When Dan DeQuille wrote for the Territorial Enterprise of Virginia City fame, back in the 19th century, he used this depiction of a braying, angry, miner's burro. He always called it, as did most of the prospectors of the day, "A Washoe Canary." Below are some of our brayings, that is, Washoe Canary Songs.

Can There Even Be Such A Thing As Campaign Finance Reform?

by Johnny Gunn

In the movies of years ago, any time a newspaper editor or old line reporter was shown, cynicism dripped from every pore, and it wasn’t a stereotype.  It’s the most difficult part of the business of reporting what’s going on around us, not to be cynical.  Reporters are lied to every day, and usually the lies are not accompanied by a kiss on the cheek, so when Secretary of State Dean Heller announced his project to get some kind of campaign finance reform underway, the first thought was, “sure, pal.  You bet.”  But my old line cynicism might be mis placed here.  He might just pull it off, and what a day that would be.

We might actually get to know where some of these grand sums of money are coming from.  To campaign for an office that pays less than $100,000 and spend half a million to get there, simply doesn’t compute, unless there are things involved we simply don’t know about.  Like, for instance, “Win this seat, do as I ask for four years, retire gracefully, and you’ll have a lifetime job with me.”  Plus a new house and a new car, and fine clothes, and oh, yes, I forgot, lap dances anytime you want them.  I can’t picture accepting a bribe of free lap dances as something to get a vote, but that’s one of the charges in the current Clark County political scandal.  How the hell do you put that on a campaign financial expense report?

If a candidate accepts a loan from himself, a copy of that check must accompany the report.  And someone has to investigate the account from which it’s drawn.  Getting a check from Mr. A. for $40,000 and putting it in your account on Monday, and then loaning yourself $40,000 from your account on Tuesday isn’t exactly the concept of being financially open with the public.

And that’s the key to this.  Being honest with the public.  Personal integrity, personal responsibility, and an honest approach to political life must be the goal, and if it takes strong laws and stiff penalties to accomplish this, then so be it.

Compared to Nevada’s long time Secretary of State Bill Swackhammer, Dean Heller is a little bit of a rooster, preening some here and there, strutting his stuff, but that may be what it’s going to take to get the job done.  Flamboyance sometimes has its place, and when you put sound thought into the policies he wants to see enacted, he may have found the recipe for success with the legislature.

Two legislators have signed on to what Heller wants to see from campaign finance reform, Senator Randolph Townsend and Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani.  They plan also to help guide Heller’s thoughts through the next legislative session.

Can it happen?  Can there be an opportunity for you to know who gave what to whom?  Only if you want it to happen.  Voice your opinion where it counts.  Publicly in the pages of newspapers and magazines, and privately in the pages of letters to your representatives.  Demand the answers, and speak plainly:  “Do it or don’t count on my vote,” just might catch someone’s attention.

FBI Wrongfully Took Names
Only in Las Vegas

More than a quarter of a million names, addresses, and other possibly personal information about visitors to Las Vegas is now in an FBI computer somewhere.  During the New Year holiday, FBI officials demanded the names and other information of guests staying at hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, and it appears the homeland security effort was only conducted in Sin City.

According to Gary Peck, executive director of the ACLU, the FBI has the authority to make follow up demands for whatever information it wants on individuals, and hotel operators are forced to make this information available.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge raised the terrorist level from yellow to orange, and casino operators were forced to turn over information on an estimated 270,000 visitors.  Letters from the FBI and the homeland security agency demanded the information.  Apparently this did not happen in any other city or community nation wide.

There is no indication from any federal source that any person is being investigated following this massive effort to glean personal information.  A gag order is in effect at this time forbidding anyone from disclosing what if anything the government has learned.

During the holiday period, FBI and Nevada sources were quoted several times as saying there was no credible reason to believe that Las Vegas, or any where else in the Silver State, might be a target for terrorism.  A UNLV political science professor has said either there is credible evidence of a specific threat to Las Vegas, or the FBI is sweeping up massive amounts of information on individual citizens for no credible reason.

The latest information from intelligence sources are trying to say airplanes from France, en route to Los Angeles, might have been used for terrorism in Las Vegas.  The thread of credulism isn’t in the reports.

There are many questions about the program that are going unanswered, and unanswered at the request of the federal government.  Casino operators have been told not to discuss the surveillance program, FBI agents, and representatives of Homeland Security are close mouthed.

The ACLU has a legislative program scheduled for this year that is designed to rein in the broad authority granted the FBI and other law enforcement agencies by the USA Patriot Act.  A recent comment from the ACLU says, “This is an area where the government is using the threat of its powers to compel compliance.”  The FBI is creating dossiers on large numbers of individuals not suspected of committing any crime more serious than visiting Las Vegas for a holiday.

The Patriot Act is up for review by congress soon.  This would be an excellent time to contact your representative in congress if you feel there are changes that need to be made.  See “Links” page above for information on how to send your comments, e-mail or snail mail.

Letters We Get

Editor, The Observer,

Did you notice the RGJ (Reno Gazette-Journal) article, section c, 1-6-04 re: Reid warns against delay in flood project?

The County, as lead on flood control, has been collecting 1/8 cent sales tax since approx. 1998 to fund the project (the other 1/8 cent of 1/4 cent imposed goes for the general public portion of the "trench".

They have put together a wonderful project with buy in from everyone except the late John Champion and have included everyone's idea's except John's.  They also failed to include many of the property owners involved such as the University system.  I can only assume that they assumed that those property owners would be only too glad to donate their valuable property to fulfill the environmentalist's dreams.  They have also managed to spend virtually all of the money collected on salaries, meetings, lunches etc.  We really feel good about this project, but, if the rains come this month as they have come many times in the past (but who studies history anymore), we are set up to have the "flood of '97” all over again.

Does this look like the wonderfulness of good government to you?

Tom Herndon
former Reno Councilman