SILVER STATE CONFIDENTIAL 05/01/2015

THE REAL LESSON FROM BALTIMORE As a Baltimore native, the sh*t-storm there naturally has my attention.  Knowing the area in question, I’m not the least bit surprised.  My dad was a Baltimore City firefighter for 20 years working in that neighborhood…including during the summer riots of 1968. Oh, the stories he can tell! Look, I don’t know what happened to Freddie in the back of that paddy wagon.  But I do know this from the police report of the incident: When Freddie saw the cops, he took off running, “unprovoked.”  Now, is anyone surprised that the cops chased him?  I mean, who sees a cop and just takes off running without a reason?  If Freddie hadn’t run away from the cops, he wouldn’t have been arrested and he’d be alive today.  Which is not to say the cops didn’t do something wrong while transporting him to the police station.  It’s to say Freddie’s own actions led to him being put in that paddy wagon in the first place. The lesson here is really pretty simple.  Don’t run away from the cops. ANTI-BEERS BIAS? In a Las Vegas Review-Journal story yesterday afternoon about all the Democrats who have already lined up to back Democrat Catherine Cortez-Masto for Sen. Harry Reid’s sixth term, reporter Laura Myers initially wrote that “no major Republican candidates have announced” in the Nevada 2016 U.S. Senate race. Curious, since conservative Las Vegas City Council Bob Beers – a former Nevada state senator, a former Nevada state assemblyman, a former Nevada GOP party official, a former Republican candidate for governor, the father of Nevada’s Tax and Spend Control (TASC) initiative, the leader of 2003’s anti-tax “Lean 15” group in the state assembly, and the primary mover-and-shaker in the successful effort last month to kill the taxpayer-subsidized Las Vegas soccer stadium proposal – has officially been in the race for over a year. Sounds like a “major Republican candidate” to me. The story was corrected before this morning’s print edition, but how could such an omission be made in the first place?  Was it just an inadvertent oversight…or an example of liberal media bias? Remember, it’s not paranoia when they’re really out to get you. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR CABS The Las Vegas Review-Journal published a story on Friday about a “ride-hailing” application called “Curb” which is “exploring entry to the Southern Nevada market.”  Here’s how Curb is different from ride-sharing services such as Lyft and Uber: With Curb, you can only request a ride from a traditional taxicab company.  As such, according to the RJ article, your ride is taxed and regulated like a taxi.  That means you’ll pay an additional fee to the government of up to $3 per ride, a penalty of $10 if you cancel your ride request “three minutes or more after requesting it," and an additional $3 fee if you prefer to pay with a credit card instead of cash. Gee, I wonder why so many people prefer to use Lyft or Uber instead of taking a taxi?  Duh. Nevada legislators, mostly Democrats, are trying to kill the popularity and wild success of Lyft and Uber – private membership clubs – by forcing the technology companies to be regulated just like the taxicabs that so many people love to hate. Proving Ronald Reagan correct…again.  Government is not the solution to our problems; government IS the problem. ANOTHER POWER GRAB BY THE GOVERNMENT Some 200 Nevada attorneys signed a letter to the Legislature this week in opposition to a bill (AB193) that would seriously erode the rights and protections of citizens accused of a crime.  “This is not a victim’s bill,” defense lawyer Tom Pitaro told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “This is a power grab by the government so that the district attorney can win everything, and the judges don’t have to do anything.” The attorneys declared in their letter that any legislator who voted for the bill would be denied support and donations in future elections.  That “threat” caused Jon Ralston (D-UI), Nevada’s #2 liberal-blogger-with-a-taxpayer-subsidized-TV-show, to have one of his patented hissy fit meltdowns. But the “threat” to withhold support from elected officials who vote for this bill is no different from similar threats constantly made by other groups, especially organized labor.  It’s called “free speech.”  Ralston should look it up. So bravo to the 200+ lawyers who had the balls to publicly put their names on the letter, regardless of what Jihad Jon says.  Speaking of whom… RALSTON’S RANTS Jon Ralston (D-UI), Nevada’s #2 liberal blogger-with-a-taxpayer-subsidized-TV-show, promotes the perception that he is THE source for political news and views in Nevada.  And to be fair, he does, after more than 20 years in the biz, have good sources on the left and middle and gets a lot of scoops. But without someone else doing his research for him, the guy is hopelessly behind the curve and has almost no access to conservative circles or leaders whatsoever.  Which helps explain why it took him SIX WEEKS to find out that the effort to recall Speaker-of-the-Weak John Hambrick had been aborted way back in the middle of March. He’s also an intellectual plagiarist when trying to explain the conservative side of issues.  Indeed, Jon tweeted the following yesterday afternoon… “Speaking of Uber, casinos will raise room rates above $1,500 for big fight.  But lawmakers concerned about Uber’s ‘surge pricing.’  Really?” Hmm.  Now where have I heard that before?  Oh yeah, here…over a week ago! On the other hand, I guess I should be flattered that Jihad Jon feels the need to use my intellectual capital for his own material.  Just tryin’ to help! DRIVE-BY MUTHINGS GOPAC published a list of “emerging leaders” this week.  Among them: Nevada Assemblyman Derek Armstrong of Las Vegas, a freshman moderate who, as chairman of the Taxation Committee, has yet to meet a tax he didn’t hike. GOPAC’s “leadership” standards certainly appear to have fallen dramatically since the days when Newt ran the organization. NEVADA NEWS & VIEWS Attorney General Laxalt and Nevada Gaming Control Board file Criminal Complaint against Internet Gaming Operator – Office of Attorney General Will the last person to leave the newsroom please turn out the lights? – Mitchell Why the Largest Tax Hike in Nevada History is likely to pass despite last November’s “Red Wave” – Muth Kirner’s ‘hybrid’ retirement proposal would make PERS stronger – Clark Nevada Attorney General Laxalt is “serious about residency issue” – Voice of Nevada Assembly committee finally hears opposition to bill that would weaken state’s anti-SLAPP law – Mitchell Assembling GOP Dream Team willing to tell Liberals to Go to Hell – Root The Path to a Balanced Budget - Gingrich Advertising NOW AVAILABLE!  Click here for additional information. FAMOUS LAST WORDS “The government shouldn’t have to do more with less.  It should do less with less.” – Chuck Muth 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…