Keep it Klassy, Camden.

1:00 PM UPDATE: Camden replied to us a little earlier. Here's what they tweeted:

@atdleft We apologize for the inappropriate emails & be assured that we're taking corrective actions to prevent this from happening again.

In addition, we've heard from our source that a Summerlin area Camden property is claiming it had nothing to do with the email. So far, they're claiming the national corporate office in Texas ordered this. We'll have to wait and see who's telling the truth on this.

But hey, at least they're now apologizing.


What else can we say about this? Keep it klassy, Camden.

(A great friend of Nevada Progressive tipped us off to this Thursday night. The next morning, someone else tipped off Ralston. Apparently, Camden is sending these letters all over Southern Nevada.)

October 23, 2014 5:03 PM
Subject: Vote NO on Question 3

To Our Valued Residents:

As you are probably aware, the November 4, 2014 ballot contains a question asking Nevada voters to approve a 2% margin tax on the gross revenues of businesses. This is not a proposed tax on profits; it is a tax on the total amount of revenue a business receives before paying all of its expenses – and businesses would be required to pay this tax even if they are not profitable or are struggling to keep the business running.

While this apartment community is home to you and your family, please remember that it is also a business. If the 2% margin tax passes on November 4, 2014, the owners of this apartment community will be significantly affected by this tax. If the 2% margin tax passes on November 4, 2014, the owners of this apartment community will be forced to find ways to pay this tax -- which may potentially result in the eventual raising of your rent. Please remember that the impact of this 2% margin tax will not be felt by Nevada businesses alone, it will ultimately be passed onto you as the consumer for a lot more than just rent. Accordingly, this proposed tax will affect you.

While we all care about education (and want the best for our children) this Margin Tax Initiative DOES NOT give education the true shot in the arm it needs, as only a small portion of the tax would actually benefit education. However, imposing this tax on Nevada businesses -- those that are employing our families and driving our economy – is not the answer. We strongly urge you to support this apartment community you call home and to vote NO on Question 3 when you go to the polls on November 4, 2014.

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Is this even legal? It certainly doesn't sound like something the Better Business Bureau recommends.

We know the No on 3 campaign has a penchant for the melodramatic. But really, this is a new low. These renters have a business agreement with Camden. They didn't sign up for Camden emails so campaign flyers can drop in their inboxes.

So is this the new LVGEA "Get Out the Vote" plan to kill The Education Initiative (TEI)? We know they can't compete on policy. So now they're having their friends at Camden send intimidating emails to renters at Camden apartment complexes?

Is this even legal? It's amazing to think this is actually for real.

The Real Deal

Earlier this month, Las Vegas Sun publisher Brian Greenspun shocked us... Not with his expected column opposing The Education Initiative (TEI), but with his assertion that LVGEA's gawd-awful Whitney Houston lip sync is somehow praiseworthy.

Queue today's Las Vegas Sun editorial on this year's ballot questions. While The Sun makes good points on Questions 1 & 2, it again ventures off to Neverland in search of a cohesive opinion on Question 3.

The solution is one we’ve already seen developing: Business groups are banding together and finding ways to fix the situation. They plan to come to the Legislature with a plan that will better fund education in a way that won’t break the backs of small businesses.

That’s what should happen and that’s the best way to go. This is a discussion for the Legislature, and seeing businesses involved in the process is encouraging. The bottom line is Question 3 is bad policy and would be disastrous for the state, especially when businesses are ready and willing to work with the Legislature to find a better way forward.

Here we go again with "The Deal". What is "The Deal"? What's in "The Deal" for our kids? And why can't we know how "The Deal" is being made? Maybe this is because "The Deal" is like all the other past "deals" that have gone nowhere?

As we've said before, why are we now to believe the very forces who have always fought against any kind of meaningful progressive tax reform suddenly want to give us "The Deal"? What have they ever done to earn our trust?

Think about this: They're spending millions on their campaign to defeat a mere 2% tax on $1,000,000+ of corporate income. If they're spending so much to defeat this at the ballot box, what makes us think they'll agree next year to any kind of tax reform that makes them pay something closer to their fair share?

So "Deal or No Deal"? Actually, how about we settle for The Real Deal?

No "Deal", No Mirage, No Dilemma

We had a feeling this was coming. In his "Sunday Column" yesterday, Jon Ralston moaned about the difficult choice he has regarding Question 3. Dare we say the typically very opinionated pundit hasn't yet made up his mind?

We understand this is difficult for him. He wants to believe. He wants to believe the Governor & Legislature will magically reach "The Deal" that Las Vegas Sun publisher Brian Greenspun alluded to in his column announcing his opposition to The Education Initiative (TEI). If we just give the "bid'ness establishment" just a little more time to "bring everyone together", can't we all just get along and praise the glorious arrival of "The Deal"?

However, Ralston has seen this same s--tshow play out so many times that he can sense "The Deal" is just a mirage. And when we say mirage here, we're not talking about the Strip casino resort with the volcano.

There's a reason why the very "bid'ness establishment" that's promising to usher in "The Deal" is spending so much to kill TEI. Every time anyone has suggested some kind of comprehensive and progressive tax reform, it's gone in to kill reform. Not even then Governor Kenny Guinn (R) could succeed at that front in 2003.

So why are we to believe "this time will be different"? And why are we to believe this time they will actually behave differently? We don't even know what's in this "Deal". And to be completely honest, we don't know if there will ever be a real "Deal".

However, we have the real deal on our ballot now. The No on 3 campaign offers a beautiful mirage of a miraculous "deal". But as with all mirages, this one is simply an illusion. Even Ralston seems to understand this.

As we've said before, our choice on Question 3 truly comes down to this: Something or nothing. We can either agree to the real deal for Nevada schools by saying yes to Question 3, or we can just say no and eventually realize there's no deal behind "Door No on 3".

We understand this may actually be a dilemma for Ralston and some other Nevada voters. Why must we be stuck with this decision? Why must we have to decide tax policy at the ballot box?

We just don't see this as a dilemma any more. That's because we're sick and tired of being offered nothing but enticing mirages and ficitious "deals" by the Carson City "bid'ness establishment". We want the real deal, and we now know exactly how to achieve it.

Our Children Are Our Future

Now we get it. Now we understand why the well heeled opponents of The Education Initiative (TEI) are screaming "DOOM!" They're actually afraid of losing!

According to their own internal poll, TEI is ahead 53%-42%. No, that's not a typo. Those are the real numbers.

So now, they're officially freaking out. They're turning up the dramatics even more on social media. They're ramping up their scare tactics. They're even leaving these door hangers on people's doors. After all, "Our children are our future."

Oh, really? Oh no, they better don't! They best not blaspheme the name of our matron saint like that!



Oh hells to the yes, our children are our future. So why do TEI's well heeled opponents want to deny our children the chance of a better future? Why do they want to continue the gross underfunding of public education in Nevada? Why don't they want to give our kids the tools they need to succeed?

Before they dare to invoke Whitney, they need to remember the greatest love of all. Yes, the children are our future. We need to teach them well and let them lead the way.

And this is exactly what Question 3 offers Nevada voters this fall. Instead of pulling up the rear, we can finally start leading the way. After all, we believe the children are our future. So why not start showing them the greatest love of all by giving them what they need to succeed?

"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.