Last Hurrah of Hate

Yep, it finally happened. It was bound to happen. Perhaps there was no way of stopping this from happening.

For the first time since the US Supreme Court's landmark US v. Windsor decision, a federal judge ruled against marriage equality. Yesterday, US District Court Judge Martin Feldman upheld Louisiana's marriage ban. Oh, and he didn't stop there.

Judge Feldman also denigrated LGBTQ families. He pulled the "incest card". And to top it all off, he essentially declared that Louisiana LGBTQ families don't deserve equal treatment under the law because they made the wrong "lifestyle choice".

Hmmm... Where have we heard this before? Oh wait, might it be the case that's about to be heard by the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals next week?



Oh, yes. That's right. Sevcik v. Sandoval will be among the three marriage cases heard by the San Francisco federal appellate court next week. (The other two are Idaho and Hawaii.)

All too often, we've heard the "family values" argument against LGBTQ civil rights. And there's a reason why so few federal courts have given this argument any merit in recent years: It's crap. There's no real Constitutional case behind it, and there's no "moral case" there either.

So what do opponents of equality have? That's a good question. We know they have "political issues". We know they have "variations". We've constantly heard their nonsensical garblety-goop. And of course, we've seen their "segregation laws".



Unfortunately for opponents of equality, that's all they seem to have (along with their increasingly sparse courtroom victories). Yet while they keep trying to "rebrand" their opposition to civil rights, they can't "rebrand" the basic dollars & sense. There's a reason why so many business leaders want marriage equality. Not only is it simply the right thing to do, but it also opens the door to $52 million worth of more business for Nevada.

So what do they have left? Fear. No really, all they have left is xenophobia. And yesterday's ruling from Louisiana (along with the 2012 Nevada federal court ruling) is their last hurrah of hate.

Welcome, Tesla (?)

So it's official. It's finally happening. And of course, it's the talk of the town all over Reno.

Just moments ago, CNBC broke the news that Tesla has chosen Northern Nevada to house its new gigafactory. And already, a special session of the Nevada Legislature is being set for next week. And of course, we're already starting to hear all sorts of political spin and economic happy talk.

So what's the deal? We know Tesla is planning to spend $5 billion to build its 10,000 square foot gigafactory. What we don't yet know is how much Tesla is expecting the State of Nevada to kick in for construction.

We strongly suspect this deal will involve some Nevada taxpayer money, as a special session looks to be necessary. It's also been no secret that Tesla has demanded public subsidies for this gigafactory.

So how much will this cost us? Most likely, a cool $400 million.

And what are we getting out of this? Potentially 6,500 new jobs for the Reno/Sparks region, along with a breakthrough that may open the door to electric cars becoming more affordable for more consumers.

Here's the good news: This has the potential to actually make a dent in the long promised drive to diversify Nevada's economy. This also has the potential to kick-start the green tech sector and take it to new levels here in Nevada and nationally. Oh, and this can help quite a bit in our efforts to take on the challenges posed by climate change.

Here's the disturbing news: We're once again relying upon corporate welfare for any sort of economic development. And that's just not a sustainable business plan going forward. After all, take a look at how far Reno and Nevada have gone with Apple. Apple continues to laugh all the way to its offshore bank accounts while we're left holding the bag (full of holes, thanks to the many budget cuts we've endured over the past half-decade).

This is why we're experiencing mixed reactions now. On one hand, it's exciting to think that Nevada may be home to the next generation of transportation & energy innovation. But on the other, this achievement seems awfully tainted due to the $400 million we're having to bribe spend to convince Tesla to build the gigafactory in Northern Nevada. Is that money truly well spent? Or is it just more money being diverted from our already "grossly underfunded" schools and other critical parts of public infrastructure?

Right now, let's just say the 63 Nevadans who may soon have to head back to Carson City are about to step into a rather sticky situation.

Where to Start on Isis

This is something we touched upon last month. And this is something we must talk about today. Iraq is pretty much on a razor's edge right now. And now that Isis is killing journalists along with soldiers as it expands into Syria, alarm bells are ringing.

Even here in Nevada, Members of Congress are demanding some sort of strategy to take down Isis. But what should we do?



The usual "TEA" fueled suspects actually seem to be advocating exactly what Isis wants: a 21st century "crusade". And for a number of Republican politicians, neoconservative belligere nce is suddenly en vogue again. We guess all it takes is a foreign crisis for "libertarian populism" to be thrown out the window.

President Obama has already ordered air strikes against Isis in Iraq. Now, the President is considering rallying allies to expand the air campaign into Syria. This is now on top of the agenda at the NATO summit in Estonia (alongside the ongoing conflict in Ukraine).

Already, we're hearing plenty of opinions on what to do in Syria & Iraq. And that's all fine & dandy. We just need to see this debate move into Congress.

That's where it needs to be. That's where military action must be authorized before it proceeds. And no matter how much they want to avoid going on record with a floor vote, that's what must happen.

There are no easy answers here. There are plenty of good reasons to doubt the utility of yet another large scale US military intervention in the Middle East... But can we afford to do nothing? Some sort of action may be needed to curb Isis, but that action probably shouldn't involve useless bluster.

So what should we do? What we know for sure is that it needs to start with Congress stepping up to the plate.

Yep, More Technical Difficulties

We hate having to write this again. But sadly, it's come to this.

Our personal blogging assistant (aka our smartphone) started experiencing problems last weekend. At one point, it just went berserk. And then, we started experiencing dead spots on the screen.

Sadly, our personal blogging assistant is defective. So we're now waiting for a replacement.

We appreciate your patience while we're working out this latest set of technical difficulties. Jeez, is it too much to ask for a functioning smartphone and reliable internet?

Answer for His Own Record

He's gone back and forth. He's stated support... Then declared opposition. He's been dancing his way around the issue.

And he probably wasn't at his campaign office today. However, that didn't stop local Everytown volunteers from stopping by Rep. Joe Heck's (R-Henderson) campaign office off Horizon Ridge Parkway in Henderson.





In February 2013, Rep. Heck claimed he was ready to pass legislation to expand background checks for gun purchases. Yet when a bill emerged to do just that and simply close the loopholes that allow dangerous criminals to obtain lethal firearms, Rep. Joe Heck responded with nothing but excuses on why he would not support it.

There's a reason why gun safety advocates are now campaigning for ballot initiatives here in Nevada and elsewhere to expand background checks. When Congress had the chance to pass a very modest background checks bill, the usual G-O-TEA suspects killed it. And Rep. Heck stood by those who killed the bill.

Earlier today, Everytown volunteers made the trip to Heck's campaign office to give him a questionnaire. They're giving Rep. Heck a chance to answer for his own record. We can only wonder what he says (or if he even returns the questionnaire).







These are his constituents. And so are the thousands of other NV-03 residents demanding #GunSense. It's time for Rep. Heck to answer for his own record.

That Says a Lot

He finally returned to Las Vegas. He's due in court tomorrow. And now, War Machine is about to face justice.

The MMA fighter formerly known as Jonathan Koppenhaver is going to trial on seven criminal charges involving the near fatal attack on Christy Mack and Corey Thomas. As he's returned to Las Vegas, he's actually encountered something he's been seeking ever since this story first broke on social media: some public support.



We sensed this was coming. "She's a porn star. She's a 'loose woman'. She deserved it!"

Of course, he deserves a fair trial. Every defendant does. But does the victim deserve to be placed on trial?

All Christy Mack had to do was step outside for several War Machine fans to troll her on Twitter and declare that she's "full of s--t". Even though the photo posted on Twitter shows the injuries on Mack's face, she's "full of s--t". That says a lot.

But hey, they're not alone. War Machine now has an entire "movement" of men's rights activists (MRAs). They've even come close to having their way in Congress. That also says a lot.

We Need You

We need to talk.

ProgressNow Nevada Action will be giving us an award. We still can't believe this is actually happening.

However, we're not surprised by the other fine people ProgressNow will be honoring some very worthy people at its Celebrate Progress awards reception on September 16. State Senator Tick Segerblom (D-Las Vegas), organizer extraordinaire Rudy Zamora, and GymCats owner/activist superstar Cassie Rice will all honored for all their amazing work. We certainly couldn't be happier for them.

It's amazing to think we'll be sharing the stage with them. And it's great to see so many worthy people honored. But will it truly be an honor if we're in a mostly empty bar?

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You know who we want to see at Artifice on September 16 at 6:00 PM? You! If you want to honor some great progressives and a great organization committed to fighting for progressive values, please come to Artifice on September 16. Tickets start at $50, proceeds will be put to great use, and you'll have the opportunity to meet the best of the best in person (along with us).

We couldn't have achieved this without you, so we need you at Artifice on the 16th.

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.

Why Was He There?

There's a famous quote we're thinking of this morning. It goes like this: "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."

It's often wrongly attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, but it certainly applies to the political career of State Senator Michael Roberson (R-Henderson). In 2011, he was "Mr. TEA Party". He eagerly pushed to slash state funding in public education. Even though the final 2011 budget deal included millions in brutal budget cuts, Senator Roberson voted against it because he wanted more budget cuts.

Senator Michael Roberson was the premiere anti-worker, pro-austerity G-O-TEA "rising star" in 2011. So why is he boasting of receiving a "NEA award" in 2014? (NEA refers to the National Education Association, the national teachers' union.)





First off, let's clarify where this award came from. It was from the NEA Pacific Region Republican Educators' Caucus. At Clark County Education Association (CCEA) Headquarters yesterday, CCEA President Vikki Courtney made it clear that even though Senator Roberson and the Republican teachers were doing a press event at CCEA HQ, Roberson was not being awarded or endorsed by CCEA or NSEA (the Nevada State Education Association, the state teachers' union).



So why was Senator Roberson at the CCEA office yesterday? He has a rather long history of attacking their members and slashing school funding in Carson City. Who are these Republican educators behind this award he received?

The Senator had no interest in answering these questions as he dashed inside the building, even as CCEA leaders and a couple of the Republican teachers came outside to speak with teachers and community activists protesting outside.



It wasn't until 2012 when "Mr. TEA Party" suddenly morphed into "Moderate Mike". Out of personal conflicts and political expediency, he flip-flopped. And even then, he only pledged to stand with Governor Brian Sandoval (R) in maintaining the status quo.

So why was he at CCEA HQ yesterday to receive an award from the "NEA Pacific Region Republican Educators' Caucus"? During last year's legislative session, Senator Roberson fought hard against The Education Initiative (TEI). Senator Michael Roberson even introduced a competing initiative two months after the deadline for the Legislature to consider TEI. Remember this. He waited until the final weeks of the 2013 session to introduce his "Education Priorities Initiative", did so without receiving the support of Governor Sandoval and most other Republicans, and did so even though the deadline had already passed for the Legislature to propose an alternative to TEI.







So why was Senator Roberson at CCEA HQ yesterday? Everyone outside was wondering. And there may have been teachers inside the building who were asking the same question.



He fought against teachers. He fought against restoring budget cuts for Nevada schools. He fought against TEI. So why was Senator Roberson at the CCEA office yesterday, especially when CCEA wasn't endorsing him?

Shutdown Sequel?

Since today is #ThrowbackThursday, we figured now is a good time to jump back into the Nevada Progressive archives. Today, we're traveling back to October 2013. Remember what was happening then? Or perhaps more appropriately, remember what wasn't functioning back then?

We do. And we remember how and why the great Shutdown Shitfest of 2013 finally came to an end.

Fortunately, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Agent Orange) finally stood down last night after his "Plan Z" went nowhere fast. And Ironically enough, that was largely thanks to mounting 21st Century Know Nothing opposition. But in pushing themselves to complete irrelevancy and Speaker John Boehner to total embarrassment, they only succeeded in giving Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) the opening they needed to resume talks and seal the deal. [...]

After all, Fitch is now threatening to lower America's credit rating. And world leaders have warned of the economic repercussions of Armageddon. So we finally got to see "Game Over".

Yesterday, Rep. Joe Heck's (R-Why?) staff refused to answer questions regarding the Armageddon deadline. But now, it doesn't matter. House Republican "leaders" are declaring defeat, and a floor vote will soon be scheduled.

For the past three weeks, Congressional Republicans from Nevada and elsewhere have pushed the nation to the brink of disaster. And yes, it's led to some awful consequences. But now, it's all coming to an end. Republicans are being forced to drop their crazy demands... Because it's just plain game over.

After that month from Hell, Congressional Republican "leaders" vowed never to go there again...

Yet now, there's a chance they will actually go there again. But why? Oh, that darned President Obama is planning to clean up the mess they exacerbated by refusing to do any kind of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR).



While he isn't publicly endorsing it, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) isn't ruling out a Shutdown Shitfest Sequel, either. And we all remember how he and other Republican "leaders" played coy in the run-up to the first Shutdown Shitfest last fall.

Just like last fall, the G-O-TEA base wants one. But unlike last time, they don't have Obamacare to claim as a bogeyman any more. So now, their fearmongering stand-in will be the President's planned executive action on immigration.

In fact, their fearmongering has already begun. They've gone after #BorderChildren. They've gone after DREAMers. And now, they're going after abused women.



Oh, and of course, they're screaming about "TER'RISS!!!" and "JOBS!!!" while they threaten to hold the federal government and national economy hostage over something they promised to do before refusing to do it. Sure, that makes plenty of sense. #Not

And now, we're left to wonder if G-O-TEA opposition to any kind of positive executive action on immigration will lead them to force us into a sequel we had hoped would never come to fruition

Smart Funding Solution

On Monday, we made a field trip to Gibson Elementary School in Henderson's Green Valley to witness the wonder that is #BackToSchool. We noticed parents dropping children off and teachers taking them in. We noticed Nevada children starting a new year full of new adventures.

We couldn't help but notice the classroom trailers, outdated textbooks, and overcrowded environment. And we weren't alone. That's why a group of concerned citizens, parents, teachers, and local business owners, stopped by Gibson Elementary on Monday to urge Nevadans to pass The Education Initiative (TEI) this fall.

Did someone at LVGEA catch our report? The "Esmeralda Straw Man Group" actually released an op-ed for the "newspaper" claiming they just want TEI supporters to "join with" them to find "smart funding solutions for our K-12 education system".

Oh, really? So now, LVGEA and the rest of the "bid'ness community" want "smart funding solutions"?



Like what? An overdue and illegal campaign stunt? Or defunding Esmeralda County schools? Or perhaps another regressive "service tax"?

Or are LVGEA and its fellow TEI haters just proposing the same "smart funding solution" they always end up supporting? Come on, you know what that is: Nothing.

So don't blame us for doubting the sincerity of LVGEA's latest commitment to "smart funding solutions". Hell, that op-ed promising "smart funding solutions" didn't name any specific "solutions". Gee, we wonder why. Could it be due to Nevada's recent history on "solutions"? And might it be due to the fact that the lack of real solutions is what created the demand for TEI in the first place?

LVGEA and other "bid'ness community" mouthpieces can spin as much as they want, but they can't spin the facts away. The only true smart funding solution is the one on our fall ballots: TEI. After all, the only "smart funding solutions" we know of are ones that actually exist.

Bucket List

Just over a month ago, this was official NRA policy: "Everyone gets a gun." We warned of the dangerous folly of this policy. But of course, the NRA and its "TEA" powered allies refused to listen.

Charles Vacca was a firearms instructor at Last Stop, a gun range in White Hills, Arizona. Bullets And Burgers is Last Stop's tourist promotion that brings tourists from Las Vegas and up Highway 93 to the gun range with promises of "exotic" automatic weapons, "Desert Storm atmosphere", and lunch included. Earlier this week, Charles Vacca gave a nine year old girl an Uzi military grade submachine gun to fire. This was the result of that fateful decision.



Charles Vacca was brought to Las Vegas for medical attention, but it was too late. He died. He had been shot by the Uzi he had given to the nine year old girl to use at the range.

And now, we must all endure the painful aftermath. We must all confront the haunting questions left behind at Bullets And Burgers.



Of course, the usual suspects don't want to confront anything seen as challenging their "conventional wisdom". Under its "@NRAWomen account, the NRA actually tweeted "7 Ways Children Can Have Fun at the Shooting Range". And yes, the NRA actually tweeted this out yesterday.

When interviewed by Chris Hayes on MSNBC yesterday, Last Stop operator Sam Scarmardo said he plans to seek guidance from the NRA and other gun groups going forward. Perhaps he should rethink seeking any kind of guidance from the NRA.



On average, seven American children are shot dead every day. This nine year old girl could have killed herself along with Charles Vacca. Why on earth are children shooting Uzis at ranges like Last Stop?

On MSNBC last night, Sam Scarmardo defended Last Stop's decision to allow that nine year old child to shoot that Uzi by claiming "this was a big -- something that was high on her bucket list to do and her parents took her out to do what she was gonna do." Bucket list? Really? Is the "Children's Death Wish Bucket List" supposed to be the new "killer Las Vegas tourist attraction"?

"High on her bucket list"? Really, NRA? And really, LVCVA? If this is truly our new pitch to tourists, then perhaps we should become accustomed to seeing more numbers like these.

Go Ahead & #GoBigObama

What a way to make an impression with one's constituents. For some reason, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (R) thought it would be a great idea to insult a group of undocumented immigrants confronting him over his inhumane anti-immigrant policies, including a rule that bars DREAMers from attending public colleges in Georgia.

Here's what Nathan Deal got wrong: He clearly wasn't expecting this good of a comeback. Oh, and the students he claimed were undocumented immigrants were actually US citizens. Whoops.



And this isn't the only recent example of G-O-TEA politicians encountering hot water when trying to spin away anything & everything immigration related. Earlier this month, Senator (& likely 2016 Presidential Candidate) Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) ran away when confronted by DREAMers. And earlier this week, Rep. (& fellow likely 2016 Presidential Candidate) Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) refused to answer questions from DREAMers on why he voted to deport them along with Central American refugee children.



And then, there's Senator (& another possible 2016 Presidential Candidate) Marco Rubio (R-Florida). Once upon a time, Rubio was a lead sponsor of S 744, the comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) bill that handily passed the Senate last year. But as of late, Rubio has been trying to catch up with Rand Paul in the anti-immigrant department. And now, Senator Rubio is condemning the very CIR legislation he once sponsored.



The devolution is now complete. Republican politicians who once supported CIR are now running away from it as fast as they can. And once respected "conservative think tanks" are now advocating public funding for anti-immigrant/anti-government militia groups.

So why are they doing this? Why are they flip-flopping so wildly? And why are they now embracing the extreme anti-immigrant militia movement?

Simple answer: Short term politics. Longer answer: They're so frightened of their 21st Century Know Nothing base that they're willing to sacrifice sound policy (and smart political strategy) to grovel to G-O-TEA Culture Warriors' darkest desires.

This is why CIR now lies dead in some House committee room. And this is why President Obama must take executive action to address what the lower House of Congress refuses to fix. While DACA does provide some relief for DREAMers, their family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors are still being deported en masse. Even though they committed no crimes and have made many positive contributions to our communities, they're still being deported. In fact, President Obama has presided over more deportations than any other US President.

Since the lower House of Congress refuses to act, President Obama must. Since House Republicans (cough- Joe Heck -cough) insist on playing petty politics with real people's lives, President Obama must look past the petty politics and focus on good policy. Since the lower House of Congress declined to "go big", the President must.

Meet Its Match

Remember this gem from last month? NRA lobbyist Brian Judy was very upset over Nick Hanauer donating to the pro-I-594 campaign in Washington State. So he went Godwin and slid down the rabbit hole into "libertarian populist" gibberish.



We can't help but wonder what Brian Judy is saying now. Nick Hanauer just delivered on a $1,000,000 pledge he made in June for I-594. And none other than Bill & Melinda Gates. The philanthropists and tech industry legends also donated $1,000,000 to the Yes on I-594 campaign.

Go ahead and queue the "libertarian populist OUTRAGE!!!!11111!!!111" now.

Also go ahead & ask this: If the NRA is so "OUTRAGED!!!" at the likes of Bill Gates, Nick Hanauer, and Michael Bloomberg spending on pro gun safety campaigns, why did the NRA spend over $25 million during the 2012 election cycle? Why have the NRA and its gun industry backers spent so heavily on lobbying and campaigning during the past couple of years?

We've seen the results of the NRA's political shopping spree here in Nevada and nationally. A basic background checks bill was filibustered in Congress last year. Similar state level background checks legislation was vetoed by Governor Brian Sandoval (R-NRA) shortly after. And the NRA has bought itself "open carry orgies" across the nation, from Georgia to Idaho to Florida and elsewhere.



But now, the NRA wants us to believe it's concerned about the overflow of money in politics? That's funny. We don't remember the NRA endorsing any kind of state or federal campaign finance reform legislation. (That's because the NRA never has.)

So why are NRA mouthpieces now screaming at Bill Gates? They're just worried about the NRA finally meeting its match. And now that Nevada is now considering The Background Check Initiative, the NRA is running scared.

In an ideal world, none of this would be necessary. In an ideal world, we'd have a clean money system in place so that no well heeled special interest could buy oneself whatever policies one wants. Hell, in an ideal world, we wouldn't have to resort to ballot initiatives to make major policy changes!

But alas, we don't live in the ideal world. We live in the real world. Yet in this real world, the NRA has finally met its match. And that's why it's suddenly worrying about the big money rolling in for gun safety reform.

(No More) Dead Horse

Not again. Must we talk about this again? Why are we witnessing the beating of this dead horse again?

Oh, wait. A certain State Senator's favorite media pundit insists on beating this dead horse again. Why? A group of Republican teachers want to give this Republican State Senator an award

Before we proceed any further, let's review the dead horse the Senator and the pundit continue to beat.

Clearly, Ralston is excited by this. However, there are two major problems. And Ralston himself knows what they are.

One is the law. At best, the Nevada Constitution is unclear as to how legislators can propose an alternative to a citizen's initiative, especially when the Governor would rather not. At worst, Governor Brian Sandoval (R), Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto (D), and Secretary of State Ross Miller (D) are all correct in finding [State Senator Michael] Roberson's [R-Henderson] proposal unconstitutional.

The other problem is the politics. As we've discussed before, Roberson's proposal has led to yet another major division among Nevada Republicans. While Roberson assembled a Senate GOP "Mod Squad" of six to support it, Governor Sandoval, the other Republican Senators, the bulk of Republican Assembly Members, and the "tea party" activist base of the party have all aligthened against it. Roberson desperately needs Democrats for this to have any chance of passage, but Democrats so far look to be keeping their distance from any proposal to ratfuck harm The Education Initiative that's already legally qualified for next year's general election ballot.

The law was not on his side. His own party was not on his side. And really, no one other than his inner circle and the above mentioned media pundit were on his side. It just wasn't happening, regardless of Democratic leaders' decision to keep away from the magical, mythical, meddlesome mining tax initiative.

(And by the way, State Senate Democrats actually did release a tax proposal. So did Assembly Democratic leadership. Just because [we and] the media pundit didn't like these tax plans doesn't mean they weren't on the table last year.)

Oh, and let's not forget this: the magical, mythical, meddlesome mining tax initiative never truly existed (until it was too late). Oh, yes. That's right. There was never a bill number (until May 13). If there's no bill number, it doesn't exist.

So why was there no bill number? Think about this: When did the horse die? And who killed this horse in the first place?

Perhaps this is why Senator Roberson prefers to deflect blame onto Democrats. It's easier for him to blame Democrats than to admit that the law and the bulk of his party don't seem to agree with him.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying all Democrats have been angels when it comes to preparing a proper state budget. Far from it, I have not hesitated to criticize Democrats when they were wrong. But come on, one can't blame Democratic leaders for keeping their distance from a tax initiative that's legally questionable at best and creating even more chaos within Republican ranks.

So just keep this in mind next time some media pundit or Republican Senator tries to deflect blame for the failure of the tax initiative that was never to be.

There was no bill number. There was no coalition ready to pass it. There seemed to be no plan in place to actually pass it. We're left to wonder if there was even any actual desire on anyone's part to pass it.

So why are we examining this dead horse yet again? It's all this Republican State Senator has to run on. And for some reason, it's all the above mentioned media pundit loves to fantasize about.

Yet it's still a dead horse. But you know what isn't? The Education Initiative (TEI). It's real, it's alive, and it will be on our ballots this fall. Unlike that Republican State Senator's nonexistent tax initiative, TEI offers real funding and real solutions for Nevada schools.

So why must be beat the dead horse again?

ADDENDUM: So there was a bill number: SB 513. The problem? It wasn't introduced until two months after the IP 1/TEI deadline. So our point stands. There was no actual bill introduced until it was too late.