45% to Jared Hardy's 25%. Yet Ward 3 won't, as incumbent Anita Wood stands at just under 52%.

Unfortunately, turnout was horrific. Overall turnout was just over 11%. Henderson turnout hovered over 12%, while Las Vegas and North Las Vegas turnout only topped 10%. Yes, it was really that bad.

It's saddening to think that so few people participated in the process. As we discussed yesterday, this is the level of government we interact with most often. This was our chance to have our say in the direction of our communities and the state of our roads, parks, community centers, police & fire services, and more. Yet, only a select few of us even bothered to participate.

There's been talk of moving the municipal elections to even numbered years. I had been leery of that before, since local elections will likely be overshadowed by federal and state level elections. But at this point, is anyone even noticing municipal elections. I guess almost 45,000 people did, but that's still quite pathetic.

Otherwise, last night's results weren't really frightening. Rather, it looks like a certain "newspaper" was embarrassed badly in its effort to meddle in Henderson City Hall politics. And "tea party" efforts to defeat Steve Ross in Las Vegas backfired. At least most of those who showed up seemed to tire of the kind of zealotry that's wreaked havoc in past cycles & other elections.

So status quo reigned supreme for most of the municipal elections yesterday. That's not entirely bad... But it would have been nice to see more voter participation.

Municipal Elections UPDATE

So today was the final day of voting for the Southern Nevada municipal election primaries. Now, we have results... At least from early voting. But in this case, that may be all we need to figure out the final results for at least most of these races.

So what's happening? So far, most incumbents are cruising.

In Henderson, Mayor Andy Hafen has likely just been reelected. He has just over 57.7% with early votes, so at this point it's unlikely he'll even have to face a runoff at this point. Perhaps Hafen really lucked out with the lack of serious opponents, as did John Marz in Ward 3. Marz now sits at 52.2%, so he's closer to the edge. He must be hoping none of his opponents caught any late momentum, so that he can also avoid a June runoff. So far, the only likely runoff looks to be for Municipal Judge (Department 1), as incumbent Mark Stevens is locked in a close race with Sandy DiGiacomo with nearly 42% a piece.

Las Vegas will likely have no June runoffs. Both Bob Beers in Ward 2 and Stavros Anthony in Ward 4 romped the early vote with over 75%, so they've likely been very securely reelected. Steve Ross wasn't quite as fortunate in Ward 6, but he will likely also be reelected as he took 55.3% of the early vote.

If Henderson & Las Vegas are mostly lacking in the drama, then North Las Vegas is swimming in it tonight! For one, this city may already have a new Mayor waiting in the wings. John Lee led incumbent Shari Buck 51.7% to 37.2% in the early vote, so Buck may not even have a chance for redemption in the June runoff! However, there will be a Ward 1 runoff, as no one cleared 50% there. Isaac Barron at least came somewhat close with almost 41%, so he may have an edge over Jared Hardy (who only scored 27.7% so far). And in Ward 3, incumbent Anita Wood probably won another term tonight, as she scored 54.4% in the early vote.

So far, the status quo seems to be holding in most of the Southern Nevada cities. There just may be some interesting drama brewing in North Las Vegas. Just stay tuned here at Nevada Progressive. Tomorrow, we'll post another update on the big municipal races.

Why Vote Today? It Really Matters!

So it's finally here. Today is Election Day in Henderson, Mesquite, North Las Vegas, and Wards 2, 4, & 6 of Las Vegas. Municipal election primaries for City Council (and Mayor in Henderson & North Las Vegas) are today, and voting continues until 7:00 PM.

But come on, this is just city council. Why is it important to take time out of one's busy schedule to vote today? Let me explain.

Local government is most likely the government one interacts with every day. Local government takes care of the roads. And it runs the parks. And it runs the community centers. And it provides police & fire protection. Local government may not seem important compared to that on the state & federal levels, but it actually is.

So if you want to have your say on what will happen to the local community center, the state of your neighborhood's roads, and current police policies, you need to vote today. It's really as simple as that. You can only have your say on the state of your community if you participate. And the most basic way to participate is to vote.

Again, vote centers will be open until 7:00 PM tonight. So don't forget to vote today. Your community depends on it.

PAC's & Mudslinging in North Las Vegas

And it's election time again! Wait, didn't we already have one last November? Yes, we did... For federal, state, and county offices. This spring, however, features municipal elections for all Clark County cities.

North Las Vegas is one of these cities. And considering North Las Vegas' recent history of salacious scandals and other forms of bad press, this election may very well become a referendum on the current troubled state of the city. That's why we're seeing all sorts of political jockeying and bare-knuckle campaigning emerge.

Take, for instance, the emergence of a new PAC opposing North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck's reelection bid.

A political action committee, helpfully calling itself The Coalition for Truth in Government, has formed to fund an independent expenditure effort that will benefit Buck's main foe, ex-state Sen. John Lee.

Political consultant David Thomas formed the PAC, and he told me Monday he has his first mailer ready to go. So who's funding it?

Thomas wouldn't tell me, but he did acknowledge that at least one union is involved. (Buck has fought with NLV labor groups over budget-cutting.)

"These are people who are angry with Shari Buck," Thomas told me. "I believe she's doing a lousy job....a horrendous job. I'm not sure there's a government that has been run as badly, and the public needs to know. I don't think she's qualified to be the mayor of any city."

This is what happens when a Mayor and City Council use legally questionable tactics to violate city workers' rights. And this is what happens when a Mayor presides over one of the "10 Worst Run Cities in America". And I guess this is what happens when a Mayor "leads" one's city to the brink of insolvency. And perhaps this is what happens after a Mayor's spouse played a shadowy role in the great city council debacle in the last round of municipal elections. We really shouldn't be surprised this is happening to Shari Buck.

However, there is a strange and surprising twist to this story: John Lee is using this to attempt a political comeback! Yes, that's right. After his stunningly lopsided SD 1 Democratic Primary defeat by Pat Spearman last June, Former State Senator John Lee began crafting his return to the political stage by sending out "feelers" for a potential run for Nor'town City Hall. He must have liked the results. So now, John Lee will again be on the ballot.

As mentioned above, this race has already turned nasty. Buck has already been sending attack mailers against Lee noting his pursuit of multiple offices in the past 18 months (NV-04, SD 1, Nor'town Mayor, did I miss any?). Lee has obviously been hitting Buck over her own record as Nor'town Mayor. And now, PAC money has started to flood the city.

Early voting has already begun today in North Las Vegas, so campaigning there is already hot and heavy. And with 2 other candidates in the Mayoral Ring, there's a possibility of a June runoff. So Nor'towners need to brace themselves. This may be a long, expensive, and dirty slog all through the spring.

Gone With the C-Tax

Remember the C-Tax? Wait, what?

Come on, you must remember the C-Tax. The City of Fernley sued over it last year. The Nevada Supreme Court has since dismissed part of the suit while sending the rest back to district court.

But that's just the start of it. Last April, we examined how North Las Vegas also got the short end of the C-Tax stick. Long story short, Henderson received double the C-Tax revenue of North Las Vegas despite having only about 50,000 more residents (North Las Vegas has 217,482 residents compared to Henderson's 267,270 residents). And on top of that indignity, North Las Vegas must fund its own libraries while the state directly funds Las Vegas-Clark County and Henderson Libraries. Because Henderson and Las Vegas have higher property values than North Las Vegas, they receive far more state funding.

Apparently, North Las Vegas has finally had enough. During the interim, some legislators were contemplating changes to the C-Tax. Now, Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick (D-North Las Vegas) is championing AB 68. However, North Las Vegas officials don't think it goes far enough. So they proposed an amendment... An amendment that may blow up the entire AB 68 accord.

Attached is our proposed amendment to AB68 and an additional sheet that outlines the reasoning behind the amount of base adjustment listed in the amendment. I will tell you that we have not gotten any sign-off from the City of Henderson either on this language, the amount requested, or even if they support the amendment.

Our reasoning for including them is that all of the modeling done by the CTax Interim Committee working group reflected that both Henderson and North Las Vegas are deserving of a base adjustment. To not include them would defeat the purpose of having this one time base adjustment truly make all the cities in Clark County have an equitable starting point for the new formula reflected in AB68. It is very important to realize that by using the excess distribution this year as the source of this base adjustment - no entity in Clark County will receive less money than they received the previous year. Because AB68 will roll excess into the base going forward, if a base adjustment is determined to be prudent in a later year - entities may in fact receive less. That would not be the intent of North Las Vegas.

We simply ask for the opportunity to present our information, facts and reasoning behind this proposed amendment and that the committee give it due consideration. We in no way intend for our actions to do anything to jeopardize the passage of AB68. This amendment will start everyone on a fair and equitable base going forward under AB68.

Respectfully submitted,
Dan Musgrove
On Behalf of the City of North Las Vegas

Apparently, Nor'town thought inclusion of Henderson could help secure the amendment requesting more C-Tax funding. But instead, Henderson officials are keeping their distance from this amendment. After all, Henderson is already getting a pretty good deal from the current setup. And city officials don't want to upset Speaker Kirkpatrick, the one who seems to be calling the shots on C-Tax reform in Carson City.

What we have here is a strange mix of terrible tax policy, a possibly sincere attempt to fix it, a clash of personalities, and perhaps some brutal electoral politics as well. As we've discussed before, the current C-Tax structure may very well be a civil rights violation. Poor minority heavy communities in North Las Vegas have been chronically underfunded as wealthier and whiter communities in the state have enjoyed more state funding. There's something inherently wrong in this.

And North Las Vegas is now feeling the pressure to change this. It just so happens that municipal elections happen this spring, and Mayor Shari Buck (R) is running for reelection. Yet Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen (D) is also running for reelection in his city. And I doubt Henderson City Hall has any kind of appetite for ruining its relationship with #NVLeg leadership as both AB 68 and the broader budget are being negotiated.

So we now have another hot mess. And yet again, it revolves around Nor'town. And state legislators are reminded again of how faulty Nevada's tax structure truly is. Such is the story of our fine state.

Mr. President's Final Rally (That I Will See in Person!)

After taking time off from the campaign trail to help with the start of recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy ravaged several Northeastern states, President Obama returns to the campaign trail today. And yes, this means he's returning here.

The president is expected to address a campaign rally around 2 p.m. today at Cheyenne Sports Complex, 3500 East Cheyenne Ave. in North Las Vegas. Doors are scheduled to open at 11:30 a.m.

Actress Eva Longoria and percussionist Sheila E. will join Obama at the rally.

Obama spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said that while the president remains focused on the storm recovery, "there is a reality of a political election happening in five days and he will return to the trail to make the case to the American people on why they should send him back for four more years."

And what a strange reality it is. But alas, we only have 6 days left until the final polls close. And here in Nevada, we only have 2 more days until early voting ends. So this may really be President Obama's last chance to fire up the base and persuade a few more undecided voters.

Oh, and I'll be there today. Yes, a friend & I will go to North Las Vegas to see Mr. President. And I'll update the blog later with reports from the Cheyenne Sports Complex. I'm sure it will be plenty of fun. ;-)

Nor'town on the Edge

Just how bad is North Las Vegas' budget crisis? Apparently, it's so bad that North Las Vegas' city manager wants the city council to officially "declare a disaster" in order to void union contracts with city workers. And apparently, it's now so bad that the entire rest of the state may suffer immensely if Nor'town collapses.



North Las Vegas indeed is facing an epic crisis, but it's just too easy for certain politicians in charge to place all the blame on unions. After all, Mayor Shari Buck had agreed to the very contracts she's now decrying. And Buck, not the police and fire unions, had the opportunity to turn the tide by scaling back the new City Hall to focus on keeping parks, libraries, and other essential service open, as well as develop a master plan to guide the city in pursuing realistic development options for all the city's empty land. Instead, Shari Buck and other city "leaders" wasted all that time chasing "magical pots of gold" (aka "casino row", unnecessary new housing, etc.) that only turned out to be mirages in the open desert.

Without a doubt, the city has made many poor decisions in the last decade and it's downright ridiculous for certain folks on North Las Vegas' city council to act "innocent" now when they supported the very policies that provided fuel when the recession caught fire and swept into the valley in full force. However, this can't entirely be laid on city "leaders", either. After all, the city can't control any tax policy. Rather, the state has been shortchanging Nor'town with lopsided C-Tax policies that provide more funding for Las Vegas and Henderson while returning far less revenue to North Las Vegas AND forcing Nor'town to run its own libraries. (The state directly funds public libraries in Las Vegas, Henderson, and unincorporated Clark County.)

And then, of course, there's that recession. Because North Las Vegas has more concentrated poverty than most of the rest of Clark County, it's always had more revenue problems. But when that's combined with fast new "boomtown" neighborhoods selling at grossly inflated prices and coupled with retail centers under construction, that makes a recipe for disaster. Really, all it took with the housing collapse and the onset of "The Great Recession" to cause North Las Vegas' house of cards to start tumbling down. And with so many deflated home values, empty retail centers, continued poverty hurting many city residents, and (again) a lack of proper planning to deal with anybody this, North Las Vegas was really doomed for disaster.

So really, it was a combination of poor planning, poor leadership, and no action to address the still poor people that led Nor'town into the mess it's now mired in. But now, it will take not just the entire city, but the entire valley and perhaps even the entire state to solve this crisis. After all, if North Las Vegas falls, then the entire Southern Nevada economy is at risk from the resulting bad media and the horrifying effects of the lack of government in a large portion of Clark County. And if our economy takes a hit, then the entire state ultimately suffers.

So really, Nor'town needs "an extreme makeover" at city hall ASAP. The people of this city need better local leadership and a real game plan to end this crisis. If they don't get this, then we're all at grave risk.

Poor North Las Vegas

So state officials are again chiding North Las Vegas for their clusterf*ck of a city budget. And even worse, they're basically putting the city on probation.

North Las Vegas Finance Director Al Zochowski told the Nevada Tax Commission this morning that the financially strapped city will experience a small cash flow deficit in June but should end the month with slightly more than $2 million in positive cash flow.

Hacker also told the commission that the city has been meeting all of its debt obligations.

The cash flow status prompted the commission to request that North Las Vegas begin furnishing the state with regular cash flow reports as the state Department of Taxation continues to assist the city with its finances.

Zochowski and City Manager Timothy Hacker also were directed to submit a letter to the taxation department that lays out all the actions the city took to back up its proposed fiscal 2013 budget. The City Council is expected to vote on the budget Tuesday for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Yep. It's really that bad now. But really, how did "Nor'town" get here? Well, it's complicated.

Certainly, there's a reason why it's been named one of "The 10 Worst Run Cities in America". Priorities do seem awfully out of whack at times. While a shiny new City Hall opens, direly needed parks and community centers close. And while the city continues to chase development that still doesn't make sense, more layoffs seem destined to happen.

However, there's another reason why Nor'town is destitute, a reason we certainly can't ignore. The state has also had a major role in putting North Las Vegas in this place. Remember that North Las Vegas gets far less C-Tax funding per capita than Las Vegas and Henderson. And remember that Nor'town has to pay out of its own pocket for services (like public libraries) that Las Vegas and Henderson don't.

Again, there's a glaring inequity in Nevada's tax structure, one that even affects our local governments and their finances. And it seems especially cruel that it's hitting many of Southern Nevada's poorest communities the hardest. After all, these are the communities that need things like libraries, after school programs, and crime prevention the most. And now, Nor'town is being asked to cut more.

While the City of North Las Vegas has made many poor decisions in the past on budgeting and setting proper priorities, the people of this city should not be punished simply because of their zip code... And because other municipalities were savvier in snatching away state funds. North Las Vegas, we really have a problem. And it's far deeper than you think.

What Do Fernley & North Las Vegas Have in Common? (More Than You Think...)

Last week, we were surprised by the City of Fernley filing a federal law suit challenging the current "C-Tax" revenue distribution. But in the coming weeks, will we hear more complaints about "C-Tax" inequity down south?

Long before Fernley dropped the big "game changer" law suit, the Nevada Legislature had already begun studying the current C-Tax structure to spot inequities in need of correction. Last month, this report detailing distribution of C-Tax revenue was submitted. Now pay close attention to Pages 48 & 49 in that report. Notice something strange?

Now go to Pages 168 & 169. Even though North Las Vegas has 217,482 residents compared to Henderson's 267,270 residents, Henderson receives just over DOUBLE the amount of C-Tax funds. (North Las Vegas received $36,539,000 in C-Tax funds last year, while Henderson received $73,965,000 in C-Tax funds last year.) Why? Apparently, it's all because the assessed value of Henderson properties is over double that of North Las Vegas. OK, that seems "kinda sorta" logical... But is that really constitutional?

Remember, Fernley is claiming that the current C-Tax structure violates both the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution and Article 3 of Nevada's Constitution in that it provides anything but equal protection under the law. Even though Fernley faces different structural issues from North Las Vegas, mainly that Lyon County provides police and fire services to Fernley, while North Las Vegas has to pay for its own, North Las Vegas' sad situation seems to strengthen Fernley's case that the C-Tax structure indeed denies many Nevadans equal protection under the law.

For instance, take a look at the local libraries. The C-Tax funds from the state provide direct funding to Las Vegas-Clark County and Henderson Libraries. North Las Vegas, on the other hand, has two libraries that are funded directly by the city. So in essence, North Las Vegas residents have to pay additional taxes for something that Henderson, Las Vegas, and unincorporated Clark County residents receive for no additional tax or fee. What's fair or equal about that?

Much has been said lately about the many woes at North Las Vegas City Hall. For one, many residents still question the move to a new City Hall. And it's looking increasingly possible that North Las Vegas will have to dissolve its own police and fire departments and contract with Clark County instead to save money. (Though unlike Fernley, North Las Vegas will still be paying for it regardless.) But even with that being said, should North Las Vegas residents essentially be punished just because of their zip code?

Believe it or not, Fernley may have found a real civil rights violation here. Why are some cities receiving more funding per capita than others? Yes, I know, it has to do with property values... But should that really be allowed to be a factor in what kind of local government one can expect? Should someone's zip code and/or property value determine whether one can expect a functioning library and adequate police service? Nevada, we have a problem... And it's bigger than even I had initially suspected.

Mitt Romney Used My Community as Backdrop, But He (& His Fellow GO-TEA Hopefuls) Won't Do Anything to Help Us

Earlier this week, Mitt Romney used North Las Vegas as his backdrop as he laid out his "jobs plan". So what is Mitt Romney's "jobs plan", exactly?

“The fundamental problem in today’s economy is that there’s not enough demand,” says David Madland, an economist at the liberal Center for American Progress. In fact, our corporations are sitting on mountains of cash and corporate profits are near record levels, but they’re not hiring because they have no confidence that customers — you and me — feel economically secure enough to make purchases.

This is not some wild-eyed liberal theory. Conservative economists say it too.

“Businesses have responded negatively to the weakness of household demand,” Martin Feldstein, a former chairman of Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers, recently wrote.

In other words, companies have the money to hire but aren’t going to because they see consumers who are out of work or nervously hoarding instead of spending.

So what does Romney propose? A cut in the corporate tax rate, naturally.

More corporate tax cuts? Really? Even though corporate tax rates are the lowest they've been in 60 years (lower than they were under "LIB'RUL!!!" Republican Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Bush, Sr.!), that has done nothing to stimulate the economy and create jobs. Even Romney himself hasn't had any success at implementing his own vision of "no taxes" and "no guv'mint", as Massachusetts government employment grew twice as quickly as private sector jobs while he was Governor.

So what was the whole point of this? It would cost at least $6.5 trillion, so it would drive up the deficit even further without creating any jobs to merit it. So why do this? Has teabagger madness overtaken Romney?

It's funny in a very sick way to see Romney do this in the state that's already tried this very policy prescription... AND FAILED! As I wrote back in May:

For far too long, we have been told to "suck it up" and "celebrate the free market". Look where that has taken us. Even though we have the cheapest state government and one of the lowest tax burdens in the nation, we have the highest unemployment rate in the nation and an economy unraveling due to casinos investing more offshore and the real estate bubble bursting. The Nevada "success story" of the past has been found to be just a mirage, an illusion, a trick.

So now Mitt Romney wants to take our "success" at economic failure, and make it federal policy? It's increasingly clear that "TEA Party Economics" just doesn't work. We've already seen the effects here in Nevada, and Romney's BFFs here have already been getting plenty of heat for it.

So what works? Infrastructure. And thankfully, President Obama and a few members of Congress understand this.



Our infrastructure is becoming woefully inadequate, and this may be a real opportunity for America to finally fix that while also creating jobs.

Back in January 2010, former Federal Communications Commission chairman and current Coalition for Green Capital CEO Reed Hundt spoke at our annual Clean-Tech Investor Summit.

For the past couple of years, Hundt has been working to forward the idea of a national green bank in the U. S. as well as at the state level. His ideas have influenced a host of energy, policy, and business stakeholders, including me.

"To get low cost of capital you can either have the U. S. government guarantee the debt, but no one wants to do that," Hundt explained in a recent phone interview, "or you can set up a public-private bank that has a public-private mission. It seeks to maximize the amount of money invested, not maximize its profit, and it can pursue long-term investments. "

A well-structured infrastructure bank would focus on project deployment, not equity-type investments, via low-cost loans that reward investors via a constant annuity stream (such as the sale of electrons from solar power or savings from energy-efficiency improvements).

And there are even more great ideas for job creation, such as the Jobs21! proposal to create more clean energy jobs throughout the country and reposition America for the 21st century economy.

Compare and contrast this to what we've been seeing from Obama's GOP rivals this week.



What else can I say? And what else do I really have to say?

What's Happening in North Las Vegas?

Strange things are happening in North Las Vegas. George Knapp has his own take on what's happening, but I've been hearing things that tell a different story... Or at least, things that make this story far more nuanced and complicated.

Laura at The Sausage Factory has some questions about what's going on.

When North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck's dentist, Wade Wagner, won the Ward 4 City Council race by one vote over the Democrat incumbent, Richard Cherchio, North Las Vegas prepared itself for a recount.

During the Clark County election department's audit, it was discovered that someone voted in the wrong ward. The election might be invalid. Shit got real.

A city council meeting was called. The decision was made by the council to re-do the election in the precinct where the "mis-vote" was cast. Mayor Buck abstained from voting because not only is Wagner her dentist, her husband worked for his campaign. Cherchio also abstained from voting.

As expected, the Wagner campaign is suing over the decision. And for some reason, former North Las Vegas Mayor (and failed gubernatorial candidate) Mike Montandon filed a restraining order. But to be quite honest, as a resident of unincorporated Clark County, I didn't care. I don't live in North Las Vegas and I never plan to.

And honestly as a Henderson resident, folks may wonder why I'm paying more attention to this. Let me explain why.

Knapp may have his own questions about Cherchio, but I am really wondering what's behind this mysterious push for Wade Wagner. Police and fire unions formed PACs and sent out attack mailers, but they never filed the necessary reports with the Secretary of State's office. Why?

These said mailers included a whole bunch of attacks that were proven to be false, such as accusing Cherchio of approving hundred-million-dollar projects when he actually wasn't on the council. Why?

And Mike Montandon is now suing to stop the revote in the disputed precinct. Why? Why is he now involved in this sordid hot mess?

But wait, there's more! North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck has stated that her husband, Keith, worked for Wade Wagner's campaign. However, Keith Buck was never listed as an expense (as all paid campaign workers are supposed to be) on any of the Wagner campaign's reports. Why?

Honestly, I wanted to write about this election before... But I was too afraid to take it on because of all the unanswered questions. And honestly, I still feel guilty about being a part of the media that always seemed to give North Las Vegas the short end of the stick. #lvmayor was "the sexy race" of the year, and those of us in Henderson were obviously focusing more on what was happening with the Henderson council races.

But at this point, it may really be necessary to ask more questions, since it doesn't look like we'll be getting answers easily otherwise. Why isn't Keith Buck listed as a campaign expense if he worked for Wade Wagner's campaign, as his wife, Mrs. North Las Vegas Mayor, so freely admits? Why is Mike Montandon claiming he will be "disenfranchised" if a revote occurs in HIS precinct (which also happens to be the home precinct of Shari Buck's parents)? Why is someone who was recently appointed to the Citizens Advisory Board and the Utility Advisory Board by Shari Buck now oh so conveniently filing ethics complaints against Richard Cherchio, the council member Shari Buck's friend and dentist Wade Wagner seeks to defeat?

There's something rotten in the state of North Las Vegas. And though it may be late, I figure it's better to to find out what's rotting now than never.