By: Chuck Muth
Nevada News and Views

TODAY’S NN&V HEADLINES

  • Education Reform: Gibbons to Boldly Go Where No Republican Has Gone Before (Chuck Muth) – Scoff if you like, but this is exactly the sort of thing which might, just might, put Gov. Jim Gibbons back in the running for the Republican nomination and re-election next fall. Jon Ralston is reporting that Gov. Gibbons will announce an education reform plan today which would….
  • Harry Reid’s Corrupt Christmas Present (Newt Gingrich) – The Democratic leaders of the House and the Senate reportedly are planning on finalizing their differing health care “reform” bills in secret.
  • Non-Union Contractor Wins Huge Fight with Rory Reid’s County Commission (NN&V Staff) – A Federal District Court Judge on Tuesday awarded a $112 million contract to Fisher Sand & Gravel Co., the low bidder for work on the northern 215 Beltway project, ending months of legal battles and saving the tax payers $4.6 million.
  • Lake Joins Uphill Race Against Berkley (Craig Lake) – I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Craig Lake and I am proud to be running for Nevada’s 1st Congressional District against Shelley Berkley.
  • University Chief Finds Places to Cut Spending After All (Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – Chancellor Dan Klaich has informed the state budget office that the higher education system will participate in a budget cutting exercise in the event spending reductions are needed due to lower than expected tax revenues.

Click here to read these stories at the Nevada News & Views site!

SURVEY SAYS!

Do you support the idea of giving school vouchers or education tax credits to parents for use at private schools?

  • Absolutely
  • Absolutely not

To cast your vote in today’s online survey, click here!

MUTHS TRUTHS

  • After stomping his feet and threatening to hold his breath until his face turned blue just a couple weeks ago rather than submit proposals for additional budget cuts which he said were absolutely impossible to do, University Chancellor Dan Klaich – surprise! – found places to cut after all. Go figure. Which proves, once again, that there are still PLENTY of places to cut in the state budget but that no one will do it unless or until they are FORCED to do it.
  • It’s now been two days since all-but-official Democrat gubernatorial nominee Rory Reid outlined his plans to fix Clark County’s myriad problems which have only worsened under his watch as Chairman of the Clark County Commission and still not a peep from the new leadership at either the Clark County or Nevada Republican Parties. Would somebody please put together a search party?
  • By the way, the biggest failure and economic disaster in Clark County’s government is over at UMC – the state’s only government owned and operated hospital. Republicans and conservatives need to point this out over and over and over and over again during this “debate” over Harry Reid’s health care reform proposal. UMC is the local face of what health care is going to look like nationally if ObamaCare is ever implemented.
  • Yet another flare-up at the Clark County Republican Party. A Facebook announcement went out yesterday advising that elections for six vacancies on the Executive Board, including chairman, will be held at the party’s January 19th meeting. However, that announcement also advised that nominations would NOT be allowed from the floor, a change not approved by the Central Committee itself and contrary to established practice dating back to, I think, Lincoln. Instead, members were advised that nominations must be submitted in writing by Sunday, January 17th. The “newbies” now in charge of the party have no idea what a Pandora’s box they’re opening by messing with established “procedures” for the Central Committee like this. Many of those people LIVE to fight procedure fights. So bring plenty of popcorn with you on the 19th. It’s likely to be a circus.

OTHER NEWS & VIEWS

Jon Ralston reveals his predictions for 2010. Interesting reading.

TUBE TIPS

  • University Regents Michael Wixon and James Dean Leavitt go Face to Face with Jon Ralston tonight to discuss budget cuts at the Nevada System for Higher Education. The program airs at 4:00 pm Monday through Friday on KVBC Channel 3 in Las Vegas, as well as NBC affiliates in Reno and Elko. http://www.lasvegassun.com/videos/face-face/
  • Sam Shad’s guests today on the Nevada Newsmakers program will be Representative Dean Heller, (R) Second Congressional District of Nevada. The program airs on KRNV-TV Channel 4 at 12:30 pm in Reno and on Cox Cable Channel 123 at 4:30 pm and 11:35 pm in Las Vegas. http://www.nevadanewsmakers.com/

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“A commotion unfolds in the tiny public library here as the staff searches for a copy of the memoir written by Harry Reid, Senate Democratic leader and Searchlight native. ‘Has anyone seen Harry’s book?’ a librarian calls out. A local patron grabs a trash can and peers inside: ‘It’s not where it’s supposed to be,’ he says.” – Los Angeles Times reporter Peter Nicholas, writing about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s declining popularity in his home town of Searchlight, Nev. (Hat tip: Political Diary)

CALENDAR

January 8: First Friday Happy Hour Brewhaha. Our VIP guest this month will be the Dean of Nevada Pundits and now-statewide television talk-show host Jon Ralston. Visit www.FirstFridayNevada.com