SILVER STATE CONFIDENTIAL 02/09/2015

AX THE TAX NOW State Treasurer Dan Schwartz and State Controller Ron Knecht have come under fire for proposing an alternative budget to that of Gov. Brian “America’s Worst Governor” Sandoval (R&R-Advertising) despite the fact that Sandoval himself, in a Reno Gazette-Journal story about his budget proposal and Billion Dollar Tax Hike shortly after this year’s State of the State address challenged dissenters to do just that. "I have put my marker out there in terms of where I want the state to go and where we have to invest when it comes to k-through-12, higher education, health and human services and public safety," Sandoval said during an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal on Wednesday.  "And for those who don't want to do that, then they need to do the same thing.” So Schwartz and Knecht called the Governor’s bluff and did exactly what the Governor’s challenged people to do…and suddenly Schwartz and Knecht are the bad guys? Remember, this whole tax hike fiasco is Sandoval’s fault.  He knew what he was going to do during the campaign.  But he hid his plan from legislators and the people of Nevada and then sprung it on us almost three months after the election was over. And if not for the distraction of Sandoval’s obscene Billion Dollar Tax Hike, Republicans in Carson City right now would pretty much all be rowing in the same direction.  The only major schism in the GOP today is over the Governor’s absurd quest to break his promise about getting rid of the “sunsets” and trying to pass a new gross receipts tax every bit as harmful as the one voters rejected by 79% in November. He’s not America’s Worst Governor for nuthin’! THE DAILY GRUBER Despite all the misleading propaganda and false arguments being put forward by Gov. Brian “America’s Worst Governor” Sandoval (R&R-Advertising) and his GOP enablers in the Nevada Legislature, the bottom line is this: The governor’s Billion Dollar Tax Hike is a clear and unambiguous violation of the official Nevada Republican Party Platform. For those Republicans in Nevada who continue to defend the indefensible Billion Dollar Tax Hike for no reason other than the fact that Sandoval has “R” after his name, allow me to refresh your memories of what a real Republican in Nevada is supposed to stand for, as adopted by the elected delegates to the Nevada Republican convention… “We strongly support those in public office who resist higher taxes and fees, and seek to reduce the size, cost and scope of government at all levels. “Residents of the State of Nevada are not under-taxed and state government is not under-funded. Our current budget crisis is the result of years of overspending. Government cannot tax the state or the residents into prosperity. “We support the current Nevada constitutional prohibition on personal income tax, and the same prohibition must continue to apply to business. Gross receipts taxes and selective taxes on specific businesses will ultimately drive business away from our state.” The “bad” Republicans aren’t the ones publicly opposing and criticizing Sandoval’s Billion Dollar Tax Hike.  The “bad” Republicans are the ones who are supporting it – either publicly or through their cowardly silence. WIRE-GATE Caught up in the throes of ecstasy over the possibility that some conservative operatives recorded by Assemblyman Chris “Let’s Make a Deal” Edwards might have actually done something wrong, Jon Ralston, Nevada’s #2 liberal blogger-without-a-TV-show, is absolutely losing it. In his Ralston Flasher blog on Friday, Jonny Boy wrote… “That sound you hear is the walls closing in on The Failure Caucus after Metro put out a news release about a search of Tony Dane’s Virginia residence, and the RJ followed up with a story that recapped recent events.” He then blathered on for three more sentences in the same paragraph and ended with this… “Hey, RJ, did you not know Dane also was interviewed by Metro in Virginia…?” Well, uh…duh.  You just noted that the RJ “followed up with a story” about the “search of Tony Dane’s Virginia residence.”  How, um, would they have done the story if they didn’t know about the story? Ralston followed up that inanity with the following in his Sunday Ralston Flasher report over an interview conservative Assemblywoman Michele Fiore did on her Saturday radio program with GOP activist Tony Dane and conservative Assemblymen Brent Jones, John Moore and David Gardner… “(Chuck) Muth wrote a couple of weeks ago that he and (Tony) Dane had a falling out 15 years ago, and wrote: ‘Dane and I don’t even talk to each other, let alone work together.’  Oh? Then why would Dane on the radio show talk about calling Muth to set up a meeting with Edwards, complete with how the dialogue went.  I wonder which one is not telling the truth. Tough call.” Actually, the one not telling the truth is Ralston (surprise!).  Fact is, it wasn’t Dane who said he called me to set up a meeting with Edwards.  It was Assemblyman Jones.  But I guess all conservatives sound alike to Ralston who is single-mindedly of purpose trying to tie me in with the alleged bribery/extortion claims being made by Edwards. He may need to get himself into a program to help him overcome this fatal obsession. THE EDWARDS TAPES: FOR THE RECORD I’m not one of those who believes this Edwards investigation by Metro was initiated by the governor as part of his efforts to pass his Billion Dollar Tax Hike.  I think this investigation was initiated by Mr. Edwards who realized he’d been caught trying to exchange his vote for campaign donations and once he heard about the possible ethics complaint, he then went to Metro in an effort to cover his butt.  I believe he then wore a wire and tried to trap some conservative activists and colleagues into saying something wrong.  We won’t actually know for sure until the Edwards Tapes are released if he was successful in setting somebody up. I also have no reason to believe Metro’s investigation has anything to do with the Recall Edwards effort in his Assembly district.  I just don’t believe any of the investigators for Metro’s Criminal Intelligence Division or the District Attorney’s office has any intent whatsoever to criminalize legitimate political action, including old-fashioned hardball politics. RECALL FEVER: CATCH IT! Many of you have asked how you can donate to the various possible recall campaigns.  While the recall efforts for Assemblyman Chris “Let’s Make a Deal” Edwards and Assemblyman Steven Silberkraus are still in the exploratory stage, the “Recall Hambrick” effort targeting Speaker-of-the-Weak John Hambrick is full steam ahead.  You can make an online contribution to the effort by clicking here If you’re unable to contribute but would like to volunteer to help in the signature-gathering effort, click here Or you can contact committee director A.J. Maimbourg at (702) 366-9297 for additional information. I don’t know if I was the FIRST to contribute this morning, but I’m certainly at the top of the list! DRIVE-BY MUTHINGS A Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial on Monday pointed out the fact that despite the dire doom-and-gloom predictions of some about ending the “emergency” unemployment benefit extensions a year ago, forcing people off the dole and into jobs has actually resulted in, get this, more people getting jobs! Who’d a thunk it? *   *   *   *   * I still…I just can’t get over this. Republicans have control of the governor’s office, the state senate and the state assembly for the first time since 1929.  But rather than moving forward, united, with a bold, conservative, limited government agenda to begin the process of unwinding almost a century of government expansion, we’re instead distracted by a stupid and totally unnecessary BILLION DOLLAR TAX HIKE. All thanks to America’s Worst Governor. *   *   *   *   * Liberal Assemblyman Pat “The Appeaser” Hickey (Reno-RINO) burped up another blog post Monday morning in which he criticized his conservative colleagues, and specifically state Controller Ron Knecht, for daring to oppose Gov. Brian “America’s Worst Governor” Sandoval’s (R&R-Advertising) Billion Dollar Tax Hike.  In response, Tony Shelton tweeted back at Hickey… “Two words for you sir SCOTT WALKER.  You are disgrace to the people of the State of Nevada and most likely psychotic.” Hard to argue that point.  In fact, Hickey’s blog is titled “From Soup to Nuts.”  I think the “Nuts” part is a self-description. *   *   *   *   * Let’s see, I’ve now been “blocked” from following Jon Ralston, Sen. Moderate Mike Roberson and Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison on Twitter.  Was it something I said? NEVADA NEWS & VIEWS The Lahontan Valley News editorializes in opposition to Sandoval’s tax hike and proposal to appoint, rather than elect local school board members.  Click here City of Henderson tells employees if they speak to the press they could be fired.  Click here Bob Beers is in it to limit government.  Champion of libertarianism scrambled to try to stop public funding for stadium, sets sights on higher office.  Click here The Washington Post editorializes that “Nevadans’ intense opposition to the Yucca project is unreasonable, unambiguously harmful to the country and should end.” They have a point.  Click here FAMOUS LAST WORDS "The concept of a gross fee, tax, whatever you want to call it, is just that, gross. " - George Harris on Nevada Newsmakers, 2/5/15 “A sub teacher in @ClarkCountySch said HE was told to ‘keep giving the test until the kids PASS it’ at a local HS. Money can't fix THAT.” – Talk show host Heidi Harris on Twitter “It is conceivable that (Jeb) Bush will not get 50 percent of the (GOP) primary vote and yet win the (presidential) nomination - and then watch as millions of conservatives abandon him, convinced that the two parties are pro-big government and anti-individual.” – Reagan biographer Craig Shirley “We need to stop simply talking about Reagan and start acting like him.” – Utah Sen. Mike Lee 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…