(We Must Return) Back to Basics.

(In light of recent events, we felt it necessary to revisit this. We dug through the cavernous Nevada Progressive archives to find this gem from May 2013. How is it we can afford corporate welfare for Tesla, but not taking care of our own people? And now, we risk losing federal SNAP funds because we can't get our act together.

Maybe we should consider taking care of our own people's needs before we cater to every whim & fancy of any multinational corporation that whispers sweet nothings into our politicians' ears?)

So Former Assembly Member Steven Brooks is back in the news today. Brooks was supposed to be at a court hearing in Las Vegas today. He couldn't make it... Because he was at a court hearing in San Bernardino County, California.

Here's what's happened so far.

The lawyer for a former Nevada lawmaker charged in a car chase and a police confrontation is asking that his client go through a mental health court program.

Ex-Assemblyman Steven Brooks appeared in a San Bernardino County, Calif., court Tuesday after pleading not guilty to charges stemming from his arrest March 28. Prosecutors say there could be a decision Friday on whether he's eligible for mental health court.

Mental health courts divert people into treatment programs and hold them accountable along the way.

Late in March, Steven Brooks was arrested in Victorville following a dispute with a tow truck driver in Barstow and a dramatic car chase with police. His attorney is now requesting for the California case to be transferred to mental health court. This way, he can finally obtain the treatment he needs.

At least there's a chance of Brooks obtaining the treatment he needs in California. Just before his latest arrest, Brooks sounded eerily prophetic in his final interview with Jon Ralston.

In four brief, surreal conversations, alternately heart-wrenching and frightening, shortly after he was expelled from the Assembly, Steven Brooks said he is "the assemblyman of sorrow," wondered why his colleagues "hate me so much" and declared he was going to "break the state" with a lawsuit worth at least $10 million.

Brooks was alternately angry, with expletive-filled rants directed at Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick and Majority Leader William Horne, despondent, weeping and saying he was checking himself into Seven Hills, a Southern Nevada treatment facility, and suicidal, saying he had no other recourse. [...]

"I'm the assemblyman of sorrow," he declared. "Why do they hate me so much? Fill in the blank: I'm so angry I could (blank) myself."

Brooks told me he was "on my way to Seven Hills to check myself into the hospital. He began weeping when I asked why, adding, "I have no other resort. I'm going to kill myself if they keep this up. I have nowhere to go. I'm the assemblyman of sorrow." [...]

"You know why they hate me? You know why want to kill me because I know all of their secrets."

No one expected what was coming next, probably not even Steven Brooks himself. Yet in an incredibly bizarre way, he warned us. Just days after Brooks was sent to jail in San Bernardino County, another former Nevadan emerged in California.

After The Sacramento Bee began investigating the mysterious Greyhound bus trip that landed James Flavy Coy Brown in Sacramento, the Nevada patient dumping scandal steadily grew. Now, there's a strong chance of Nevada facing law suits soon over improper discharge of mental health patients and transport of them out of state.

And now, outrage is spreading to a new state. Last weekend, ABC 15 Phoenix looked into the 100 cases of Rawson-Neal mental health patients bussed into Arizona. And while investigating, they may have uncovered yet another horrifying scandal in the making.

Mark Holleran, CEO of Central Arizona Shelter Services, says it's hard to track those patients down. He says "patient dumping" happens more than you might think. "It just shows you how it's very easy to do this, and it's sort of under the radar. It's hard to detect," he said. Holleran says a few years ago, former prisoners from Nevada got dumped at the shelter. "They had been provided a bus ticket, a small amount of cash, a print out of a Mapquest that showed them how to get to CASS. And written on it was, 'ask for Howie,'" he said. Holleran says these cases often end in chronic homelessness. He says that stretches resources in other states, like Arizona. And it passes along the problem, instead of fixing it. "That might be something we might want to take a look at. Because if we can solve it for one place, I think we solve it for all the places," Holleran said.

So now, Arizona officials are reporting cases of Nevada patient dumping. And not only that, but we may have also dumped former prisoners on them as well! How about that for being a "good neighbor"? One would think this would light a fire under the behinds of the Governor and legislators to fix this glaring crisis. Come on, we're now facing law suits and loss of federal funding! But no, they were too busy kissing the behind of Nicholas Cage. No, I'm not even making this up. And Ralston was downright revolted by today's lurid display of misplaced priorities.

James Flavy Brown can be shipped out of Las Vegas, leaving with barely his wits about him, some meds and peanut butter crackers. But the star of “Leaving Las Vegas” can be treated like royalty, with the mayor of Las Vegas as his sidekick, and an offer pending of enough taxpayer money to buy a peanut butter cracker factory. These are the Legislature’s priorities – cut mental health funding, ignore English Language Learner money but give tax breaks to those who need them least. Brown gets a bus ticket to anywhere while Cage gets a national treasure trove worth of goodies and Apple gets a 90 percent tax break negotiated by the governor. That is tax policy in Nevada. This is the state we are in. I wonder if anyone stops to think: We may get Cage ghost-riding on the Strip, with his production company soaring and a Vegas backdrop for movies. But what does it say if that fake scene is juxtaposed a few miles off-camera in either direction with real tableaus of packed emergency rooms, overcrowded classrooms and jammed thoroughfares. If this is part of a master plan, I’d like to see the drawing because it seems like a blueprint for disaster to me. What exactly is the policy articulated by this approach that allows $80 million to be cut from mental health services in five years but in one bill lawmakers are willing to give half of that amount [$35 million] to prospective Nevada-based filmmakers? Lest you think my heart’s bleeding cuts off circulation to my brain, I get the job-creating argument, the economic diversification argument, the image-changing argument. But why is it a good idea for government to give incentives to anyone – movie producers, renewable energy companies – if offcials don’t provide incentives for people to really want to live here by supporting the quality of life, a culture that values higher and lower education, a political class that leads rather than follows?

He's right about this. It simply doesn't make sense. Honestly, there may be some merit to encouraging more film production here in Nevada. But when we can't even take care of our own, who wants to risk shooting a movie here? Think about it. Why is it that we always hear that "we can't afford" proper mental health care, decent schools, and repaired roads, yet our Governor and Legislature always seem to be able to afford corporate welfare to shower upon multinational corporations like Apple that neither need the help nor deserve it? Think about that as well. How on earth does this lead to a stable economy for our state? And how on earth does neglecting the most vulnerable in our society lead to a healthy economy? It doesn't. That's precisely the problem. Our "leaders" in Carson City keep chasing after mythical economic unicorns while failing to provide the most fundamental building blocks of a sound economy. Sure, luring Hollywood to Las Vegas sounds sexy. But ultimately, that won't mean shit for economic development if our schools keep bursting at the seams, our hospitals keep stuffing patients onto Greyhound buses heading out of state, and our roads are clogged with commuters while paved with just as many potholes. We seriously need to pay attention to the rude awakening we're now receiving. We must get back to basics, and we must do so before it's too late.

"Doom"

It's doom! Doom, they tell you. We're all doomed! And that horrible, evil, no-good margin tax is to blame...

For nothing? Oh, yes. That's right. The Coalition to Defeat the Margin Tax Initiative (aka Nevada's corporate welfare kings) just released a report that was supposed to annihilate The Education Initiative (TEI) with visions of doom and gloom.

And the upshot? Nothing. No really, the best the anti-TEI coalition's commissioned UNLV tax study could produce was inconclusive garblety-goop.

Yet in the mean time, TEI proponents commissioned their own UNLV tax study. And the result of that? Surprise, better education funding means a better economy.

►TEI actually will increase economic activity and create jobs, including as many as 13,000 in 2016 and 10,400 jobs in 2017.

►The positive impacts from new government spending more than offset the negative impacts from the tax.

►Overall, the study concludes: Nevada’s GDP would be boosted by $630 million to $1,020 million in 2016 and $480 million to $790 million in 2017.

Now of course, this seems confusing. How can two studies from the same institution produce completely different results?

Actually, the results here aren't all that different. Even the anti-TEI study conceded that TEI will generate $800 million annually for Nevada public schools if passed. And it didn't offer any definitive findings on economic impact. So that doesn't really challenge the results offered by the pro-TEI study showing actual economic benefits to passing TEI.

Here's what we already know: The status quo is failing us. For all the talk of Nevada's "pro-business climate", our economy hasn't benefitted from it at all. In fact, we're consistently ranked as having one of the worst business climates in the nation.

And why's that? As Elaine Wynn once described Nevada's public education system, "We are grossly underfunded." And as long as we continue underfunding our public schools, we're missing out on economic opportunities. As long as we're shortchanging our schools, we're sabotaging ourselves.

This is why TEI opponents have resorted to silly spin and even sillier straw men. After decades of empty promises, they've failed to provide any real solutions for public education and longer term economic development. But now that TEI (aka Question 3) is on the ballot, they're going all in to kill it... Because they simply don't want to pay their fair share like all the rest of us must.

It's doom, all right. It's doom... For nothing but the status quo. Keep this in mind whenever you hear the usual (corporate lobbyist) suspects scream "DOOM!" over that horrible, evil, no-good margin tax that can actually end the gross underfunding of K-12 public education in this state.

Technical Difficulties (Again)

Not again! Yesterday, we had another round of technical difficulties.

And yes, those technical difficulties were again due to incredibly slow internet while we were out. This is nothing short of embarrassing. We sincerely apologize for the brief post this morning.

But hey, we might as well bring this up again. The internet is too damned slow. And it's long past due for us to do something about this.

Really, it's this bad.

Technical Difficulties

It's about to get very real up in here. We're about to reveal why we're posting this instead of the usual Monday morning policy dig.

We had technical difficulties again. This time, we were roaming all around the neighborhood in search of a stable LTE signal. We had to keep roaming because the signal would constantly drop.

Obviously, we became very furious very fast. Why is this happening to us? Why is it so hard to find fast internet? Why is American internet so damned slow?

Susan Crawford on Why US Internet Access is Slow, Costly, and Unfair from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo

There are so many policy FAILs here that it's hard to keep track of all of them. Federal regulation of the telecom industry has not kept up with technological innovation. Internet service providers (ISPs) are increasingly prioritizing price gouging over improving their networks. And the giant telecom corporations are pressuring the federal government to give them even more leeway to limit consumers' internet speed and create "online toll roads" for content providers.

So why is the internet so much faster in other developed nations? Unlike America, they fully regulate the telecom industry. And unlike America, they've been investing in developing state-of-the-art fiber networks that deliver blazing fast speed.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering changing the definition of "broadband internet" to prod the telecom companies to fix their dilapidated, slow networks. While this may be a promising start, so much more is needed to fix these technical difficulties. We need hard commitments to real infrastructure investment to update our outdated internet connections. And we need real net neutrality to guarantee fair play and high speed for all.

US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) has endorsed a strong net neutrality standard, and so has President Obama. But now, it's up to the FCC to decide new net neutrality standards. And ultimately, it's up to us to urge Congress and/or the telecom companies themselves to finally bring our communications infrastructure into the 21st century and bring these obnoxious technical difficulties to an end.

A Way Out

Last Thursday, a number of local fast food workers took to the streets with community allies as a part of #FastFoodGlobal. These workers either make minimum wage or just above minimum wage. And they're struggling just to survive.

These low wage workers are merely asking for this: #MakeWorkPay. That's all. They're already working hard just to feed the kids and pay the bills. How are we really hurting anyone by ensuring people can actually work for a living?

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) has yet to answer this question. He opposes increasing the minimum wage. And he opposes even sustaining social safety programs that actually work at reducing poverty. But now, we're supposed to believe that Rep. Paul Ryan wants to "fight poverty"?

How exactly does Rep. Ryan plan to "fight poverty" if he's constantly fighting against letting millions of workers work for a living wage? And how does he "fight poverty" by fighting to rip to shreds the social safety net that prevents millions of Americans from falling into deeper poverty? We can only wonder if any of the hedge fund executives who Ryan met at Bellagio. Did anyone address the glaring disparity between Ryan's rhetoric and his real policies during the pool side party or the Champagne mixer?

Economic inequality is not merely some philosophical conundrum in need of abstract concepts. It's a very real problem in America today. Real people are suffering. And they're not helped by empty rhetoric and counterproductive policies.

Here in Nevada and elsewhere throughout the nation, millions of Americans are merely asking for a way out. They don't want a handout. They just want a way out of the poverty cycle. Is this really too difficult for Paul Ryan and other Republican "leaders" to understand?

Why Can't They?

It's hard for us to think of any other House Freshman who's been out to accomplish so much during his first term in Congress. Rep. Steven Horsford has been working it like hardly anyone else has even tried. And not only is he working it, but he's now working on critical legislation that can make our economy work better while providing a critical lifeline for those Americans who are still looking for work.

Last week, Rep. Horsford joined several other House Democrats to urge their Republican colleagues to pass the federal unemployment insurance (UI) extension bill that the Senate has already passed.



Just yesterday, Reps. Horsford & Matt Cartwright (D-Pennsylvania) took to The Huffington Post to make their case for bipartisan backed legislation that stands to create 300,000 jobs and increase national GDP by 0.3% while preventing 2.3 million Americans from succumbing to financial catastrophe. And they're not alone. None other than Senator Dean Heller (R) has asked his Republican colleagues on the House side to #RenewUI. And now, none other than Governor Brian Sandoval (R) is asking House Republicans to stop wasting time & #RenewUI already.

Over 34,000 Nevadans are needlessly suffering due to the federal UI lapse. It's now lasted nearly 4 months, and our economy has taken an unnecessary hit. What's the point of all this unnecessary hardship?

There's a reason why both Senator Heller & Governor Sandoval are speaking up now. They realize this is bad policy. And they know this is bad politics.

The ball is now in House Republicans' court. And if House Republican "leaders" refuse to allow a floor vote, then individual Republican members need to do step up to ensure a floor vote. And if that means a discharge petition, then they should prepare to sign (cough- Joe Heck- cough). If a handful of House Freshmen can bring this issue to the forefront, why can't more senior House members (particularly those in the Speaker's party) do everything they possibly can to pass legislation they say they want?

Discharge Time?

As expected, it passed last night. The US Senate finally approved a temporary federal extension of unemployment insurance (UI). Senators Harry Reid (D) & Dean Heller (R) voted for UI extension, along with 57 other Senators.

Yet even as this UI extension bill cleared the Senate, it faces a difficult struggle ahead in the House. Why? As usual, House Republican "leaders" value political gamesmanship over sound economic policy.

But at least this time, they're finally starting to feel some push-back from their own ranks. Even Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) is finally saying something. He has recently joined six other House Republicans in sending House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) requesting a House floor vote on the bipartisan UI extension bill that just passed the Senate.

So at least some House Republicans are finally starting to speak up... But will this sternly worded letter be enough? Or will they need to prepare for further action?



Last month, House Democrats drafted a discharge petition for UI extension. Reps. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) & Dina Titus (D-Paradise) quickly signed it upon its introduction. And if Rep. Heck and those six other House Republicans who just sent that letter really want UI extension, they may need to prepare to do the same.

Why? Speaker Boehner's media spinners still claim UI extension is "not necessary". Even though their decision to let the federal UI extension lapse has sucked $5 billion out of our economy and thrown over 2.3 million Americans (including over 34,000 Nevadans) into economic ruin, one of Boehner's top lieutenants (Rep. Tom Cole [R-Oklahoma]) actually just said federal UI should "come to an end".

Try arguing this to the over 2.3 million Americans struggling to survive because federal UI has been cut off for over three months. We bet they won't. Instead, they'll probably continue trying even more lame@ss excuses to spin away what the Senate just passed. What they still fail to recognize is that people can't pay our bills and/or buy groceries with spin. These unemployed Americans have been looking for work and continue to look for work. But until they find work, they need to survive. And simply cutting them off won't help these people survive, let alone find work.

What House Republicans looking to pass the bipartisan #RenewUI legislation that's already passed the Senate need to recognize is that they need to send a clear message to their "leaders" that ignoring reality is simply not an option. And while sternly worded letters are a start, they may not be enough to finish the job. If Speaker Boehner and his lieutenants continue to drown #RenewUI in their toxic "TEA", then the only way to rescue it will be a discharge petition. Are they ready to sign?

Stop Wasting Time. Just #RenewUI

Earlier today, we noted the inexcusable reality of House Republicans' stealth campaign to shut down any last chance of passing comprehensive immigration reform. We also noted their decision to instead focus on... Mindless crap. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Fierce) again took to the Senate floor to condemn House Republicans' latest time wasting gambit. And of course, he pointed out why they're so eager to waste our time (& taxpayer dollars).



As usual, the G-O-TEA Culture Warriors are taking their marching orders from the Kochs. And the Kochs just happen to love Rep. Paul Ryan (R-P90X), his austerity poisoned fiscal policies, and his willingness to subject the entire nation to manufactured crises in order to further the Kochs' radical ideological agenda.

Of course, the above mentioned G-O-TEA Culture Warriors don't like it when Senator Reid (or anyone else, for that matter) speaks the truth about their relationship with the Kochs. So they're now resorting to personal attacks on Senator Reid. And as always, they're running to the media and claiming victimhood in the most pathetic way possible.

Yet while the Kochs and their "TEA" powered ideological soulmates claim to be "victims" of people telling the truth about them, we now have over 34,000 Nevadans and 2.3 million Americans who have become real victims thanks to House Republicans holding federal unemployment insurance (UI) extension hostage. And we're supposed to be "OUTRAGED!!!" over Senator Reid speaking the obvious truth?



The Senate is set to pass its UI extension bill later today. Yet even with the Senate approving its UI extension deal, the lower House of Congress may still be nowhere near approving this deal. And why's that? It's still wasting time on legislation to hurt Paul Ryan's own constituents.

Once again, Senator Dean Heller (R) is asking his former House G-O-TEA colleagues to stop wasting time and join the Senate to #RenewUI already.



Perhaps the Kochs enjoy watching House Republicans waste our time & money on their ideological circle jerks, but the rest of us don't. We've already lost nearly $5 billion worth of economic activity thanks to the G-O-TEA's Koch addiction. Must they waste even more time & money while so many Americans suffer needlessly?

Overdue

So it finally happened. The Senate finally passed it. And the suspense should be over by now.

Of course, we're talking about the Medicare "Doc Fix". Because Congress hasn't been able to agree to permanently fix a glitch in the Medicare reimbursement law that was first passed in 1997, it's gone through this bizarre ritual of passing temporary "Doc Fix" bills to ensure doctors' compensation for treating Medicare patients doesn't plummet. But unlike previous times, this latest "Doc Fix" became the newest victim of...

You guessed it, the G-O-TEA's latest & greatest manufactured crisis! And surprise, surprise, Congressional Republican "leaders" tried to hold the Medicare "Doc Fix" hostage and demand ransom in the form of Obamacare repeal. Queue the eye rolls and guffaws.

As usual, G-O-TEA Senators attempted to cover their tracks by sharing "Obamacare HORROR STORIES!!!" Clearly, that blew up in their faces. And now that the Obamacare exchange is on track to meet its goals for the first quarter of 2014, enough Republican Senators agreed to let it go so Congress can finally pass a "Doc Fix" for this year.

To his credit, Dean Heller was one of the Republican Senators to break the logjam on the "Doc Fix". Also to his credit, Senator Heller has been one of the Republican Senators working on breaking the logjam on extending federal unemployment insurance (UI). Over 26,000 Nevadans & 2,000,000 other Americans have been left in a dangerous state of financial limbo for over 3 months. And these 2,000,000+ Americans have been left to suffer because of "TEA" tinged political games.

But now, the Senate finally looks set to pass a long overdue federal UI extension. Both Senator Heller & Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) support the bill, and it's expected to win at least 60 Senate votes this week. Yet even as the Senate inches closer to final passage, no one knows yet if UI extension will even have a House floor vote.

Even when House Speaker John Boehner (R) flew into town for a high dollar Wynn fundraiser last week, he refused to take any questions on UI (or anything else, for that matter). And even when Speaker Boehner has spoken up, only to say he wants to see more job creation, he's still standing in the way of legislation that can help create at least 200,000 jobs. And now that the Senate is on track to pass UI extension, neither Boehner nor his local lackey, Rep. Joe Heck (R-____), has uttered a peep about how they will respond in the House... If at all.

Why is this? Deep down, they and other House Republicans know that federal UI extension is just as overdue as the Medicare "Doc Fix". They must also realize that federal UI extension is just as overdue as that long ago promised "Republican alternative to Obamacare". Yet even as House Republicans look set to swallow the latest "Doc Fix", and even as they attempt to spin away the latest Obamacare news, they remain silent as over 2,000,000 Americans suffer.

UI extension is long overdue. Several Republican Senators know it. A host of economists know it. And far too many American families know it all too well. What will it take for House Republicans to accept this reality and end this unnecessary hardship?

Perspective

Hey, someone had to it. Fortunately for us, Jon Ralston did it. Last Wednesday, he attended the glitzy & glamorous Four Seasons premiere party for "Las Vegas Perspective". And what is "Las Vegas Perspective"? Why, it's the ultimate Southern Nevada insiders' cheat sheet to all the inner workings of Southern Nevada's economy and society.

And jeez, was there high society at Four Seasons last Wednesday! First Lady Kathleen Sandoval gave a keynote speech on the state of Nevada's public education system. Numbers guru Jeremy Aguero gave more details on Nevada's economic recovery. And all the movers & shakers in this soirée oohed & awed at all the facts & figures inside the actual publication.

So what's in the actual publication? It turns out that it's a collection of what we already know. The gaming industry is as erratic as ever. Our unemployment rate is down, but it's still above the national average. The housing market is improving, but many local homeowners are still struggling to stay above water. Our economy is improving, but the fundamentals of our economy still point to epic dysfunction and continued missed opportunities.

This is what was so ironic about last Wednesday's posh premiere party for "Las Vegas Perspective". Even as the uber-insiders of the "Gaming-mining-lobbying Industrial Complex" slapped each others' backs and sang the praises of Nevada's hallowed status quo, even their own sacred cheat sheet couldn't completely deny that the status quo keeps us stuck in a "bubble based economy" that hasn't even fully recovered from the bursting of the last bubble.

Funny enough, one of the sponsors of "Las Vegas Perspective" happens to be none other than the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA)? Remember them? They've gone from "Kiss Your Assets Goodbye" to "Say Hello to Our Esmeralda Straw Man". And they're still running scared from the solution to our core economic problem.

The uber-insiders who attended last Wednesday's Four Seasons shindig did not want to discuss The Education Initiative (TEI)... Just as they didn't want to acknowledge our continuing economic difficulties. After all, if they were to acknowledge the unhealthy truth of our "bubble based economy", they'd also have to acknowledge the need for a realistic solution to this problem. And that would completely undercut their rather "sunny" case against TEI.

Last Wednesday's Four Seasons event was supposed to be about "perspective". Perhaps it was... In that attendees celebrated their perspective of Nevada. But what about ours? Fortunately for us, they're not the only ones who will make the final decision on TEI this fall.

Our perspective also matters. Our struggles also matter. And our future also matters. And we should keep this in perspective.

Imagery

Apparently, once wasn't enough. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is back in Las Vegas today. This time, he's doing a fancy Strip fundraiser. And once again, he's refusing to do any media.

Hmmm... We wonder why. Could it be the troubling optics of doing a glitzy Wynn fundraiser while our Republican Senator, Dean Heller, & four other Senate Republicans demand he allow a floor vote in his chamber on the unemployment insurance (UI) extension bill that's about to pass the Senate? Perhaps that wouldn't be the best image to present to the media?

And oh, yes. That's right. It's finally about to pass the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) just filed for cloture. And he should now have at least 60 Senate votes for it.

So far, House Republican "leaders" have said they're "not worried" about UI extension. Are they that unaware of the over 2 million Americans (including over 26,000 Nevadans) who are suffering due to their intransigence? Are they that unwilling to end the unnecessary hardship of these people, many of whom live in their districts?

Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) should know better. He represents a wide swath of one of states hit hardest by the Great Recession. He must realize the economic impact of leaving over 26,000 Nevadans unable to pay their bills, buy groceries, and keep roofs over their heads. And he must realize how even more Nevadans will feel about the 113th Congress he's serving in should Congress go to recess without a House #RenewUI vote.

Lately, we've seen Republican "leaders" feign concern over their public image. We've seen them deliver flowery speeches on "fighting poverty". Yet when we compare their language to their votes, we find a huge disconnect. While they claim they want to alleviate poverty, they're promoting policies that worsen it. And their resistance to #RenewUI only further cuts down that "rebranded" image they're trying to present to us.

We really don't want to sound like a broken GIF. And we're sure you're doing this now. But really, this is the reaction we have when Republican "leaders" talk about cosmetic political imagery while failing to do something to alleviate the unnecessary hardship of way too many Americans.

And really, we couldn't stay silent on this when Speaker Boehner came into town to headline another swanky fundraiser while even our Republican US Senator is begging him (& Rep. Heck) to schedule a #RenewUI vote already. No really, that's some f**ked up imagery right there.

Unnecessary Hardship

Last week, several US Senators announced a bipartisan compromise that would finally renew the extension of federal unemployment insurance (UI) if enacted. Senator Dean Heller (R) was the lead Republican negotiating a deal. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) quickly signaled his approval once the deal was announced. And the bill looked ready to pass the Senate.

Then yesterday, it died. Even before it could pass the Senate, the deal looked dead. And even though over 2 million Americans will be the ones suffering over this latest Capitol Hill SNAFU, the deal looks deader than ever.

And why's that? As usual, we can thank House Speaker John Boehner (R-FUBAR) for this. Yesterday, he pissed all over blithely dismissed the Senate's bipartisan UI extension deal by feigning concern over the very measures that Senate Republicans wanted in the bill. And of course, he offered the usual nonsensical excuses for why he won't let his lower house of Congress even vote on the upper house's UI extension bill.



So now, over 2 million Americans and all 50 states will be left to suffer. And it's all due to the lower house's G-O-TEA "leaders" refusing to let go of their agenda of nothing.

So far, over 26,000 Nevadans have suffered due to the lapse of the federal UI extension. Monty Kosta is one of those Nevadans. And he recently shared his story with Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas).



This is why Reps. Steven Horsford & Dina Titus (D-Paradise) have signed a discharge petition demanding a House floor vote on UI extension. And this is why both of Nevada's US Senators, Dean Heller and Harry Reid, have urged House Republican "leaders" to show some real leadership in allowing a #RenewUI vote in their chamber. While some G-O-TEA politicians enjoy playing political games with people's lives, these people are experiencing unnecessary hardship due to these unnecessary political games.

While most of the rest of Nevada's Congressional Delegation have spoken out on UI extension, Rep. Joe Heck (R-??!!) has remained eerily silent. Why is that? He says he cares about job creation. So why not sign a discharge petition for bipartisan legislation that can end the unnecessary hardship crippling over 26,000 Nevadans while also giving our economy a much needed boost?

We (along with over 2,000,000 unemployed Americans) await his answer.

The Real "Joe Heck Scandal"

As of late, G-O-TEA politicians have been very eager to investigate phony nonexistent baseless bullshit "OBAMA SCANDALZZZZ!!!111111!!!!" And few have been as eager to waste time on investigate them as Rep. Joe Heck (R-Benghazi). Whenever asked, he's rejoiced responded that he's completely ready & able to investigate all these "scandals" to death.

Suffice it to say, this week offers an interesting turn of events for Rep. Heck. And why is that? Oh, some media personalities are now chortling over the new scandal involving Heck's campaign manager and the scene he created at a UNLV v. UNR basketball game in Reno.

Yet even as this scandal is cooking, some pundits continue to whisper about Heck's political future. Will he or won't he? Should he or shouldn't he?

With all this media buzz surrounding Heck's political team and political career, we can understand why some forget that he's still a sitting Member of Congress who's supposed to make critical decisions on a number of important policies. And with all the crazy that's come to define the 113th Congress, we can understand why many find it hard to believe that Congress makes any critical decisions on any important policies. Nonetheless, some important decisions seem to be flying under the radar.



One just happens to be the extension of unemployment insurance (UI). Since the federal UI extension lapsed in January, just over 26,000 Nevadans & 2,000,000 Americans have lost UI. And that means these families have lost a critical lifeline for survival. In the Senate, both Harry Reid (D) & Dean Heller (R) have been trying to round up 60 votes to pass UI extension in that chamber. And in the House, Reps. Dina Titus (D-Paradise) & Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) have both made #RenewUI a key priority.

Yet when we check @RepJoeHeck...



While Rep. Heck has been touting an education & workforce hearing he's bringing to Las Vegas next week, he's been supporting the very austerity regime that's hurt higher education in Nevada and elsewhere. And even as he's occasionally noted the economic struggles that remain in Southern Nevada, he's yet to offer any meaningful action. But now that House Democratic leaders are planning to start a discharge petition to #RenewUI, Rep. Heck now has a chance to match his words with concrete action.

So will he choose to act? Or will he choose more of the same austerity that's hindering economic growth? Believe it or not, this is the real scandal. The unnecessary suffering of all these American families, the unnecessary hit our economy is taking thanks to this newest "austerity bomb", is far more scandalous than any haute faux "OBAMA SCANDAL!!!" or idle 2016 speculation or UNR altercation.

So does Rep. Heck really want to raise all the fake scandals with a real one? Or can he recognize that it's long past time to #RenewUI?

The Least We Can Do

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were left scratching our heads. When stating his opposition to raising the minimum wage, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) tried every scare tactic available. And when that wasn't enough, he threw out a potential alternative.

And what was that alternative? He proposed increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). And he's not alone. In recent weeks, other Republican politicians and some conservative economists have signaled support for expanding EITC.

And now, President Obama has included an EITC expansion in his budget proposal. He also included a Republican proposed tax loophole closure to pay for it. So can everyone become friends, hold hands, sing along, and pass this already?



Not so fast. Just last week, House Republican "leaders" proposed a "tax reform" plan that cuts EITC. And this isn't even the first time that Republicans turned hard against EITC. In 2012, G-O-TEA Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney infamously attacked EITC and other parts of the social safety net as "welfare for the 47%". And back then, Rep. Joe Heck agreed with Romney.

So what are we supposed to believe here? Do Republicans support EITC or not? We guess it depends on which day it is... And what President Obama includes in his budget (regardless of whether he's magnanimously including some of their own ideas in it!).

Of course, some prominent conservative thinkers have suggested that EITC is a rather inefficient way to address poverty & economic inequality. But then again, these tend to be the same prominent conservative thinkers who support raising the minimum wage. After all, why have federal & state government subsidize major corporations' decisions to underpay their workers?



And that brings us back to the question Rep. Heck struggled to answer two weeks ago. Raising the minimum wage is likely the most efficient and cost effective way to alleviate the suffering of America's working poor. But if Rep. Heck and other Congressional Republicans are so committed to subsidizing the miserly ways of America's corporate elite, we can at least expand the Earned Income Tax Credit. And if there are enough thinking members of Congress who are willing to find a more creative solution, we can always try a combination of both.

But in a nation crippled by epic economic inequality, nothing is not a viable option. The status quo is failing America's working class. And in an ideal world, our elected officials would be considering far more than either a minimum wage increase or EITC expansion. So really, one of these (or a combination of the two) is the least we can do for those who are hurting the most.

The Awful Truth Behind the Hot Air

It's that time of the year again. Plenty of black ink and red ink will be spilled. Plenty of pie charts will be unveiled. And all the talk on Capitol Hill will revolve around dollars and sense.

Oh, yes. That's right. It's budget season again.

But wait, didn't Congress already pass a budget? Why yes, it actually did a few weeks ago. And it even managed to pay for its own budget. And that's quite an accomplishment for a Congress notorious for its agenda of nothing, particularly in the lower G-O-TEA run house.

So why is DC now buzzing over budgets? Since Congressional Republican "leaders" have admitted they plan to do nothing else this year, all they have left are haute faux scandals and mythical budgets (along with the usual Obamacare repeal votes and abortion/contraception ban votes). After all, they know they must do this in order to placate the 21st Century Know Nothings they need to stay in power.

Enter Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin). Ever since he took control of the House Budget Committee and muscled his way into House G-O-TEA "leadership", he's been pushing his "signature" of a middle class busting budget plan. That's why the G-O-TEA faithful have been eagerly awaiting "RyanCare 4.0"...

But alas, it may not happen this time. And why not? For one, Rep. Ryan already put his name on the two year budget agreement he made with Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Washington). Why would Ryan rip up the compromise he himself negotiated with his Senate counterpart to promote an exclusively G-O-TEA ideological wish list budget that would be dead on arrival in the Senate?

And then, there's the matter of his own G-O-TEA Caucus. Basically, they've fallen apart like Humpty Dumpty, and no one (not even Paul Ryan) can figure out how to put them back together again. And G-O-TEA "leaders" are already fearing that another "Austerity on Steroids" Ryan Budget will (again) expose the division between the (general election minded) Republican politicians trying to avoid accusations of starving Grandma to death and the "true believers" (along with those who must "fake it to make it" to win their primaries) who want even more Grandma starving austerity.

We've seen it from them before, and we're seeing it again today. It's easy for G-O-TEA politicians to criticize what they don't like, but it's rather difficult for them to offer any realistic solutions. And it's far easier to simply play politics and point fingers on Capitol Hill than actually govern in good faith.

So don't be surprised if/when the 2014 budget season on Capitol Hill turns out to be a collection of hot air. After all, G-O-TEA politicians' lofty rhetoric tends to fall flat when it becomes reality. That's the awful truth behind the hot air.

Still Far from Over

They won. The state won. The case was dismissed. So why doesn't it feel like it's over?

Last week, a federal district judge dismissed the law suit against the State of Nevada filed by James Flavy Coy Brown. Governor Brian Sandoval's (R-Denial) media spinners spokespeople quickly declared "victory" and resumed sweeping this inconvenient scandal under the rug. And ACLU Nevada (who sued alongside Brown) has yet to decide where to take this case next.

So why doesn't it seem like this case is over? Perhaps that's because it's not. Even if this specific law suit doesn't proceed further, the State of Nevada nonetheless faces more consequences for its mental health patient dumping.

But how so? San Francisco's separate federal suit against Nevada is still pending. Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital has already lost federal accreditation and is now at risk of losing federal funding. And the scandal has spread beyond Rawson-Neal & Southern Nevada as increased scrutiny of Nevada's failing mental health care system exposed overcrowding woes at Lake's Crossing Psychiatric Hospital in Sparks.

That's why it came as no surprise that the US Civil Rights Commission held a hearing on Nevada patient dumping last week. That's also why it came as no surprise that we're still seeing growing demands in California and here in Nevada (and perhaps in other states where Rawson-Neal dumped patients) to mend Nevada's tattered social safety net. This case is still far from over.

And it will remain so as long as the political powers that be in Carson City continue their attempts to sweep matters like this under the rug and the corporate powers that be in Las Vegas continue erecting straw men meant to distract us from the real problems that plague our state. Oh, and let's not forget that Las Vegas federal district judges don't have that great of a record when it comes to their rulings surviving appeal. So yes, this case is still far from over.

Surrender

Last week, he expressed optimism. He was refusing to give up. And really, it's hard for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) to surrender a fight he's sure he can win.



But late last week, he came up one vote short. Even though Senator Dean Heller (R) and a few other Senate Republicans have called on their colleagues to renew the federal extension of unemployment insurance (UI), just enough Senate Republicans stood in line to block UI extension. Why? Apparently, they believe it's
"immoral" to help the 1.6 million Americans who desperately need this lifeline and undo the $1.76 billion worth of economic activity states have lost since the UI extension lapsed.

Instead, G-O-TEA disciples on Capitol Hill have been yearning for yet another manufactured crisis. This time, they wanted to try to skip the bill that they themselves agreed to late last year & again early this year. And since they either didn't remember or weren't bothered by the final result of their last manufactured crisis, they started hunting for the "sweet spot" of painful & unnecessary drama.

But now, that's all changed. Why? Someone must have encountered that pesky thing otherwise known as reality. And all of a sudden, House Republican "leaders" will allow a clean debt ceiling floor vote.

This week, the G-O-TEA has to surrender to reality. Republicans simply didn't have the votes for any ransom demand, and they didn't want to face another Shutdown Sh**fest like backlash. So now, the debt ceiling will be taken care of and the government will remain open. But then what?

That's a good question, yet we probably already know the answer. Since Republican "leaders" will likely face a "TEA" fueled rebellion over this debt ceiling surrender, they will then try to win the 'baggers back by vowing to block any & all other attempts at sane & rational governance. And that may very well mean they'll aim to kill the federal UI extension for good.

Here's why that would be an epic mistake. They already proved that the 'baggers aren't needed to pass legislation. So why not just pass the UI extension already and give our economy the boost it needs?

The federal budget deficit continues to fall, but economic inequality has yet to. And the few Members of Congress who have investigated for themselves know that poverty is still a serious problem in this nation.

So why hold up such a modest effort to curb extreme poverty? What's there to gain from letting millions of Americans needlessly suffer? We now know Congressional Republicans will surrender when they know they're guaranteed to lose another fight over unnecessary & ridiculous drama. So why not surrender this so that these Americans will no longer have to suffer?

Living With the Consequences

Why must we still talk about this? But how can we possibly avoid it? Oh, when will it ever be resolved?

Yesterday, we explained why a Vegas Vacation can't magically make the G-O-TEA Civil War go away. No amount of political airbrushing can permanently hide the gruesome reality of a Republican Party stuck in the midst of a crippling identity crisis. And sadly, that identity crisis continues its threats to cripple our economy.

Last Friday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) tried... No, wait. He didn't even try to paint a pretty face on the extreme G-O-TEA agenda his lower house of Congress continues to regurgitate. He just darted into Las Vegas Country Club to pour more money into Rep. Joe Heck's campaign. For some reason, they didn't want to talk to the media and the constituents outside about all the amazing accomplishments of the 113th Congress.

We wonder why. After all, they managed to... No, wait. The House still hasn't passed comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). And millions of American families must continue to live in legal limbo because of Boehner's refusal to allow any vote on CIR (& Heck's refusal to do anything about this).

But hold on, they did... No, wait. Congress still hasn't passed any #4jobs legislation. Instead, they're forcing another round of cruel, painful austerity on the nation.

Come on, now. We know they... No, wait. Instead of passing any legislation that could actually create more jobs, Speaker Boehner's House (of FAIL) has only brought forth legislation to endanger the health of our people & our planet. And of course, they have to top that off with more War on Women. And if that's not enough, they'll add more "BENGHAZIEEEEEEEE!!!" to the mix. And they'll spice that up some more with more manufactured crises.

No wonder why Reps. Boehner & Heck declined to address the public before or after their quaint $2,600 per plate luncheon. Even after all their bluster of "Republican rebranding" that had become the talk of the town (DC, that is) around this time last year, Republican "leaders" have failed to change anything. And keep in mind, they're supposed to be "leaders"! Why can't they drag their own party into the 21st Century?

Are they really that afraid of the 21st Century Know Nothings? Are they willing to let their entire party choke on the xenophobic bile of their "New Southern Strategy"? Are they truly that afraid of the reality of America in 2014?

We've discussed this numerous times before. Yet as long as the Republican Party continues failing to adapt to 21st Century America, we'll have to keep talking about this. After all, we're all living with the consequences of it.

Schools Last?

Today, everyone in Carson City is buzzing. Why, you ask? Nevada won an award this week!

Oh, really? Oh, yes... Well, maybe not. It's really just a C- grade from Students First, but that's not stopping Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (R-Deus ex machina) from basking in the glory of Michelle Rhee's words of praise.

Wait... What??!! Oh, yes. That's right. She's back on the scene.



Actually, Michelle Rhee never really left. Even after her "remarkable legacy of reform" was exposed to be a mere cheating ring, Rhee never stopped fighting teachers. Rather, she moved on and attempted to turn Students First into an education policy juggernaut. She even received some Hollywood PR assistance along with plenty of Wall Street money to promote her cause of "Rhee-form".

And yet, despite all this big money and big political establishment support, more and more teachers, parents, and students are questioning the veracity and effectiveness of the "magic elixir" of "Education Rhee-form". Even a former student supporter recently questioned the logic of Rhee's gospel of "high-stakes testing" and school privatization "choice".



So far, "Rhee-form" has only produced bloated administrative (top-level, top salary) staff, "revolving door" schools, test driven curricula that aren't proven to prepare students for life beyond "high-stakes testing", bottom-of-the-barrel rankings on quality-of-life scorecards that don't involve erasable test forms, and a lurid "Hunger Games" situation where so many schools must compete for so little funding. It isn't working. It simply isn't working for teachers, students, or anyone else (other than the very "Rhee-formers" who are profiting off their racket).

You know what will work? Actually supporting public education. But alas, that would require actual funding for Nevada schools. And it's so much easier for Governor Sandoval to accept praise from a far-away celebrity con artist.

Unfortunately for Governor Sandoval (and fortunately for Nevada students), We the People will have the last word on Rhee-form.

Making the Cut

Last week, we couldn't help but notice an "important speech on poverty and the role of government" by none other than Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida). Why is he so "concerned about poverty" now? And why is he advocating policies that would actually worsen economic inequality in this nation?

And it's not just Senator Rubio any more. House G-O-TEA "leaders" Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) and Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) piled on last week with their prescriptions for escalating austerity "fighting poverty". And like Rubio's "great ideas", their "great ideas" would likely only worsen economic inequality.

So why are these G-O-TEA politicians suddenly feigning interest in "fighting poverty"? Their sacred policies point in the other direction. Are they just trying to put a more compassionate face on their austere policies? Is this yet another reincarnation of Richard Nixon's "Southern Strategy"? Might it be a rather sordid combination of the two?

It seems all too politically convenient that this new campaign of "conservative solutions to poverty" is happening just as an extension of unemployment insurance (UI) is increasingly at risk of dying on the vine in Congress. Already, 1.3 million Americans are suffering because their UI expired. And if the UI extension remains expired this year, we can expect to lose at least 0.2% of GDP growth in 2014.

Once again, Republican infighting and "TEA" flavored chaos have thrown a monkey wrench into the US economic machine. This time, it's causing unnecessary pain & suffering for the jobless... And it risks spreading the pain to the entire economy. Even as Senator Dean Heller (R) and a few other Congressional Republicans are calling for UI extension, the Puri-TEA Brigade won't accept anything less than another round of economy-crippling austerity simply for the ideology behind it while others will only accept UI extension if it's tied to a few austerity laced "pay-for's". Needless to say, the Republican Party's ongoing political identity crisis has succeeded in manufacturing another unnecessary crisis.

But since (surprise, surprise) this latest & greatest manufactured crisis isn't polling well, Republican strategists are looking to ways to change the media narrative. So voilà, Marco Rubio & Paul Ryan & other top G-O-TEA "leaders" take to the stage to proclaim their "conservative" solutions to poverty!

Unfortunately for them, the Golden Globes were last night. And Academy Award nominations are probably being finalized as we speak. So they probably won't make the cut (even as they keep trying to cut further into America's social safety net).