Vol. 5, No. 20
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August 15, 2008
Nevada's Online State News Journal -- Serving Informed Nevadans Since 2003
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Nevada News DigestAnd Links Of Interest=================================August 15, 2008 _____ The new issue of The Nevada Observer is now up and ready for your reading pleasure (check the middle column for our current articles, features and columns). ================================== July 6, 2008 _____ Our Troubled Republic Americans' unhappy birthday: 'Too much wrong' (Associated Press article) 59% of voters say Constitution is Just Fine; 39% Say it Doesn't Restrict Government Enough (Rasmussen Reports) Most Americans Proud of U.S. History, Say Other Nations Should Follow America's Lead (Rasmussen Reports) Confidence in Congress: Lowest Ever for Any U.S. Institution (Gallup Polls) Supreme Court Ratings Fall as Session Nears End (Rasmussen Reports) RealClearPolitics Poll Averages (RealClear Politics) The buck doesn't stop here; it just keeps falling (Associated Press article) Travel experts: US share of foreign tourists slips (Associated Press article) Foreclosures to rise, whomever wins White House (Associated Press article) Gallup Daily: Americans' Current Views of the Economy (Gallup Polls) Rasmussen Employment Index Shows Worker Confidence Down Again to Another Record Low (Rasmussen Reports) Consumer Confidence Falls to Another All-Time Low (Rasmussen Reports) Voters Agree With Court Gun Ruling and Think McCain Does Too (Rasmussen Reports) Voters Okay with Status Quo on Wiretapping (Rasmussen Reports) 56% Want NAFTA Renegotiated, Americans Divided on Free Trade (Rasmussen Reports) 67% Support Offshore Drilling, 64% Expect it Will Lower Prices (Rasmussen Reports) 32% Angry About Immigration, but Not Mad at Immigrants (Rasmussen Reports) ================================== |
N.C. Wyeth, The Carpetbaggers (1912) ================================================================= IN THIS ISSUE================================================================= Feature Story: Analysis Primary Election 2008 And Its Consequences Turnout Among Smallest In State’s History by Johnny Gunn The weather cooperated, the candidates did their best to make you feel comfortable voting for them, but it seems that apathy may have been the watchword for the 2008 Nevada Primary Election. Early voting was sporadic and slow, absentee voting numbers were low, and turnout was down from the expected 25 percent to somewhere around 15 percent to 17 percent. There has been talk that this may have been the lowest primary election turnout in, if not history, then for many years. Some big names in Clark County politics went down in flames, and in Washoe County, one big name survived while another didn’t. From a voter’s stand point, the results of the Primary would make the General a fun fest immediately. Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio survived the Republican Primary and a strong campaign fought by former Assemblywoman Sharron Angle. Long time Assemblyman John Marvel will not find his name on the ballot come November, but former Republican Assemblyman Don Gustavson will. That district, #32 (Rural) covers a broad areas from Battle Mountain in the east to Sparks in the west. There were allegations that Marvel, a land and tax attorney was behind the effort to get Governor Jim Gibbons’ property tax on a 40 acre plot in Elko County reduced to about $15. Ethics charges are pending, and some feel this led to Marvel’s defeat. Republican Assemblywoman Francis Allen in District 4 suffered the consequences of a bad temper and stabbing her new husband with a steak knife. Voters didn’t much care for that behavior and tossed her out in favor of Richard McArthur. Assemblyman Bob Beers made ranking members of his own party angry enough that they did not support his bid for reelection, and he was soundly defeated. The legislature will have several new faces come February, and some will be there for the last time because of term limits, including Raggio. Read full story ____________________ Top News Story: Analysis Nevada Energy Summit Scheduled For Las Vegas UNLV Campus Hosts Renewable Energy Leaders / Politicians Issues Becoming More Political Than Practical by Johnny Gunn Called a National Clean Energy Summit, originally planned along the lines of the Nevada Clean Energy Summit held in Reno in 2007, the gathering scheduled for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas campus on August 18 and 19 is rapidly becoming a political affair dominated by the democratic Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, and former democratic President Bill Clinton. While leaders of various forms of clean energy will be attending, it is those not attending that are drawing attention, such as Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons. Along with Reid and UNLV, the sponsors include the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a liberal organization whose web site can be found at http://www.americanprogressaction.org/. Among the other politicians invited to attend and speak are Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. According to press releases dealing with the summit, the objective is to define consensus ideas and principles that participants can carry to the parties' political conventions this summer. Besides Gibbons, among the missing is California’s Arnold Schwarzenegger, and between the two states, Nevada and California, there is more renewable energy production than any other two states in the nation. Read full story ____________________ Intra-State Transmission Lines Approved By BLM Deal May Hinge On Acceptance Of Coal Fired Plants In Ely Sierra Pacific Resources (SPR) is the home company for Nevada Power Company in southern Nevada and Sierra Pacific Power Company in northern Nevada, but a lack of transmission lines has prevented the company from full utilization of its resources between the two ends of the state. Power developed in the south cannot be used in the north and vice versa. When SPR proposed building a 1500 megawatt coal fired power plant in Ely, in White Pine County, the company planned to connect the Ely project with Nevada Power in the south by way of a 300 mile transmission line, thus connecting the two major power suppliers in the state for the first time. The concept of a connecting transmission line was hailed on the one hand while the idea of a large coal fired plant in White Pine County was panned by most. Sierra Pacific Resources has delayed the company’s plans for the coal fired plant, and the intra state power line was delayed at the same time. Now, another energy company, L.S. Power, also planning a 1500 megawatt coal fired plant in Ely has come forward with plans to build the cross state transmission line. L.S. Power has said the line will be built even if their plans for a major coal fired plant in White Pine County are not finalized. The Bureau of Land Management gave their blessing to the plan recently. Sierra Pacific Resources in the meantime has not fully dropped their plans for a transmission line. If the line is built it will mean that power developed in northern Nevada, whether natural gas, oil, coal, or renewable energy would be available to southern Nevada, and Nevada Power, which does have solar power on its grid would be able to make southern Nevada energy available to the north for the first time since the two resources came under the SPR umbrella. Read full story ____________________ Nevada Casinos Rake It In, Just Not Quite As Much Sixth Month Below The Year Before The nation’s economic slump is continuing to have its affect on Nevada’s largest industry, as the casinos report a “take” in June about 1.11 percent below one year ago. Called the “win’, it is the money taken in from gamblers across the tables and through the machines before any expenses are accounted for and does not include anything except gambling. The take in June was $949,316,713. Of that, the state collected $52,096,054 in gaming taxes, which turns out to be 8.43 percent higher than one year ago. June’s taxes are collected in July, thus becoming the first tax collected in the fiscal year 2008-09 which began on July 1. Clark County’s gaming establishments were up slightly more than two percent while the Washoe County gamblers were off by a whopping 19.18 percent in June compared to one year ago. Little Wendover, on the border with Utah, usually a winner, came in with a loss of 11.6 percent. Read full story ____________________ Election 2008, Part Two In Full Swing National Conventions Take Center Stage The Nevada Primary Election is over (See feature article), and the full brunt of Election 2008 is hitting home with the national conventions right around the corner, and a blitz of local, regional, and national advertising already underway. There have been a few little things from the primary that are a bit interesting, like small turn out, which isn’t unknown in Nevada elections, and always the claims of election fraud. Early voting turn out was good, which is something that has been becoming a very real part of elections in the last few years. Many don’t want to wait for election day, and jump in right away. Early voting also is a boon to those that travel, have busy business schedules, and for some, enjoy the socializing that seems to be a large part of the process. One Initiative Already Out The initiative petition that was going to be offered by the union representing the dealers at Wynn Resorts of Las Vegas has been withdrawn, giving the Nevada Resort Association their first big win of the election cycle. Wynn Resorts has been forcing the dealers to share their tips with their supervisors, and the initiative would have stopped the process. The casinos of southern Nevada are opposed to the petition and threatened court action with a secondary threat that if the union lost in court it would be responsible for all legal costs. The union said that threat effectively forced them to withdraw the petition since the union did not have the financial resources to pay all legal costs if they had lost. Read full story ____________________ Nevada’s Education System Still In The Basement It’s Time For Re-Evaluation Of Entire Department by Johnny Gunn When comparing Nevada’s educational standards against the rest of the nation, the Silver State children are at a serious disadvantage, and it cannot be simply blamed on money or a lack thereof. There must be problems within the education system itself in order to produce children whose education is below any national average. For there to be an average, there must be some states that are doing very well by their children. Nevada is not doing well by its children, and in the long run, more than just the children will be suffering. The economic stability of the state is at risk as well since today’s world demands a highly educated work force. Technologically advanced companies will not open for business in an area that cannot provide an educated work force. That is the reality of what the state’s education system is working toward. In the school year 2007-08, there were 412,395 students enrolled in Nevada’s schools according to the U.S. Department of Education. Of these, more than 41 percent came from what the agency considers low income homes. Nevada is a minimum wage state at best if you believe these statistics. According to the latest figures available, there are 559 schools in the state of which almost 33 percent are considered less than adequate by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The national average for school districts is 30 percent, but the figures are a bit misleading. Read full story ____________________ Utah Counties File Federal Suit Over SNWA Water Snake Valley Aquifer At Risk They Say A suit has been filed in a Nevada District Court demanding that State Engineer Tracy Taylor allow Salt Lake County and Utah County to participate in Snake Valley water hearings as interested party(s). Taylor said since the counties didn’t protest the water plan when it first was devised in 1989, they should have no say in the matter. Snake Valley covers a considerable amount of land in eastern White Pine County, Nevada, and in western Utah, and is home to large agricultural holdings. At the heart of the plan is the 300 mile pipeline envisioned by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) to deliver about 300,000 acre feet of water annually to the Las Vegas Valley. So far, SNWA has been given the right to pump water from valleys and aquifers in White Pine County and Lincoln County, including Spring Valley, Cave Springs, Dry Lake Valley, and Delamar Valley. There is a tremendous amount of opposition to the water importation plan outside Las Vegas, and that now includes the two Utah counties. The counties are saying that pumping the Snake Valley aquifer would create another Owens Valley and add to a high air pollution problem along the Wasatch Front. They fear dust clouds similar to those seen in the eastern California area of Owens Valley. When Los Angeles drained the Owens Lake and claimed all the water pouring into the Owens River, they turned an agricultural paradise into a dust bowl. The Owens Valley is reportedly one of the nation’s worst polluted places, from swirling dust storms. Read full story ____________________ Ricin Case Closed? It Appears So A Guilty Plea Closes A Strange Incident At about the same time the FBI said it was closing in on the alleged perpetrator of the Anthrax Terrorist, the Ricin Case came to a close in Las Vegas. The alleged purveyor of Anthrax committed suicide before the FBI could arrest him and bring to trial for killing several and creating panic and terror following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The man who allegedly had enough deadly ricin with him in a Las Vegas motel room to kill hundreds of people was allowed a plea bargain that could result in a three year jail sentence. Roger Bergendorff, a man who doesn’t appear to have a permanent home, was found ill in his motel room that later was found to have vials of ricin, a deadly biological agent that’s only non criminal purpose is in cancer research but that is known as a biological weapon that could be used in terrorism plots. The question of why Bergendorff had the agent has not been answered to this point. In court testimony, federal agents said they did not believe he had criminal intentions, that “he had no intention of hurting anyone.” This is the sticking point in many people’s minds, and a point that has not been addressed by the authorities. Bergendorff has been described as having enemies, has been considered as suffering from a level of paranoia, and in court, has been having fantasies about committing crimes. He is found with a so called terrorists handbook giving the recipes for making ricin, had a crude form of ricin that he had made, and was armed with weapons that had silencers attached. It’s hard to understand, in today’s world with terrorist plots being uncovered daily, that this man “had no intentions of harming anyone.” Read full story ____________________
The Prairie Mail Box, by Rufus Zogbaum (1887) ____________________ Editorial: Campaigning By Way Of The Wallet The Plan: To Buy A Vote Not To Earn A Vote by Johnny Gunn The first half of Election 2008 is now in the books, a recorded history of our time, if you will. We survived party caucuses with charges of unfairness on both sides, and a surprising turnout on both sides. And now, the Primary Election has taken place. It may not sound large, but the ten percent of registered democrats and republicans that turned out for January’s caucuses was considered large by those familiar with the process. Those not registered within one of the major parties were left out in the cold. As it turned out Nevada voters did not go with the flow. Democrats chose Hillary Clinton as their presidential favorite while republicans picked Mitt Romney. As we near the General Election, it will be Republican John McCain facing Democrat Barack Obama, and an all out knock down fight is sure to be waged through television advertising, which will leave the voter in the dark. More emphasis should be placed on face to face debates, on discussion in public on what the issues are and how they are being addressed by the candidates. When the fate of the country hinges on who can spend the most money and say the least about the issues, we as a freedom loving democracy lose. One of these two men will lead the United States, and by proxy, the free world, and we will make our choice and decision based on a spending spree, not a reasoned debate. Read full column ____________________ A brush with an old sage: Waco's Big Debate by Hal Swift There's a pretty good-sized middle-of-the-week crowd at Shorty's Place, and the temperature inside is almost as hot as it is outside. Shorty pounds on the bar with his wooden bung-starter and hollers, "Okay, folks! That's enough arguin' about politics! I want y'all to calm down now, and find somethin' else to talk about!" A 6-foot-8, 310 pound cowboy named Moose allows as how he can talk about anything he wants to. Shorty says, "Go ahead. But if y'keep on arguin' politics, I'll have ol' Waco here, run your caboose right out into the parkin' lot." Moose looks a little skeptical at this, but at least a dozen of the regulars at Shorty's chime in with stories about how they've seen ol' Waco conduct impressive behavioral modification classes on men that'd make Moose look like that famous 98-pound weaklin' that ever'body kicks sand in 'is face down at the beach. Waco stands up and walks over to the bar to get a refill of his mug of sasparilla, and in doing so, has to walk past Moose. Moose looks up at Waco's scarred face, broad shoulders, and gnarly, rawhide hands, and nods 'is head. "Okay," he says, "I reckon I get kinda carried away sometimes when it comes to politics." Sioux says, "No problem, Moose. Uncle Waco got carried away one time when it came to politics. Hey, everybody! Did Uncle Waco ever tell you about the time he ran for president?" Shorty says, "Now, Sioux, this better not start another argument." He turns to Waco and says, "How come you never told us about this? Heck, you'd of got a lotta votes from the folks who hang out in here." Waco says, "Awwww, Sioux. Now you've gone and done it. I'm embarrassed about that whole messy wreck." "You don't need to be," says Sioux. "There's a lot of people who'd have done exactly what you did." John, the newspaper man says, "Now, both of you... you've got everybody interested in this. Why don't you just do the right thing, and go ahead and tell us what happened." Read full column ____________________ Nevada History: Nevada's Oldest Family-Owned, Working Ranches and Farms by Guy Rocha, Nevada State Archivist If you can’t claim a first then claim the oldest -- in this case the oldest continuously-operating family-owned ranch in Nevada. The Nevada Centennial Ranch & Farm Program honors working, long-time family-owned ranches or farms more than 100 years old. The ranch has to be at least 160 acres in size, or if less than 160 acres must have a gross yield of at least $1,000. The program, sponsored by the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office, Nevada Farm Bureau, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nevada Cattleman’s Association, and the Nevada Department of Agriculture, is now in its third year. There were many family-owned ranches and farms at the base of the Carson Range in the 1850s when the area was still known as western Utah Territory. A number continued to operate for more than 100 years. These pioneer properties, however, including the John Quincy and Rufus Adams Ranch (1853) and the Henry Fred Dangberg Ranch (1856) in Carson Valley, are gone now, the price of development in a booming urban corridor. Fortunately, the Dangberg Home Ranch in Minden is now Nevada’s 26th state park. The oldest continuously-operating, family-owned ranch honored by the Nevada Centennial Ranch & Farm Program is the Cushman-Corkill Ranch in Churchill County. Josiah Cushman purchased the 1,700 acre ranch on the Carson Sink in 1861 where Fallon is today. “Cushman was known for his high-quality cattle and a ‘fine-bearing orchard’,” according to the 2004 award narrative, “and eventually served as County Clerk, 1872-1874.” Following the completion of the Newlands Reclamation Project in the first decade of the twentieth-century, the family raised alfalfa, corn, potatoes, Sudan grass, and small grains. Read full column ______________________________ Some kind of blog:The Irascible OneHow’d your people do? --- The Irascible One’s record remains solid. “I haven’t picked a winner in decades,” I exclaimed wildly to an empty newsroom. I wonder just how many signs will actually be taken down now that the field has been narrowed. Just because it’s the law doesn’t mean a wanna be politician is going care, you silly person. ••• Pitiful --- The turnout for the Primary is a pretty sad commentary of our way of life. Pretty arrogant to say, we demand democracy in other countries when we don’t really give a damn about it. Less than 20 percent of the registered voters bothered to voice an opinion. It’s this kind of apathy that gave us George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. We really can do better, Mr. Jefferson, sir. Read full column _____________________________ The Nevada Observer's Fabulous Cartoon Features !!! The Nevada Observer: Existential Art |
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