By: Chuck Muth
Nevada News and Views

TODAY’S NN&V HEADLINES

  • Sandoval: My Short Term Budget Deficit Plan (Brian Sandoval) – Currently, the state of Nevada is in the midst of an unprecedented budget and cash flow crisis, which is creating substantial short term budget challenges. Nevada’s financial experts are predicting the budget deficit will grow to between $200 and $500 million in 2010.
  • Nevadans Had Enough of Self-Proclaimed ‘Mob Target’ Harry Reid (Heidi Harris) – Harry Reid is desperate. The latest polls show him losing to the top two Republican challengers by 9 and 10 points respectively. His unfavorables are at 52%. Bleak numbers for an incumbent who’s packaged as someone so essential to Nevada.
  • Government worker compensation is unsustainable (Frank Partlow) – SAGE Chairman, Bruce James’ Jan. 7 final report to Gov. Jim Gibbons observed that “the average state worker is paid considerably more than their private sector counterpart. This is unaffordable in the short run and unsustainable in the long run as many states are now experiencing.”
  • Governor’s Stunning Education Reform Proposals (Jim Clark) – Governor Jim Gibbons stunned the education and political world last week when he announced a proposal for sweeping changes to Nevada’s K-12 education laws.
  • Candelaria Can’t Hold a Candle to Qualified, Seasoned Candidates (Susan Crawford) – You would think that a person who thinks that they have what it takes to wear the black robe must possess significant experience as a practicing lawyer, right? You would never expect “judge-material” not to be able to read and understand the legal qualifications and prerequisites for the office, right?

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

SURVEY SAYS!

If Sen. Harry Reid retires, who would make the strongest Democrat candidate on the ballot next November to replace him?

  • Secretary of State Ross Miller
  • Rep. Dina Titus
  • Rep. Shelley Berkley
  • Former Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson
  • Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley
  • Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto
  • Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford
  • Somebody Else

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

MUTHS TRUTHS

  • Earlier this week I wondered whether or not GOP gadfly assembly candidate Nathan Taylor would show on his year-end campaign finance report raising an amount of money for his campaign equal to an average mortgage paper. And sure enough, an astute NN&V reader pointed out yesterday that Li’l Nate reported on January 12th that he’s raised all of $450 for his AD 13 race. But give credit where credit is due: He DID wildly exceed expectations. What a ‘shroom.
  • “U.S. retail sales fell an unexpected 0.3% in December,” reports the Wall Street Journal this morning. “In a separate report, the number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly increased last week by 11,000.” Yep, that multi-billion dollar Harry Reid “stimulus” plan is working like a charm, isn’t it?
  • The latest poll shows that Sue Lowden, Danny Tarkanian and Sharron Angle would all beat Harry Reid if the election were held today. Hell, even Mike Wiley might be leading Harry! All of which is pretty much meaningless. First, the election isn’t being held today and a LOT will change between now and November. Secondly, the only thing for Republicans that matters right now is which of those three candidates (and possibly John Chachas) will emerge from the GOP primary and BE the nominee. THAT’S the polling that should be going on right now.

TUBE TIPS

  • Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley and Gibbons chief-of-staff Robin Reedy go Face to Face with Jon Ralston tonight. 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 Leslie Johnstone, Executive Officer of the Nevada Public Employee Benefits Program. 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

  • “Democrats regularly say things that would end the career of any conservative who said them. And still, blacks give 90 percent of their votes to the Democrats.” – Columnist Ann Coulter
  • “(The Brian Sandoval budget proposal is) Gibbons redux, but without the putrid approval rating. It will reassure traditional GOP donors, who already have loaded up on the new anointed one, as well as conservative voters and maybe some bloggers who wonder whether he is a real Republican animal or a RINO.” – Jon Ralston, Flash, 1/13/10