Dear Nevada Legislature: Please raise revenue!

ProgressNow Nevada has a great petition up, and I hope you will join me in signing it.

Read on:

Nevada is currently facing a 54% budget shortfall, and Governor Sandoval thinks every cent should come from cuts to education and essential services.

Our governor is in a budget Fantasyland.

Nevada is in some of the hardest economic times we’ve ever seen, and Governor Sandoval thinks the way to get out of it is to lop off 70 percent of the higher education budget. Forget about classes and majors – entire campuses will close.

Is this the way to attract new businesses and diversify our economy?

Click on the image aboveTake action today to save our state. Tell lawmakers revenue must be part of the solution by signing the petition below.

We’re calling for a broad-based net profits tax to be paid by the largest corporations in the state, while protecting small businesses.  We’re also urging lawmakers to make mining pay its fair share.

We’ve seen enough of out-of-state corporations taking our resources and our revenue without paying for the services they and their employees need.

We’ve seen enough!  Haven’t you? Take action today.

***Petition language follows***

We the undersigned declare: 

We support a balanced solution to Nevada’s budget crisis a solution that includes new forms of revenue to offset massive cuts that would dismantle our higher education system, cripple our K-12 schools and further undermine our social services.

Specifically, we call for:

1.) Imposing a broad-based business tax on the state’s largest corporations — those with net profits exceeding $500,000 a year.

2.) Taxing foreign-owned mining corporations by eliminating statutory deductions the industry uses to avoid paying their fair share.

3.) An honest discussion of other revenue sources.

Friday Fish Wrap: February 11. 2010

What a day this has been. The Egyptians have done it, and I offer my heartiest congratulations to them. However, once the big party has ended, and the revolutionary hangover has passed, they’re going to have to figure out what’s next. Like how to transition from military rule and martial law to a truly democratic government of the people. It’s sure to be messy, but I believe they have it in them to do this.

This chain of events has got to weigh heavily on every other despot in the Middle East. I hope they haven’t been sleeping well. Apparently, Glenn Beck is staying awake nights as well. In his Thursday Fox rant, he’s deeply concerned that the entire Egyptian revolutionary movement is about commies and fundamentalists coming together, taking over Egypt to implement a ‘new world order’. Yup.

If you weren’t sure that this man is bat-shit crazy yet, then watch. Either he’s crazy or one of the biggest showman-opportunists that ever walked upright.

Back at the ranch here in Reno, Nevada the budgetary woes are claiming more victims each and every day I open the ever shrinking Reno Gazette-Journal. Today, 100 more city employees got notices and the police substation in the National Gee-Whiz-Answer-To-All-Our-Problems Bowling Stadium was closed. Yet. Yet…. there are ‘More Funds for Commission’, as in doubling the funding for Economic Development.

Yes, I know … in hard times you must attract new business, and the way to do that is with an Economic Development council … commission … department … whatever. Gee, whatever did anybody do before these sacred cows came to town? I’m just one housewife, but it seems to me that we’d all be better served to spend that extra money where it would really count - like education. I mean, will companies still continue to come here without an educated workforce? Can our Economic Development commissions promise them enough tax breaks - that’s really the incentive we’re talking about, right? - in these hard times to overcome continued FAILS in our educational system?

Furthermore, as our quality of life indicators, infrastructure and social services begin to show even more strain due to slashed budgets, how long do the Economic Development gurus think it will be before companies take a second, bleaker look at Nevada and say “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Thinking about this last night, I got doing a bit of research at the Pew Center on the States. This is a goldmine of fascinating tidbits.

Did you know that of all the states, Nevada ranks right there beneath Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma for Science and Engineering Doctorates in the workforce? Only Florida ranks lower. This certainly speaks to the level of education required running Keno tickets.

However, a full 19% of our 8th graders score at or above proficient levels in science. Better yet, 0.27% of our college students are earning degrees in science and engineering. That moved up up one level from the bottom. The number of Nevada citizens holding degrees is the lowest of all the western states. The number of college degree holders who moved here during the boom - uh, not so good at 23.4%. That’s the lowest of all the western states.

Where Nevada really shines is the number of college degree holders beating a path out of the state, the highest rate in the entire nation! Do ya think?

Most of the above figures came from data gathered before the economy tanked. What do you think they’ll be going forward?

Where are the jobs of tomorrow? Not in running Keno tickets. They’re in science, engineering and technology - AKA ‘Clean Energy Jobs’, at which Nevada ranked near the bottom in 2007.

Offering more tax breaks to beg companies to re-locate here is just the opposite of what the state should be doing to bring us closer to just even fiscally. It’s just simply nuts. Touting Nevada’s lower taxes - such as our low, bargain basement corporate tax rates - also hasn’t paid off. Every surrounding state has higher corporate tax rates, and good business seems to flock to them just as much, if not more. The surrounding states have personal income taxes, too. Business goes there anyway.

So don’t jive me with “lower taxes brings business in”. That’s simply not true.

When will people get wise to these Economic Development snake-oil salesmen? You can sorta, kinda look the other way when everything is fat and happy, but we’re broke and in the ditch. We can’t afford this nonsense anymore, but everybody is too scared to admit it.

I encourage you to really look through the Nevada pages on the Pew Center for the States. Go through all the tabs, including Bills Coming Due. Look at things like projected incarceration rates, infrastructure, emergency preparedness. It’s not a pretty picture.

Well, I went to the orthopedic guy this morning and the news isn’t very good. I did tear my ACL and there are probably two minor tears on the MCL. I can get by for a while wearing a brace - even ski if I’m very careful. But the bottom line is I’ve got to get an MRI, and then figure out the when and where of surgery to replace the ACL and repair the MCL. Crap. Double crap. I’ve got to get with this, since the rest of my body - hips, the left knee, both ankles - are taking a beating since they’re doing more with less.

I hurt. All over. So, if I’m a little crankier than usual, that’s why. The upside is that I can receive a ‘new’ replacement ACL from a cadaver. That’s too cool.

It also pisses me off that I have to go MRI shopping. It seems to me that being hurt should be the most that I have to deal with - but such is medical care under the auspices of ‘market driven’.

Fuck ‘market driven’ for-profit healthcare, and the insurance company horse it rode in on.

Oh, we sold the ‘98 Camry. Grandma’s car is gone. No more ‘discussions’ about driving. I had it on Craigslist one day, and sold it for cash - $3,700 in greenbacks - the next. You’ve gotta love Craigslist.

Oh, friend Ty Whitaker would like me to give all early warning to note the date of the 2011 Lahontan Spring Wings Bird Festival.  This is a great opportunity to see some of the best of Nevada’s migrating birds fairly up close. The Lahontan flyway is one of the best in North America, and if you are any sort of nature lover, this is a great family activity.

You can also get information at SpringWings.org   The dates are May 13, 14 and 15, 2011 at the Stillwater NWR, out near Fallon, Nevada. Check it out on Facebook, too.

I didn’t attend last year, but hope to this year.

Well, that’s enough for now. It’s time to avert my eyes from the computer screen, and to the Kindle, or the current copy of American Prospect accompanied by a steaming cuppa tea. Mighty Leaf ‘Green Tea Tropical’.

Oh, one more reminder that the Reno Skeptics are hosting a showing of ‘Creation’ (the Darwin BBC film) tomorrow night at the Sparks RoundTable Pizza on Baring Blvd., 6:00 p.m. in honor of Darwin Day. Buy your own beer and pizza. I’ll be there.

Stay warm. Stay employed if that’s what suits you. Stay healthy.

Laugh occasionally at the absurdity of it all. I’ll let myself out.

-maven

Simply stupefying speechifying: Sandoval and Obama

Washington, D.C.—Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement in reaction to the President Obama’s State of the Union address:

“Tonight we heard a blueprint for how to move our country forward by investing in what works and cutting what doesn’t. We heard a vision for keeping America a global economic superpower by out-educating, out-innovating and out-building our competition. To get there, we’ll have to set aside our differences and reach across the aisle.

“In Nevada, that means working together to create good paying clean energy jobs, training our workforce with the tools needed to compete in a global economy and boosting our small business community.

“Republicans have a responsibility to work with us to create jobs instead of wasting time with pointless political stunts. Republicans should join us in looking to the future instead of refighting old battles and pressing extreme, ideological plans to end Social Security and Medicare. I hope they will join us in finding common-sense solutions to the challenges we face as a nation – to rebuild our economy today, create the jobs of the future and strengthen the middle class.”

###

Sigh. Too true. The GOP leaving hard line ideology behind and joining in good faith? Good luck with that. Here’s a post-partisan tweet from Rep. Paul Broun (R-Tenn.) : “Mr. President, you don’t believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism.” Well, we can certainly count him onboard, can’t we? All this while Obama was praising newly minted House Majority Leader, John Boehner … hero of the working class. I thought Boehner was going to burst into tears again.

Kumbaya.

Here’s one of the most hopeful parts of Obama’s speech:

“Over the years, a parade of lobbyists has rigged the tax code to benefit particular companies and industries. Those with accountants or lawyers to work the system can end up paying no taxes at all. But all the rest are hit with one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and it has to change.

So tonight, I’m asking Democrats and Republicans to simplify the system. Get rid of the loopholes. Level the playing field. And use the savings to lower the corporate tax rate for the first time in 25 years – without adding to our deficit.”

Sigh. That’s nice.

The speech tonight was masterful once again. It set out wonderful goals. It’s bound to rate highly in the popular polls. It seems to have hit all the right notes, ala Bill Clinton.

This begs the fact that the U. S. corporate tax rates are already among the lowest in the world.

“In its Paying Taxes 2009 publication, based on its 2009 Doing Business report, the World Bank-International Finance Corp. estimated that the United States has a lower effective rate of current corporate tax than that of several other nations, including Germany, Canada, India, China, Brazil, Japan, and Italy. The publication also included a figure that compared effective and statutory corporate tax rates for several G-8 and BRIC [Brazil, Russia, India, China] countries…” Media Matters

When will the average American get a clue that no corporation, not to mention the wealthiest of Americans, never, ever pay the statutory tax rate. That would be as stupid as walking up to the airline ticket counter and asking to pay the highest published fare. Then, there was that pesky GAO report citing that nearly two-thirds of American corporations paid no federal income tax. (Note the declining federal taxes paid by U. S. corporations in graph below)

Tonight we heard all the usual rhetoric … very well delivered. All designed to put the Republicans on the defensive, if that’s possible since they’re beaming in from an as yet undiscovered planet (can you say Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI ?). Yup, we’re all gonna have flying electric cars one day, and mag-lev rail between Reno and the Bay Area. Right. We’re gonna get all this done with a “spending freeze”.

Gawd help us.

Obama starts out patting himself on the back, for what? Extending tax cuts. Tax cuts create jobs, you know. Sigh. This is simply buying into the ‘new centrism’ and GOP mythology. (Note below, that even individual tax rates in the U. S. aren’t exactly going through the roof.)

The President goes on to talk about cutting discretionary spending to levels not seen since the Eisenhower Administration. I’ve got news for the President, if Eisenhower had seen what we’re dealing with right now, he’d have increased spending. Eisenhower wasn’t stupid.

Typically, no where in the speech was it mentioned that the bulk of our “discretionary spending” is for the military-industrial complex, AKA ‘The War On Terror’, AKA wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I cite Warresisters.org, nationalpriorities.org.

Did I disagree with it all? No. I found the suggestions to consolidate redundant agencies, utilizing transparency via internet technology, and similar attempts to corral bureaucratic sprawl encouraging … just as I did with Nevada’s new Republican Governor, Brian Sandoval when he proposed the same thing. Bravo. But this is such a ‘gimme’ that a school child would have thought of it. It’s nice, but let’s get back to the hard stuff.

That hard stuff which was noticeably lacking might be summed up in these keywords: unemployment, guns, foreclosures, financial fraud, Wall Street regulation. You’d think that all was well again on the crumbling financial front. And, it is if you’re an investment house or bank. Not so much if you’re a working schmuck.

Once again, Obama did a great job looking at the big picture, having forgotten some of the themes of his campaign that particularly resonated with voters … climate change, decline of the middle class. You’d have hardly remembered, listening tonight, that last year nearly one million American families lost their home to foreclosure.

Thanks, Mr. President, for stating the obvious.

Then there was the rebuttal from Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI. You’ve gotta hand it to the GOP on selecting this guy. He’s real purty. Shiny. New. Well spoken. Reagan-esque brown suit. The guy is really good. So obviously sincere. He’s also batty. And, his figures don’t add up. In fact, the GOP leadership isn’t sure they want to own it.

Ryan comes out of the box strong, declaring that the ‘Stimulus’ was a complete failure. Huh? Not according to anybody that matters. The stock market is back up, GDP and employment are really beginning to turn around. The loans to banks and businesses are paid back with interest. Where, Paul, is it a failure? Analysts from Moodys to the CBO have said it’s added a minimum of 1.6 million to more like 2.5 million jobs. That’s failure?

Not content to butcher the facts on the Stimulus, Ryan marches on to attempt to discredit health care reform. Uh, sorry Paul, but once again, every analyst that matters - and even the Wall Street Journal - says you’re wrong.

The Affordable Health Care Act will keep kids on their parents policies longer (saving money on premiums), small employers will see their costs relatively unchanged, employees of larger firms will see costs stay the same or go lower ( as I did with the really big airline that I get my health coverage from), people buying their own insurance can now qualify for some nifty tax credits that they couldn’t get before - lowering their costs. Yada, yada. Where is the FAIL, Paul? Where?

Under the misguided GOP plan to repeal the AHCA, more Americans would be without any health care coverage:

I’m going to do what the GOP leadership should’ve done. Ignore Rep. Michelle Bachman, R-MN. If Paul Ryan is merely batty, she’s bat shit crazy … as SailorColin, my Las Vegas correspondent would say. I don’t want to dignify her rants.

And then came SandovalCorp.

It’s probably pretty egotistical of me to assume this, but I’ll go right ahead. Were my readers wondering where my comments were last night, after another equally stupefyingly boring and predictable State of the State by Gov. Brian Sandoval? I just couldn’t do it. I sat there, head in hands, and couldn’t bring myself to do it.

To state the obvious. Governor, if this is Nevada ‘family’, you make a great case for being orphaned.

Mr. Maven and I sat there waiting in vain for SandovalCorp. to even mention that MINING (or GAMING) should step up and pay their fair share. So the reality train - which started with the video by Bob Fulkerson at PLAN - stopped just shy of Carson City.

Yes, Sandoval has a thankless job, but he wanted it badly enough to give up a comfy, cushy federal lifetime judgeship. No tears of pity here. I told Mr. Maven that my instincts are saying that GOP operatives are looking at the well-coiffed, well-spoken Hispanic Wunderkind (uh, I can’t think of a similar term except in German) with a mind to bigger and better things. If he can just hang on and not embarass himself like John Ensign.

This is supposing that Nevada can’t go further than dead-last in education. That’s good for Sandoval Corp. since he’s going to, well … gut education further. It should be embarassing to have even mentioned it.

Again, no mention of MINING. Which kinda takes a huge chunk - as in boatloads - of money out of this state every year, laboring under a tax structure that harkens back to the day of Mark Twain.

Here’s a suggestion for a new Nevada state motto:

Fuck no, we can’t.

Sigh.

-maven

Of course Nevadans pray. We have casinos!

I was noodling around through the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life website. It’s fascinating and the interactive graphs are truly excellent.

In so far as state rankings, Nevada ranks like this on Importance of Religion (number 34), Worship Attendance (number 40) and Certainty in Belief in God (number 40). Nevadans rank near the bottom. However, when it comes to praying, Nevada ranks right up there. We’re number 25. - just under the national average.

Duh.

We’re not sure there’s a god, and we’re too busy trying to keep the house from foreclosure to go to church, so of course religion isn’t all that important, but when it comes to prayin’ to beat the odds, we’re not taking any damn chances!

As for me, if Vermont had skiing as good as Nevada, I’d so be secularly there.

Nevada's infrastructure report card begs logic of further tax cuts

Nevada is crumbling - along with America - as the anti-government/anti-tax zealots would have us believe that ‘starving’ the beast (government) is the answer all of America’s ills. Unfortunately, they don’t support their theories with any examples of how the free and unfettered market has ever seen it as their mandate or duty to create such things as interstate highway systems - not to mention maintain or repair them.

“The takeover of regulatory agencies by special interests and anti-government ideologues was an assault on public protections.”

It’s time to ask Sharron Angle how she plans to address this critical need while lowering taxes - and banishing the federal agencies and regulations that apply to our national infrastructure.

Nevada - and America - needs to grow up and realize that a government exists to promote and maintain the common good, above and beyond what we could ever achieve individually. Taxes are the price we pay - as a civilized country - towards this goal.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has a great website devoted to informing Americans about the critical dangers posed by an infrastructure that increasingly resembles a developing nation rather than a developed one.

• 16% of Nevada’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
• There are 165 high hazard dams in Nevada. A high hazard dam is defined as a dam whose failure would cause a loss of life and significant property damage.
• 27 of Nevada’s 744 dams are in need of rehabilitation to meet applicable state dam safety standards.
• 35% of high hazard dams in Nevada have no emergency action plan (EAP). An EAP is a predetermined plan of action to be taken including roles, responsibilities and procedures for surveillance, notification and evacuation to reduce the potential for loss of life and property damage in an area affected by a failure or mis-operation of a dam.
• Nevada’s drinking water infrastructure needs an investment of $912 million over the next 20 years.
• Nevada ranked 42^nd in the quantity of hazardous waste produced and 39^th in the total number of hazardous waste producers.
• Nevada reported an unmet need of $8 million for its state public outdoor recreation facilities and parkland acquisition.
• 13% of Nevada’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition.
• 59% of Nevada’s major urban highways are congested.
• Vehicle travel on Nevada’s highways increased 117% from 1990 to 2007.
• Nevada’s transportation department has identified 10 mega projects costing an estimated $4.8 billion that need to be completed by 2015 to avoid gridlock in urban areas.
• Nevada has $246 million in wastewater infrastructure needs.

For further reading about how America has been crippled by a deliberate conservative campaign to undermine and starve our critical regulatory environment, go to Government Is Good.

*Survey of the state’s ASCE members conducted in September 2008

 

Deficient Bridge Report, Federal Highway Administration, 2008.

National Inventory of Dams, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2008.

Drinking Water Needs Survey and Assessment, Environmental Protection Agency, 2003.

National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report, Environmental Protection Agency, 2007.

2007 Annual Report, Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program, National Park Service.

TRIP Fact Sheet, March 2009.

Grading the States ’08: A Management Report Card, Government Performance Project, Governing Magazine.

Clean Water Needs Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, 2004.



Need to fix Nevada's long broken tax structure and education

Damn straight! In today’s Reno Gazette-Journal, Pamela Galloway had a most excellent letter to the editor about the need to reform the tax structure here in Nevada. I’ll reprint it below, since it should have a wider distribution, but not before I make a couple comments.

Our star boarder, the African princess, Natacha, is looking for cheaper/better places to continue working toward her nursing degree. And, we’re getting an interesting picture of the costs of a secondary education here and elsewhere … and what you get for the money.

Not only is getting an education much more expensive here in Nevada, but the academic advisors at Truckee Meadows Community College, and at UNR have given her so much bad advice that it’s cost her dearly both in time and money spent on courses she didn’t even need. This doesn’t even address the whole issue of how much she pays as a foreign student here on a Student Visa. That is billed at the Out of State/Non-Resident rate. Ouch. It’s about twice what your kid is paying.

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Dan Hart's 'Don't bet on Sandoval' just another cheesy front group

Don’t let anybody say that I only walk the talk on a single side of the street. In this case, a former Reid operative is pissing me off with this campaign against Brian Sandoval - the guy who would be Governor Jim ‘Crazy Pants’ Gibbons replacement.

Out of sheer cussedness I think I’d vote for Sandoval, were the election tomorrow. If I could re-register as a Republican temporarily to vote for Sandoval in the Republican primary, I would do it in a heart beat.

Is the Rory Reid campaign listening?

They ought to be.

I don’t like chicken shit front groups. They’re inherently dishonest. They usually represent dishonest people/causes that I don’t like. These front groups - finely tuned by the wingnut ‘right’ - occasionally find their way into good campaigns- like that of Rory Reid.

That’s too bad.

Have you seen the ads against Brian Sandoval?

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Statewide canvass for Fair Mining Tax initiative coming up

JOIN US for a massive day of action for tax fairness in Nevada!

On Tuesday, April 27th, Nevadans for Fair Mining Taxes will take to the streets so that the people can vote in November to remove the mining industry’s sweetheart tax loopholes! Mining is the only industry in Nevada that is singled out in our constitution for protection from taxation. And it shows in the state’s general fund. It’s time to demand fair solutions to Nevada’s budget crisis!

Over the last few weeks we’ve seen an amazing show of support: Over 200 volunteers are already circulating the petition to their friends, family, and neighbors and as a result we already have over 12,000 signatures! But now it’s time to go the next level. Will you give two hours of your time to help us? We’ll give you everything you need and pair you up with an experienced canvasser.

We’ll be at the following locations for the following times:

Click to read more ...

Help Harry Reid buy dictionaries for Tea Party 'Patriots'

Whoa! This may not be your fathers’ Harry Reid.

He’s getting funny! And, snarky! I love it!

This just in:

This weekend Sarah Palin and the Tea Party came to Searchlight and held a rally. You might have seen it on the news.

I wasn’t there, but I’m told there were speeches, some signage featuring questionable assertions, and a lot of calling Democrats “socialists.” I guess it’s better not to let the facts get in the way of a good rally sign.

CLICK HERE AND HELP ME FIGHT FOR THE VALUES WE SHARE TODAY!

I double checked the definition of ‘socialism,’ and it’s defined as a political philosophy that advocates for government ownership of private industry. Absolutely needless to say, not a view I agree with in the least.

My first thought was that we could hold a fundraising drive to buy dictionaries for all these folks and mail them out lickity split. But my campaign manager rightly pointed out that with the first quarter coming to an end, we should raise money for the campaign in dictionary-sized increments instead.

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How does reform play for Nevadans?

Updated on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 12:26 by mavenandmeddler

If you’ve been wondering, read this well written letter from Bob Fulkerson at PLAN:

 “No longer will the United States be the outlier among wealthy nations in leaving so many

of its citizens without basic health coverage.” E.J Dionne

 For many years, Nevada’s unofficial state motto has varied between “The Mississippi of the West”, “Good luck” and “F You”. All of them speak to the retrograde, go-it-alone, mentality here that punishes anyone not on the top.

With the implementation in Nevada of the health care reform bill that the President just signed into law, our state will be a more humane place to live than ever before.  

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Friday Fish Wrap: February 26, 2010

Updated on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 00:12 by mavenandmeddler

No matter the extent of the healthcare drama inside the faraway beltway, we in Nevada have more drama than we need right here at home. In so many ways it’s the national story writ very small and nasty.

We have an crazy, embattled Republican Governor - trailing a laundry list of tawdry divorce, women and grope stories like toilet paper from his shoe - blocking damn near anything a desperate legislature suggests to mitigate the effects of an $880 million deficit.

Nevada is unique in many ways. One of them is our stubborn grip on a bi-annual legislature. Back in the day - like the 1800’s when there were few folks here and they were spread thin - it was no easy trick to mosey in to Carson City to legislate and commiserate.

You’d think this woulda’ changed with the advent of new-fangled airplanes and interstate highways, but no.

So, the Governor has called them into Special Session - a five day marathon intended to plug the gap. If this sounds impossible to you, welcome to my life in Nevada.

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The Fossett Search never ends

Updated on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 11:55 by mavenandmeddler

Last week I got an email alerting me to the air date of the latest in what will certainly be just one more speculative television feature - ‘Lost in the Nevada Triangle’ - about what may or may not have happened to famed aviator Steve Fossett on the Labor Day weekend of 2007.

I thought briefly of letting my readers know, but held back.

I was a part of that story, and have had plenty of bitter first hand experience of just how badly wrong a seemingly innocent ‘interview’ for the ‘truth’ can go. It can turn out to be a career destroyer.

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Hey, Jim! How's the "no new tax" thingy gonna work for us?

“He wants to share his ideology with the citizens. He will make all of his proposals known in the days ahead,” said Governor Jim Gibbons press secretary, Dan Burns.

No, no Dan. Thanks, gaaack, but I don’t need any more of Jim’s, urp, Tea Party ideology.

A dose of reality and critical thinking might be better as we slide down the rat hole to bankruptcy. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons did another amazing impersonation of this man:

Delusional and deranged.

First things first:

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Monday Musings: February 8, 2010

Updated on Monday, February 8, 2010 at 08:11 by mavenandmeddler

Watching the Sunday morning round of political shows, I listened to Alan Greenspan deliver his whiskered old dogma that lowering taxes would certainly help bring the economy out of its funk. Then, an ad came up for the woman who would like to replace Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, Sue Lowden.

Sue is an all American success story.

Family from the old sod that came to American to work in the coal mines. Sue bused tables in New Jersey to take the runner up place at the Miss America pagent, and fly off with Bob Hope on a USO tour.

Or something like that. It’s the same old political ad.

Her plan for success in Nevada: lowering taxes.

I wish it were that easy. Simple cause and effect.

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Nevada is drowning. Revised mining taxes are the answer.

This is a complete no-brainer.

Just in from PLAN - Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada:

The mining industry sold $5.7 billion in minerals from Nevada in 2008, 95 percent of it in gold. The industry paid $40 million in net proceeds taxes to the state’s general fund – an effective tax rate of less than 1 percent.  In contrast, the tax on baby formula sold in Clark County is nearly 8 percent.

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PLAN to eliminate limits on mining revenue taxation

This is so long overdue. It’s time to revamp what mining pays to the State of Nevada, and it’s time for us to help PLAN (Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada) get the ballot initiative through.

As PLAN’s state director, Bob Fulkerson says, the mining industry will fight this tooth and nail. Nevadans will be bombarded with multi-million dollar, slick advertising campaigns trying to defeat this. But the truth is that mining has for far too long had a virtually free ride in this state.

We can’t afford to subsidize what mining should be paying for.

Don’t put this on the back of Harry Reid, either. We as Nevadans must make it clear that we need this change.

This isn’t about being vindictive in regard to mining. This is about ‘times are tough all over’, and it’s past time for mining to pay their share.

Read what PLAN has to say:

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Harry Reid gets it. And, better yet, says so.

I knew that the Repubs were all about undefensible distortions. Everybody else seemed to know it But getting our leadership to call them on it is another thing entirely.

Better late than never.

SENATE HEALTH REFORM BILL WILL REDUCE PREMIUMS FOR NEVADANS
State-by-state analysis of CBO data estimates a savings of nearly 20 percent for Nevadans’ health care premiums

Washington, DC—Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement this afternoon in response to declarations of support for reform from several respected seniors’ advocacy organizations:

“For years, Senate Democrats have proudly supported and defended Medicare while Republicans have worked to tear it down piece by piece.  Throughout this debate, Republicans have continued their unfounded attacks on our plan to reform America’s broken health system.  Several respected seniors’ advocacy organizations - including AARP, the Alliance for Retired Americans and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare - have rebuked their claims point by point.  

“Since they have no plan of their own to fix our broken health care system, I’m sure their campaign of distortions will continue.  But the reality is that our plan saves Medicare and protects it for the future by cutting waste, fraud and abuse, and ensuring that the program’s funds are used to improve seniors’ care and not to line insurers’ pockets.”

I especially love that part about “Since they have no plan of their own…”.

Duh.

Harry Reid: bringing jobs and a 21st century economy to Nevada

Just in case you weren’t sure what Harry Reid is doing for Nevada, here’s the list … just out today, detailing the $90 million in geothermal energy dollars and more than 1,100 jobs coming to Nevada. That’s almost one third of the $338 million in grants from the Economic Recovery Package … one that Reid’s opponents like Sad Sue Lowden probably would have voted against, if her blog is any indication.

That $90 million will go toward about 25 projects here in the Silver State, and I can tell you first hand that it’s putting folks to work now … even where I’m employed. I work for an environmental sciences consulting firm that does the environmental regulatory work for projects of just this sort.

These are recession proof, out sourcing proof, well paying jobs for the future of Nevada. This is not the kind of national investment that a junior senator wannabe can deliver … especially during this deep economic hole the previous party put the country into.

Of the funding being allocated, 20 projects in Nevada will receive $72.4, while an additional five projects being run by Reno-based companies outside Nevada will receive $20.5 million.

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Join Senator Harry Reid NOW ... Don't delay!

Okay, now it’s ‘put up or shut up’ time. Get off your ass if you want the public option to be a viable part of the health insurance reform bill as it leaves the Senate.

Give Senate Majority Leader Reid the ammunition that he needs to make it so! Reid needs the support of each and every one of you that believe the public option to be the only way to level the playing field for American’s when it comes to health insurance.

He needs your voices, and signatures, to throw in the faces of the naysayers. Do it now!

Read below and TAKE ACTION!:

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Moving toward 'green' jobs in Nevada's public and private sectors

Today, I read the following from Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid’s office:

Washington, DC—Nevada Harry Reid released the following statement today following his White House meeting with the President to discuss ways to spur job creation:

“Today’s meeting with the President reinforces our shared commitment to creating more jobs and providing relief to the millions of Americans who are out of work.  President Obama inherited the worst economic crisis in generations and has brought our nation back from the brink.  But too many families are still hurting, and it’s critical that we do everything possible to create jobs and strengthen the economy.

“We’re optimistic about the prospects of using renewable energy legislation to create green jobs while promoting energy efficiency.  In addition, we need to continue working toward ensuring that more families can stay in their current homes and continue efforts to strengthen the housing market by extending the homebuyer tax credit.  We also need to think about creative, innovative ways to encourage businesses to create new jobs and we’re committed to working with the President to do that. 

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