Community College President Sacked. Education Lobbyist Sacked. Former City Manager Calls Williams Liar. Las Vegas Lobbyists do, too.

Wouldn’t You Love to Read Briget Jones’ Diary?

by Johnny Gunn

The fallout from a nuclear explosion might not quite compare to what’s happening because of the actions and alleged deceptions of Nevada State Assemblyman Wendell Williams. During the weekend before Thanksgiving, Community College of Southern Nevada President Ron Remington was removed from his position, reduced to teacher status and not given an opportunity to defend himself.

At the same meeting of the University Board of Regents, a meeting that lasted more than two full days, college lobbyist John Cummings was also reduced to teacher status, and some say it’s all because of Assemblyman Wendell Williams, and the woman he asked the college system to hire, and then used as his personal assistant.

During the 2003 session of the Nevada Legislature, rumors flew that Williams was working with both Remington and Cummings to make the college a four-year institution, and were doing this without the blessings of college Chancellor Jane Nichols, or the University System Board of Regents. Remington and Cummings both deny those allegations, but it appears there may have been some doubt in the minds of the majority of regents.

Following the 2003 session of the state legislature, it was discovered that Williams had been padding his salary by taking sick leave from his city of Las Vegas job, that he used his city provided cell phone to the tune of several thousand dollars, and that he lied about his time cards to the city. His job with the city is on the line as is the job of his immediate supervisor.

It also became known that Williams had demanded that Chancellor Nichols hire a former assistant of his, one Topazia Jones who uses the nickname Briget, as in the movie and book Briget Jones’ Diary. While working for the college, Jones also spent quite a bit of time in Carson City working for Williams, but her time cards at the college don’t reflect that.

Apparently lobbyist Cummings alleged that Jones was taking these unauthorized trips to the capital, and following a brief investigation, President Remington recommended she be fired. Jones complained to Chancellor Nichols that she was being harassed, the firing didn’t happen, and an investigation of Cummings and Remington was begun.

During the two day Regent’s meeting, a 1,000-page investigative report was offered by private investigator Jeff Cohen. The motion by Regent Tom Kirkpatrick to demote or to remove Remington passed by the vote of 7-6. Interestingly, Jones was able to keep her position with the college. A vote of 9-4 sealed that. Neither Remington nor Cummings was allowed to testify at the hearing.

Although he hasn’t said legal action may be in the works, Remington’s attorney Frank Cremen has written a letter to the university system asking for an explanation of the demotion. Cremen is disturbed that during the sixteen hours of testimony and arguments, his client was not allowed to defend himself. Even worse in Cremen’s view, Remington wasn’t even invited to the Regent’s session.

Chancellor Nichols has filled the position of interim president for the college. Thomas Brown was named by Nichols, and will serve until at least the next scheduled meeting of the Board of Regents, Dec. 11. Brown was among the first to teach at the community college, and has been there for over 30 years. Among his other duties, Brown has been a senior advisor to the college president and chief administrator at CCSN Las Vegas campus.

 In the meantime, more allegations are piling up regarding Wendell Williams. He is telling anyone who will listen that he was working for the good of Las Vegas, and at the behest of former City Manager Virginia Valentine during the 2001 session, and that because of his work, he was guaranteed his job, with a raise, with the city. Williams says it was his work, not as a legislator, but as a member of the legislature lobbying on behalf of the city, that got him protected status.

Valentine, with Clark County at this writing, has denied ever offering Williams a raise, has denied promising him continued employment, and says she never told him to work as a Las Vegas lobbyist. Other city lobbyists concur. Some say he got in the way but was not responsible for any lobbying on behalf of the city.

Williams hasn’t been fired just yet, but his position is tenuous. His previous supervisor, former Neighborhood Services Director Sharon Segerblom has also been threatened with termination for conspiracy to help Williams get paid by the city while in Carson City. Segerblom says it was Valentine who promoted Williams. Valentine says it was Segerblom. Valentine is an assistant county manager in Clark County, and says it would be extortion by Williams if his charges are true. To say he would lobby for the city only if he got job security and a raise would be extortion, and Valentine said she would never stand for that conduct from any employee.

She says he wants it to appear that the city bribed him into filing all the false reports so he would represent the city at the legislature. In her words, “that’s a crime,” for him to extort the city in this manner. She said the basic fact is, Williams falsified his time cards and Segerblom signed off on it.

So far, no legal action has taken place concerning Briget Jones, Wendell Williams, Sharon Segerblom, Ron Remington, or John Cummings, but the buzz around the university system, Las Vegas City Hall, and the legislative halls is that this entire mud bath will land in court soon.

Regents are playing this very close to the vest, but watch for a break at some point in the next few weeks. The holidays will give many a chance to breath and possibly think through their positions. In the meantime, everyone still has a job.

Government Employees Who Serve in the Legislature May Need Remedial Courses in Ethics

by Johnny Gunn

The 2004 political season is well underway in Nevada, with charges of conspiracy to defraud, charges of double dipping, and of course, petition drives border to border. Among the races to watch this year will be the republican primary challenge for State Senator Ray Rawson’s seat by State Assemblyman Bob Beers. Rawson is the Dental program director at Community College of Southern Nevada when he’s not serving in the senate.

Beers is one of the strong supporters of a statewide petition drive to make it illegal for a government employee to serve in the legislature. Beers has said those who hold government jobs are constitutionally prohibited from serving in the legislature. In his words, “You don’t stop being a legislator when the session is over.” A 30-year-old attorney general’s opinion differs on that subject.

Rawson maintains he is not a lobbyist for the university system just because he works for the system. In a development dealing with Wendell Williams, the Las Vegas city employee steadfastly maintains that he has been in essence, a paid lobbyist for the city while working as a legislator.

There are nine legislators who also work for the university system, three of them part time, and one just retired, and overall, 14 of the 63 legislators held full time jobs with governments, schools, courts, or the university system. According to an attorney general’s opinion issued by AG Bob List more than 30 years ago, this is not a violation of the state’s constitution.

Secretary of State Dean Heller feels it’s time for another opinion and has asked AG Brian Sandoval to issue an opinion on whether government employees can serve in the legislature.

Within the University System, none of the legislators took sick leave while some took vacation days, and they got paid for it. Others took leaves of absence, calling it the ethical thing to do, and did not receive pay for their time in the hallowed halls of Carson City.

All of the employees of the University and Community College system of Nevada did receive their medical benefits, even if they were on a leave of absence during the time they served. This is a policy of the University System Board of Regents, a policy that considers legislative service a benefit to the university system.

So, the question remains, who is right? Senator Rawson contends he is not serving two heads, the university system and the general public. Assemblyman Bob Beers calls it in direct violation of the constitution. Wendell Williams contends he was serving the city and the electorate. The Board of Regents contends those in the legislature serve the university system and the electorate.

One of those who took a leave of absence from her job as political science professor at UNLV is Senator Dina Titus, and she has said more than once she has caught grief for not supporting the university system with her votes and advocacy. She has had public run ins with former UNLV President Robert Maxson. Titus is also furious that the actions of those she feels are ethically challenged taint her position in the legislature.

Within the ranks of those who serve in university system jobs, and serve in the legislature, there really isn’t a break politically, as can be seen in this report:

Senate

Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas

Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas

Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas

Assembly

Jason Geddes, R-Reno

Ron Knecht, R-Carson City

Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas

Marcus Conklin, D-Las Vegas

Ellen Koivisto, D-Las Vegas has retired from university

Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas is a CCSN recruiter

The noise level right now is not particularly high, but you can bet that as the political season warms up there will be many charges of financial abuse of the ethical questions, as well as charges of criminal activity. Before the legislative session of 2005, calls for a stronger ethics law dealing with these questions of ‘who does one really serve’ will be called for as well.

Ever Thought About Running For Public Office?

Read This and Shake Thy Head ...

By David Thompson

There are many questions one must ask before giving in to the urge of running for public office. This list of questions should be answered, and then the big question, do you really want to open up your private life to anybody who feels it's necessary to investigate every moment of your life and its consequences.

“How can you get your message across? How will anyone even know that you’re running for office? How do the other candidates do it? With signs, billboards, radio and television commercials? Doesn’t that cost money? How much do you have? Will you have to raise money from other people?

What does the job pay? How much does it cost to get elected to the job? If the cost of election exceeds the annual salary of the position, how can you, as the office-holder, be your own man? Don’t you owe your elected position to special interests, in direct proportion to the discrepancy between what you have and what you must raise?

Should you repay the special interests somehow? What can you expect to happen if you don’t? How can the special interests be repaid? If you, the office holder can’t pay them back from your own money, don’t you have to play favorites? Don’t you have to use public money or assets to repay the favors showered on you? Who loses then? How fair can such a system be?

What if you’re honest? If very many of the other office-holders reward the special interests who helped to get them elected, what happens to the honest office holder who doesn’t believe in playing favorites? How many terms can you hope to serve? How will anyone even know whether you are or were honest?

Do you think the system might have some problems? What about campaign finance reform? When was the last time you asked your elected officials to vote for it? Any more questions?”

Some Facts and Figures

Campaign finance reform legislation has not gotten out of committee at recent sessions of the the Nevada Legislature, nor have serious and comprehensive ethics rules and laws.  The 2004 election cycle is just now starting, and it’s already hot, soon to be blistering, and questions of campaign finance and ethics should play a large roll in the election of our state representatives. 

Here are some figures that aren’t normally bandied about, but that can stir up a good debate at any time.  Look them over carefully.

If some of these figures catch you in your pocket book, think about how you might ask certain questions during the upcoming political cycle.

A Reunion at the Bar? No, This Isn’t Boy’s Night Out

A date of Jan. 20, 2004 has been set for trial in the corruption case involving current and former members of the Clark County Commission, but both sides seem to think it will be many months after that before any real court room action takes place. Two former commissioners and one current member of that body entered pleas in a federal courtroom in Las Vegas on Nov. 21.

Federal magistrate Peggy Leen heard the three plead not guilty to charges that allege one paid and two collected money that might have come from naked women, by way of their boss, Michael Galardi, owner of several strip clubs in Nevada and California. Galardi has pleaded guilty in the Nevada case as well as a similar case in San Diego, California. His operating licenses have been rescinded in Nevada and are being reviewed in California.

Former Commissioner Erin Kenney, rejected by voters when she ran for Lt. Governor, has also pleaded guilty in the conspiracy and political corruption case.

Former commissioners Lance Malone and Dario Herrera, along with current commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey stood together before the bar. Malone, a former Las Vegas Police Officer, a former Clark County Commissioner, allegedly works, they say as a lobbyist, for Galardi, and accepted cars and cash in order to get improper votes from Kincaid-Chauncey and Herrera. Malone is accused of being the middleman, the one who made the offers of cash to the others, according to the indictment.

Galardi has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and is awaiting what the feds might hand out as retribution. Former Clark County Commissioner, and candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Erin Kenny too has pleaded guilty to all the fraud charges brought against her. Galardi is awaiting sentencing on two plains. He pleaded guilty to the charges in Las Vegas, and to additional charges stemming from alleged corrupt practices in San Diego, California.

Kincaid-Chauncey had been the chair of the commission just days prior to her courtroom appearance, but stepped down from that position. She has declined to give up her seat on the commission itself, however, and is quoted as saying she plans on running for reelection.

According to the indictment, Malone gave money, gifts and services to the commissioners in exchange for votes, votes that would be of significant benefit to Michael Galardi and his Clark County skin joints, Jaguars and Leopard Lounge.

Kincaid-Chauncey, Herrera, and Malone face charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Kincaid-Chauncey and Herrera also are charged with extortion, and Malone is charged under the RICO act, that is, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act.

Attorneys at the hearing don’t expect the case to go to trial much before 2005, maybe even 2006. Kincaid-Chauncey is up for reelection in 2004, and she says she will run. All three were released on their own recognizance, no bail required. The indictment was released on Nov. 6.

The Buzz Around the Silver State

Our Correspondents

Elko County

(Spring Creek) The budget for fiscal 2004 was approved during a board of directors meeting. Revenues are expected in the $2.3 million range while expenditures are a bit less.

In other business, the board voted to participate in a weed management program, and voted to hire Ron Morley as gold course superintendent.

Eureka County

(Eureka) A federal grant to the Eureka County School District is the big news, and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant is expected to provide almost $400,000 over the next several years to the learning potential in the county.

A committee has been formed to encourage the entire community to consider how the program can be expanded to become one where people gather to learn. In other words, to open the schools to more than just learning for the children of the county.

Washoe County

(Reno) Members of the House Resources Committee, led by Nevada Congressman Jim Gibbons have been discussing plans to ease the fire danger around Lake Tahoe. Members of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Washoe County Commission, and the House and Senate have been working to create regulations that would be environmentally acceptable in the Sierra Nevada basin.

Critics are saying that a fire like that in Southern California this fall probably wouldn’t happen. Others say such a fire would destroy hundreds of millions of dollars worth of property and would undo years of efforts to restore the lake.

(Reno) The North Valleys area of The Biggest Little City are running out of water, and this isn’t anything new. Several years ago, during another drought period, there was an attempt to bring water to the Stead, Lemon Valley, Golden Valley areas by way of a pipeline from Honey Lake, California. Honey Lake is located between Reno and Susanville, CA. The plan never was implemented.

The City of Reno now says it plans to participate in an environmental impact statement (EIS) process to attempt to import ground water from Fish Springs and Dry Valley, both areas located in northwest Washoe County, just east of the Honey Lake area.

Two companies, Vidler Water Company and Intermountain Water Supply have submitted right of way applications with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The project would involve a system of pipelines, pumping stations, and reservoirs according to Reno public information director Steve Frady. It’s expected that if the project gets approval and is built, between 8,000 and 11,500 acre feet of water will be moved per year. An acre foot is about 325,828 gallons, enough water for the annual needs of about two families according to Frady.

Along with the city of Reno, the Truckee Meadows Water Authority and Washoe County are expected to participate in the EIS process. The statement should be completed by April, 2004, published in September, and a final decision possibly by December of next year.

The BLM is currently accepting comments from the public dealing with this EIS process. The BLM Carson City Management Area office is at 5665 Morgan Mill Road in Carson City. Telephone 775-885-6000.

White Pine County

(Ely) Land fill fees might be increased after the first of the year, but that’s only part of the problem. For several years, it appears, many people in the city and county haven’t been paying the current fee anyway.

The city, which operates the landfill, says the county is supposed to provide a list of those who should be billed while the county says it’s the city’s responsibility. In the meantime, and for several years, the fees have gone uncollected.

As it stands, if the city and county don’t come to an agreement on payments, the landfill cost will increase by one dollar as of February First.

Clark County

(Las Vegas) The first election fraud case since 1987 got underway in Clark County on November 6, in the courtroom of District Judge Joseph Bonaventure. Garry Horrocks and his wife Pamela have been charged in a 62 count indictment charging voter fraud, conspiracy, and burglary.

The Horrocks are charged with signing and submitting fraudulent absentee ballots for at least 10 voters in Assembly District 37. (See “Archives,” Volume 1, Number 1, October 31, 2003, www.nevadaobserver.com).

Horrocks's attorney, Dominic Gentile has asked for dismissal of the indictments, claiming they were too complex and made little sense. Chief deputy District Attorney James Sweetin said the indictments are specific and written in common language.

Judge Bonaventure has not ruled on the dismissal at deadline time.