A lot has been happening behind the scenes over Loux-gate - the pay-hike scandal involving soon-to-be former executive director Bob Loux over at the Nuclear Waste Disinformation Office.
To recap, taking the advice of a Legislative Counsel Bureau staffer given to the Interim Finance Committee last month, I filed a civil lawsuit to have Loux the Looter removed for his admitted malfeasance in office. Alas, an unknown Supreme Court case dating back to before I was born (yes, more than half a century ago) apparently determined that state officers such as Mr. Loux could only be removed from office by the Legislature through the impeachment process - although the NRS has not been changed to reflect this decision.
In any event, the district court judge who heard my complaint had to dismiss it for lack of jurisdiction. The entire matter took all of five minutes. Nevertheless, Loux’s lawyer has petitioned the court demanding that I pay his attorney’s fees totaling $1,437. On Tuesday I filed an opposition to the demand with the court. No telling how the judge will rule.
But if Mr. Loux and his attorney think that coming after me monetarily will dissuade me from pursuing this matter any further, they’re dead wrong. In fact, all Loux’s lawyer has done by calling my legal action “frivolous” and demanding I pay her attorney’s fees is harden my resolve and elevated my interest in this issue.
So on October 2, 2008, I wrote a letter to Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto requesting a CRIMINAL investigation of Mr. Loux and the entire Nuclear Waste Projects Office.
And on Monday, I wrote a letter to the governor urging that he not consider Loux’s lieutenant and co-conspirator, Joe Strolin, as Loux’s replacement since Strolin, according to Loux himself, participated in the discussion and decision to give everybody on the NWPO staff unlawful and unauthorized pay raises. You can read that letter HERE
Also on Monday, I received a letter from AG Masto advising that because of a perceived conflict of interest, her office has decided not to pursue a criminal investigation of Loux, his staff and his office. Which resulted in THIS letter to the Carson City district attorney yesterday asking that he pick up the ball the AG has dropped.
And according to Tuesday’s Nevada Appeal, the governor’s office has not only rolled back Loux, Strolin and everyone else’s salaries to the legislatively approved pay level, but arrangements are being made to dock the employees for the almost $200,000 worth of loot they took from taxpayers in their pay hike scheme.
I think a better idea would be to simply fire all of them and start from scratch.
Let me close out with these two points:
1.) Most people in Nevada really don’t care strongly about Yucca Mountain one way or the other. If it comes, fine, we’ll live with it. If it doesn’t come, fine, we’ll live without it.
2.) I don’t like it when the government apparatchis try to quell free speech on a major public policy issue. And I particularly don’t like it when someone attempts to stifle my right to a legitimate contrary opinion using fear-and-smear tactics and threatening me monetarily simply for trying to remove a corrupt government official.
Therefore, rather than backing down I’m stepping up my efforts to bring both sides of the Yucca Mountain issue to the public - whether Harry Reid likes it or not.
However, knowing that many News & Views readers aren’t as interested in this issue as I now am, I’m starting a separate e-newsletter, “Yucca Times,” dedicated just to that issue and won’t devote as much time and space to it here in Nevada News & Views.
If you’re interested in the Yucca Mountain issue, you can sign up to get “Yucca Times” FREE by going to our new website: www.Yuccapedia.com
Posted on October 17th, 2008 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada
Leave a Reply