NoisyRoom.net

By: Chuck Muth
Muth’s Truths

• The federal government was shut down again yesterday thanks to the snowstorms. God bless global warming!
• “Naming something in Nevada after our 40th president won’t be simple,” writes Ken Miller of Las Vegas Weekly about the new Reagan Legacy Project launched over the weekend by Citizen Outreach Foundation. “It’s all about shades of red and blue.” Read Ken’s full report HERE
• Without a doubt, the biggest non-story story of 2010 so far has got to be all the moaning and groaning about “diaper rationing” for senior citizens under the governor’s proposed budget cuts. If you believe the likes of Washoe Legal Services lobbyist Jon Sasser, the cuts will mean old people will be spending hours every day “with poop in their diapers.”
• Jon Sasser is full of sh-…er, poop. Here’s the fact: The national average of diapers provided to incontinent seniors each month is 186. Nevada has been funding 300. The “cut” will simply take Nevada down to the national average.
• If Sasser & Company are to be believed, old people in most of the other states around the country are right this very minute running around with poop-pants. That’s just not true. At 300 diapers a month, that’s about 10 diapers a day. NEWBORNS don’t go through ten diapers a day.
• So what are these seniors doing with all the unused diapers? Is there a black market for adult diapers out there that we don’t know about? “Hey buddy, wanna buy some Depends?” We need to clamp down on these diaper dealers pronto!
• On Tuesday I noted that when Gov. Jim Gibbons says no new taxes, he’s pilloried…but when Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford says no new taxes….sounds of silence. Except, as it turns out, over at the new SlashPolitics blog where Steve Sebelius notes with disappointment that the entire Legislature is now singing from the same “no new taxes” hymnal.
• UNR political science professor/guru Eric Herzik weighed in on Gov. Jim Gibbons’ State of the State speech with keen insight and razor-sharp observations, declaring: “This was a campaign speech more than a State of the State. It was heavy on slogans and symbols to appeal to his base.”
• Duh. Gee, ya think, professor? As opposed to, say, Barack Obama’s State of the Union address two weeks ago?
• For the life of me I’ll never understand why Nevada reporters seek out political science teachers like Eric Herzik who never worked on a campaign and never served in elected office and who learned everything they “know” about politics in a textbook for insight on political campaigns.
• Rather than reduce salaries or lay off non-essential government workers last year, the Legislature decided to impose a one-day-a-month unpaid vacation (furlough) day on most state employees. But some bureaucrats simply won’t be denied the pay they feel is their God-given entitlement.
• The Review-Journal reported on Tuesday that to make up for the unpaid furlough days, the Secretary of State’s office has increased overtime by a whopping 429 percent, while the Controller’s office has increased overtime by 400 percent. Heads should roll over this effort to flip the Legislature the bird.
• And it should be noted that both offices are run by elected Democrats who thus far face no announced Republican opponent. Way to go, GOP!
• Is University Chancellor Dan Klaich, to borrow a phrase from Wynn Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn, psychotic?
• I ask because instead of tightening the university system’s belt some more like everyone else during this recession, Klaich on Monday called for an increase in the sales tax on unemployed workers by yet another quarter-cent, raising the business tax on the hurting businesses which still remain in business, and slamming the only healthy industry left in Nevada, mining, with higher taxes rather than make the much needed and long overdue cuts and changes to his bloated higher education budget.
• College tuition is not a tax. Students who walked out on their classes this week don’t want more cuts. So raise their tuition. Everyone’s happy. Class dismissed.