"Basic Plumbing Lessons"

Here we go again. Last month (and year), the 21st Century Know Nothings went to great lengths to defend their beloved Dynasty (of Quackery) after the Dynasty's patriarch had plenty of not-nice-at-all things to say about people of color and LGBTQ folk. We guess when the rest of America has moved comfortably into the 21st Century, the G-O-TEA Culture Warriors must find some televised cave in which to hide from it.

But now, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Born That Way?) is emerging from that cave. And he has something to say. He says federal judges who rule in favor of marriage equality "need some basic plumbing lessons". Wait, what??!!

Oh, no he didn't. Grrl, please!

Rep. Gohmert seems to forget that these judges have actually had many plumbing lessons. In fact, they're supposed to be experts at the plumbing that nourishes the America we know and love: The US Constitution!

Federal judges have overturned state bans on same-sex marriage in three states now — California, Utah, and Oklahoma — in addition to decisions by state courts in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, and New Mexico. The most recent rulings in Utah and Oklahoma are thorough but reach a simple conclusion: defining marriage as only between a man and a woman accomplishes nothing and only serves to discriminate against same-sex couples. The U.S. Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law, the judges wrote, so the disparate treatment of these amendments violates this principle.

Doesn't Louie Gohmert care about our Constitution? Doesn't he love freedom? What's his problem with America?

And if you're wondering why this all sounds familiar, that's because it should. The equal protection argument forms the heart of Nevada's Sevcik v. Sandoval federal marriage suit. And the US Supreme Court suggested that LGBTQ families indeed deserve equal protection under the law in its US v. Windsor decision last June.

So if anyone "needs basic plumbing lessons", it's Louie Gohmert and other G-O-TEA politicians trying to stop progress on LGBTQ civil rights. Hey, someone's got to say the ugly truth.

Crash Course (on #GreenMeansGreen)

So how's that "crash" coming along? Earlier this month, CBS' flagship "news magazine" "60 Minutes" unveiled a shocking report on the "60 Minutes". Unfortunately for the "60 Minutes" crew, their shocking report turned out to be shocking because it was so shockingly wrong.

Contrary to G-O-TEA wishes, the green economy is humming along just fine. Rather, it's the fossil fuel industry that's increasingly running into trouble. With both natural gas prices and fracking woes on the rise, the "natural gas boom" of the last few years may finally be starting to turn into a bust. And considering both the continued health risks (cough- West Virginia- cough) and declining private sector investment in coal, don't expect "King Coal" to reclaim its throne any time soon (or really, ever).

It's become painfully obvious that we must rethink energy going forward. We've given the fossil fuel industry so many institutional advantages over the years. Why not level the playing field... And do something meaningful about climate change... And create more jobs in the process?

This is what UN Climate Chief Christiana Figueres is talking about when she calls for global investment in renewable energy to triple. It must in order for us to come closer to the carbon emissions reduction we need in order to survive. In addition, it would be a response to already budding market forces pointing toward a greener future.



And think of all the jobs that all that investment can create. Or is that just too much actual jobs creation for the allegedly #4jobs G-O-TEA Congresscritters?

Do we really need to be convinced any further? Do we really need any more delays? And do we need any more counterproductive hyperventilating over nonexistent "crashes"?

Consider this today's green tinted food for thought.

The Scandal That Isn't There (vs. One That Is)

Scandal! Scandal! It's time for a new haute faux scandal. And this time, it's (again) coming from Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. And this time, it's (again) targeting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D).

So what happened? Long story short, Robert Gates decided to release a book that throws plenty of shade at the Obama Administration. Why? President Obama dared to question the wisdom of indefinite extension of the Afghanistan War and look for a full spectrum of options on Libya (in 2011). Apparently, Robert Gates didn't like President Obama asserting his constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief.

And now, Gates is digging further back in time to try to read Senator Reid. No really, he's taking to the media to rehash comments the Senator made nearly 7 years ago on the Iraq War. Of course, he fails to mention that Senator Reid has been proven correct on Iraq.

We can't help but wonder why Republican politicians are chomping at the bit to see more of Robert Gates throwing political punches at President Obama, Senator Reid, and other top Democrats. Is it because they hope Gates' comments can revive their meme of #ObamaFAIL? Is it because they still refuse to acknowledge the Obama Administration's foreign policy successes? Is it because they want to use Gates' recent comments as ammo in their battle against President Obama & Senator Reid on Iran policy?

Or could the motivation behind the "Gates-gate" hype lie closer to home? Just as "Gates-gate 1.0" was starting to hit its stride in the media, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) screwed it all up with the emergence of his own (very real) Bridge-gate scandal. Might "Gates-gate 2.0" just be a clumsy G-O-TEA attempt at diverting media attention from the scandalicious slow motion implosion of Republicans' "Great White Hope for 2016"?

Whatever the motivation(s) behind "Gates-gate", it just seems like there's no there there. And we should keep this in mind in case someone decides to manufacture a new "Harry Reid SCANDAL!!!"

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.

What Happens in Vegas...

Las Vegas: "What happens here stays here." Yeah, right! Actually, what happens here often ends up taking the world by storm!

Case in point: Last week's Consumer Electronics Show. Everyone is still talking about all the hot new gadgets coming soon to a store near you. And that's not all. Las Vegas has become a major destination for business conventions highlighting trends of the future. In fact, we have another headline grabbing convention in town this week...

It's the SHOT Show. It's at Sands Expo this week. And it will showcase all the hot new firearms, ammunition, "outdoor living accessories" (Quack), and even military grade survival kits coming onto the market. The latter should make a great gift for all the doomsday preppers in your life.

But wait, there's more. Freedom Group is upping the ante this week with its militaristic campaign to sell its military grade assault weapons and accompanying accessories. Freedom Group promises ease in "killin' zombies", as its products are "built to be tough as the job", "made to run, not collect dust in the gun safe", and "giv[ing] you the confidence and firepower to get the job done". Oh, and let's not forget that these are the same military grade assault weapons that have been used by the likes of Adam Lanza (Newtown), James Holmes (Aurora), Christopher Dorner (Orange County/Los Angeles), and other perpetrators of mass shootings to "get the job done".

In recent years, we've witnessed massive bloodshed as the result of epic gun violence. That's why ProgressNow Nevada could not remain silent on the eve of this year's SHOT Show.



Cars are tightly regulated. So are toys. So are kitchen appliances. So are many other everyday items consumers use. So why can't we do the same with items that are specifically designed to kill?

Think about it. Gun manufacturers spend millions on eye-popping ads like what we discussed above. They also give millions to the NRA to fight even the most modest gun safety reform efforts. How on earth does this qualify as "responsible behavior"? And should we be more concerned about what's happening at Sands Expo this week?



This is happening just a few steps away from The Strip, where Kenneth Brown and Michael Boldon lost their lives to gun violence. And this is where gun manufacturers are selling the same weapons and ammo used to kill Trayvon Martin, Janay Mcfarlane, Michael Landsberry, and many others. Why are these gun manufacturers pumping so much money into the NRA in order to fight efforts to prevent their products from taking away so many innocent lives?

Like other major conventions, the SHOT Show is taking advantage of the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas Strip to highlight its products. Yet unlike most other major conventions, the products being highlighted this week are built to kill. And unlike most other major conventions, the organizers have pumped millions of dollars into vitriolic campaigns to kill legislation meant to foster safer communities in Nevada and throughout the nation.

What happens here in Las Vegas typically doesn't stay here. One can hope what happens here this week will lead to some sober reflection on what's happening at Sands Expo... And in our communities.

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).

Marco's Masquerade

Here he goes again. Earlier today, we discussed Senator Marco Rubio's (R-Thirsty for TEA) "true conservative plan to fight poverty". Apparently, there was something we missed this morning.

Believe it or not, Senator Rubio believes he has the ultimate solution to poverty in America: Marriage! Who knew getting hitched could magically solve women's economic problems? But wait, there's a rather large problem with Marco Rubio's great marriage solution: It doesn't actually work that way.

But you know what works? Ding, ding, ding: A functioning social safety net!

[Ohio State University sociology professor Kristi] Williams points to greater access to “comprehensive and early sex education and expansive and affordable access to birth control and family planning services” to help women avoid unwanted or mistimed births. Contraception can be a potent tool in helping women achieve a higher economic status. In one study, the majority of women reported that contraception allowed them to support themselves financially, complete their education, and either keep or get a job. And family planning doesn’t just benefit mothers: it benefits their future children. Research has found that it can increase their children’s likelihood of completing college and getting a job while boosting their wages decades later. But it can also be costly, which can limit access. One in three women have struggled to afford prescription birth control at some point, and more than half of young women experienced a time when they couldn’t afford to take it consistently.

But even with greater access to contraception, some women will still be single mothers. So what can we do to help them stay out of poverty? It turns out that while marriage may not offer much help, better policies could. American single mothers are worse off than their counterparts in 16 other high-income peer countries thanks to a thin social safety net. Single moms in this country have the highest rates of lacking health insurance, put up with the stingiest income support programs, have to wait longer than in other countries for early childhood education to begin, aren’t guaranteed paid time off of work for a new child or if they or their kids fall sick, and have a low rate of receiving child support. They also are much more likely to be employed in low wage work.

There are ways to solve the problems they face: universal preschool and more support for childcare could help them get to jobs and know their children have somewhere to be; raising the minimum wage would lift many out of poverty; guaranteed paid sick days would give them the ability to care for a child when he or she falls ill without losing wages or risking a job; paid family leave would mean they wouldn’t have to quit, go into debt, or go on public assistance when a new child arrives; welfare, or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, could be updated so that it reaches more families and the benefits could be enhanced so that they are worth more than in 1996.

You know what also works? Contraception. And access to other critical family planning services. And education.

You know what doesn't work? This ridiculous War on Women! Seriously, Rubio and other G-O-TEA politicians don't know what's best for America's women. Many sisters can easily do it for themselves. And for those who need a helping hand, it's much easier and more cost effective to simply provide that helping hand rather than try to take control of their lives.

But yet again, some House G-O-TEA yahoos are embarking on another battle to take away women’s access to reproductive health care. How does that reduce poverty? Here's a helpful hint: It doesn't.

Oh, and it's funny that Senator Rubio is suddenly encouraging people to get married. He must really like the thought of families coming together... Or perhaps not. It wasn't that long ago when he was threatening to quash comprehensive immigration reform if it meant help for LGBTQ families trying to reunite.

For all their talk of "celebrating marriage & family" and "cutting waste", Senator Rubio and other top DC Republicans haven't said a peep about the State of Utah wasting $2 million on its legal campaign to deny LGBTQ families civil marriage rights. How does anti-LGBTQ discrimination reduce poverty? Here's a helpful hint: It doesn't. (If anything, the opposite is true.)

It looks to us like Senator Rubio invited us to a masquerade ball. He's wearing a new mask of "poverty fighter", but beneath that mask is the same old Culture Warrior. Color us unimpressed. If we want a good ball, we already know damned well where to find one. And if Marco Rubio wants effective policies to reduce poverty, we already know damned well where to find those.

Time for Change

3 years ago, the entire nation was shocked. The world's attention turned to a neighborhood strip mall near Tucson. And 19 people were shot that day. One of them was then Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona). 6 others died, including a federal judge, a Giffords staffer, and a 9 year old girl.

In some ways, things have changed in the past 3 years. Gabby Giffords herself has made an amazing recovery since that day. This week, she even managed to take a pleasant little sky dive.



Yet in other ways, things haven't changed all that much in the past 3 years. The 6 people who passed away are still gone. Many more lives have been lost to senseless gun violence since then. And far too many politicians are still too afraid to consider enacting sensible gun safety policies.



Of course, the actual people who have firsthand knowledge of the tragedy of gun violence are speaking out. This actually has been a breakthrough we've experienced in the past 3 years. It's even led Senator Harry Reid (D) and the Nevada Legislature to take gun violence more seriously.

Unfortunately, none of this was enough for Governor Brian Sandoval (R-NRA), Senator Dean Heller (R-NRA), Rep. Joe Heck (R-??!!), and other G-O-TEA politicians in Carson City & DC who were too worried about their standing with the NRA to even consider any type of gun safety legislation. After all, the NRA and the rest of the gun lobby consider gun safety reform to be far more offensive than making death threats on talk radio!



Nearly a year ago, Gabrielle Giffords herself urged her former colleagues in Congress to be courageous. Her message is just as relevant and timely now as it was then. How many more of these painful anniversaries must we endure? It's time for change.

What Works

Remember him? Once upon a time, he was supposed to deliver comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). Instead, he ended up abandoning his own bill. And since he let CIR die on the vine on Capitol Hill, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) has tried hard to win back the 21st Century Know Nothing support he lost when he showed actual interest in advancing CIR.

So now, Senator Rubio is trying to win back the hearts & minds of the G-O-TEA base by advocating "conservative solutions to poverty". So what are his preferred "conservative solutions to poverty"? Oh, he just wants to move the jobless around and dissolve the national social safety net. Say what?!

Because Senator Rubio and a few other Congressional Republicans wanted to "look compassionate" while opposing a badly needed extension of longer term unemployment insurance (UI), they're now claiming they just want "more effective policies to actually put people back to work". Here's the problem with their claim: their preferred policies don't actually work. By simply cutting off people and need and hoping "someone else" steps in to rescue them, we only risk drowning them in a sea of poverty & despair.

You know what does work in reducing poverty and helping people get back to work? That's right, the social safety net does. Oh, and so do unions. So there's also that. (Sorry, anti-worker "TEA" drinking politicians.)

Funny enough, most Americans get this. Even Senator Dean Heller (R) seems to get the UI part of this equation. (Keep in mind that broken non-digital clocks are correct twice a day.) So why not just stick to what works?

That's what we'd really like to ask "TEA" sipping politicians on Capitol Hill today. If Marco Rubio and his Republican "leaders" truly care about ending poverty and putting people back to work, they must first recognize what works. And then, they actually need to implement policies that work.

Convergence: Green Edition

We can't help but think of how we've already started the new year. We've been talking about space exploration & scientific research (& how austerity screws up both), "The Cleantech Crash" that only exists on "60 Minutes", and Southern Nevada Water policy. OK, so what? How do all these topics converge?

Here's the answer: climate change. Yes, climate change is happening. Yes, it's settled science. And yes, we really need to do something about it ASAP.

Never mind the latest fad of Polar Vortex TEA trolling. Wintry weather does not mean the end of climate change. In fact, 2013 may turn out to be the 7th hottest year on record. And the trend going forward is at least as disturbing.

Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, the G-O-TEA run House has gone out of its way to try to undermine efforts to curb climate change. Never mind that this anti-environment crusade does nothing #4jobs and has no chance of getting past the Senate (let alone President Obama). The TEA drinking party animals there would rather celebrate their "ideological purity" than do anything productive.

And speaking of productive, let's talk about Goldman Sachs' decision to abandon a 49% stake in a plan to build the West Coast's largest coal terminal. Finally, Goldman Sachs is starting to take its own advice. And it's not alone. More and more major banks are pledging not to finance new coal power projects. This may be due to coal becoming less cost effective and the trend of municipalities ditching coal and other fossil fuels for cleaner energy. We just wonder when "60 Minutes" will do a segment on "The Coal tech Crash".

With climate change becoming an unavoidable reality and renewable energy becoming an irresistible business opportunity, now is the perfect time to act. So why can't we? Why shouldn't we?

We've discussed this before, but we might as well bring it up again now. Here in Nevada, we've seen both the promise of action and the perils of inaction. Anyone who still wants to deny reality should come here and get a real taste of it. And in the mean time, we can only hope the progress we see here will eventually encourage a big, green solution for the entire nation.

Change Course

Last month, we got quite the surprise. A White Pine County district court judge ruled against the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) in the latest law suit challenging SNWA's proposed Snake Valley Pipeline, the proposal many Rural Nevadans and environmentalists know as "The Water Grab". And to make matters even more awkward at SNWA headquarters, this news came just as long-time "Water Czar" Pat Mulroy was preparing to step down from the post that she molded and fashioned herself.

But now, all eyes are turning to John Entsminger. Why? He's Mulroy's pick to succeed her. And yesterday, he scored tentative approval from the Clark County Commission to take over the Las Vegas Valley Water District, the sister organization of SNWA. (Typically, the head of the Water District also takes charge of SNWA.)

Looking ahead, John Entsminger faces plenty of challenges. Perhaps the greatest one involves the epic Western Drought that's increasingly becoming "the new normal" as
climate change continues to take hold. The Colorado River simply isn't a limitless well. And a few good days of rain just aren't enough to make all of this go away.

So what can be done? Actually, it's already been done. And even more is possible... And probably necessary as well. Of course, we're talking about water conservation.

It's likely cheaper than all the additional construction and litigation that will be necessary to develop the Snake Valley Pipeline. But so far, Entsminger has refused to back away from Mulroy's plans to build the controversial pipeline. It just remains to be seen whether the rest of Clark County will be so willing to stay the course.

Funny enough, even John Entsminger himself has admitted that some changes will be necessary. With so much aging infrastructure and more practical ways to manage water resources likely at hand, does it make sense to charge small consumers more just to build a pipeline that was originally meant to nourish Harvey Whittemore's greatest pipe dream yet? Or is it time to change course?

House of FAIL (??!!)

Remember when we were discussing Congress' failure to extend longer term unemployment benefits yesterday? Apparently, a rather late Holiday Miracle happened afterwards. The Senate approved cloture this morning on a bill authorizing a 3-month extension. 6 other Republicans joined Senator Dean Heller (R) in voting for cloture.

The bill itself will likely pass the Senate soon, and then... Oh, wait. That's right. It then heads to the House. F**k.

Already, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Shake & Bake) has threatened to kill the unemployment insurance (UI) extension bill if it doesn't contain sufficient austerity to offset the stimulative effects of letting down-on-their-luck Americans stay in their homes and buy groceries. And he may have said this while standing behind the same old #4jobs adorned backdrop that House Republican "leaders" like to use for their press conferences. Remember when Republican "leaders" claimed their mission was #4jobs? Whatever happened to that?

Keep in mind that extending unemployment benefits not only keeps millions of people out of poverty, but it also benefits the economy by providing a lifeline to people in need (see above). If the UI extension is not restored, expect 0.2% to 0.4% to be shaved off GDP growth this year. That also means a loss of about 240,000 jobs. Already, states have lost $400 million in economic activity thanks to the expiration of the UI extension. But isn't this Congress supposed to be #4jobs?

So extending UI benefits would shore up this economic recovery we've been waiting for. Why risk screwing it all up? Brian Beutler suggests G-O-TEA politicians simply hate poor people that much, and he may be onto something. He may have also been onto something yesterday in hinting that all this UI obstruction is really just another attempt to undermine the Obama Presidency.

However, Joan Walsh may also be onto something today in suggesting the G-O-TEA is starting to lose its war on down-on-their-luck Americans. Long story short: If House Republican "leaders" continue to block UI extension, they may very well drive their party back into the ditch they fell into last October, when they forced the Shutdown Shitfest on the world. And this time, we're in an election year.

Think about this: Do House Republicans really want #HouseOfFAIL trending during the peak of an election year? Or have the "leaders" finally lost any & all control over their TEA tinged troops?

Crash (Goes CBS "News")

Did you know "Cleantech" has crashed? We didn't. But apparently, it did... Because CBS "News'" "60 Minutes" told us so.

As of late, it seems like the once revered flagship "TV news magazine" has been receiving a "fair & balanced" makeover. CBS News is still under fire for the now infamous "60 Minutes" Benghazi report that turned out to be nothing but an error filled attempt to sell a book. And now, CBS is also in the hot seat over a recent "60 Minutes" report on Amazon's new drone program that turned out to be nothing but an Amazon infomercial. Yet despite these major league embarrassments, "60 Minutes" producers don't seem to be all that worried about the free-falling reputation of their show.

Case in point: This past Sunday's "Cleantech Crash" report. The San Jose Mercury News' clean energy reporter has already debunked the "60 Minutes" piece. So has Cleantechnica. And Think Progress has posted an interview with the clean energy expert featured on "60 Minutes" (whose words were twisted when featured on that show).

Here's what "60 Minutes" oh so quickly glossed over when bashing federal clean energy investment: The very Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program that "60 Minutes" attacked for rewarding failure actually has a 97% success rate! Do you know how many Wall Street investors would sacrifice their parents and/or children on the altar of Mammon to obtain that kind of success rate? Actually, you probably don't want to know. However, we should all remember the rule of thumb for private sector venture capitalists, which is that 3 out of 4 startups fail on average. So it was oh so easy for "60 Minutes" to find examples of "Cleantech Crash", even though it would have also been easy for "60 Minutes" to find many examples of "Cleantech Success".

There's a reason why such "wild eyed lib'rulzzz" as Governor Brian Sandoval (R) and the entire State Senate Republican Caucus have been rushing to encourage more clean energy investment in Nevada. There's a reason why California has been seeing a lot of green lately. And there's a reason why much of the rest of the world is cashing in on the green evolution. Here's a hint: #GreenMeansGreen.

Oh, and let's not forget the reason why much of the world is looking to clean energy for a brighter future. Here's a hint: climate change. Not once did "60 Minutes" mention climate change in its "Cleantech Crash" hit piece story. Regardless of the near term profitability of renewable energy, we must wean ourselves off fossil fuels for the sake of our longer term survival. Yet on Sunday, nary a word was peeped on climate during the once revered flagship "TV news magazine". Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Frankly, the only "crash" revealed this past Sunday was the reputation of CBS "News". And since it's bringing back the very reporter who botched the Benghazi story, we probably shouldn't expect any better any time soon. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Looking Up to the Heavens (Then Down to Hell)

Imagine a world without smartphones. And one without weather forecasts. And one without contemporary air travel. And one without cable & satellite TV... Wait, no "Honey Boo Boo" and "Real Housewives"??!! ZOMG!!!

Believe it or not, none of these would be possible without NASA. If one has ever asked why space programs matter these days, one need not wonder any more. Without the research, development, and technological advances that NASA has nurtured, we wouldn't have the 21st century as we now know it.

So why is NASA again on the chopping block on Capitol Hill? During last fall's epic Shutdown Shitfest, NASA nearly had its Mars exploration program derailed. And it was forced to pull the plug on its TV channel (until the shutdown finally ended). After all, educational programming and space exploration aren't nearly as important as Real Housewives, Honey Boo Boo, and a certain storied "Dynasty" (/snark). It's just that none of those shows would appear on our TV's if NASA wasn't around to authorize satellite launches. And now, NASA launch authorization is being held up in that infamous lower house of Congress.

It doesn't make sense. Investment in NASA means investment in our economy and our future. Why has this become such a major fight?

Well, why has extending unemployment benefits become such a major fight? Remember when Congressional Republican "leaders" stood with their beloved "TEA drinkers" when they fought to exclude extension of longer term unemployment benefits from the Ryan-Murray Budget Deal last month? It turns out that it wasn't a fluke. They're now hell bent on letting the jobless suffer.

Why? Even Senator Dean Heller (R) supports the extension, for goodness sake! It wasn't that long ago when this kind of policy was easily bipartisan. This is probably why Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is Furious today.

Like investment in space programs, aid to the jobless helps the economy. It helps to have more people spending money on such "luxuries" as housing and food. After all, we know what happens when people don't have money to pay for housing and food. (Hint: Stop by a local shelter some time.)

Once again, we seem to be cutting our own noses to spite our faces. And we're doing so because of the G-O-TEA's obsession with the very austerity policies that failed Europe. Why do they want to take us down the same dangerous path that's led to disaster for Greece, Spain, Ireland, and other troubled parts of the Eurozone? Are these G-O-TEA politicians really that allergic to sound economic policy, or does Brian Beutler have a point about the lengths many Republican politicians in DC will go to poison President Obama's reputation?

Whatever the motives behind their stunts, these latest G-O-TEA stunts threaten even more unnecessary pain & suffering. If we can't even think ahead and invest in the next frontier, what makes us think we'll ever conquer the future? And if we can't even invest in our own people when they're down on their luck and need only a helping hand to start climbing back up, then what good are we as a society?

Think about that. And by the way, Happy New Year. It's just too bad that the same old dunces on Capitol Hill don't want us to have one.

On Cards & Band-aids

Today is the day. Finally, those who have suffered due to complete lack of documentation can get something. So what is this something being offered?

Remember SB 303? It's now in effect. And driver's authorization cards are now available at the local DMV.



Long lines formed outside DMV offices in Southern and Northern Nevada this morning for the first day to obtain driver's authorization cards. Many are excited about the change happening here in Nevada. Yet even with today's big opening, there's an underscore of disappointment.

Why? While these cards are better than what we had before (nothing), they're still not an actual path to actual legal status. Keep in mind that Nevada and nine other states now offer these cards because Congress still hasn't passed comprehensive immigration reform (CIR).

Actually, that's not entirely accurate any more. The Senate passed S 744 last June. The House, however, passed nothing but an amendment aimed at deporting DREAMers. Even though a supermajority of US Senators and the American public want CIR, and even though the votes likely exist to pass CIR in the House, House G-O-TEA "leaders" have instead opted the "Duck & Cover Strategy" of trying to avoid the issue and deflect attention (& blame) onto their favored haute faux scandal of the day.

Even as this state and others must figure out how to adapt to the reality of the nation's broken immigration system, Nevada’s own Rep. Joe Heck (R-???) has done nothing but parrot the same old vacuous talking points provided to him by (House G-O-TEA) "leadership". And of course, that very "leadership" has only "led" in absurd spin while following the lead of Rep. Steve King (R-Crazy) and his army of 21st Century Know Nothings. Oh, yes. That's right. CIR has been stalled to death in the House because swing district backbenchers (like Heck) fear the consequences of sidestepping "leadership"... And "leadership" fears the consequences of angering the 21st Century Know Nothings (too much).

Yet ironically enough, the same 21st Century Know Nothings are expressing "OUTRAGE!!!" over Nevada taking steps to adapt to the reality brought on by Congress' failure to fix it's own problems. They're even angry at Nevada's Republican Governor for signing SB 303 into law, yet they want Reps. Joe Heck & Mark Amodei to keep blocking any progress on CIR (even the bill Senator Dean Heller supported). As long as there's no CIR, these kinds of ad hoc state/local level band-aids are all we can do.

And if any Republican politicians want to continue complaining about it, they know how to fix it for good.