Nevada
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2:20 p.m.
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(Also at Stonewall ) In case you missed yesterday's lovely parade and festival in Downtown Henderson, here are some pics for you to peruse. I was with Congresswoman Dina Titus ' famous pickup truck crew, and all of us at "Team Titus" had a great time (and got a great reception from the crowd!) marching down Water Street. Other great progressive Democrats marching were State Sen...
Nevada Progressive - 9:06 a.m.
Jon Ralston sums up Senator John Ensign's (R-NV) attitude very succinctly: "Ensign clearly is immune to shame after spending a public career on a moral high horse while horsing around in private." [ LVSun ] The junior Senator also appears to be immune from a timely investigation of his activities by the Senate Ethics Committee. The $25,000 Question On July 9, 2009 Citizens for Responsibili...
Desert Beacon - Fri 9:05 a.m. - 4 clicks 
DB's very best wishes to Senator Harry Reid's (D-NV) wife and daughter for a speedy and complete recovery. (Story from NYT ) ...
Desert Beacon - Fri 9:05 a.m. - 3 clicks
Oh, no. Sun columnist Jon Ralston is reporting that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's wife and daughter were hospitalized after a car wreck today in the Washington, D.C., area. “Today, Senator Reid’s wife, Landra, and daughter, Lana, were involved in an accident in which their vehicle was rear-ended," according to a statement from Reid's office. "They are both being treated at a Washington-...
Nevada Progressive - Thu 2:20 p.m. - 5 clicks
Whoa, there! Just as we're all starting to feel better again about health care reform getting done , this happens . Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told Greg Sargent today he'd be willing to introduce the public option amendment. But if Durbin's comments are any indication, it won't get very far. "We have to move this forward. We know the Republicans are likely to offer a lot of amendments, and so...
Nevada Progressive - Thu 2:07 p.m. - 4 clicks
But I’m seriously hating these people. Filed under: Politics, Universal Health Care Tagged: Dick Durbin, Harry Reid ...
Blue Lyon - Thu 1:40 p.m. - 3 clicks
Seriously, doesn't The R-J's editorial page sound like a broken record these days? Today is no different, with Shermie screaming (again!) about some supposed " commie socialist takeover! " led by Harry Reid, some black dude from Chicago, and some scary woman (scary because she's not barefoot in the kitchen caring for her 100 grandbabies) from San Francisco. Sigh... Never mind that thanks to Senat...
Nevada Progressive - Thu 10:41 a.m. - 2 clicks
If Senator John Ensign (R-NV) were truly worried about deficit reduction in terms of the federal budget there are many more constructive ways to approach the problems than voting against the extension of unemployment benefits and tax cut extensions for middle class Americans. First and foremost, the obvious point: Deficits are the outcome of too little revenue available for too many spending ite...
Desert Beacon - Thu 10:27 a.m. - 2 clicks
© FauxNews - March 11, 2010 St. George, Utah - Nevada Gov. Jim "Bad Idea" Gibbons accidentally filed to run for governor of Utah earlier this morning in Provo. Gibbon's had been on a "official fact-finding mission" to the Full Moon Swingers Retreat And Conference Center, and apparently confused Provo for Carson City. Having discovered the mistake, the governor immediately flew back to Reno to ...
Zeke Says So - Thu 8:49 a.m. - 5 clicks
New details are emerging about Senator John Ensign's (R-NV) attempts to find clients for former aide Doug Hampton's lobbying efforts [ TPM ] " The messages are the first written records from Mr. Ensign documenting his efforts to find clients for Mr. Hampton, a top aide and close friend, after the senator had an affair with his wife, Cynthia Hampton. They appear to undercut the senator’s asserti...
Desert Beacon - Thu 8:05 a.m. - 2 clicks
I couldn't help it. I have to take a peek! OK, so it's a restroom... But ain't it p'urty? In addition, The Weekly has four more lovely nightclub restrooms for you to marvel at (or laugh at, depending on your POV). :-D And in other important news this week, Wynn Resorts uber-glam designer (and great mind behind this year's Oscar Green Room!) Roger Thomas spilled some beans to Stev...
Nevada Progressive - Thu 7:41 a.m. - 4 clicks
As we all know, Repubs in Nevada are running scared that a third-party candidacy by a candidate running under the "Tea Party of Nevada" banner could actually hand Harry Reid another term. Now several Repubs are hurling a very serious charge at Jon Scott Ashjian-- Reid's people put him up to running . It's a grass-roots protest movement composed of the newly politicized and people distr...
DailyKos (Nevada) - Wed 3:01 p.m. - 7 clicks
For those who aren’t familiar with the name "Elliot Anderson", you may be more familiar with fellow Daily Kos community member (and great guy) DemMarineVet - someone who has put his time, money and reputation where his mouth is by running for Nevada State Assembly . Of course, he already has more than proven himself as a Marine combat veteran, serving in Afghanistan and Nevada State ...
DailyKos (Nevada) - Wed 12:21 p.m. - 6 clicks
Last week, President Obama signed the Travel Promotion Act into law. I know I usually don't give Johnny Casino much credit for anything, but at least he was of use this time in sponsoring it. And of course, Harry Reid did all the heavy lifting over these last few months to make it all happen. And today, The Strip's big players are feeling quite good about the prospect of even more foreign...
Nevada Progressive - Wed 10:48 a.m. - 4 clicks
( Continued from Part 1 , also at Stonewall ) So where was I? Oh yes, we were talking about the SNWA Water Grab when we had to leave yesterday. Let's pick it up from there. The final question was for each candidate to describe how he or she is different from the others and what his or her priorities will be when on the Commission. David Parks got to answer first, and he went into detail on hi...
Nevada Progressive - Wed 10:06 a.m. - 5 clicks
While there are policy critics in Nevada who like to bemoan the lack of federal dollars returning to the state, there are also those making the point that "It takes money to make money," and if Nevada doesn't provide matching funds, follow the formulas, for make programs accessible, then we've no one to blame but ourselves. [Full article: Las Vegas Sun ] Speaking of $$$: The Republican talking...
Desert Beacon - Wed 8:23 a.m. - 4 clicks
(Also at Stonewall ) OK, I know I've been keeping you waiting for almost a week now. Sorry about that. As you can tell, I've been super busy! Yes, yes, and I took Thursday off . Again, sorry about that. But hey, now we get to talk about the Clark County Commission! Many thanks to the Henderson Democratic Club for hosting this event last week and giving us a chance to get to ...
Nevada Progressive - Tue 11:40 a.m. - 8 clicks
Will he use the Great Big Veto Stamp? " Gov. Jim Gibbons is going to veto a bill that would require state workers to put in 10-hour days and for state offices to be closed on Friday. Daniel Burns, communications director for Gibbons, said the governor wants to give directors of agencies the flexibility to decide their hours and whether their offices should be closed one day a week ." [ LVSun ] W...
Desert Beacon - Tue 8:40 a.m. - 6 clicks
Rory Reid - A man with a plan. Ken McKenna - A man with a lot of words, but no plan. In fact, his website is a joke and his billboards embarass me. His billboards consist of a picture of McKenna and his wife with the nonsensical statement: “Say NO to taxes.” What the … ? He is supposedly running as [...] ...
Blue Lyon - Tue 5:29 a.m. - 7 clicks
Tonight in Las Vegas there will be a celebration to commemorate Nevada’s amazing and hard fought victory over the forces that sought to turn our state into the nation’s radioactive dumping ground. Countless grassroots Nevadans, Western Shoshone and other indigenous nations, local and national citizen organizations, and others contributed to this victory. But Senator Harry ...
DailyKos (Nevada) - Mon 10:42 p.m. - 6 clicks
And the hot mess that is Prive/Living Room at PHo just keeps getting messier . The new owner of the Planet Hollywood resort in Las Vegas has been pressuring the bankrupt Privé and Living Room nightclubs there to either pay their past-due rent and expenses or vacate the premises. Owned by Miami nightclub company the Opium Group, Privé and Living Room filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection N...
Nevada Progressive - Mon 3:05 p.m. - 5 clicks
(Also at Stonewall ) Courtesy of INTHELV : And for another perspective on what happened at Stonewall, Brian Fadie wrote us up at Progress Now . ...
Nevada Progressive - Mon 3:05 p.m. - 6 clicks
Harry Reid's in . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid officially filed today to keep his Senate seat. “While we have made significant progress through the Recovery Act and other measures to prevent this recession from becoming a depression, there is much work to be done. We must never forget our fellow Nevadans who are suffering during this economic downturn," Reid said. "That is why I filed for...
Nevada Progressive - Mon 3:05 p.m. - 5 clicks
According to ApartmentRatings.Com , the average one bedroom apartment in the DC/Baltimore area cost $1,018 per month in 2002, $1,224 in 2009, and dropped a bit to $1,201 in 2010. So, here's my question: If Senator John Ensign (R-NV) paid $600 per month to live in the C-Street House until November 2009, who picked up the tab for the difference? (H/T to the Rachel Maddow Show for bringing up the ...
Desert Beacon - Mon 3:05 p.m. - 6 clicks
There's nothing like stringing several "economic" posts together to make blog readers flee to more political fare, but please trust me on this one. Nevada is having one nasty recession, worse in terms of unemployment than most other states, and feeling the effects in terms of everything from school budget cuts to closed state offices and public libraries. This didn't have to happen, but the poli...
Desert Beacon - Mar 5 - 4 clicks
All polling in Nevada shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid trailing his little-known opponents badly. But this one, from mid-February, was more intriguing, as it included the Tea Party candidate, fresh off his party's qualification for the ballot: Public Opinion Strategies (R) for the Retail Association of Nevada. 2/15-16. Likely voters. (No trend lines) Harry Reid (D) 37 Sue Low...
DailyKos (Nevada) - Mar 5 - 3 clicks
For just a few moments let's assume for the sake of argument that monetary policy and "natural" levels of unemployment is a side issue, and that the decline of the American manufacturing sector is peripheral, so that we can take a harder look at Senator John Ensign's (R-NV) fundamental theory of humanity. Senator Ensign, as the Las Vegas Sun article cited below points out, once tried a mini-Bun...
Desert Beacon - Mar 4 - 5 clicks
As long as I'm playing with various right wing myths today, let's add another: "Anybody who wants to work can find a job." The December 2009 unemployment rate in Nevada was reported as 13.0% statewide, 13.1% in the Las Vegas area, 12.7% in Reno, and 12.7% in the Carson City area. [ DETR pdf] These numbers will be updated shortly, probably after today's release of additional employment rate data...
Desert Beacon - Mar 3 - 6 clicks
While Nevada continues to operate within a tax structure that emphasizes gaming, sales, and the MBT, there are still voices calling for tax cuts as a way to increase revenue. There's no reason to expect that this illogical proposition works any better at the state level than it has nationally. Myth : "Tax cuts increase federal revenue." Sorry, no, that's not the way it works in the real world....
Desert Beacon - Mar 3 - 8 clicks
Approximately 176,000 Nevadans are out of work; 20,000 are losing their unemployment benefits; and, Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) is single-handedly holding up consideration of a bill that would offer an extension. [ LVSun ] Senator Bunning's obstructionism might be characterized as a "principled stand" if not for the fact that he's waffled on unemployment benefit extensions and related issues such t...
Desert Beacon - Mar 2 - 6 clicks
It's close enough to April 15, 2010 to start talking about taxation. Indeed, the Republicans have started the conversation already in their "Road Map" for America. However, a Nevada citizen earning the 2008 median income of $56,361 [ census pdf] may not be all that thrilled when the GOP bill board messages are stripped away, and the destination for The Road Map comes into full view. When Ima...
Desert Beacon - Mar 1 - 5 clicks
The previous post asked if Congressman Dean Heller (R-NV2) would support legislation to rein in the high rollers on Wall Street who succeeded so spectacularly in making a hash of the U.S. financial sector since the enactment of statutes leaving investment banks, hedge funds, and others, free to play games of chance while taxpayers were left to pick up the pieces and pay the bills. House Roll Cal...
Desert Beacon - Feb 26 - 5 clicks
When a Congressman asserts his expertise in economic matters it would be well if his comments supported that contention. Congressman Dean Heller's (R-NV2) comments to the Elko County GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner were long on talking points and short on economic insight. [ EDFP ] There were some good "red meat" moments which make far better sound bites than economic analysis, although the comments do h...
Desert Beacon - Feb 26 - 4 clicks
WellPoint's rate increases in California got more publicity, but California wasn't the only state expected to see health care premium increases skyrocket -- Nevada's Insurance Division approved an approximately 13% overall rate increase for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in 2009. [ APA.org ] So, how did WellPoint Inc. attempt to justify these rate increases in at least 11 states? They've pla...
Desert Beacon - Feb 25 - 3 clicks
After voting to sustain the filibuster on the scaled down "jobs" bill in the U.S. Senate, Senator John Ensign reprised his role and voted against passage of the bill. [ roll call 25 ] The bill passed on a 70-28 vote. The scaled down bill (pdf) included (1) payroll tax forgiveness to those to hire unemployed workers, with (2) breaks for those who hire workers for at least one year; (3) an increa...
Desert Beacon - Feb 24 - 4 clicks
Well now Nevadans, here we go again: " Raising taxes on an already shrinking tax base is not the solution,” Sandoval wrote. “We cannot tax our way back to prosperity.” The influential conservative group Americans for Tax Reform wrote letters to legislators this week, asking them to oppose what it called Gibbons’ “massive tax increase” on mining. The group had been accusing the governor of violat...
Desert Beacon - Feb 24 - 6 clicks
Double digit health care insurance premium rate increases are expected in several states, and Nevada is one of them. " In fact, double-digit hikes have been implemented or are pending in at least 11 other states among the 14 where WellPoint’s Blue Cross Blue Shield companies are active: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Nevada , New Hampshire, New York, Virginia, and Wis...
Desert Beacon - Feb 24 - 6 clicks
Roll Call Vote Number 48 in the current session of the House of Representatives was instructive. HJ Res 45, the adoption of the statutory Pay As You Go Act, was opposed by 187 members of the House; Representative Dean Heller (R-NV2) included. The following statement on Congressman Heller's webpage doesn't match with his vote on roll call 48: " Curbing out of control spending and balancing the...
Desert Beacon - Feb 23 - 2 clicks
Surprised? No. Senator John Ensign (R-NV) voted to sustain the Republican filibuster of the Jobs Bill (H.R. 2847) yesterday. [ roll call 23 ] Cloture was agreed to on a 62-30 vote. What is interesting is that not so long ago the Nevada Senator was calling for more job creation : " President Obama’s budget is exactly what we were hoping not to see: more of the same. Record-breaking spending and ...
Desert Beacon - Feb 23 - 2 clicks
It was a moonlit night. The Zombie Nevada GOP stumbled across the barren sagebrush strewn landscape of Nevada's Desert. The horrifying gurgling and slobbering of the freshly risen party were indistinguishable at first. But slowly recognizable words appears, "REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEID! GEEEEEEEEEEEET REEEEEEEEEEEEID!" The citizenry, having barricaded themselves into any available space, cowered in f...
Zeke Says So - Feb 16 - 3 clicks
With the FBI currently interviewing associates of Sen. John "plead the fifth" Ensign , some speculation has been made as far as what cool prison nickname he might have when you get sent upstate for his alleged crimes. Here are some thoughts: Johnny "Two-Timer" Ensign John "The Bull(shitter)" Ensign John "Nevada Gigolo" Ensign John "The Checkbook Don" Ensign John "Sings ...
Zeke Says So - Jan 22
Look I know it's not his fault. Harry Reid is neither responsible for, nor should feel guilty about the ridiculous upset yesterday in America's worst state, Massachusetts. The results which featured the crime of a right wing unqualified wingnut, winning Ted Kennedy's former seat, are neither a referendum on Barack Obama or healthcare reform. And you know it. But so what? Like every crime, someb...
Zeke Says So - Jan 20
Tomorrow, the good people of Massachusetts will vote for their new US Senator. And the bad ones too. I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that this is going to turn out badly for Democrats. Unfortunately, fivethirtyeight.com also feels this way, explaining that there is better than a 70% chance that the Republican Scott "I hate health care” Brown will beat Democrat Martha "dropping the b...
Zeke Says So - Jan 18 - 4 clicks
The Las Vegas Review Journal article published today, it is revealed that candidate for Senate Sue Lowden is afraid to fly on airplanes. First of all, what? This is some kind of joke, right? Are you seriously telling me that an adult, one that wants to be in the upper chamber of the Senate of the most powerful country in the world, is afraid to get on a commercial airliner? Over the years I...
Zeke Says So - Jan 17
Well, I've said it many many times before; Gov. Jim "Mormon Recluse" Gibbons hates Reno. He never comes here. He never has Townhall meetings here. He doesn't attend parades or fundraisers, and he didn't even show up at my birthday party last year. Jackass. But now, he's gone even further. Apparently Jim Gibbons hates Sparks Nevada as well. In one of the biggest fundraisers of the year, one that ...
Zeke Says So - Jan 15
Not Danny Tarkanian January 13th, 2010 The Honorable Harry Reid U.S. Senator 522 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Fax: 202-224-7327 775-883-1980 702-388-5030 775-686-5757 Dear Senator Reid, As you are undoubtedly aware, the American people are clamoring for negotiations on health care reform to be fully open and transparent. By having these hearings in closed back rooms full ...
Zeke Says So - Jan 14
Harry Reid's Racist Comment www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy ...
Zeke Says So - Jan 12
In the year 2010, Nevada's got the chance once again, to exchange their Senator Reid for a Con. But with Tarkanian and Lowden the choice, many Republicans raised their voice, and screamed out "better first then the bottom". As the November election neared, educated people statewide feared, is it possible that Nevadan will get bombed...
Zeke Says So - Jan 11
With our internationally infamous Sen. John Ensign making an appearance this week at UNR's Jot Travis Student Union, he is doing something that no other prominent Republican has managed to do in Nevada since the creation of this blog nearly 2 years ago. Hold a town hall meeting in Reno Nevada. I know what you're saying, certainly Gov. Jim Gibbons, Lieut. Gov. Brian Krolicki or Congressman De...
Zeke Says So - Jan 10
The function of Blue Sage Views has been more than amply taken by other Nevada blogs, and the time necessary to keep Desert Beacon, the mothership, keeps expanding. Something has to give. So, BSV will be jettisoned, and its posts will be published on Desert Beacon from here on out. It's been a pleasure to have you follow, and here's hoping you'll bookmark Desert Beacon and keep reading. Thanks!...
Blue Sage Views - Jan 4 - 3 clicks
© FauxNews December 31st, 2009 Reno, Nevada - In an amazing exhibition of psychic powers, Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons astounded law enforcement and media yesterday by declaring "This airport is cleeeeeeean". The Governor had taken an extensive nearly 20 minute tour of the baggage claim area of the recently remodeled Reno-Tahoe International Airport Wednesday before making the amazing statement. Sourc...
Zeke Says So - Dec 31 - 3 clicks
I've had the displeasure of meeting a whole bunch of "wild horse advocates" lately, and I'm still scratching my head over what trauma they suffered in their life, to care so much about these animals. First, I thought it might just be that girl/pony routine we all know and love. But that type of relationship doesn't explain the paranoia and hostility so often expressed by wild horse advocat...
Zeke Says So - Dec 26 - 4 clicks
