Maxfield Parrish illustration

Knickerbocker's History of New York (1899)

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The Irascible One

Mayor Oscar Goodman Bails Out --- Senator John Ensign (R-NV) more than likely had been rubbing his hands together in anticipation of bringing so much evil into a possible campaign by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and must feel just a bit down following disclosure that his honor has backed out of the race.  Federal investigations of Goodman's former law business associations, local investigations of the City Council and staff, allegations from the current Mike Galardi circus in Federal District Court must have played heavily on his gin-soaked mind.  And of course those fourth-graders aren't quite of voting age just yet.

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I Love A Parade --- Final arguments are getting underway in the Clark County Commission/ $kindustry federal trial.  We'll see if the federal government will have more success in stopping the rampant criminal behavior in southern Nevada politics than has local law enforcement.  Many believe the tip of this current ice burg is very small compared to what is under the radar.  If less than ten percent of the rumors that float around are only half-true, a parade will be forming outside federal courtroom doors soon.  Who's first?

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An Interesting Race, Indeed --- Clark County District Judge Nancy Saitta whose name has surfaced from time to time dealing with Nevada's underworld activities has come out with her plan to be a member of the Nevada Supreme Court.  That explosion you might have heard was former Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Miller blowing his top over this.  Miller writes for several Internet magazines that deal with corruption and mob activities and has never said a kind word about Saitta.  She wants to replace Supreme Court Justice Nancy Becker.

So, two Nancys running for Supreme Court and two Jims running for governor.  And every saloon should have two Johns.

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Is The Ship Sinking Already? --- It isn't often that a political handler will bail out on a candidate and when it happens often that means the candidate isn't doing well and the handler wants out before all the blame comes his or her way.  Jim Gibson. in a horrendous fight with Dina Titus for the Democratic nod for governor, just lost his campaign manager.  Was it for money?  Prestige?  Or does Greg Bortolin know something?

Bortolin left Gibson in the lurch to take a job at the Desert Research Institute in northern Nevada, a job that will pay him a handsome $120,000 annually.  Bortolin was press secretary to Governor Kenny Guinn before taking the position with Gibson.

Gibson has not named a replacement yet.  He's still searching for his wallet.

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More On Gibson --- We appear to be forming that band that might lead a parade soon.  Jim Gibson has now joined just about everyone else running for political office this year in coming out with a commitment to ethics in government.  He is most interested in the play-by-play between lobbyists and elected representatives and on ... oops, that's all.

What about campaign finance reform?  Any and all candidates ... what about campaign finance reform in Nevada?  Anyone home?

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Something To Think About --- All the TV advertising is just beginning relating to the Primary Election, and there are things to watch for from the advertising.  If a candidate says very little to nothing about him or herself, and spends most of the commercial saying nasty things about the opponent it probably means that he or she doesn't actually have a platform from which to campaign.  Negative ads usually come from those that have noting to offer except negativism. 

Hopefully you want someone in office that has positive things to say about her of his platform.  Use that little thought to get deeper into a candidate's actual thinking.  Flinging mud in a political campaign is an all-American thing, but if that's all the candidate has to offer, "t'row da bum out."

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Another Dismal Report --- The Center for Public Integrity (CPI) has now joined dozens of other groups across the nation to put Nevada's name at the bottom of a list.  It's a good thing there are only 50 states otherwise we might find ourselves even lower on someone's slate.  CPI has us at 38th for the way the state monitors lobbyists.  Gibson and others have addressed this issue and maybe someone will actually get a bill written for the next legislature.  A bill to make campaign financial disclosure a reality might help along these lines as well.

Or did we already say that?

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A Strange Quartet At Best --- Senators Bob Beers and Sandra Tiffany, Assemblywoman Francis Allen, and Secretary of State candidate Danny Tarkanian believe that showing a photo ID and proof of citizenship is the way to go.  Group thinking?

Of course as Dawn Gibbons said recently, "If congress had made using someone else's Social Security number or driver license a felony most of this would not be happening."  Illegal aliens for the most part don't want to take the chance of getting caught and attempting to register or to vote is a dangerous proposition for them.  Getting a phony or well-used Social Security number or a phony driver license is pretty easy in today's computerized world.

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