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Knickerbocker's History of New York (1899)

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Some kind of blog: 

The Irascible One

Money, Money, Money --- For at least the next month listening to the radio or trying to watch TV is going to be less than fulfilling.  Every politician with a sock full of cash is buying time.  Many should save their bucks for other things.  One thing we have learned so far; nobody has any issues to discuss.  There are problems in the state that need discussion, problems like; campaign financing; transportation funding for highways and bridges to nowhere; agencies that seem to think the bulging state coffers should be spent, and spent again.

Lorraine Hunt is depending on Governor Guinn to get her some votes.  Wouldn't it be better if she had something to say?  You know, a campaign about something?  What a concept.  Dina Titus lambastes Jim Gibson and Jim Gibson raises hell with Dina Titus, and we know nothing about why they feel they will be the best governor.  Dawn Gibbons puts out a serious campaign, discussing things like border security and social security, while Dean Heller shows us pictures of his family and Sharron Angle calls everyone in sight a liberal.

Jack Carter, carpetbagger supreme says his Georgia background in the peanut business makes him the best candidate for the senate.  That at least is a new approach.

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Bring on the frogs --- The Republican Primary race for lieutenant governor is getting testy.  How could we ever forget those "darling" commercials from Brian Krolicki and his kids and those "wonderful" frogs the kids had?  Well, Barbara Lee Woollen wants us to forget them, and she says, he is spending state money, read that taxpayer money, to make the commercials that were only designed to promote him.  She said that was dishonest.

Not so, says her opponent, who just might be the front runner in the campaign.  Krolicki says the ads were not paid for with state money at all.  He isn't saying whether they were primarily designed to promote the college savings plan discussed, or promote Brian Krolicki.  The same issue deals with a flier that was distributed about the college savings program.

Love those frogs.

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Did you forget? --- Well into the political season, campaigns being waged everywhere, and Shelley Berkley finally officially announced her candidacy.  Oooops.  The Democrat Congresswoman said months ago she would run for reelection, but never made an official announcement until just a week or so ago.  She has an opponent in the Democratic Primary, and there are three Republicans that are vying to take her on in November.  Most see Berkley returning to Washington unscathed.

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Northern Nevada Cops Love Dawn --- A group called PORAN, the Police Officer's Research Association of Nevada has just announced full endorsement of Dawn Gibbons for Congress.  This is a group to reckon with carefully.  It is made up of virtually every police organization in northern Nevada including:

• Douglas County sheriff's Protective Association

• Washoe County airport Police Protective Association

• Reno Police Protective Association

• Sparks Police Protective Association

• Fallon Police Officers Association

• Washoe County Sheriff's Deputies Association

• Reno Police Supervisors and Administrative Employees Association

• Washoe County District Attorneys Investigator Association

• Winnemucca Police Officers Association

• Washoe County School Police Officers Association

• Humboldt County Law Enforcement Association

                                and

• Carson City Sheriff's Supervisors Association

That's a fair number of high-potency badges and guns behind that candidate.

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Another look at how it works --- The slightly liberal press in the south of Nevada seems to be backing Dean Heller in his campaign for Congressional District 2.  Why is that?  Many feel that Democrat Jill Derby has a much better chance of beating Heller than ever beating Dawn Gibbons.  Heller they feel is vulnerable and by promoting him over Gibbons or Angle, Derby will have a much better chance of winning in November.  Of course if Heller continues with his Pabulum like commercials it ain't gonna matter.

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Smoke-screen --- Come November the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act will come up for a vote, which could alter the smoking habits of Nevadans in just about every business in the state.  There are two groups of course, those that support the issue, Nevadans for Tobacco-Free Kids, and those that oppose, Responsibly Protect Nevadans from Secondhand Smoke.  Notice if you will that the titles of the groups give the impression that both are in support.

The second group, those that oppose the measure that would ban smoking in every commercial building in which there might be children is made up of Herbst Gaming, Golden Gaming, United Coin, the Bar and Tavern Owners Association, and the Petroleum and Convenience Store Owners Association.  That group is also supported by the Nevada Resort Association and the Nevada Restaurant Association.

The Nevada Clean Air Act is supported by the Nevada State Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, and the Academy of Family Physicians as well as members of Nevadans for Tobacco-free Kids.  For information on the initiative petition go to http://www.nevadacleanair.com.

There is at least one more court battle looming over the drive to eliminate second hand smoke from commercial buildings in the state.  The group opposed to the measure has appealed the decision by Carson City District Judge William Maddox that the measure should be on the November ballot.  While the ballot measure would prohibit smoking in hotel and motel rooms, it would not prohibit smoking on casino floors since there aren't supposed to be children in those areas.

One thing to remember is the closeness of the names of the groups that support and the groups that oppose this ballot measure.  It could be a bit confusing.

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 Let me be heard --- How best to keep citizens from being able to take part in their government?  Don't let them be heard, and that's what a very ill advised law created in 2005 and upheld by the Attorney General has done.  In essence it says unless you have a "vested interest" in a discussion you can't testify.  The law has been used for the first time in denying the Great Basin Mine Watch and other supporters of their agenda from testifying before the state Environmental Commission.

This is exactly the kind of thing that forces The Irascible One to pound his desk, clear his throat loudly, and demand it be rescinded at the next legislative session.  This denies the general public from taking part in their government.  Our government does not belong to troglodyte bureaucrats.  It belongs to us.  Public participation in our government is the backbone of our way of life and it must not be trampled on.

This law goes against everything the founders of our country stood for, everything that millions of Americans have held dear for centuries, and it needs to be killed at the first opportunity.

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Desperate Times --- Sitting in a favorite little saloon the other day, one with four or five television sets tuned to sports programs from all over the world, I was treated to world soccer on one, high stakes Texas Hold 'em on two, a domino tournament on one, and low stakes checkers on one.  Can anyone at ESPN even spell sports?  Should have gone to the sports book and checked up on the odds on that checkers tournament.

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