Saturday, April 9, 2011

MUTH'S TRUTHS 04/09/2011

THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THAT WASN’T

OK, who didn’t see this coming? 

I mean, really.  Who actually stayed up all night waiting to see if the federal government was going to be closed, thereby ushering in Armageddon?  Seriously, did anyone doubt that a last-minute deal would be struck?  Did anyone not know that all the doomsday predictions were just scare tactics used to position the combatants for partisan advantage?

Conservatives, of course, weren’t worried about a government shutdown; they were hoping for it.  Alas, the realist in all of us knew it wasn’t gonna happen. 

In the end, we didn’t get everything we wanted, but we got a hell of a lot more than we would have if not for Republicans regaining control of the House.  And now we go back for more.  And if we regain control of both the Senate and the White House in 2012, we’ll get even more.  This is how the game’s played.  And it never ends.

The biggest winners in the deal: Parents of low-income students in perhaps the worst school district in the universe: the District of Columbia.  A school voucher program that had been killed by Obama and congressional Democrats was re-established.  Now if only we could establish a similar program for similar families all across the land.  So let it be written; so let it be  done.

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IF ONLY THEY HAD REALLY SHUT IT DOWN

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported yesterday afternoon that a federal government shutdown could also idle some Nevada state workers, including employees at “the state departments of Health and Human Services, Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, Wildlife Services, Business and Industry's Occupational Safety and Health Administration Information Technology and the State Historic Preservation Office.”

If only they had actually shut the federal government down.  During that time we could have seen if anyone missed those state employees.  If not, when the federal government opened back up, we could have laid ‘em off permanently since they obviously weren’t “essential.”  That would have helped reduce Nevada’s budget without raising taxes.  I mean, who could object to that?

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 Chuckto 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)
April 18: “The Recession, Revenues and Nevada’s Recovery” (Carson City)
May 24: Southern Hills Republican Women (Henderson,NV)

DEMS TRY TO SNEAK HIKE BY; TWO IN GOP FALL FOR IT

The Assembly on Friday passed a bill that would, as the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, “create a citizens committee to prepare ballot questions on how Nevadans want to pay for highway improvements.” 

In other words, the Assembly wants to get around the 2/3 super-majority requirement for the Legislature to pass tax hikes, as well as circumvent the expensive and time-consuming signature-gathering initiative process, by having a “citizens committee” draft palatable tax hike proposals for the Legislature to place on the ballot by a simple majority vote.

Six of the eight committee members would be appointed by the Democrats; two by Republicans.  Then-Gov. Jim Gibbons vetoed the same bill two years ago.
Regretfully, two Republicans – Assembly Assistant Minority Leader Lynn “The Bug Man” Stewart and Assemblywoman Melissa Woodbury – fell for it and voted with every one of the Democrats to approve the citizens committee which I GUARANTEE won’t include yours truly.

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

PLAN’S SMOKIN’ TAX HIKE PLAN

Our friends over at PLAN, the Progressive “Liberal” Alliance of Nevada, sent out a tweet this week which read: “One cent increase in cig tax bring in $1million/year.” 

Fine.  The left claims there’s a $2.5 billion hole in the budget, so why doesn’t PLAN get the Democrats to actually introduce a bill to hike the cigarette tax to plug that hole?  Let’s see, by my calculations that would increase the tax to $25 per pack.  And I’m sure cigarette smokers would be happy to pay that tax, you know, to help the state continue funding mariachi classes in public high schools, right?  Right?

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 laurel@TRUNConline.com

FIRST FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR

May’s First Friday Happy Hour in will feature Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain as our VIP guest.  Friday, May 6 at Stoney’sin Las Vegas from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.  Free parking, no cover charge and 2-1 drinks.  First Friday is co-sponsored by conservative talk-show host Alan Stock and and KXNT 100.5 FM/840 AM.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“I believe the teachers in New Jersey in the main are wonderful public servants that care deeply. But their union; their union are a group of political thugs.” – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in an ABC interview with Diane Sawyer on Wednesday

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