State Sen. Steven Horsford has been chosen by his fellow Senators yesterday to succeed Dina Titus as Senate Minority Leader (AP). Horsford, 35, has only been in the Senate since 2005. So, some may see him as too inexperienced for this job. However, Dina Titus was also elected Leader after only one term as well. Furthermore, Horsford is seen as a future candidate for either federal or statewide office in the future. He was very active for Obama's presidential run here in Nevada and is also a superdelegate at the national convention as a member of the DNC.
Horsford's main job for the rest of this year will be to try to oust either Bob Beers or Joe Heck (or both) in an effort to secure the majority in the State Senate for Democrats. Democrats already have a candidate against Beers in Allison Copening. However, they still need to present a candidate to run against Heck until filing deadline at the end of next week. So, before the next session convenes in January, we can figure out how good of a leader Horsford is.
The Obama campaign is now focusing beyond the primaries. And the focus is an important one: voter registration. Due to the caucus we already have increased voter registration. But more won't hurt. It'll help Jill Derby, Dina Titus and the Dems running for the legislature, especially the State Senate.
Here's what you can do:
TOMORROW: Obama Campaign to Kick Off National "Vote for Change" Voter Registration Drive in Nevada
NEVADA - The Obama campaign announced today that grassroots volunteers will hold Vote for Change kickoff events tomorrow, Saturday, May 10th across the state. Vote for Change is a 50-state voter registration and mobilization drive aimed at getting millions more Americans registered to vote and involved in the democratic process ahead of the November election.
Go to http://my.barackobama.com/vote... to find out more about the 101 Vote for Change kickoff events that will be held nationwide on May 10th.
Las Vegas
WHO: State Senator Steven Horsford, Obama volunteers
WHAT: Vote for Change Kickoff Event
WHERE: Doc Romeo Park
7400 Peak Dr
Las Vegas , NV 89128
WHEN: Saturday, May 10, 2008
10:00 AM
Reno
WHO: Obama volunteers
WHAT: Vote for Change Kickoff Event
WHERE: Wooster High School Cafeteria
1331 E Plumb Ln
Reno , NV 89502
Following the stunning withdrawl of Robert Daskas from the race, Titus will kick off what has the potential to be one of the highest-profile races in the country this year.
She'll be running against a three-term incumbent who has a million dollars in the bank in a district he designed; she'll start with no money, no organization, and only six months to catch Porter.
(In the spirit of bringing the party back together, Obama for America, working with the Washoe Democratic Party, invites everyone to unite and ensure that more voters take an active part in our country's future. - promoted by Dave )
The national Obama campaign organization is now actively
organizing for the "kickoff" of a voter registration and
mobilization drive. Concurrent with these purposes is a
focus on healing the division right now in the Democratic
Party.
Here's the specific "when" and "where" information
for Reno (also an event in Las Vegas):
Event: Vote for Change Kickoff - Reno, NV
When: May 10, 2008, Saturday at 10am
Where: Wooster High School Cafeteria
1331 E Plumb Lane
Reno, NV 89502
Type: Voter Registration Drive (Official Event)
David Bobzien and others will provide a brief training
in how to register new voters and then teams will be
sent out to specific locations.
Even though this is being initiated by the Obama campaign,
supporters of Hillary Clinton are very much welcome to
to join this effort. And, anybody else!
You can RSVP by going to the home page of http://www.barackobama.com and click on "Find Events" (upper right portion of page).
(Zip code for event is 89502.)
(My friend Dee has posted here before and she has brought something to my attention that is being ignored by our local media. In essence it is a ruling that strikes at the very heart of county autonomy and representative government. Residency requirements for elective office exist for a reason, namely, that the person being elected will not only have an understanding of the area and its issues, but will also have a stake in the decisions they make, whether legislative or judicial.)
Guest Post - Dee Holzel
WINNEMUCCA - While we in Nevada have quietly been going about our business, a legal decision was made that could fundamentally change the residency requirements of elected officials.
The case involves Mike Montero, of Reno, who decided to run for judge in the 6th Judicial District Court.
Here's the problem: Mr. Montero does not live within the jurisdiction of the 6th Judicial District Court, which includes Humboldt, Pershing, and Lander Counties.
A challenge was filed to Montero's candidacy on the grounds he didn't meet the residency requirements as outlined in the Nevada Revised Statutes AND the Nevada Constitution.
This is really a no-brainer. The law requires candidates to live in the districts where they're running for office at least 30 days before filing.
The challenge was filed with the Sec. of State's Office, who turned it over to the Attorney General's Office.
The case ended up in the 2nd Judicial District Court (Washoe County) where Montero successfully argued that judges are state officers and therefore the entire state is their district.
In essence, anyone can run for judge anywhere.
Where will this end? One slick politician has gotten around the residency requirements -- how long before the rest follow suit?
The implications are greater for those of us who live in rural Nevada because it isn't likely someone from Elko is going to end up on the bench in Clark County.
It will probably be the other way around. Politicians will look at the rurals as being an easier place to jump-start their political careers.
If we allow this to happen, we can kiss our water good-bye.
The AG has until April 30 to appeal the case to the Nevada Supreme Court.
As part of the deal, J.P. Morgan Chase, a major Wall Street bank, will buy Bear Stearns for a bargain-basement price, paying $2 a share for an institution that still plays a central role in executing financial transactions. Bear Stearns stock closed at $57 on Thursday and $30 on Friday. J.P. Morgan was unwilling to assume the risk of many of Bear Stearns's mortgage and other complicated assets, so the Federal Reserve agreed to take on the risk of about $30 billion worth of those investments.
The Fed "is working to promote liquid, well-functioning financial markets, which are essential for economic growth," Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said in a conference call with reporters last night. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., who was deeply involved in the talks though not a formal party to them, indicated support for the actions.
The Fed's moves were meant to reverse a rising tide of panic that has buffeted Wall Street as banks and other institutions have found it increasingly difficult to get credit.
At least twenty-seven states, including several of the nation's largest, face budget shortfalls in fiscal year 2009. Of these 27 states, specific estimates are available for 22 states and the District of Columbia; the combined deficits of these 22 states plus the District of Columbia are expected to total at least $39 billion for fiscal 2009 -- which begins July 2008 in most states. Another 3 states expect budget problems in fiscal year 2010, although some of those gaps may occur earlier than expected.
...
The 22 states in which revenues are expected to fall short of the amount needed to support current services in fiscal year 2009 are Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. In addition, the District of Columbia is expecting a shortfall in fiscal year 2009. The budget gaps total $39.1 to $40.8 billion, averaging 8.9 - 9.3 percent of these states' general fund budgets.
Two things jump out at me:
The amount of U.S. taxpayer money risked to bailout Bear Sterns -- $30 billion -- is almost as much as what it would take to bail out the 22 states that are experiencing shortfalls this year.
Bear Sterns is considered "too big to fail" because its failing threatens other big Wall Street entities. The 22 states who are sinking under mountains of debt will have to cut their spending and that will hurt millions of Americans.
As the Center on Budget & Policy report points out, those consequences will be severe:
In states facing budget gaps, the consequences could be severe -- for residents as well as the economy. Unlike the federal government, states cannot run deficits when the economy turns down; they must cut expenditures, raise taxes, or draw down reserve funds to balance their budgets. Even if the economy does not fall into a recession as it did in the earlier part of this decade, actions will have to be taken to close the budget gaps states are now identifying. The experience of the last recession is instructive as to what kinds of actions states may take.
Cuts in services like health and education. In the last recession, some 34 states cut eligibility for public health programs, causing well over 1 million people to lose health coverage, and at least 23 states cut eligibility for child care subsidies or otherwise limited access to child care. In addition, 34 states cut real per-pupil aid to school districts for K-12 education between 2002 and 2004, resulting in higher fees for textbooks and courses, shorter school days, fewer personnel, and reduced transportation.
Tax increases. Tax increases may be needed to prevent the types of service cuts described above. However, the taxes states often raise during economic downturns are regressive -- that is, they fall most heavily on lower-income residents.
Cuts in local services or increases in local taxes. While the property tax is usually the most stable revenue source during an economic downturn, that is not the case now. If property tax revenues decline because of the bursting of the housing bubble, localities and schools will either have to get more aid from the state -- a difficult proposition when states themselves are running deficits -- or reduce expenditures on schools, public safety, and other services.
Amnesty International is starting an ad campaign in the UK cinemas on May 6 showing a 90 second ad about water. Well, at about the 50 second mark it turns into a film about the horrors of waterboarding.
Watch (and, yes, it's very graphic):
This has been making the rounds on European news sites today (The Guardian, Der Spiegel, etc.) but I haven't seen anything yet on US news sites and wonder when and if it will actually be shown.
Amnesty's 90-second film, called Stuff of Life, opens in slow motion with stylish shots of crystal-clear water and an upbeat soundtrack in the style of a typical mineral-water TV ad.
However, after lulling viewers the ad transforms into an interrogation room where a man is strapped to a table being subjected to waterboarding. Waterboarding involves first tying detainees to a board face-up and tilted backwards, then pouring water over the face and into breathing passages to simulate drowning.
"For a few seconds our film-makers did this for real, they poured water up the nose and into the mouth of someone who was pinned down with his head tilted back," said Sara McNeice, campaign manager at Amnesty International UK.
"Even for those few seconds it is horrifying to watch. The reality, in a secret prison with no one to stop it, is much, much worse."
The launch of the ad, which Amnesty International has dubbed "the film the CIA doesn't want you to see", follows the publishing of a book called Torture Team, which claims to shed light on interrogation techniques used in places such as Guantanamo Bay.
The campaign is part of Amnesty International UK's "unsubscribe" initiative launched in October last year that aims to gather support for human rights in the era of the "war on terror".
Howard Dean's called upon the uncommitted superdelagtes to make up their minds and announce their decisions - soon. And he's not the only one. Here's Al Gore's 2000 campaign manager Donna Brazile:
With Democrats protective of the House and Senate majorities just won in 2006, "Do you think for one minute that Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid will allow this fight to go on and on and on?" says Donna Brazile, an uncommitted superdelegate as an official of the Democratic National Committee, and manager of the 2000 Gore campaign. "There's a group around [Sen. Clinton] that really wants to take the fight to the convention. They don't care about the party. It scares me, and that's what scares a lot of superdelegates."
Will the convention battle scenario scare the undecideds into finally committing?
Sen. Harry Reid
NSDP Chair Sam Lieberman
DNC member Yvonne Gates
Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto
Now, I suppose Sam Lieberman won't commit until after the State Party Convention. Harry Reid's in a bind because of his leadership position in the Senate. He'll have to deal with at least one of them when this is over. So these two actually have a legitimate excuse for now.
That leaves Yvonne Gates and Catherine Cortez Masto. When will they step forward and help bring this campaign to a conclusion? Any guesses?
WHO: Veterans, Military Families, and Concerned Citizens to Gather Outside Local Post Office On Tax Day to Urge Rep. Porter: to 'Invest in America, Not the Endless War in Iraq'
WHAT: A few words from Monica Brett; Adjunct Professor and Sustainable Development Policy Advisor. And Chris Gallagher: A local Veteran who served 3 tours in Iraq.
WHERE: Outside the Sunset Post Office; 1001 E. Sunset Road, Las Vegas, NV 89199
(I get sent a lot of event announcements. Unfortunately, I simply don't have the time (and sometimes the energy) to post it all. The beauty of My Silver State is that as a community blog anyone can post diaries. I'll then happily promote what I find good and important, like this diary by Democrats Work, to the frontpage. - promoted by Sven)
Democrats Work volunteers are proud to be a part of the 2008 Las Vegas AIDS Walk.
We are going to join the Young Democrats of Nevada team at AIDS Walk Las Vegas on Sunday, April 20th. Walk registration is from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, and the walk begins at 10:30 a.m. It will begin and end at the World Market Center.
Saving best for last! Today is the last day of Women's History Month and it is also the last day of this Q&A series with Nevada's main progressive female bloggers. CLS (registered as Carissa here at My Silver State, more widely known as Democratic Party activist Carissa Snedeker) writes the fabulous Blue Lyon. I was happy to meet her at the Douglas County Democrats Turn Nevada Blue dinner in January and got her to talk on camera, too.
As part of Women's History Month I sent out questions regarding women in blogging and politics to Nevada's leading progressive female bloggers. Here are Carissa's answers:
Q: What, if anything at all, does Women's History Month mean to you?
A: I love celebrating women and the contributions we have made to society but I wish we didn't still feel the need to have a Women's History month. Just as I wish we didn't feel the need have to have "Black History Month" either. We don't have a "Men's History Month" now do we? Women and Blacks have made substantive contributions all through our history, and there should be no separation of their history from the larger story. You would have thought by now our history textbooks would have been rewritten.
Q: I've noticed that Nevada's main female bloggers all blog anonymously. Why do you think that is and what's your reason?
A: Protection mostly. Fear of harassment. I think I may be the only one who doesn't blog anonymously, and it was a conscious decision to do so. Blogging anonymously works for most, but for me, I didn't want to be afraid to put my name to whatever I posted. I take the words of Maggie Kuhn to heart: "Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes."
Q: Why do you blog and what do you most like to write about?
A: I've always kept a journal and I love engaging with people about important (and sometimes whimsical) topics. To me, blogging serves both of those needs. Writing has always assisted me in sorting out my thoughts and reasoning things through. Right now I'm focused on the presidential race. I write mostly about politics but do throw in other things as well. Blue Lyon, like me, will continue to evolve.
Q: What influence do you think female bloggers have both in Nevada and nationally?
A: Desert Beacon and Myrna the Minx are my two favorite Nevada bloggers when it comes to local stuff, and how national issues affect us here in Nevada and up north specifically. I think both of them have tremendous influence in Nevada. Taylor Marsh is in a league of her own and has attracted an international following and is very important in the national dialogue.
Q: Who is your favorite female blogger?
A: I have too many to name.
Q: How would you evaluate the political landscape for women in Nevada?
A: Fair to middling. We've got women in positions of power all over the state, but have yet to put them into the top spots.
Q: While a lot of women are involved in Nevada politics, and a lot of the top elected positions are and were held by women, Nevada has yet to elect a female Governor or U.S. Senator. Do you think that will be changing any time soon?
A: I hope so. We've got some incredible women that would serve this state well.
Q: In that respect, why do you think Dina Titus lost against Jim Gibbons?
A: Two words (and this is blasphemy for many in my party): Clark County. They failed to deliver the Democratic vote. End of story.
Q: What do you think is the attitude toward women in politics in Nevada today? How has it changed in recent years?
A: Nevada is very independent and though there is some of that "good ol' boy" network still around, I've also realized that Nevadans, for the most part, want you to prove yourself. Do we have to work harder? Yeah, you bet. Not much different from the rest of the country in that respect, but I've also seen a willingness to give women a chance to make their case. I've only been in Nevada for about ten years, so I cannot address how it has changed, but from what I know, Nevadans have have shown a willingness to elect women and we gave women the vote in 1914, six years before the 19th amendment was ratified. I think that speaks well for Nevada as a whole. But who knows, maybe I'm just an optimist!
Wake Up Walmart has released its first video of 2008. Walmart is a key issue for progressives to focus on- because of their awful health care benefits, Nevada citizens are estimated to be paying $9,166,378 a year in taxes to cover poor Walmart employees and their families with health care- while Walmart is making huge profits.
Please check out this video, and let your friends know why we need to "Wake Up Walmart".
Reno's very own Myrna the Minx of Reno and Its Discontents is the most well known progressive blogger from up north and as all other leading progressive female bloggers anonymous. She explains below why that is the case. Doesn't stop her from running for mayor though! Go Myrna!
As part of Women's History Month I sent out questions regarding women in blogging and politics to Nevada's leading progressive female bloggers. Here are Myrna the Minx's answers:
Q: What, if anything at all, does Women's History Month mean to you?
A: To be completely honest and cynical, I think WHM is mostly for school children. When the government mandates calendar events like WHM or African American History month, I think they are earnest attempts to celebrate important aspects of American history, but its also hard not to see such attempts as small efforts to placate populations deemed worthy of being placated.
Q: I've noticed that Nevada's main female bloggers all blog anonymously. Why do you think that is and what's your reason?
A:For all women, I think safety is more of a concern than it is for men--just like it is offline. Something that many man can't understand is the feeling of never being able to just walk to your car in a parking lot without thinking about the possibility of someone attempting you harm. Online harassment of women is huge--remember the infamous Kathy Sierra incident of last year. A 2006 University of Maryland study on chat rooms found that female participants received 25 times as many sexually explicit and malicious messages as males. Its a concern.
For me in particular, it was a combination of the idea of being safe (I've been on the internet since the early days and have encountered a lot of human garbage during those years), and keeping my job. I didn't feel comfortable writing what I wanted to write in the context of my job. Unfortunately, or I guess fortunately, my blog became much more popular than I thought it would, and so the issue of anonymity sneaked up on me. I didn't think it through at the time and I didn't know how much I would enjoy blogging. One day, it just became an issue--an issue that I'm stuck with for the time being.
Q: Why do you blog and what do you most like to write about?
A: I used to blog because I thought I could help influence what happens in downtown Reno. I was and am a big believer and have made my own personal investment in its success. But the thing is, I like blogging as a form of writing--way more than I ever could have predicted. What I enjoy most about blogging is the feeling of creation that comes with creating the look and feel of the site, the content, and of course the conversation that takes place among bloggers and commenters. I am also obviously a social critic--always have been, always will be. Blogging is a natural outlet for that and during an election year, well, election years, I just can't help blogging about politics. Readers complain that I don't write about downtown Reno anymore, and they're right, but, I've been blogging for a while now, very actively (there are more than 1500 posts on this blog), and I have to write about what I'm interested or I wouldn't be able to sustain the effort. It's a lot of work--this blogging thing.
Q: What influence do you think female bloggers have both in Nevada and nationally?
A: I really have no idea. Obviously bloggers like Jane Hashmer of FireDogLake have had quite an impact on covering certain political corruption. There are a lot of influential and notorious bloggers that are women. Probably the most interested case is Digby, who most assumed was a man until she "came out" as a woman. That was awesome because a lot of people had to look at exactly why they assumed she was a male blogger.
Q: Who is your favorite female blogger?
A: I admire Desert Beacon very much--the amount of information she puts out there day in and day out is incredible and a real public service.
Q: How would you evaluate the political landscape for women in Nevada?
A: I think you question just below this kind of answers this question for me "a lot of women are involved in Nevada politics, and a lot of the top elected positions are and were held by women," but even some democratic leaders in the state have been known to refer to a certain state assemblywoman as "a good kid." Good grief!
Q: While a lot of women are involved in Nevada politics, and a lot of the top elected positions are and were held by women, Nevada has yet to elect a female Governor or U.S. Senator. Do you think that will be changing any time soon?
A: Who knows. If the right woman comes along and has the right candidate to run against--sure.
Q: In that respect, why do you think Dina Titus lost against Jim Gibbons?
A: I've covered that in my blog. I think SOME people used the idea that she was from Georgia, or had an annoying voice, as reasons to vote against her (or at least not for her) because she is a woman. Gibbons gave voters convenient cover with all of that Dina Taxes stuff as well. Obviously, we'd be a lot better off today as a state if Titus was elected.
Q: What do you think is the attitude toward women in politics in Nevada today? How has it changed in recent years?
A: I probably haven't been here long enough to judge that, but comments by many insider democrats (Tom Collins and Mike Zahara for instance) at least make it clear that, like most places, we still have a long way to go in how we think about women in positions of power. Honestly, I write about this all the time so I don't quite know where to start. I find myself defending Hillary Clinton more than I'm comfortable with sometimes because I see broader issues at stake than just her election.
