SILVER STATE CONFIDENTIAL 03/23/2015

THE “WHAT IFS” OF YUCCA MOUNTAIN Finally.  Finally, a top Nevada elected official has risked stepping into the limelight and asking the questions so many main street Nevadans have been asking about Yucca Mountain.  In an op-ed published front-and-center in Sunday’s “Viewpoints” section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, freshman Republican Rep. Cresent Hardy reached out and touched the “third rail” of Nevada politics by asking this very simple and basic question… “Is there a scenario in which Nevadans would actually welcome nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain?” What if, Hardy wondered, in exchange for doing the nation this service, we received a “permanent investment” in our schools “that could take us from the bottom 10 percent to the top 10 percent”?  What if we received a much bigger share of the Colorado River water rights?  What if we received significant federal funding for transportation and infrastructure, such as the proposed I-11 project?  What if Yucca Mountain became an “incubator” for higher education that allowed Nevada “to become an international magnet for scientific research” in energy? What if?  The possibilities are endless. Seriously.  What if the rest of the nation so sweetened the pot that Nevada would be insane not to consider?  Shouldn’t we at least see what’s put on the table before rejecting it the way Harry Reid has done for the last 30-some years? Bravo, Congressman Hardy.  We shouldn’t be afraid of political debate and discussion.  Thanks for re-starting both. THE GOP MUTANT TAX HIKERS This is just freaking unbelievable… Two REPUBLICANS in the Nevada State Assembly plan to introduce an alternative to Gov. Brian Sandoval’s $1.1 billion tax hike today.  But instead of eliminating or reducing the tax hike, they’re doubling down on it! That’s right, Assembly Majority Leader Paul Anderson and Assembly Taxation Committee Chairman Derek Armstrong – neither one of whom has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge – reportedly will propose a mutated tax hike package that is actually $100 million MORE than the obscene tax hike proposed by Sandoval. Oh, and it will exempt businesses in the state’s best-juiced industries: gaming, mining, insurance and real estate. Now let’s hop into the Wayback Machine… Back in December, Speaker-of-the-Weak John Hambrick unilaterally removed conservative Assemblywoman Michele Fiore from her elected position as Majority Leader and replaced her with Anderson and removed Fiore as chair of the Taxation Committee and replaced her with Armstrong. At the time Hambrick claimed the decisions had to do with the tax lien brouhaha stirred up by Jon Ralston, Nevada’s #2 liberal blogger-with-a-taxpayer-subsidized-TV-show.  But that was a lie and a smokescreen, as every reader of Silver State Confidential knew. This was all about greasing the skids for the Mother of All Tax Hikes 2.0. And now it’s confirmed. Sometimes I really hate being right. Who would have thought that electing a Republican majority in both house of the Nevada Legislature, as well as holding the governor’s office, would result in a bidding war on who could RAISE taxes the highest. They don’t call the GOP the “Stupid Party” for nothing. AX THE TAX NOW! The following resolution was introduced and approved by the Lyon County Republican Central Committee and hand-delivered to Gov. Brian Sandoval’s office last week… Lyon County Republican Central Committee Resolution Calling for Adherence to the Republican Party Platform WHEREAS, The Lyon County Republican Central Committee’s 2014 platform, as well as the 2014 Nevada Republican Party platform, was very specific in requirements which Republican voters of Nevada expected elected Republican officials to adhere; WHEREAS, Many hours of debate and personal sacrifice occurred to present the Republican platforms at the county and state levels; and, WHEREAS, Governor Brian Sandoval has violated and ignored the Republican principles as outlined in the Lyon County and Nevada Republican platforms with regard to special treatment for those who have entered the United States illegally, as well as his lack of support for less government, lower taxes, less regulation (such as Common Core) and more individual responsibility; now therefore be it RESOLVED, That unless Governor Brian Sandoval reverses course and starts supporting Republican principles as outlined in the Lyon County Republican Central Committee platform and the Nevada Republican platform, he will be denied the support of the Lyon County Republican Central Committee in any and all future campaigns and elections.    PASSED, ADOPTED, AND APPROVED this 7th day of March 2015 Bravo.  Let’s hope other organizations do the same! THE FREEDOM BUDGET IS HERE! While Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and Senate Majority Leader Tax Hike Mike Roberson continue their Gruberesque* campaign to pass their Billion Dollar Tax Hike, the CONSERVATIVES over at the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI) released today an alternative budget plan to fund the government’s essential services.  It’s called the Freedom Budget because, among other things, it’s free of tax hikes! Oh, and, um, the “temporary” tax hike “sunsets” from 2009 would actually SUNSET if the Freedom Budget is passed. So let it be written; so let it be done. Click here to get all the details. * “Gruber” refers to Jonathan Gruber, the MIT economist caught on tape admitting that they lied and misled the public in order to pass ObamaCare because they thought the voters were too stupid to understand it. WIRE-GATE UPDATE The attorney representing Rob Lauer, one of the GOP activists involved in the Wiregate investigation of Assemblyman Chris “Let’s Make a Deal” Edwards, has filed a response to Metro’s opposition to returning Mr. Lauer’s property and unsealing the affidavit used to secure the search warrant of Mr. Lauer’s home. And it’s every bit the barn-burner as his original motion.  Check it out… Click here RALSTON’S RANTS Now that Nevada’s #2 liberal blogger is back on TV at taxpayer-subsidized PBS, I have one question… Has ANYBODY seen the new show? I mean, other than the guests he’s had on. DRIVE-BY MUTHINGS Just the latest example of the government being the problem, not the solution.  From Bloomberg News… “A quarter-century after the world banned the chemical compounds blamed for chewing a hole in the ozone layer, the solution to that problem has been tagged as a main instigator of climate change.  “HFC’s, synthetic refrigerants developed in the 1990s as an ozone-friendly alternative, have now emerged as one of the most potent greenhouse gases, a problem unforeseen by their inventors two decades ago.  They can be thousands of times stronger than fossil fuel emissions at trapping heat.” Lovely. *   *   *   *   * One of Ralston’s liberal, anti-gun weekend “insider” boobs wrote: “All of the gun bills are telling our children that it is more important to be armed than to be educated.” Well, um, depending on the circumstances…IT IS!  Let’s say you’re home watching TV and someone breaks into your home.  Highly educated, you whip out your high school diploma and demand, “Stop!”  How far is that gonna get you? On the other hand, a complete illiterate who never made it out of kindergarten but knows how to lock-and-load whips out his handgun in the same situation and demands, “Stop!”  I’m guessing the burglar is gonna be more apt to comply with the demand from the guy who’s armed than degreed. *   *   *   *   * Blast from the past…   In undated photo, left to right: Former Nevada Gov. Bob List, former Nevada State Sen. Elizabeth Halseth and “The Worst Governor in America,” Brian Sandoval NEVADA NEWS & VIEWS Gingrich: The Most Important Step States can take Educational Savings Account (ESA) program to provide high-quality education (Andy Matthews of NPRI) Broken Logic, Broken Schools, Broken Government (Tony Shelton) More money won’t fix a broken system (Michele Fiore) Transparent Nevada updated with 2014 compensation data; Charter schools included for first time ever (Chantal Lovell) Amplify Relations is awarded The National Pollie Award for Best Republican Local TV Commercial Assembly GOP should tell Sandoval to go back to the drawing board (Chuck Muth) Controller’s Second Monthly Report: Taxes and Other Revenues (Ron Knecht) It’s Hard For Collection Agencies With Badges and Guns To Gain Our Respect – Or Trust (Fred Weinberg) NACC applauds Nevada Legislators in putting brakes on Common Core State Standards (John Eppolito) Jeb Bush Still Refuses to Rule Out Tax Hikes (American for Tax Reform) West speaks in Washoe GOP’s celebration of Lincoln Day (Jim Clark) Advertising NOW AVAILABLE! http://nevadanewsandviews.com/advertising/ VOLUNTEER HELP WANTED! Coalition Directors Wanted!  Liberty-loving individual with strong love of country and great personal skills to develop relationships between the Convention Of States Project in Nevada and professional, business and political organizations.  As a Coalitions Director, you will work to build favorable relationships with statewide and local organizations to gain their support of the Convention of States Project. Responsibilities include... Network with state and local organizations to build partnerships with Convention of States. Represent Convention of States at events and host educational presentations. Report weekly progress to your State Director and National Coalitions Director, and participate in regular State and National conference calls A person with extensive successful sales experience who relates well to people of all backgrounds would be ideal.  One Person residing in either Las Vegas, Reno or Carson City will be selected as State Coalitions Director, but individuals applying from other communities are needed for local assistance. Compensation will be the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to win the Second American Revolution! Please contact John Vettel, Nevada State Director, Convention of States Project, (775) 450-6535 or vettel.John@Gmail.com READERS WRITE “My cost would be $48,000 if this proposal (Sandoval’s tax hike) goes through.  That would put my (all) tax liability to almost $200,000.  Or 20% of my gross income.  I don’t know why I would even stay in business.  I’d have to cut a job and add their duties to my workload (or spread it around to my 4 employees).  It’s so much fun being the boss.  I was thinking I would hire two more people in the next month, but then I realized I’d have to pay the MBT.  So why grow?  I’ll just hire 1 person and see what happens in the land of Taxville.” - Amy Groves, Broker/Property Manager/HOA Manager, Nevada’s Finest Properties LLC FAMOUS LAST WORDS “I’ve made my decision - I’m out. I’m out of the Republican Party.  I am not a Republican. I will not give a dime to the Republican Party. I’m out.  I highly recommend - run from the Republican Party. They are not good.  And you see it now.” – Talk show host Glenn Beck 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…