The tax revolt at Lake Tahoe has reached the 10-year mark, with no end in sight. The Village League to Save Incline Assets was formed in December 2002 by a small group of Incline Village and Crystal Bay property owners to protest outrageously high property tax increases. This small group of determined taxpayers has been fighting Washoe County and the State Board of Equalization … [Read more...] about Property Tax Rebellion: Fighting for Justice
Commentary
Following Florida: Why School Choice Should Top Lawmakers’ Education Agenda
School choice, not Pre-K, has raised Florida’s test scores In 1998, Florida and Nevada had the exact same score on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test for fourth grade reading. In 1999, however, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush instituted a series of reforms, including corporate tuition scholarships, vouchers, grading schools from A-F, ending social promotion … [Read more...] about Following Florida: Why School Choice Should Top Lawmakers’ Education Agenda
We Are Blessed to Live in America Today
During the 2012 presidential campaign, both major parties competed to see who could paint the most negative picture of this country’s economy, society and future. This gave them a chance to blame their political enemies for the sorry state of affairs and show how their candidate was the only one who could pull us back from the brink of disaster. After months and months of … [Read more...] about We Are Blessed to Live in America Today
Playing Politics with Education: Teachers Union Throws Students under the Bus
Nevadans will find out this month whether the Clark County School District (CCSD) qualifies for a $40 million grant from the federal government’s “Race to the Top” program. The money would provide high-tech tools and programs at 63 schools to help 41,000 students with limited English skills. It would fund 46 new jobs for teachers and support staff, as well as expanded teacher … [Read more...] about Playing Politics with Education: Teachers Union Throws Students under the Bus
Let’s Quit Killing Jobs in the Silver State: Legislators Should Remove Obstacles to Job Creation
Nevada’s unemployment rate has lingered at unacceptably high, double-digit rates for nearly four years. That uncomfortable statistic — reflecting deep human costs inflicted on many Nevada families — has led the state’s political class to make much ado about promoting “economic development.” During the 2011 legislative session, for example, lawmakers created a new “state … [Read more...] about Let’s Quit Killing Jobs in the Silver State: Legislators Should Remove Obstacles to Job Creation
Feds Prepare to Pluck Nevada: If Sage Grouse is “Endangered”
You may never have heard of a sage grouse, but this chicken-like wild bird will cost Nevada millions of dollars if federal agencies put it on the Endangered Species list. Conservationists, industry stakeholders and government representatives in Nevada have been discussing the sage grouse since 2000, and the governor even appointed a blue-ribbon commission to study it. Why has … [Read more...] about Feds Prepare to Pluck Nevada: If Sage Grouse is “Endangered”
Taxpayers Don’t Prevail: Nevada’s prevailing wage law benefits narrow groups at public expense
Imagine you’re a plumber living in Mesquite. For most jobs, you’d probably earn as much as a plumber living in nearby St. George, Utah — $19.67 per hour, on average, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. If you can get work on a public works project financed by Clark County or the State of Nevada in your hometown, however, your employer would be required to … [Read more...] about Taxpayers Don’t Prevail: Nevada’s prevailing wage law benefits narrow groups at public expense
Why Vote Against Obama? Eight Compelling Reasons
Barack Obama was elected in 2008 with a message of hope and change. Unfortunately, the change we got was for the worse. There is little hope left that the country can pull itself out of the recession anytime soon, and we’re left hoping that the Middle East won’t erupt into flames that will consume us all. There are hundreds of reasons to vote for a change of administration in … [Read more...] about Why Vote Against Obama? Eight Compelling Reasons
$1.3 billion for 288 jobs: The failure of government-subsidized renewable energy
Another reason why government shouldn’t pick winners and losers in the economy In August, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hosted his fifth annual National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. Delivering the keynote address, former president Bill Clinton claimed that if every state had a renewable-energy standard it would “put a lot of people back to work.” Sen. Reid … [Read more...] about $1.3 billion for 288 jobs: The failure of government-subsidized renewable energy
Nevada Money Should Stay in Nevada: Time to Reform the Contracting Process
In Governor Brian Sandoval’s State of the State speech, he encouraged everyone to “shop Nevada first” and said Nevada should make “supporting private sector job creation a way of life for all government agencies.” I heartily endorse both these ideas, but the state has a long way to go to prove its support for homegrown businesses. For example, did you know that when Nevada … [Read more...] about Nevada Money Should Stay in Nevada: Time to Reform the Contracting Process
Back to Schools You Wouldn’t Choose: Nevada parents have been left behind in the school-choice movement
As Nevada’s children return to school this fall, many parents will again be frustrated, recognizing that their children will be relegated to sub-standard education. Parents who can’t afford to live in the wealthy neighborhoods that host the best public schools, and who can’t afford private-school tuition, will discover that the educational opportunities available to their … [Read more...] about Back to Schools You Wouldn’t Choose: Nevada parents have been left behind in the school-choice movement
Save our Country in November: It’s Up to You
As we are bombarded this summer by political ads and robo-calls, it’s tempting to tune it all out and ignore politics altogether. After all, we have more important things to do, don’t we? The answer to that question is “No!” There is nothing more important than finding out which candidates support conservative causes and convincing everyone you know to vote for them on November … [Read more...] about Save our Country in November: It’s Up to You
What the Obamacare Decision Means for State Policymakers: Court gives states the option of financing congressional scheme
Few decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court have captured the public interest as did its June opinion in NFIB v. Sebelius. This long-anticipated ruling was widely perceived as the final judicial test for one of the most controversial acts of Congress in decades: the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare. The challenge centered on whether Congress has the … [Read more...] about What the Obamacare Decision Means for State Policymakers: Court gives states the option of financing congressional scheme
North Las Vegas Refuses to Bow Down to Union Pressure
The North Las Vegas City Council made a courageous move on June 1 by standing up to the powerful public employee unions and giving the city manager the authority to discard portions of collective bargaining agreements in order to prevent devastating layoffs. The firefighters and police unions had negotiated generous contracts with the city when property taxes were high and … [Read more...] about North Las Vegas Refuses to Bow Down to Union Pressure
Margins Tax Mayhem: Unions’ Tax Initiative Would Devastate Small, Struggling Businesses
In a long-anticipated move, the hard-left union bosses of the Nevada AFL-CIO and the state teachers union marked D-Day this year by launching another assault against Silver State businesses. A ballot initiative filed by the unions would ask lawmakers to hammer businesses with a new margins tax and then earmark the money to directly benefit the unions. The margins tax — … [Read more...] about Margins Tax Mayhem: Unions’ Tax Initiative Would Devastate Small, Struggling Businesses