Tuesday, April 5, 2011

MUTH'S TRUTHS 04/05/2011

TEA PARTY RALLY IN VEGAS
TRUNC and Americans for Prosperity will host a "Tea Party" rally on Friday, April 15th, at the Grant Sawyer building in Las Vegas from 4 - 7 pm.  Overflow parking at Cashman Field: $4. Water and restrooms available.  KXNT will be on location covering the event.  Please pass this to everyone on your list; show Harry Reid that the Tea Party is here to stay!  For additional information, contact Laurel at mailto:Mlaurel@TRUNConline.com

SEN. LEE TAKES JOHNNY O TO THE WOODSHED
  
In a stinging rebuke to Assembly Speaker John Oceguera, state Sen. John Lee (D-North Las Vegas) took his fellow Democrat to the woodshed today for essentially stealing four pieces of gun legislation from fellow legislators and calling them his own.  For example, here's the language from AB 185, a bill by Republican Assemblyman Ed Goedhart:

19  (c) Not establish restrictions on the possession or discharge of
20  firearms within the park or recreational facility which are more
21  restrictive than the laws of this State relating to:
22   (1) The possession or discharge of firearms; or
23   (2) Engaging in lawful resistance to prevent an offense
24  against a person or property.
25   Any regulation which violates the provisions of this paragraph
26  is void

And here's the language from Oceguera's AB282, introduced AFTER Goedhart's bill was introduced:

24  (c) Not establish restrictions on the possession or discharge of
25  firearms within the park or recreational facility which are more
26  restrictive than the laws of this State relating to:
27   (1) The possession or discharge of firearms; or
28   (2) Engaging in lawful resistance to prevent an offense
29  against a person or property.
30   Any regulation which violates the provisions of this paragraph
31  is void

Pure plagiarism.

"Not only are you standing in the way of passage of these measures, you have shown callous disregard for the rights of colleagues during a time of badly-needed bi-partisanship," Lee wrote, adding that Oceguera should exhibit "a higher level of responsibility" and set a better example for Nevada's "next generation of leadership."

Strong stuff.  Much deserved.  Click here to read the full letter.

FOLLOW CHUCK ON TWITTER


COPING WITH COPENING'S CONFLICTS

David Schwartz of the Las Vegas Sun reported on Sunday that Nevada state Sen. Allison Copening (D-Las Vegas) "has introduced seven bills to regulate homeowners associations this session" but "during hours of hearings on her bills over six weeks, Copening did not disclose that she is also employed by an HOA."

Schwartz further reports that Copening began working for the HOA, Del Web Community Management - which was part of a working group crafting the legislation - last September because "I needed a full-time job" and the company was "kind enough" to offer her one.  The gig pays $40K. 

Interviewed about the match-made-in-Henderson, a Del Webb spokesman told Schwartz, with a straight face, that Copening's "elected office and work on the legislation had nothing to do with her being hired."  His nose immediately shot out six feet long and lacerated Schwartz' shoulder. 

The Sun reporter had the injury patched up at the Carson-Tahoe hospital and is said to be recuperating nicely.

LOOKING FOR A SPEAKER?

Want your organization to get the inside scoop on what will happen next in Nevada politics and public policy?  Invite Chuck Muth to be your speaker!  Send an email to Chuck to get rates and dates.

Upcoming Engagements
April 13: Republican Townhall Group (Las Vegas, NV)
April 15: Tea Party Rally/Grant Sawyer Bldg. (Las Vegas, NV)

IF ONLY HORSFORD HAD LISTENED TO GOEDHART IN '09

At a recent budget hearing, Senate Majority Leader Stephen Horsford said, "We were fortunate in 2009 to have one-time funding levels [aka, stimulus money], otherwise the decisions we're making now, we would have been making then." (Hat tip: Victor Joecks, NPRI)

Um.duh.

For the record, here's what GOP Assemblyman Ed Goedhart wrote OVER TWO YEARS AGO to his legislative colleagues, including Sen. Horsford: "Don't use one-time 'stimulus' money for new or ongoing programs."  If you do, Goedhart warned, "we'll only have to find additional revenue for down the road once the federal money is gone."

Had Sen. Horsford listened to Assemblyman Goedhart back then, we wouldn't be in the pickle we're in today.

UNLV CR'S A PAIN IN TITUS' TUCKUS

Delen Goldberg of the Las Vegas Sun takes a look at the efforts of UNLV's College Republicans to keep a light shined on former Congresswoman Dina Titus, who is pulling down a whopping $108,000 a year right now to teach one class a week at UNLV.

In the story, Titus whines: "What disturbs me is I'm not a candidate. I'm not an elected official. I'm a faculty member."

Oh, puh-lease. She's a candidate and everyone knows it. She just hasn't declared yet. Waiting to see how the lines are drawn after redistricting. But in any event, she's a longtime public figure, and her salary and workload at a publicly-subsidized government-run school is absolutely of public interest even if she isn't a candidate.

Goldberg's story also touches on the point that UNLV's CRs are doing a far better job of taking the fight to the opposition and communicating to the public than the official Nevada GOP, including these Muth's Truths nuggets:

The College Republicans have been the only voice raising concerns about Titus' job and salary. Although (CR President Mark) Ciavola floods in-boxes with emails and mans a campus information booth daily, Clark County and state Republican parties have stayed silent.  But some conservatives say that is more a sign of the party's dysfunction than any indifference on the topic.

If Ciavola "wasn't bringing these issues to the forefront, they probably wouldn't come up," said Chuck Muth, a Republican operative whose nonprofit group Citizen Outreach named Ciavola one of Nevada's top 10 conservatives of 2010. "The College Republicans are doing more than the actual official party is."  That could be a good thing for any Republican who runs against Titus.


CAMPAIGN & GRASSROOTS TRAINING

Chuck Muth has been a national grassroots training instructor for candidates, campaign managers, conservative activists, party leaders and organization heads for 15 years.  Communications, media relations, grassroots organization, blogging, fundraising, you name it.  Workshops for 30 minutes, two-hours, full-day and everything in between.  Contact Chuck directly to inquire about costs for putting on a custom training seminar for your group or organization.

HOW TO GET RID OF GADFLIES

So there's this yahoo tax attorney in Boulder City named Stephen Stubbs who appears to have a type of "Basic Instinct" obsession with City Councilwoman Linda Strickland and maintains a website maintaining that she's "unethical" for successfully defending some of her constituents who were sued by the city for exercising their First Amendment right to petition their government.

And apparently, some of this guy's neighbors have had enough of his crappola.  An open letter that has been shared with me was mailed to a number of LDS citizens in Boulder City urging those with possible influence to step in and get this clown to back off. An excerpt:

"Please put an end to Stubb's behavior that is embarrassing more than a few very respected people of the church and our community.  In case you didn't know, Stubbs has a website calling other people unethical, while Stephen was caught with canceled business licenses for his firm.  I was also told by a reliable source that he was pretending to be another person (supposedly an employee of Stephen's, <name withheld>) on a website, saying his business license fiasco was not Stephen's fault.  His bankruptcy has also been made public for all to see, since it is public information.  And as we all know, it is election season, and he has several campaign signs prominently displayed at his house on Utah.  Please, find Stephen another hobby, this one is not working out well for anybody around here."

The problem with gadflies like Stubbs is that they never go away on their own.  It takes a very powerful insecticide called "sunlight."  Exposing this guy's antics and motivations is the best way to marginalize him and, hopefully, get him to crawl back under his rock.

BTW, I found myself watching a video of last August 10th's Boulder City city council meeting in which the city attorney explains that he decided to solicit the opinion of another attorney as to whether or not the petitions put forward by citizens of Boulder City were legal.  The man who said "no" is the same guy to set up 91 fake PACs in order to funnel money to his gubernatorial campaign.

Boulder City might want to consider getting better advice in the future.

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS/POLITICAL CONSULTING

If you have a problem with government and nobody else can help you, Desert Fox Strategic Communications is the "A-Team" for political campaigns and government affairs communications.  Click here

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

"(Nevada) has been more concerned with how much money it spends on education than with how the bureaucracy spends it and whether those practices might be the problem instead of the solution." - Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Glenn Cook

"Most Republicans have taken 'the pledge,' a promise not to vote for a tax increase under any circumstances, enforced with priestly judgment by conservative activist Chuck Muth. Meanwhile, Democrats - including, presumably, Horsford and his Assembly counterpart John Oceguera - are eyeing one and potentially two open congressional seats, which can only serve to get in the way of the people's business." - Las Vegas Sun columnist J. Patrick Coolican

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