Richard Disney

Upon recently re-reading a quotation uttered by Barry Goldwater, my thought was that his quote is not nearly famous enough. In fact I think it has been purposely expunged from the memory of legislators at the state and federal levels.

The quotation is this:

“I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is “needed” before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents “interests,” I shall reply that I was informed that their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can.”

Barry Goldwater

In recent weeks, I have had several email discussions with some Nevada State Legislators and repeatedly the legislators have attempted to justify their actions to increase taxes and spending as simply being “needed” or that their constituents “wanted” the increased spending. I would think that a legislator’s oath of office to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of Nevada would be sufficient to override the inclination of legislators to curry favor by taking from each according to his abilities and giving to each according to his needs.

For too long, this Marxist justification (it was actually popularized by Karl Marx, check it out) has been used by legislators from both major political parties to curry favors from special interest groups and to buy votes from constituents.

Evidently a legislator’s oath of office is not enough. Perhaps it should be mandated that each legislator upon assuming office must recite the Barry Goldwater quote above just so that it is in the public record that they know the words.

The most disconcerting development is that an increasing number of Republicans have cast off the attempt to even appear as though they stand for limited government, restrained spending and lower taxes. Recently Assemblyman John Marvel seems to have made backsliding on promises not to increase taxes part of his platform. Senator Dennis Nolan smiles and smoothly explains that side-stepping the signature requirement to put a tax-hike on the ballot really IS good for the public. It is sad to say that both of the legislators above won their seats by claiming to be conservatives.

What is more worriesome, candidates that refuse to sign the Tax Payer Protection Pledge or candidates who sign it and then when elected raise taxes anyway? That is for you to decide.

It is very disconcerting that Assemblyman John Marvel has sponsored a bill to raise taxes in Washoe County at the request of local elected officials despite signing the Tax Pledge.

Wasn’t Assemblyman John Marvel the Republican who switched his vote over to support the largest tax increase in Nevada history during the 2003 legislative session?

Why do a growing number of Republicans like Senator Dennis Nolan and Assemblyman John Marvel think that introducing and voting for legislation that raises taxes a winning strategy? Is it because they think that the voters have no other option? It appears that voters are losing the option to choose a candidate that will stand for the principals of limited government.

The picture says a thousand words, but it isn’t the Conservative Right that would make Ronald Reagan cry today, it is those in the Republican Party at the local, national and state levels that have moved to the left by embracing more regulations, higher taxes and bigger government.

Time Magazine will most likely use this cover story to discourage conservatives and try to convince them that the conservative movement promoted by Reagan is over. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The fact is that whenever candidates convince their constituents that they will support lower taxes, less government regulation and family values, those candidates win…whether Republican or Democrat. The problem is that too many candidates from both major political parties sell themselves as conservatives and then end up converting to socialist policies upon entering government. No candidate that overtly supports a socialist agenda gets elected in this country. Socialists have learned to call their movement “progressive” and use words that confuse voters into thinking they are conservative or “moderate’.

Voters have become angry and frustrated mainly by Republicans who win on stated base Republican values and then initiate bills that raise taxes and increase government regulation. People who vote for Democrats figure their taxes will be raised (if they pay taxes) and that they will be more regulated or they just aren’t listening to stated Democrat aims.

My response to the message from Nevada State Senator Dennis Nolan in the previous post:

Senator Nolan,

When you apparently dismissed “cyberspace bloggers” from consideration, I think it appeared flippant and either naive or arrogant. Your statement was ill advised for one in elected office just as it would be to say that you don’t think any legislator is too worried about what media reporters are doing. That is the whole point in my discourse with you. I and other bloggers would appreciate an apology for the misunderstanding when you implied that cyberspace bloggers have no impact.

Never did I write that you directly said that bloggers are irrelevant or that they have no impact. What I have written and said is that you implied it with your statement,”I don’t think any legislator is too worried about what cyberspace bloggers are doing.” I didn’t take it as a personal affront or think that you meant it as such. I did take it as an affront to the whole blogging community of which I am a part. As much as I disagree with liberal bloggers and “the wackos” out there, I acknowledge as fact that they have real and growing impact on public opinion and especially political campaigns.

You concede that bloggers have an ever-increasing impact on grass roots campaigns which is true and we appreciate you saying that. Later in your message you ask, “Why should we, particularly the republicans, be “worried” about what you, “the conservative bloggers”, are doing? I will take that as a straightforward and not a flippant question. One reason is that if you, right now, type in “Senator Dennis Nolan” for a Google.com search, blog posts about your statement referencing cyberspace bloggers already outrank your campaign website. Most likely within the week, blogs with much higher readership than mine (not too difficult to do) referencing your cyberspace bloggers statement, will be the highest ranked search results and fill the first page of results for anyone who searches your name. That is not good news for any election campaign especially as more and more voters use the Internet to research candidates. There are other reasons as well.

That being said, I agree that elected officials and bloggers should get together to explore ways to cooperate instead of “cannibalizing” each other. You must understand that many conservatives (I would even venture to say, most) feel “sold down the river” when we work to get Republicans elected at the local, state and national level only to have those same Republicans assign their names to bills that directly or indirectly increase regulation, taxes, fees and government spending. The only reason we came upon your cyberspace bloggers statement was because we were tracking your participation in getting a tax raising initiative on the ballot. From our conservative point of view, many Republicans in office are “cannibalizing” the opportunity given to them by hardworking grass roots activists to perpetuate the legacy of Ronald Reagan. Many Republicans seem ready to increase spending and taxes without even considering the introduction of free market reforms that can be instituted to reduce government spending, especially for road building projects.

I am open to speaking or meeting with you; however, I am not able to schedule a trip to Carson City for the remainder of this week.

Sincerely,

Richard Disney

In the ongoing correspondence between Nevada State Senator Dennis Nolan, and myself (which even spurred some debate on Nevada Newsmakers) he is beginning to concede some of the points made earlier. Here is his latest response:

Mr. Disney,

I concede that bloggers do have an ever increasing impact on grass roots campaigns. I also acknowledge that with a coordinated efforts between the electeds, the party and republican bloggers we “could” have a much more effective impact in our republican gains. What I said to the press was, again… “”I don’t think any
legislator is too worried about what cyberspace bloggers are doing.” There was no personal affront to you or any other blogger. It simply, like it or not was a statement of fact. Why should we, particularly the republicans, be “worried” about what you, “the conservative bloggers”, are doing? Hopefully we are all working towards the same goal. Which would include working together and not cannibalizing one another. ( a habit we republicans have perfected in this state and which the democrats have turned into a spectator sport!).

I also did not at any time say or write: ” that cyberspace bloggers are irrelevant” OR It is naive at best to say that “bloggers (the good, the bad and the whacko’s) have no impact.” as you imply. What I said again,was; I don’t think any legislator is too worried about what cyberspace bloggers are doing.”

What I really think needs to happen we (electeds) need to get together with you (bloggers) in an organized way to understand better what you are doing and develop a strategy to work together better instead of wasting time “cannibalizing” each other. Fell free to call me if you would like to meet me here in Carson.

Dennis Nolan, Senator

dnolan@sen.state.nv.us
Carson City office: 775-684-1421
Las Vegas office: 702-838-3838

Instead of just saying, “whoops” and continuing on with his tax hiking agenda, Senator Dennis Nolan keeps digging a deeper hole and dumping the dirt on the very people who work the hardest to get Republicans (like I thought Nolan was) elected.

In response to my email in the previous post, Nolan responded as follows:

Mr. Disney,

No apology necessary. You are not the only blogger out there. There are thousands. Just as many liberal democrats as there are republicans. There are those, like yourself who in my opinion serve a worthy cause and frankly, there are just plain “whacko’s”. It seems like all of them are trying to persuade legislators that they, their issues and their constituencies represent the majority view on any issue. Therefore, I truly believe, with some validation from other legislators who I speak to with on a daily basis, that legislators really don’t worry about what bloggers are doing with regard to the policy issues we deal with during session. The good guys like you will keep doing what your doing, the bad guys and the whackos will keep blogging away and we will continue to do the people’s business we we’re elected to do.

Thanks for your thoughts.

PS=I would have appreciated some help from a blogger or two in the past five primary and six general elections but I had to do it with just good ole’ grass roots campaigning. Nothing beats it!

Dennis Nolan, Senator
dnolan@sen.state.nv.us

Senator Nolan, if you don’t realize that we thousands of bloggers are the very grass roots you say you “had to do it with”, then I find it hard to believe that you have much of a connection with the grass roots.

In politics, as with everything else, the only constant is change. One or two campaigns ago there really was no blogger presence. Now and in the future, bloggers will have a growing impact on campaigns, fund raising and opinion. Consider your statement, “I don’t think any
legislator is too worried about what cyberspace bloggers are doing.” I hardly think you would have replaced the words “cyberspace bloggers” with “media reporters” or “grassroots activists.”

Senator Nolan, in the near future if not already, the impact of the three groups mentioned above on any political campaign will be virtually indistinguishable.

It is naive at best to say that bloggers (the good, the bad and the wackos) have no impact. At worst it is a blatant sign of arrogance.

Republican Nevada State Senator Dennis Nolan was quoted by the Las Vegas Review Journal today as saying, “I don’t think any legislator is too worried about what cyberspace bloggers are doing.” The following is an email sent to Senator Nolan today strongly requesting an apology:
“Senator Nolan,

One can only hope that you were not clearly considering the impact of your statement when you said to the Las Vegas Review Journal, “I don’t think any legislator is too worried about what cyberspace bloggers are doing.”

We are the base of activism for Republicans in this state and nationally. We are the doorknockers, fundraisers, phone callers and check writers for you and all the other Republican candidates for public office. You have most likely heard about not picking a fight with the print media because they have barrels of ink and truckloads of paper.

Consider that bloggers have even fewer limits to their resources. Gigabytes of bandwidth and thousands of writers can have a major impact on ideas and the perceptions of any issue or person. You just put a shot across the bow of those who have put the most effort into getting you and your fellow Republicans elected. You are making it more difficult for us to get Republicans elected to office by advocating tax increases and insulting our base.

I am not sure if you realize this but the future of print media IS blogging. A prominent reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal told me personally that he thinks that in 10 years the Gazette-Journal will only be an on-line publication with no print paper. Before making another comment like the one you just made to the Las Vegas Review Journal, you should ask Dan Rather or John Kerry if cyberspace bloggers have any influence.

Blogging will not do away with the role newspapers play, but bloggers will increase their role as a primary source for breaking news and opinion used by newspapers and other traditional media.

We await your apology Senator.

Sincerely,
–
Richard Disney”