Archive for category Nevada
Paleface Speak With Forked Tongue
Posted by Tom in Economics, Energy Facts & Policies, Government Regulation, Nevada, Yucca Mountain on March 11, 2010
Yep, Obama’s at it again, saying one thing and doing another. This time it’s An Energy Head Fake, as today’s WSJ calls it. The litany of State of the Union promises included “a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants” and “new offshore areas for oil and gas development.” Hooray! The guy is really serious about reducing our energy dependency.
NOT! Since that time Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, halted the plan for leasing the energy-rich Outer Continental Shelf. But this wasn’t a military command “halt,” it was more like death by a thousand cuts, including:
- extending the public comment period by six months,
- taking “several weeks” (which turned out to be five months) to analyze comments,
- informing Congress that he was scrapping the lease plan,
- informing Congress that leasing will not begin for another two years,
- failing to comply with the deadline for submitting a court-ordered EIR for new leases off the Alaskan coast, and
- rebuffing Virginia’s request to allow offshore drilling.
Onshore, Salazar is canceling oil and gas leases in Utah and Wyoming. He also plans to have Obama designate 10 million of acres of western lands as “monuments” under the Antiquities Act putting them off limits for mineral rights. Nevada is impacted in this effort.
On the nuclear front, Obama’s promised $8.3 billion loan guarantee for two nukes in Georgia while nice is meaningless in the absence of regulatory certainty according to Mike Morris, CEO of American Electric Power. And of course Obama continues his head fake by putting the kibosh on Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository.
Growth and attendant energy demand in China and India are all too certain. Continuation of our serious energy dependency is painfully assured. As long as we ignore real energy resources at our disposal and waste taxpayer money on subsidies for wind and solar we are endangering our economic future.
Unfortunately we are stuck with a president caught up in himself and his last “teleprompted” rhetoric. To put it kindly, “he doesn’t walk the talk.” I sometimes wonder if he listens to it at all!
Tom Motherway
Re-election Chances: Pelosi, No Sweat–Reid, “Angry-Mob Unpopular”
Posted by Tom in Democrats, Nationalized Health Care, Nevada, Politics on March 8, 2010
Saturday Night Live’s skit on Obamacare focused on the final push and how it jives with re-election chances. Quite funny:
“idiocy of Yucca Mountain” Blasted by AEP CEO Morris
Posted by Tom in Deficit, Democrats, Energy Facts & Policies, Government Regulation, Nevada, Statism, Yucca Mountain on March 5, 2010
Today’s WSJ front page notes Democrats Revolt Over Energy. Apart from the subsidies wasted on wind energy used to enrich Chinese manufacturers and the EPA proceeding to regulate the air we exhale, the Yucca Mountain closing is coming under fire.
Big utility operators as well as some states like South Carolina and Washington are blasting the Obama administrations announcement that it will drop plans for a federal nuclear-waste vault beneath Yucca Mountain.
“The Energy Department’s move to formally drop its application for the Yucca Mountain waste site could hobble efforts to build more nuclear power plants—a strategy the Obama administration has promoted as a way to reduce U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions. Without a permanent solution to the waste-storage problem, several states, including California, won’t let new nuclear plants be built.”
“Michael Morris, chief executive of American Electric Power Co., said on Thursday that “there has to be a reaction,” because Yucca is the only site that’s been vetted and deemed capable of storing waste from the nation’s 104 operating power reactors. Speaking at a Wall Street Journal conference, he blasted the “idiocy of Yucca Mountain” being terminated as a repository, and said the government will have wasted $10 billion on the project if it doesn’t proceed.”
“Under federal law, Yucca is the designated site for the nation’s spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. But the repository is more than a decade behind schedule. As a result, the waste generally remains at the nuclear reactors and DOE sites where it was generated.”
But what’s a few billion dollars wasted, a significant number of jobs lost, and the pronouncement of conflicting federal policies to this consummate totalitarian? 2012 can’t come any too soon!
Tom Motherway
California Businesses Welcome in Nevada
Posted by Tom in Business, Economics, Government Regulation, Nevada, State Finances on February 26, 2010
One of the round table topics at our recent Reno Hayek Symposium dinner was state taxes and business environment. How did Nevada compare? Granted, Nevada has a deficit of some $880 Million, but that pales in significance to California’s, our immediate left coast neighbor has a current deficit of some $20 Billion. Remedies for each seem intractable but the pain index is surely greater the farther West you go.
Mark Bailey referred me to some testimony which highlighted a midyear 2009 comparison between the 50 states. The Tax Foundation presents an interesting comparison of data then available, “2009 Facts & Figures–How Does Your State Compare?’ I’ve shown below some selected categories (click image to enlarge):
Now this is just a thought, but I suspect that California taxes and fees and costs of doing business are going to increase. It’s a good bet they will increase at a more rapid rate than those in Nevada. Also, I would venture a guess that the total cost of living will proportionately increase and with the same dichotomy.
California businesses must compete internationally, particularly those in the tech world. And with the Obama deficit, debt, and unfunded liabilities about to create national pressure on all businesses, any advantage a business can gain at the margin will help it remain competitive worldwide.
So, all you frustrated California developers who have tech clients, come on over to Reno and take a look. We will be happy to introduce you to the people and the area. It’s really a friendly, help-your-neighbor place. Oh, and we’ll do our best to retire Harry Reid in November. Pity, but ol’ Nancy Pelosi will still be in office!
Tom Motherway
Yucca Update: NV4CFE Website is Live
Posted by Tom in Energy Facts & Policies, Nevada, Yucca Mountain on February 23, 2010
This is an update on our recent dinner presentation on the Yucca Energy Park, see Yucca Mountain=Jobs and Money For Nevada. Gene Humphrey, Mike Nusbaum and John Dunn are proceeding apace with the non-profit entity, Nevadans 4 Carbon Free Energy. Their new website, while still being constructed is live and open for business and any comments you want to share; check it out, http://nv4cfe.org. Sign up for email alerts on the right column, you can also get the latest news there, and by clicking the education tab at the top you have access to a DOE video describing the Yucca construction and testing being accomplished.
Tom Motherway
Health Care, Public Education Employment Better Than Average!
Posted by Tom in Deficit, Democrats, Education Facts & Policies, Nationalized Health Care, Nevada on February 15, 2010
Did you ever wonder why the inflation rates in health care and public education are higher than general inflation? Simple answer is that some one other than the patient or student is paying the bill. In some cases this is called welfare in others loans and in still others grants. In all cases some one else is paying.
Who is that some one else? YOU, OF COURSE! Taxpayers are paying but not consuming. So who is checking to see that health and education services are delivered efficiently? NO ONE!
Here’s the data comparing employment costs: All workers 2005=100, December 2009=111.2, 2.8% per year. Health care hospitals 2005=100, December 2009=113.3. 3.3% per year. Education services 2005=100, December 2009=113.1, 3.3 per year. See the Bureau of Labor Statistics report here.
As in the case with other third party payers, the real consumers, the patients and the students, don’t shop options and question prices and charges. The providers know this and know with certainty that they can charge what the “market” will bear. There really is no true market in the sense of competitive pricing. Where public employee unions are involved the situation is exacerbated. Salaries and benefits are raised by the politicians who are supported by the unions whose members’ salaries and benefits are raised. A vicious and unholy alliance!
So, in the case of Obamacare, the unions elect the Democrats, the Democrats raise their salaries, wages and benefits creating deficit spending and unfunded liabilities, the Democrats then claim we have a problem with the costs of healthcare so they propose to exacerbate that problem with Obamacare adding to the deficits, national debt and unfunded liabilities. Hell of a deal for the taxpayers! And a worse deal for their grandchildren!
Tom Motherway
Nevada Town Hall Meetings
This as a public service announcement from Nevada News Bureau:
Town Hall Meetings With Nevada Legislators
By Elizabeth Crum | 7:38 am February 11th, 2010
This is a public service announcement re: the Nevada Legislature’s Town Hall meetings on the state budget which will (reportedly) include public testimony of proposals for balancing the state budget plus Q&A sessions.
Day/Time: Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 9 a.m.
Southern NV location: Grant Sawyer State Office Building, Room 4401 at 555 East Washington Avenue, Las Vegas. Moderated by Senator Horsford, Assemblyman Stewart and Assemblyman Arberry.
Up north: Reno City Hall, 1 East First Street, Reno. Moderated by Senator Mathews, Senator Raggio, Assemblywoman Gansert and Assemblywoman Leslie.
What’s Harry Done For Nevada?
Despite Reid’s campaign ads his popularity is sinking. The state’s voters see the well publicized back room deals he’s cutting for Obamacare and realize that he’s actually doing more for Louisiana with the “Louisiana Purchase” and Nebraska with the “Cornhusker Kickback” than for Nevada. According to a recent Weekly Standard article by Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, the former editor in chief of Readers Digest, “when Paul Laxalt left office in 1987 Nevada got back 98 cents of every dollar Nevadans paid to the federal treasury. Now the state receives 65 cents.” So much for Reid’s “most powerful senator in the history of Nevada” TV ads!
Tomlinson’s article, When Harry Meets Sue, shines a positive light on Sue Lowden. Other candidates are mentioned in this national weekly like Sharron Angle and Danny Tarkanian, but the spotlight is on Sue.
The beautiful former Miss America contestant is anything but a dumb blond. She’s an intelligent, savvy business woman and politician who, from second generation Ellis Island roots, worked to gain an education eventually graduating magna cum laude from American University. A woman of the people she waitressed and won scholarships from beauty pageants to gain an education. She even joined the Bob Hope 1971 Christmas Tour in Viet Nam. A stint as a cub TV reporter lead to a news anchor role that the Las Vegas Sun called one of the most professional in the nation. She is married to Paul Lowden and is the mother of four children.
Upset by a large tax increase in 1991 she took on the state senate majority leader in a largely Democratic district and won. In the state senate was strong in opposing taxes and eventually became the Republican whip. She was targeted by the culinary union in 1996 and lost.
She then became involved in a number of charitable causes, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Salvation Army, and organizations helping severely challenged children. In 2007 she became Republican Party Chair and later incurred the wrath of Ron Paul supporters over convention rules, eventually closing down the convention. She’s certainly not afraid to take a position. Early on she voted for Reid but claims that was a different time.
It’s great to see a positive article on Sue in a respected national magazine with a conservative reputation. So, in answer to the title question, what’s Harry done for Nevada….well, he’s provided a wonderful contrast for candidates of Sue Lowden’s caliber.
Tom Motherway
Reid’s Uneconomic Policies Hurt Nevada
Posted by Tom in Economics, Nevada, State Finances on January 11, 2010
No one ever ascribed intelligence to Harry Reid, though a lot of other appropriate descriptions come to mind. One of his particular deficiencies is economics. We all know the economic penalties he is proposing for all Americans with Obamacare, but too little attention has been given to his specific penalties for Nevada.
Bill McCraley remedies that lack of press in today’s Reno Gazette Journal with his letter: Senators’ Attitude Costly to Nevadans. In it he rebuts Reid’s efforts to keep California garbage out of Nevada arguing that the alkaline desert around Winnemucca is particularly suited for storage and recycling and that Reid’s attitude just takes industry and jobs out of the state. Bill also pans Reid’s Yucca debacle for the same reasons concluding that we Nevadans are marginalized by this negativism.
Nevada’s Constitutional Standoff-Governor Gibbons is Correct
Posted by Tom in Economics, Education Facts & Policies, Nevada, Politics, Social Security, Unions on January 11, 2010
The spend and spend Democrats in the Nevada Legislature and their SEIU and Teachers Union (NSEA) employers have bristled at Governor Gibbons proposal to put the state back on the track of fiscal responsibility and adopt his educational reform proposal.
To refresh your memory from my January 7th post, the proposal embodied the following:
- Abolish collective bargaining. This has no place in government.
- Abolish the class-size reduction program, a make-work union rule. (There were 70 in my 3rd grade with one teacher!)
- Create a statewide school voucher system.
- Eliminate full-day kindergarten requirement.
- Repeal the prohibition against using student achievement data in teacher evaluations. Another union boondoggle rule!
Sensible, practical proposals for a state facing deficits, unfunded liabilities, and declining revenue this year and next at the very minimum. But the fat cat Democrats howled because their union bosses told them to howl!
So the Governor has asked the legislative leadership to draft bills along those lines for consideration in a special session. The Democratic leadership has refused. The Governor has contemplated a lawsuit against the legislature. Unfortunately this has echos of Guinn v. Legislature. Recall that was another phony, laughable suit filed by RINO Guinn and his then Attorney General Brian Sandoval against the legislature to compel action on the budget. Result: laughable decision derided nationally as reported in the WSJ and finally recanted by the same Supreme Court that issued it!
The Governor has correctly made his point. The Democrats have made theirs and shown who owns them–not the voters but the unions! The remedy for this constitutional standoff is at the ballot box, not in the Supreme Court. Simply, the Court cannot legally, constitutionally compel legislative action. The Democrats will have failed to do their Constitutional duty to consider legislation proposed to correct our fiscal insanity. Then, let the Nevada voters decide if they want the public servants making more money, with better benefits, and higher unfunded pensions that the average voters have. Let the Nevada voters decide if they want the state and local governments to be bankrupt while the fat cat Democrats laugh all the way to the bank.
Unfortunately, Brian Sandoval the Republican candidate opposing Governor Jim Gibbons for the party’s nomination, has shown himself to be the spend and spend RINO he was when he argued the Guinn v. Legislature lawsuit many years ago. He too opposes Governor Guinn’s very good proposals on education reform and fiscal sanity.
Tom Motherway