The 5-28-15 Penny Press
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Penny Press Nevada, USA Volume 12 Number 38 MAY 28, 2015 THE PENNY PRESS,MAY 28, 2015 PAGE 2 www.pennypressnv.com The Penny Press is published weekly by Penny Credits: Far West Radio LLC All Contents © Penny Press 2015 Publisher and Editor: Contributing Editors: Fred Weinberg Floyd Brown Al Thomas Letters to the Editor are encouraged. They should be Press emailed to: [email protected] No unsigned or Doug French Chuck Muth Logotype unverifiable letters will be printed. Pointedlymad John Getter Pat Choate licensed from: Ron Knecht Byron Bergeron 775-461-1515 eFax: 201-304-0355 Rich Gast Penny Press NEVADA USA 16 PAGES VOLUME 12 NUMBER 38 MAY 28, 2015 Which Lawmakers Can The Guv Bribe? By VICTOR JOECKS Stephen Silberkraus also appears 1990s, all tax increases require pressure will still be put on some Special to the Penny Press to still be considering whether two-thirds approval in each of the and promises will be made to others. he wants to support Sandoval’s Legislature’s two chambers — the Those most likely to have their arms Whether Gov. Brian Sandoval largest-tax-hike-in-history plan, or Senate and the Assembly. Now that twisted are David Gardner, James gets to impose the largest vote in favor of taxpayers who the state Senate has already passed Oscarson and Victoria Seaman. tax increase in state history on are adamantly opposed to such tax over $1.3 billion in tax hikes, the It’s important to note the Nevadans is going to come down increases. Assembly is taxpayers’ last chance differences between the current tax Each of those lawmakers is to stop the largest increase in state plans. After O’Neill publicly stated aware of the hundreds of millions history. his opposition to the governor’s Commentary of dollars in waste that Sandoval’s Twelve Assembly members first gross-receipts tax scheme, budget contains. They’ve also have announced their support of the SB252, that plan died. demonstrated enough personal Knecht/Wheeler alternative budget So Sandoval is now pushing for to whether he can induce a handful courage to withstand the kind that requires no new taxes. a $1.5 billion tax hike that includes of lawmakers, who are currently on of political pressure that’s being They are: Jill Dickman, Vicki a modified version of AB464 the fence, to go with him. applied. Dooling, John Ellison, Michele combined with SB483, which That’s what the latest Nevada So far, they have not yet Fiore, David Gardner, Brent Jones, makes the so-called “sunset” taxes Policy Research Institute’s whip publicly announced opposition to John Moore, James Oscarson, permanent and raises the cigarette count reveals. the largest tax increase in Nevada Victoria Seaman, Shelly Shelton, tax by $1 a pack. The lawmakers believed to history. Those five are, however, Robin Titus and Jim Wheeler. Neither Nelson, O’Neill or be on the fence about tax hikes the most likely to do so. Ira Hansen has also made known Trowbridge have taken public are Assemblymen Erv Nelson, Because of the Gibbons tax- his opposition to $1.3 billion in tax positions regarding the size, if P.K. O’Neill, Glenn Trowbridge restraint amendment voters added hikes. any, of a tax increase they would and Chris Edwards. Assemblyman to the Nevada Constitution in the That’s 13 “no” votes, although support. Continued on page4 The Conservative Weekly RON KNECHT PAGE 5 Voice Of Nevada FRED WEINBERG PAGE 6 Penny Wisdom ROBERT RINGER PAGE 7 Inside: MICHAEL BARTON PAGE 9 We do not know how to build ANDY MATTHEWS PAGE 10 Nevada Lawmakers nations any more than we know how to fix English- MATT BARBER PAGE 11 Feckless Thugs speaking home grown CHUCK MUTH PAGE 14 Detroit. See Editorial Page 6 —George Will THE PENNY PRESS,MAY 28, 2015 PAGE 4 What Votes Are For Sale? Continued from page 3 If you want to prevent a bigger burden on Nevada taxpayers, call and So far, however, Silberbraus has given no public indication that he will email these lawmakers and politely ask them to publicly oppose these tax oppose the largest tax increase in state history — while Assemblyman Pat increases: Hickey has been saying that Siblerkraus has already joined Sandoval’s Assemblyman Erv Nelson, [email protected], 775-684- “team.” 8833 Taxpayers wishing to remind Silberkraus of his desire to look for Assemblyman P.K. O’Neill, [email protected], 775-684- alternatives to tax increases can contact him at Stephen.Silberkraus@asm. 8825 state.nv.us, 775-684-8855. Assemblyman Glenn Trowbridge, [email protected]. That leaves seven Assembly Republicans thought likely to support nv.us, 775-684-8505 Sandoval’s $1.5 billion tax hikes: Paul Anderson, Derek Armstrong, On Friday, Assemblyman Chris Edwards called for $1.5 billion in Speaker John Hambrick, Pat Hickey, Randy Kirner, Lynn Stewart and reductions to Sandoval’s proposed education spending increases. On Melissa Woodbury. Saturday, as lawmakers on the legislature’s money committees closed the Some of those lawmakers — like Kirner, with his AB182 and AB190 education budgets, Edwards voted against some of the wasteful spending — have worked very hard on needed reforms. Since Sandoval must he’d highlighted. depend on the votes of those seven to pass his tax increases, Kirner, Legislative leadership is trying to ignore Edwards’ hard work, and will Hickey and other legislators in that group have remarkable leverage to — unless Edwards forces their hand by opposing tax increases — shelve demand reforms — should they choose to do so. his proposals. Currently, Sandoval shows no interest in compromise or in passing Taxpayers wishing to thank Edwards for identifying waste and many seriously needed reforms. politely encourage him to stand strong against tax increases can contact Nevadans, therefore, need to encourage the five lawmakers listed him at [email protected], 775-684-8857. above to get off the fence and stand tall. During his campaign, Stephen Silberkraus said, “Instead of always Victor Joecks is executive vice president of the Nevada Policy Research looking to raise taxes, we must work on growing our economy, and in Institute, a non-partisan, free-market think tank. For more visit http://npri. doing so create a more sustainable system for our state in the long term.” org. www.pennypressnv.com THE PENNY PRESS,MAY 28, 2015 PAGE 5 Commentary: Ron Knecht utility ratemaking to support “life- reaction to it made glaringly obvious destructive policies proposed Confessions of line” electric rates. Life-line means the extent to which the consumer by Obama’s appointees. Those that monthly customer charges and and environmental movements had activists have achieved their real modest usage levels are priced low to degenerated and to which other goal by co-opting government A Former Liberal help poor people, with higher usage such causes eventually fall, as I’ll and large corporations to become levels priced higher to encourage explain. While such special-interest institutionalized in jobs that pay them In the 1970s, I was an conservation. movements always couch their well for promoting their ideology environmental and consumer activist, I presented the logic and finely rhetoric and demands under fairness, and politicking. all-purpose liberal Democrat, and a balanced details to the convention’s justice, legitimate grievance and America’s air, water and landfills founding director of Illinois’ Naderite energy and utilities session: a $3.50 the public interest, eventually they are, overall, cleaner today than 40 / Alinskyite radic-lib umbrella monthly customer charge and become driven more by selfishness, years ago. However, enviros obscure organization that harbored some of seasonal rates of a few cents per ignorance, envy and greed to preying those key facts by always making Barack Obama’s fellow community kilowatt-hour (kwhr) for the first 400 upon the public interest. new policy demands for two reasons. organizers. kwhr each month. Then lightning As a university energy research For some zealots, environmentalism Fortunately for me, I continued to struck. engineer, I encountered a full is a bizarre religion that sees mankind read, learn and grow; got over statist The founding director from range of environmentalism and as a despoiler, and to varying degrees liberalism; and now oppose it due to the United Auto Workers, who limits-to-growth theory, literature, they want to roll back civilization to the grim benighted future it holds for didn’t know anything about energy research and dogma. I learned that restore wilderness. For the larger our children. Unfortunately for the economics or ratemaking but a lot commercial and industrial practices fraction, most advocates and those world, many of my fellow Boomers about radic-lib street organizing, back then often produced unduly with jobs in the enviro industries, and younger folks they’ve influenced erupted: “I don’t know or care about high “negative externalities” such as admitting such facts would mean still peddle it aggressively. any of that! Let’s just give everybody pollution -- the founding legitimate that most of them should get jobs The opening of my eyes and 1000 kwhr a month at two cents and insight of environmentalism. that deliver enough real value to my recovery from it began at our zero customer charge! Screw the Thus, completely unfettered others to earn revenues in market founding convention, for which I utilities!” markets don’t always maximize competition, instead of getting paid developed a proposal based on my His demagoguery and the aggregate human wellbeing and for their politics. expertise in energy economics and fairness (the primary public interests), After their early and just and some legislation, regulation and successes, such movements, seeking other public intervention is justified.