Maxfield Parrish illustration

Knickerbocker's History of New York (1899)

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The Irascible One

Big City arrogance or ... Las Vegas columnist Jon Ralston came to the cow counties and made a fool of himself recently.  Fallon Mayor Ken Tedford said, "It made me sick to my stomach."  Ralston waltzed into the middle of Republican held rural Nevada and called congressional front runner Dawn Gibbons "a dumb blonde."  He compounded his error by calling gubernatorial front runner Jim Gibbons "an idiot."

Big city arrogance doesn't play very well in Nevada's heartland. Self-inflated egos are frowned on most of the time.  Rick Swart is publisher of the Lahontan Valley News and he said in an opinion piece following the major political gaff, "Ralston was right about one thing.  Dawn Gibbons is a tenacious campaigner."  Swart said it's frequent visits to the rural areas and meeting with the citizens of an area that get people elected.

It will probably be many years before Ralston is invited back to Churchill County.  Ms. Gibbons simply said at the time, "He's said much worse in the past."  Gibbons showed good sense in not being led into name calling by someone from the far left.

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Not much coming back --- It's never been proved that for each dollar in federal taxes collected in a state should in turn be spent in that state, but it is interesting to look at the ratio.  In 2004 for every dollar of federal tax collected seventy-three cents was returned to the state by way of federal projects.  That put Nevada in 45th position among the states.  In New Mexico for instance two dollars was returned for each one collected.  New Jersey got ripped off pretty good getting back just fifty-five cents on the dollar.

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Muddled ethics mess --- It isn't even fun trying to keep track of all the ethical problems being faced by so many in the Silver State.  The Galardi trial in Clark County is turning into a hog wallow.  If just a small portion of what has been discussed in open trial is actually true there will be long prison terms discussed at the end.  Of course, shame on me, we are discussing Clark County aren't we.

At least one judge might be under federal scrutiny for her benevolence toward Rick Rizzolo and the Crazy Horse Too $kin club.  Rizzolo is also under investigation, as are many that work for him.

As the Attorney General's investigation of the City of Las Vegas continues it seems that the gin-swilling mayor has gotten just tad quiet.  Does he know something?  Thousands of pages of city documents are part of the investigation, many dealing with Mayor Goodman and former Mayor Jan Jones as well as high-ranking employees.

In Nye County the commissioners fired County Manager Michael Maher and Comptroller Marie Owens.  The firing had to do with the denial of a loan made to balance the county's books.  Three Million Dollars worth of a loan.  And they reportedly neglected to tell the county moms and dads about the loan.  Oops. 

There may have been lapses in compliance with open meeting laws and rules as well.  The vote to dismiss was three to two.

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Selling short --- Eddie Floyd, former radio executive in northern Nevada, now under indictment for growing and distributing drugs, money laundering, and conspiracy sent a letter to his stock holders in Nevada Matters saying he's selling his shares for ten cents each.  He's also selling the ranch that he allegedly used to grow marijuana.  He was fired by the company that owned the radio station he managed, and they not only don't want any of employees back, they sold the frequency to a company that plans to turn the station into a Hispanic language outlet.

According to his letter to shareholders Floyd said DEA and other federal drug enforcement agencies would not be confiscating property or other assets.  Floyd also owns U.S. Realty, which according to the federal indictment was used as a means to launder drug money.

Many long-time northern Nevada broadcasters are out on the streets following the abrupt closing of the KDBD.  Bob Carroll, Lou Gutenberger, and Jack Slothower have been on the air in northern Nevada for more than 4-years.  Carroll said he plans to re open his advertising agency.

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A price on his head --- Overheard at The Satellite bar the other night.  "I'm offering $1500 for the head of the ground hog.  And I better not hear the word drought for a couple of years, either."  This said in the eighth week following the ground hog's declaration of winter ending in six weeks.  You gotta know it was snowing outside.

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