SILVER STATE CONFIDENTIAL 11/17/2014

DRIVE-BY MUTHINGS Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith wrote on Friday that “right-wing messenger Chuck Muth…has emerged as the unofficial herald of the (Nevada Republican) Assembly caucus.”  That’s a bit of a stretch, I think, but it’s hard to argue with News 3’s Jeff Gillan’s depiction of me being “the Republican that gives other Republicans heartburn.” That, in the immortal words of Mona Lisa Vito, is “dead-on balls accurate” (it’s an industry term).  Speaking of Smith, he reported on Sunday that freshman Republican Assemblyman John Moore spent a grand total of $800 - $500 of which came from conservative Assemblyman John Hambrick – to defeat Democrat Assemblyman Jason Frierson by 40 votes despite the fact that Frierson raised almost $300,000!!! And yes, Smith is “dead-on balls accurate” (it’s an industry term) in pointing out that Moore’s win, unsupported by anyone other than Hambrick - proves the “masterminds inside the Republican Party” had no “brilliant strategy to defeat the Democrats.”  Some candidates, such as Moore, were simply at the right place at exactly the right time. Frierson, by the way, is the guy who single-handedly killed a campus carry bill in the last session by refusing to allow it to come to a vote in his committee even though the votes were there to pass it out of his committee.  So this anti-gun liberal’s jaw-dropping loss is extra sweet. Hey, here’s something I bet you never thought you’d read: “Washington state’s health care exchange shut down after the first few hours of open enrollment Saturday as officials and software engineers tried to resolve a problem with tax credit calculations.” I mean, what are the odds of an ObamaCare website not working properly?  Gotta be one in a gazillion, right? On Thursday night, the Clark County School Board gave some 1,300 public school administrators a collective $5.2 million worth of raises.  On Friday we learned that a miscalculation will result in the school district getting about $5.4 million less in funding from the state than had been expected. Um, this isn’t exactly a tough one.  Cancel the raises.  Problem solved.  Move on. Oh, here’s a shocker (not)… After taxpayers OVERWHELMINGLY rejected not only the more-money-for-education “margins tax” hike at the ballot (a whopping 79% opposed!), but a more-money-for-education tax hike on the mining industry, as well, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Sunday that the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce sent out an email to members “saying it’s time to step up and help raise more revenue for education.” The Las Vegas Chamber continues to be an enabler of tax hikes for more money for more government.  It is not, and never has been, a reliable ally for true fiscal conservatism. By the way, any member of the Chamber who believes they should contribute more money to our epic fail education system is perfectly welcome to make voluntary additional tax payments of any size.  Amazingly, none ever do.  Such hypocrites. In talking about his organization’s support for supposedly “long-overdue tax reform,” Paul Moradkhan, the Chamber’s VP of government relations, said to the RJ... “I think any tax conversation needs to start out very broad-based with a variety of participants at the table.”  Hmm, I wonder if that would include someone like, you know, ME?  Guess who’s coming to dinner?!!! In the story, the RJ also noted that there are 10 lawmakers (9 in the Assembly, 1 in the Senate) who have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge promising their constituents – not me or Grover Norquist – that they “will oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.” But that Pledge does NOT mean they can’t vote for REVENUE-NEUTRAL tax reform.  The operative phrase being, of course, REVENUE-NEUTRAL. One lobbyist interviewed anonymously for the story – so as not to “upset” conservative legislators - said, “With those tax pledge people, it’s not going to make it (tax reform) impossible, but it’s going to make it contentious.” Not necessarily.  Simply make sure that any tax REFORM package is REVENUE-NEUTRAL.  Broaden the tax base if you want.  As long as it doesn’t result in a net tax increase to fund bigger government, the Pledge signers won’t be a problem. But if Gov. Brian Sandoval (R&R Partners) tries to do what Democrats have always tried to do – raise taxes in the same bill as reforming the tax system – well, that’s a horse of a different color. Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar retailers continue their efforts to misuse the power of government to hamstring their online competitors by forcing you and me to pay taxes on our online purchases.  Make no mistake, the company you buy from will not be paying these sales taxes.  You will.  The brick-and-mortar stores won’t be screwing the online stores; they’ll be screwing YOU! And if the evil forces of Internet taxation get their way, it’s estimated that an additional $23 BILLION in tax revenue will be taken from our pockets and shifted into the pockets of state governments.  No good can possibly come from such a dramatic shift in income distribution. Lastly on this topic, the notion that online retailers have an “unfair” advantage over brick-and-mortar retailers is silly, bordering on the absurd.  Online purchases come with a delivery fee – paid either by the retailer or the customer – that doesn’t apply to brick-and-mortar stores.  And, of course, you inconveniently have to wait for delivery; you can’t buy and walk out with the product on the same day. Also, as William Shughart II argues in a column published Sunday in the Las Vegas Sun… “Amazon cannot deliver a cappuccino with your book order.  And online sellers of shoes and clothing cannot offer customers opportunities to feel and touch their products, try them on for size or see their colors in the light of day.  Instead of bemoaning unfairness and lobbying for protection, local retailers can offset their sales tax disadvantages in many ways.” What he said. And on this subject, here’s what taxpayer champion Grover Norquist had to say on Twitter this week: “To paraphrase General Patton....’No real Republican’ would tax internet sales.” What he said. OK, so get this…  The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Sunday that there’s a guy on the Las Vegas Planning Commission named Ric Truesdale who has “a financial interest” in two medical marijuana dispensaries - yet nevertheless has voted to reject 13 competing dispensary applications! Not that this should come as any real surprise.  As you may recall, Las Vegas City Councilman Bob Beers sued Truesdale – who was running against Beers for Beers’ city council seat two years ago – over libelous and defamatory accusations Truesdale made against Beers, who described Truesdale in the campaign as a “conflicted” developer. It appears Beers’ depiction of Truesdale was and continues to be “dead-on balls accurate” (it’s an industry term).  How is this guy allowed to remain on the Planning Commission, as opposed to being run out of town, tarred-and-feathered, on a rail? REMINDER: VOTE TODAY IN $100,000 TEACHER CHALLENGE Remember, you can (and should, please) vote every day for Brenda Moynihan in her effort to secure a $100,000 grant for C.T. Sewell Elementary School in Henderson. CLICK HERE to vote.  And remember, you can vote every day until the deadline on November 30th.  You know, just like in Chicago elections! FAMOUS LAST WORDS “The idea that putting money into education is going to automatically be a panacea and solve all our problems just, – the evidence isn’t there to support that.” - Nevada Republican Assembly Speaker-designate Ira Hansen, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 11/16/14 “Raising taxes is what weak and lazy politicians do. It’s easier than governing, making decisions, prioritizing, and learning from mistakes. Every politician has two choices. Reform government to work better/cost less, or raise taxes to pay more for more of the same.” – Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform “(Raising taxes) is the easy way out.” – Nevada Republican Assembly Speaker-designate Ira Hansen, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 11/16/14 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Silver State Confidential is an email newsletter on Nevada politics, public policy and current events published (usually) daily by Chuck Muth, Nevada's #1 Renegade Conservative and the man voted "Most Likely to Irritate Liberals!"  Click on the link below for subscription information…