Just a short update this morning, as I’m hopping on a plane for Las Vegas to attend tonight’s Inaugural Ball. I’ll be wearing a used tux purchased for $295 a couple years ago from the Tuxedo House in Towson, with matching socks my wife picked up for me on sale at Wal-Mart.
While in town I’ll be a guest on Steve Sebelius’ “Political Insiders” television show, as well as conduct an interview with the woman likely to be the next Nevada Republican Party State Chairman…er, Chairwoman…former state Sen. Sue Lowden.
Speaking of which, reports say current GOP chief Paul Adams has already stepped down…and the next state Central Committee meeting where an election would be held to replace him, isn’t scheduled until late April.
For the governor’s party to be captainless for almost half of his first legislative session is insane. Perhaps the Executive Committee, which has decision-making power between meetings, should tap Lowden to take over the helm immediately as interim chair until the next formal meeting in April. The GOP has enough leadership problems, especially in the Assembly, already.
More details on Gov. Gibbons “Empowerment” plan for 100 pilot schools based on the highly successful Edmonton model are trickling out. Some points:
* The teacher unions and education bureaucrats don’t like it…so you KNOW there must be something good about it.
* While this is anything but a true school choice program…parents will still have no choice but to send their kids to a government-run public school…it offers some significant changes which might help the kids being held hostage in the current education monopoly.
* Funding for the program is apparently coming from funding for another program. This is called an “offset.” Rather than simply add more and more money to the budget for more and more new programs, money is being redirected from one program which either isn’t working or isn’t as high of a priority to another.
Here’s hoping the governor and the Legislature do a LOT more of this sort of “offset” thing in the coming session. There’s no excuse for an 18 percent increase in spending, not when the governor has had four years since he criticized the 2003 budget and called for making “tough decisions” on spending cuts. He should have had a list right in his front pocket the minute he was sworn in.
Perhaps Gov. Gibbons just needs a little time to find his groove. We hope so.
For some cheerful news, check out this story in this morning’s Las Vegas Review Journal. For months now, the public has been fed dire “sky is falling” warnings about highway construction in Nevada, with many of the same old crowd demanding - what else? - higher taxes to pay for it. But state Sen. Bob Beers (R-Las Vegas) says such warning are “unduly alarmist.” The Transportation Department says Beers is going the wrong way on a one-way street. Who’s right?
Posted on January 26th, 2007 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada
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