Farley's Closet

They can run, but they can't hide. Ever since primary season concluded, State Senate Republican Leader Michael Roberson has been trying hard to convince everyone that he and his hand-picked running mates are "not your typical Republicans"... By hiding from public view. We're trying to remember the last time Senator Roberson spent this much time away from the media spotlight.

But why are he and his hand-picked running mates staying so far away from the media spotlight? Last week, we took a closer look at Becky Harris (R). And today, we're taking a closer look at Patricia Farley (R).



At first glance, Farley actually looks like "not your typical Republican". After all, she did preside over the board of AFAN (or Aid for AIDS in Nevada). How many Republican candidates have a record like this?

But wait, what really happened during Farley's tenure at AFAN? ProgressNow Nevada and Progressive Kick are back with a very well sourced report on Patricia Farley's history at AFAN (when she was known as Patricia Saavedra), as well as her positions on other key issues.



We distinctly remember this period of turmoil at AFAN. It ultimately led to painful fissures in Southern Nevada's LGBTQ community as people began asking questions on where the money was going, who was being treated (& who wasn't), and why so many staffers were being thrown out.

Back then, Patricia Farley spoke out and defended her organization. Why won't she do the same now? She occasionally issues press releases alluding to her service at AFAN, but she hasn't answered any questions on AFAN's finances and human resources policy since she announced her campaign for State Senate. Why is that? She now wants to have authority over the State of Nevada's budget. Shouldn't voters have the opportunity to know more about Farley's oversight of AFAN's budget?

No wonder why it seems like Michael Roberson is keeping himself, along with Patricia Farley & Becky Harris, hidden in some secret closet at some undisclosed location.

The "Issue(s)" With Adam Laxalt

Wait, so "Gift-gate" is no longer a trending meme? Well, you heard it here first (as you, our faithful readers, usually do).

All of a sudden, Adam Laxalt (R) is searching for a new "political issue" to run on. So now, he's actually taking to the airwaves to outright lie about Ross Miller (D), his oppoent in the Attorney General race.

Believe it or not, Adam Laxalt is now claiming Ross Miller leaked the scathing legal evaluations from Laxalt's law firm. The trouble with Laxalt's claim is that there's no truth to it. Jon Ralston actually made the documents public, someone at Lewis & Roca leaked the documents to him, and Ross Miller's campaign had nothing to do with that.



It's funny that Laxalt wants to talk about those documents again. After all, those documents revealed to everyone exactly why Adam Laxalt (R) is woefully unprepared to serve as Nevada's top "legal eagle". So why does he want to remind us of the (lack of) qualifications he has for the office he's running for?

And why again is Adam Laxalt (again) refusing to run on his own "political issues"? Considering what's making headlines today, why won't Laxalt talk about his ongoing crusade against marriage equality and the overall Constitutional rights of LGBTQ Nevadans?



Doesn't he want to further explain his "most flawed case against Obamacare? And why wouldn't he want to impress us with his depth of knowledge on the state's open meeting laws?

Poor (little rich guy) Adam Laxalt. He just can't get over his many "political issues". But sadly for him, a whole lot of Nevadans are so over his campaign.

Constructive Criticism

Today, we're trying to be nicer. A little earlier, we gave some helpful advice to NV-04 candidate Cresent Hardy (R) on "segregation laws". And now, we'd like to help another prominent Nevada Republican.

So now, we're turning our attention to Attorney General candidate Adam Laxalt (R)... And his many "political issues".

Last weekend, Adam Laxalt finally did a debate with his general election opponent, Ross Miller (D). OK, so at least he listened to us on that. But then, all of this happened.



No wonder why Laxalt has been so reluctant to agree to further debates. Ever since his "legal issues" have been unearthed, Laxalt has faced questions of his fitness to serve as Attorney General.

Laxalt has since tried to bury the story of the brutal evaluations from his own law firm by leaking "rave reviews" from the military and his law firm. He's even claiming now that he's "closing the gap" with Miller in his internal polling... Even though he refused to provide any actual numbers to anyone.

Adam Laxalt always likes to claim others have "no respect for the rule of law". So where's his? (Start around 3:00.)



No matter what Laxalt likes to claim about the state constitution and his opinions on various state & federal statutes, he needs to remember the ultimate supremacy of the US Constitution. Obamacare is the law of the land because the US Supreme Court declared it passed Constitutional muster. And federal courts continue to strike down bans on marriage equality because they're finding these marriage bans don't pass Constitutional muster.

Because we're feeling nice today, we'll give Adam Laxalt some constructive criticism. Perhaps before he opens his mouth and further embarrasses himself, he should first do his homework and get his facts straight.

Qualified?

Who could have guessed? Who could have guessed he would go there?

Oh, yes. That's right. We did.

Back in February, outgoing State Assembly Member and current NV-04 candidate Cresent Hardy (R) decided to expound on his philosophy of "segreation laws". According to Hardy, ENDA, civil marriage equality, and other policies aimed at ending wrongful discrimination are somehow "segregation laws". And "by continuing to create these laws that are what I call segregation laws, it puts one class of a person over another".

Yep, we also have trouble following his logic (or lack thereof) there. However, we had a feeling that wouldn't be the last time Cresent Hardy would try to explain his philosophy of "segregation laws". Oh, no. He went there again last Thursday at Falcon Ridge Golf Club in Mesquite.

Women, minorities and young voters are the reason the country is in trouble, according to Nevada Assemblyman Cresent Hardy, who is running for 4th District Congressional seat.

Hardy said they were the ones who elected President Barack Obama, which led to the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, among other things.

Oh, really. So now, "women, minorities, and young voters" are the reason why everything has gone wrong? And they're the reason why the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is destroying the country?

Here's a news flash for Cresent Hardy: Obamacare is actually helping the country. As of September 18, 7.3 million Americans have enrolled in health insurance plans through the Obamacare exchanges. The rate of uninsured Americans has dropped precipitously since Obamacare implementation began. And another 8 million Americans have obtained health insurance coverage through the Medicaid/CHIP expansion that Obamacare made possible.

Last Thursday, Hardy tried to blame President Obama and the Members of Congress who voted for the Affordable Care Act for Nevada's exchange problems. Here's another news flash for Cresent Hardy: He was one of the state legislators who voted to approve Governor Brian Sandoval's (R) plan. And now that we've all had to learn the hard way that outsourcing doesn't always work out the way we wanted, Governor Sandoval has agreed to move Nevada onto the very federal Obamacare exchange that Hardy's fellow G-O-TEA Culture Warriors were screaming about last fall.



Ironically, Cresent Hardy chided others over financial woes last Thursday at his Falcon Ridge Golf Club fundraiser... While refusing to take responsibility for his own financial woes. Even though Hardy was the one in charge when Legacy Construction & Development filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, he spoke as if bankruptcy court was somehow a blessing for everyone. Perhaps Hardy hit the jackpot when his partner bought him out, but we doubt others affected by Hardy's mismanagement of Legacy were as happy about that.



Yet while Cresent Hardy spoke about Legacy's little bankruptcy issue, he didn't speak about the other issue that's launched his former company back into the news: Highland Hills. People have become ill as they've discovered their homes lie on top of an unsealed landfill. And many of these Highland Hills houses are actually sinking as their foundations are coming apart.

Last May, Cresent Hardy provided a rare candid moment when he admitted, "The reason that I feel qualified to do this is I don't." (See the video above.) That truly says it all. And perhaps he should have cut himself off right there. After all, his "segregation laws" philosophy, his continued refusal to take any responsibility for the Highland Hills fiasco, his continued refusal to take any responsibility for the Legacy bankruptcy, and his blatant dishonesty over Obamacare really prove his point.

Seeing Florida Green

He's at it again. He's unloading his very overloaded wallet. And G-O-TEA politicians are rushing to worship at his feet to get in on the SuperPAC action.

G-O-TEA kingmaker Sheldon Adelson is back... With a vengeance. He's already writing the big checks again. "TEA" flavored politicians are flocking to Adelson's not-so-little corner of The Strip to curry favor. And Adelson is already trying to set the terms of debate for the 2016 Presidential Campaign.

So are we to expect a bunch of G-O-TEA Presidential hopefuls decry "reefer madness" next year? Believe it or not, Sheldon Adelson is now bankrolling the campaign to defeat a medical marijuana ballot initiative in Florida.

Why is Adelson pushing so hard against medical marijuana in Florida? He isn't funding the anti campaigns in the other states with marijuana on the ballot (such as the full legalization initiative in Oregon). And Adelson's medical research foundation has been funding medical marijuana research in Israel! So what's Adelson actually doing in Florida?

Apparently, he's looking out for Governor Rick Scott (R). Scott is locked in a difficult race for reelection, and some Republican consultants have worried that the medical marijuana ballot initiative will boost turnout this fall... Along with Charlie Crist's (D) hopes for a political comeback.

Of course, Sheldon Adelson is also looking out for himself. It just so happens that Las Vegas Sands wants to open casinos in Florida. But as of now, legislation to expand legal gaming in Florida (beyond the Seminole tribal holdings) remains stalled. Adelson seems to hope Rick Scott will try to revive gaming expansion if reelected... And make sure Las Vegas Sands emerges with shiny new contracts for shiny new Florida casinos.

We've been wondering why Sheldon Adelson has been so quiet about medical marijuana proceeding right here in his own state while he's bankrolling the anti-marijuana campaign in Florida (and funding medical marijuana research in Israel). Yet the more we sniff into this, the more we sense Adelson cares more about the kind of green he rakes in at his casinos than the kind of green Florida patients hope will finally become more accessible. And now, we're left to wonder if we'll be seeing more of these crafty political maneuvers as Adelson prepares to ramp up his 2016 political shopping spree.

Unhealthful Hot Air

Last week, we had the tale of the dueling appellate court rulings. This week, we just have a whole lot of hot air.

G-O-TEA media spinners had seized on comments made by Obamacare/Affordable Care Act (ACA) architect Jonathan Gruber suggesting that health insurance tax credits truly are supposed to be denied to consumers in the 36 states operating in the federal health insurance exchange. They figured this was their "smoking gun". But then, Jonathan Gruber himself refuted their misinterpretation of something he said 2 years ago.

And then, there's this. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant (R) blamed President Obama and the ACA for what may be a growing number of uninsured Mississippi residents. He also declined to admit he refused to allow ACA Medicaid expansion in Mississippi, and that he's taken additional steps to disrupt ACA implementation in his state. Whoops.

Oh, and let's not forget House Speaker John Boehner (R-Courvoisier) and his incredibly confusing USA Today op-ed. He declared he's as fervently opposed to Obamacare as ever... And that's why he's preparing to impeach suing President Obama to implement Obamacare more quickly?! Oops?

Thanks to Obamacare, more Americans have health insurance. And Medicare is more solvent. And the federal budget dedicit is dropping. And states not run by G-O-TEA radicals (including Nevada) want to keep those lower insurance rates. And all this success is making G-O-TEA politicians livid.

So they're suing. And they're whining. And they're complaining. And of course, they're spinning.

They just fail to recognize all this toxic hot air isn't healthful. Really, they need to step back. Oh, and they should see how Obamacare gives them better options in treating what we hope isn't a preexisting condition.

Ironic

Yesterday, we witnessed the tale of the conflicting appellate court rulings. While a 3 judge panel of the DC Circuit Federal Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to strike down Obamacare health insurance tax credits for working class families in 36 states, a 3 judge panel of the nearby Fourth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals voted unanimously to uphold the Obamacare/Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. Of course, the usual G-O-TEA suspects cheered on the DC Circuit ruling. And of course, that means the usual G-O-TEA suspects want to raise taxes on the middle class & working poor.

Wait, what?! Oh, yes. That's right. 87% of Obamacare enrollees in the 36 states under the federal health insurance exchange would lose their tax credits if the plaintiffs succeed in Halbig v. Burwell. So essentially, they'd have to pay higher taxes. And health insurance premiums for all consumers in these 36 states would rise by an average of 76%. Oh, and some 6.5 million Americans would lose insurance coverage. So basically, G-O-TEA politicians are cheering on a health insurance "death spiral" that would result in higher taxes and less health care for many millions of Americans. (Just don't tell them they lost in King v. Burwell, and their chances of killing Obamacare in court don't look good going forward.)

Where's Grover Norquist? Where are the "TEA" fueled purists? We thought they were against raising taxes. And we thought they didn't want consumers hit with higher costs.

Perhaps they were too busy demanding the arrests (and firings) of working mothers? Debra Harrell was just fired by McDonald's after she was arrested for letting her daughter play in a park. No really, she was arrested for letting her 9 year old daughter play outside. And she was essentially arrested for being too poor to afford day care.

But wait, whatever happened to "LIBERTY!!!" Whatever happened to "FREEDOM!!!"? Whatever happened to "DON'T TREAD ON ME!!!"? Apparently for the usual G-O-TEA suspects, it's perfectly OK for "BIG GUV'MINT!!!" to arrest working parents for letting their kids play outside because they're too poor to afford summer camp.

Isn't it ironic? For all the G-O-TEA talk of "low taxes" and "limited government", they want the working poor to pay higher taxes and face police state style oversight simply because they work at or near minimum wage level pay? Why is this? Might it be due to their desire for "low taxes" and "limited government" only for those who can afford it?

Might we possibly be witnessing a tale of a party spouting an ideology rooted in paradox? Or do these "TEA" powered politicians just detest the middle class and working poor so much that they just don't care about their nonsensical "philosophy of governance"?

Frivolous Law Suit

They couldn't stop it when it was originally in Congress. They couldn't gather enough votes to repeal it thereafter. They couldn't get it completely overturned in court. And they couldn't defeat the President who fought for the bill and signed it into law.

So now, they're doing whatever they can to undermine it. And if that means striking a painful blow to working families, so be it. If that means making health insurance unaffordable for 6.5 million Americans, so be it.

Earlier today, a 3 judge panel on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Halbig v. Burwell. It just so happens that 2 of those judges are Republican appointees, and 1 in particular has been notorious for his ideological tirades from the bench. So of course, it was a 2-1 vote to essentially blow up Obamacare by removing health insurance tax credits from the 36 states on the federal health insurance exchange. (And now that Nevada's exchange is a state/federal partnership, we may be affected by this ruling.)

This ruling isn't the end of this story, far from it. The Obama Administration will request an en banc hearing of the full court. And since the full DC Circuit Court now has an 8-5 Democratic/Republican composition, there's more than a decent chance this 3 judge panel decision will be overturned by the full court.

And then, there's this. At the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, a 3 judge panel ruled in favor of the defendants in King v. Burwell. And that ruling was unanimous. Here's what Senior Judge Andre Davis wrote in the unanimous panel decision.

"I am pleased to join in full the majority’s holding that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act “permits” the Internal Revenue Service to decide whether premium tax credits should be available to consumers who purchase health insurance coverage on federally-run Exchanges. But I am also persuaded that, even if one takes the view that the Act is not ambiguous in the manner and for the reasons described, the necessary outcome of this case is precisely the same. That is, I would hold that Congress has mandated in the Act that the IRS provide tax credits to all consumers regardless of whether the Exchange on which they purchased their health insurance coverage is a creature of the state or the federal bureaucracy."

So now, we have 2 competing 3 judge panel decisions. And both look set to receive en banc reviews. And both may end up at the door of the US Supreme Court (where the majority already upheld the foundation of the Affordable Care Act in June 2012).

They couldn't stop it in 2010. They couldn't repeal it in 2011. They couldn't sue it to death or defeat the President who championed it in 2012. And they couldn't even shut down the government to defund it to death in 2013. So now, the usual G-O-TEA suspects are back in court in yet another last ditch effort to sue it to death today. They don't mind hurting millions of Americans just to score political points... And they still don't realize the futility of their frivolous law suits and careless obstruction.

Yep, They're Your Typical Republicans.

So we're seeing this again. Once more, we're hearing all about "Republican rebranding". And this time, it's once again coming from an all too familiar source.

Earlier this month, we (again) heard State Senator Michael Roberson (R-Henderson) boast about his aborted illegal mining tax scheme. And then, he topped that with his super secret plan to magically "increase education funding". And just how will he accomplish that? Perhaps he'll eventually get back to us (or maybe his favorite media pundit?) with the details?

In the mean time, Senator Roberson is focusing on more important things... Like glossy mailers proclaiming how he and his hand picked candidates are "not your typical Republican(s)".

And how's that? Didn't they... Oh, wait. All but one in each chamber virulently opposed marriage equality when the Legislature was in session last year. And all but a tiny handful voted against the state version of ENDA in 2011. (And for the record, Roberson voted against both.)

But come on, didn't they... Oh, wait. In 2011, State Senator Michael Roberson led fellow Republican legislators against increased education funding. He also fought against implementation of the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare that gave us Medicaid expansion. It was only last year when Senator Roberson suddenly turned around and proposed his destined-to-be-aborted illegal mining tax scheme. And he couldn't even unite his own Republican Caucus behind it. And when the going got tough, he turned back around to embrace the status quo.

Come on now, didn't they... Oh, wait. In a last ditch effort to stop the state background checks bill, Senator Michael Roberson proposed a competing "poison pill bill" during the very last week of the legislative session. Oh, yes. That's right. He & his G-O-TEA colleagues in Carson City resorted to the most underhanded of parliamentary tactics to kill even modest legislation aimed at curbing gun violence.

Now before anyone accuses us of being "blind partisans", let's get this out of the way. When Democratic leaders in Carson City tried to avoid reality, we called them out on it. We even called them out when a sex education bill died a very mysterious death. (And by the way, where was "Not Your Typical Republican" Michael Roberson when this happened?)

We just refuse to look the other way when certain politicians try to have it both ways. Say what you want about current Democratic leaders, but we've never seen them attempt this type of incredibly confusing and flagrantly misleading "rebranding". In this aspect, Michael Roberson and his hand-picked running mates sound a whole lot like your typical garden variety Republicans.

This Is Why Elections Matter.

This morning, the US Supreme Court decided to tinker with workers' right to unionize... And the very survival of the American labor movement... And women's rights at work... And employers' ability to dictate their workers' health care decisions.

Both decisions were allegedly narrow, but they have the potential to set very dangerous precedents. Oh, and both decisions were 5-4. Who could have guessed the Roberts Court is so extremely ideologically divided?

In Harris v. Quinn, the 5 conservative Justices ruled in favor of a handful of home health care workers who did not want to pay union dues to enjoy the benefits of union negotiations. In order to curb "free riders", non - union workers were required to pay some sort of reimbursement fees to the unions for negotiating higher pay and better benefits for them. But now, 5 Justices (guess who!) just punctured a hole in this arrangement.

Now, they claim there's a separate class of workers who are "public employees" but are not really "public employees". Confused yet? Try Andy Kroll's Mother Jones primer for Harris. Suffice to say, today's ruling doesn't completely eviscerate the American labor movement... But it does bruise workers and threatens more pain ahead.

And then, there's Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby. Once again, we have a 5-4 ruling. Once again, we have a troubling precedent that threatens workers' rights. And once again, we have theoretical "religious freedom" valued over real women's health.

In Hobby Lobby, 5 Justices (guess who!) ruled that "closely held corporations" (essentially family run enterprises) can claim "religious objections" when denying workers contraception and other forms of reproductive health care. Strangely enough, some progressives are breathing sighs of relief today because this rather jumbled ruling actually gave plenty of room for the federal government to step in and provide reproductive health care to affected workers. The ruling was also designed to be narrow enough to avoid threatening other health care benefits (like blood transfusions and vaccinations) and/or legalizing workplace discrimination.

Still, this sets a frightening precedent. What if the hardest of hard-line conservative Justices just had one or two more votes on the Supreme Court? The message from Justice Samuel Alito (who authored both majority opinions) seems to be that he's waiting for just this to go even further in the direction of undoing the entire past century of progress on workers' rights and women's rights.

Here's a helpful hint: This is why elections matter. Presidents appoint and Senators confirm Supreme Court Justices. And there's a good chance we'll see at least one more vacancy this decade. Imagine the difference one vote could have made today.

This is why elections matter.

Worth the Wait?

Just over a year ago, Governor Brian Sandoval (R) signed SB 374 into law. This finally provided patients with a legal way to obtain medical marijuana.

Yet while we'll need to wait a little longer before any actual medical marijuana dispensaries open here in Nevada, "The Great Green Rush" is already underway. Entrepreneurs are rushing in to cash in on the new green sensation.

Yet already, some controversy has emerged... But not over the actual medicine. No, we're seeing growing controversy at Clark County Government Center because of how the county has been selecting finalists for medical marijuana licenses.

We'll admit we had some harsh words for the City of Henderson when the City Council decided to enact a year long moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries. Why deny residents the medicine they need? And why deny businesses the opportunity to capitalize on this while also providing a necessary service?



But now, we're wondering if there was perhaps a method to the madness at Henderson City Hall. In trying to avoid the drama that's come to define the Clark County licensing process, the Henderson City Council just gave their first green light to a tentative set of regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries. So was the wait worth it?

Perhaps. Back in May, we stated that "state & municipal authorities need to adopt wise regulations to ensure a fair market place". Now, we're wondering if perhaps Henderson's draft dispensary regulations are worth the wait.

We can understand why we've seen some awkward situations lately. Nevada has entered previously uncharted territory. So of course, there will be some missteps as we climb up the ladder to some sort of sensible marijuana policy.

But now, several weeks after Clark County and the City of Las Vegas jumped head first into the medical marijuana business, Henderson is taking a dip. And now, Henderson seems to be offering regulations that might actually be fair and sensible. Maybe, just maybe, this was worth the wait.

A Little Closer

Earlier this month, we experienced a breakthrough in the federal government. Medicare's ban on covering transition related medical procedures had been lifted. And while that alone was welcomed by transgender Americans, was it also a sign of further good news to come?

Perhaps so. Just last week, federal employees learned that their employer lifted its ban on insurance coverage of transition related health care. This morning, the Army finally rectified its wrongful discharge of Lisa Weiszmiller 35 years after booting her because she's a lesbian. And now, President Obama is releasing an executive order requiring all federal contractors to refrain from discriminating against workers due to sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression.

Last November, the US Senate passed ENDA. Both of Nevada's Senators, Harry Reid (D) & Dean Heller (R), voted for ENDA along with 62 other Senators. Yet despite this big bipartisan vote, ENDA has been stalled in the lower House of Congress.

But why so? Oh, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Courvoisier) called ENDA "unnecessary". Rep. Joe Heck (R-___) had nothing but "soft lighting" in response to a question about LGBTQ civil rights. And NV-04 candidate Cresent Hardy (R-Stupid) is still trying to explain his philosophy on "segregation laws".

This is why President Obama had to finally agree to the executive order. While G-O-TEA "leaders" in Congress continue to pander to the 21st Century Know Nothings, something needs to be done to address the fact that LGBTQ workers in 33 states continue to face some sort of "legal" wrongful discrimination. And while this is no substitute for a universal nationwide ENDA, at least a larger group of workers nationwide will be able to work without worrying about negative repercussions simply because of who they are.

As we've been noting throughout this LGBTQ PRIDE Month, we've experienced plenty of progress in recent years. And yes, the future looks quite bright. President Obama's big announcement today reminds us of this.

We just have further to go before we finally reach full equality. We have further to go before both houses of Congress finally recognize that we all deserve basic human rights. But at least today, we're a little closer to that final goal.

Into the Wrong Hands

It happened again. This time, it was Isla Vista, California, which is home to UC Santa Barbara. Seven people are now dead, including the suspected shooter, Elliot Rodger.



Once again, we saw the brutal reality of gun violence. Even though Elliot Rodger had obtained his semiautomatic pistols legally, friends & family had seen evidence showing that Rodger was preparing to commit a very heinous crime. Even local police ran into the warning signs (but seemed to miss them).

Make no mistake. These weapons are designed to kill. And when these weapons fall into the wrong hands, tragedy ensues.

Earlier this month, the NRA made a splash over its own "rebranding" campaign, complete with a brand new online TV network. Try as it might, but the NRA can't "rebrand" reality away. Over the weekend, Richard Martinez made that point very clear. He should know, as his son was one of the victims of the Isla Vista massacre.



Once again, we've seen the recipe for disaster executed. Someone didn't receive the treatment and care he needed. Instead, he was able to access deadly firearms. And we're once more witnessing the results of allowing lethal weapons to fall into the wrong hands.

Already, "TEA" fueled media pundits are trying to deflect blame onto someone else. "It's the feminazis' fault! It's the homosexuals' fault! It's a false flag government conspiracy!"

But of course, these "TEA" powered media personalities will never blame those who boast about being "what stood in the way" between this nation and better gun safety laws. Because of course, free-dumb isn't free. And it's best for us not to worry our little heads over dangerous weapons falling into the wrong hands.

The Great Green Rush

Last year, the Nevada Legislature passed SB 374. And after some initial hesitation, Governor Brian Sandoval (R) ultimately signed it into law. And with SB 374 becoming state law, medical marijuana dispensaries were finally cleared to open in the near future so patients could safely access the medicine they need.

Unfortunately for medical marijuana users, they ran into hiccups early this year when municipal governments throughout Nevada balked at the prospect of approving medical marijuana dispensaries. But in March, a major breakthrough occurred when the Clark County Commission approved a timeline to allow for new dispensaries in unincorporated Clark County communities. And later that month, the City of Las Vegas followed suit by announcing its own plans to draft regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries. And now, Las Vegas has finally approved specific locations for dispensaries.



And the City of North Las Vegas may also soon follow suit. At this point, Henderson and Boulder City are the only Las Vegas Valley municipal governments that are not moving forward on dispensaries. Boulder City has a ban in place. Henderson currently has a moratorium in effect until July... But with Henderson facing an increasingly nasty budget shortfall, the city may have to reconsider its stance on medical marijuana.

After all, medical marijuana is expected to bring more business to Southern Nevada. There's a reason why so many dispensary applications flowed into Clark County Government Center.



Hint: They want a piece of "The Great Green Rush". And as long as applicants are going into this for the right reasons and intend to serve patients in need, they have every right to go into this business. But of course, with every "rush" comes risk. So state & municipal authorities need to adopt wide regulations to ensure a fair market place.

There's a reason why all of this is happening. There's a reason why certain "entrepreneurs" are rushing to "embrace the weed". And there's a reason why the Nevada Legislature passed SB 374 in the first place.

It's because our legislators finally realized medical marijuana patients didn't deserve to be treated like criminals for daring to access the medicine they need. This is why we're now starting to experience "The Great Green Rush".

And all involved in this new "Rush" need to keep in mind who they need to serve.

Bloody Juice

We just saw another one unfold. It's easy to lose count of how many we've witnessed in the past few years. However, it's never easy to witness such a brutal and cruel loss of innocent lives.

This time, it happened at Fort Hood, Texas... Again. On November 5, 2009, Major Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire at Fort Hood. He killed 13 people and wounded at least 30 others.



On April 2, 2014, Ivan Lopez opened fire at Fort Hood. He killed 3 people and wounded 16 others before shooting himself dead. Lopez was under evaluation for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) just before he picked up his .45 caliber pistol and opened fire.

Once again, we're reminded of the serious public health, national security, and civil rights threats posed by unfettered gun violence. And once again, we're left wondering why this keeps happening. Once again, we're left wondering why we haven't taken more action to curb this senseless loss of lives.

Ironically enough, The White House had scheduled a "Champions of Change" event today to honor those who have been working hard on gun violence prevention. One of those honored today was Nevada's own Teresa Crawford. The event went on as planned this morning, but it certainly had a more somber tone in light of yesterday's tragic event at Fort Hood.

It also felt (even) more poignant. Think about it. Fort Hood has just endured another mass shooting. The perpetrator had mental health struggles. And yet, he successfully accessed and discharged a .45 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol. How could this happen again? And why are we letting this happen over & over again?



At today's event, Teresa discussed the campaign gun violence prevention activists have used to hold politicians like Senator Dean Heller (R-NRA), Rep. Joe Heck (R-NRA), and Governor Brian Sandoval (R-NRA) accountable for serving as "what stood in the way" between us and better gun safety standards. She and the other panelists shared stories of their own experience with gun violence, and how they've been able to turn their stories of tragedy into opportunities to build community and work on positive action to improve their communities. And yes, they also shared stories of how they're still working to overcome the immense political juice the NRA & gun industry still hold locally & nationally.

What we're now realizing is that the juice the NRA & gun industry produce is a rather bloody juice. They keep peddling fantasies of deregulation heaven. Yet when we follow their orders, we only end up with hell is nightmares. Something must change. We can't afford to continue drinking this bloody juice.

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?

Long Road

The past nine months have certainly not been dull. They haven't been easy, either. After a surprising wait, SB 374 became law. Yet even as it became law, medical marijuana still wasn't legally available yet because several municipal governments throughout Nevada were refusing to allow dispensaries within their boundaries.



Finally this month, a breakthrough occurred when Clark County announced its plan to approve zoning regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries. That pretty much guaranteed that dispensaries will finally open soon in Nevada's most populous county. And it set an encouraging precedent for other municipal governments to follow.

And now, the Clark County Commission has finally cleared the way for dispensary applications to begin circulating by approving regulations. And just hours before the Clark County Commission approved its new medical marijuana dispensary regulations, the Las Vegas City Council finally directed city staff to begin drafting its own dispensary regulations. The City of Las Vegas had been the biggest municipal government to resist any allowance of medical marijuana, but yesterday the City Council finally came around to approving dispensaries.

So after nine months of regulatory delays and legal brawls, SB 3374 is finally on track for full implementation. And after thirteen years of legal wrangling, police raids, and plenty of confusion all around, the will of the people is finally starting to be recognized...

But this fight is still far from over. Patients still face immense hurdles as they try to access the medicine they need. Even as Clark County and Las Vegas City make progress in adopting new regulations, medical marijuana can not yet be legally obtained anywhere in Southern Nevada.

The road to legal medical marijuana in Nevada has been quite long. And it's been quite difficult at times. And we're still far from the end of it. But at least today, it looks like we're moving in the right direction. Perhaps this long road will finally take us somewhere.

Simple

Just this morning, we had to point out the ugly reality of G-O-TEA politicians continuing to beat that poor dead horse. We just didn't expect them to celebrate it... And lie about it so brazenly.

Yet it happened. No really, it happened last week at the "Campaign for Life Summit" as anti-choice activists and G-O-TEA strategists discussed proper "messaging". And yes, they actually advocated using "compassionate" sounding lies to mask the War on Women they so eagerly want to continue.

So they actually took Pat Hickey's advice. What on earth are they thinking? Apparently, it's the same thing Texas Republicans are thinking when they claim women are "too busy" to care about equal pay for equal work.





So they want us to believe that women are "too busy" to care about paycheck fairness? And they want us to think that this would not be a problem if women were to just "negotiate more like men"? And they still wonder why Sue Wagner left the Republican Party?

Here's why: "Republican rebranding" won't make it go away. "Softer" rhetoric won't make it go away. And no, lying about it definitely won't make it go away.

If Republican "leaders" truly don't want their party to be bogged down any more by their War on Women, then they need to stop fighting it! It's just that simple.

G-O-TEA politicians can't just lie about their own record and expect their political problems to disappear. They decided to start the War on Women. It just sucks for them that most Americans don't care for it.

And no, slick new ads won't do the trick. Neither will sleeker technology. And neither will "soft" lies. It's not that simple.

The solution to their problem, however, is quite simple. It's their choice not to take it.

No Sympathy

Last month, we saw a local media pundit get awfully butthurt express strong "OUTRAGE!!!" But why? Why all the outrage? Oh, that wily Senator Harry Reid (D) didn't hold back when he called out the Koch Brothers' campaign of deceit.

But why did he lash out at Senator Reid? Why didn't he last out at the shady billionaire brothers behind the nefarious front groups using deceitful campaign ads to buy more seats in Congress?

Alas, it's no longer just a local media pundit chiding Senator Reid for daring to speak the truth. Now, the Beltway pundits are catching up with their own tears shed for the poor lil' rich Kochs.

But why? Why is it "wrong" to fire back after the Kochs' front groups have repeatedly lied about Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act, or ACA)? And why is it "wrong" to reveal the truth about the Kochs, their lying ads, and their extreme ideological agenda?

Think about it. Their ads are false. They have been spending a ton of money promoting their preferred candidates & ideology. And their ideology happens to be quite extreme in its rejection of pretty much everything that's made America strong.

So please excuse us for showing "The Koch-topus" no sympathy. Unlike certain local & national media pundits, we care more about the truth than Beltway cocktail party protocol. And since the Kochs show their political opponents no sympathy, we don't understand why anyone has to show them any.

"Soft" Rhetoric, Hard Reali-TEA

On Monday, we discussed the "helpful advice" Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey (R-Reno) was offering his Republican Party in "how to talk to women". He said his party needs to "show empathy" and "know why they feel the way they do". Apparently, it's also important to show some condescension along with that "empathy".

Yet as Hickey and a crew of national Republicans are trying hard to spin their "kinder, gentler, woman friendly Republican Party" into a "softer light", the usual G-O-TEA suspects refuse to give up their hard "TEA". Case in point: Greg Brannon. He's running for US Senate in North Carolina. And he recently said this.



Once again, G-O-TEA politicians are spreading misinformation about Planned Parenthood. And once again, G-O-TEA politicians are resorting to slut shaming. And it's not just Greg Brannon stooping to the bottom of the barrel for more ammunition to use on the ongoing G-O-TEA War on Women.

In recent weeks, "Uncle Sugar" Mike Huckabee has become a top general in the G-O-TEA's War on Women. And he doesn't seem to want to relinquish this role any time soon. Even as he's called women "a special treasure", he's nonetheless endorsed looting that treasure (by stripping women of their civil rights) as "how we win elections".

And it doesn't even stop there. Even as some G-O-TEA leaders call for "softer" rhetoric, none of them are backing away from their extreme ideology. Rather, they keep doubling down on it!

Contrary to what Pat Hickey and national Republican "leaders" want us to think, there's no such thing as a "kinder, gentler" war. There's still violence. There's still bloodshed. And in this case, America's women realize their health care and civil rights are still under attack. No amount of "softer" rhetoric can change this hard reality.