Political notebook: Silver suffers second setback

Erin Neff

Friday, Sept. 13, 2002 | 9:24 a.m.

Abbi Silver took a few days off after the election to recover from her primary drubbing in the DA's race only to return to work and get a second slap.

Silver, the chief deputy district attorney in charge of the domestic violence and stalking unit, won't have that job come Oct. 7. District Attorney Stewart Bell has announced her transfer to a sister unit handling special victims' cases such as child abuse and child sexual assault.

Silver, who lost the Republican primary to Chief Deputy District Attorney David Roger, will now report to Doug Herndon in the unit where she previously worked from 1994 to 1997.

The buzz in the office is that Bell made the moves now, a bit earlier than the typical November transfers, because he didn't want to leave a decision about Silver to the two men still in the DA's race, Roger and Assistant District Attorney Mike Davidson, a Democrat.

Silver didn't want to comment on whether the transfer was politically motivated, saying only: "It is what it is. You'd have to call Stu."

Bell, who is running for an open District Court seat, said the transfer was routine and one that involved dozens of other employees, including three team chiefs who will not be team leaders after Oct. 7.

"We do this every six months," Bell said. "We move people around and it makes them stronger and keeps them from getting stagnant.

"Everybody moves every few years," he added.

Neither Roger nor Davidson moved this time.

Distancing Democrats

The Nevada State Democratic Party is proudly touting examples of its candidates who stand up for Nevada families.

But Mr. Nevada Family himself, Dario Herrera -- who is in Miami with his said Nevada family right now -- is missing from a new flier that promotes the issue.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, lieutenant governor candidate Erin Kenny, attorney general candidate John Hunt and even controller candidate John Lee all smile out from the flier for Democratic votes. The flip side is all about Berkley.

The state Dems, who paid for the piece, said it was only designed to be mailed out in the 1st Congressional District, and thus there was no need to confuse voters over a Herrera reference.

But the party was proudly passing it out at Candidate's Night at Congregation Ner Tamid where Herrera signs outnumbered Berkley's.

Maybe some of his party colleagues just don't want to be linked to him. Lee and Hunt are both courting the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint vote and Kenny signed the Question 2 protection of marriage pledge with similar motives in mind.

Berkley says that while she hopes Herrera wins, she has other things on her mind.

"I support him, but I say that with you realizing that when I'm in an election, I concentrate on my election," Berkley said.

Herrera isn't the only Democrat missing from the flier either, but the state party snubbed Joe Neal long, long ago.

Pension raiding

Democrats are drooling over the corporate accountability issue this election season, but some Republicans are also pointing blame at the GOP.

Secretary of State Dean Heller on Thursday attacked a proposal by state Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, to use money from the Public Employees Retirement System to enhance venture capitalism in the state.

Townsend, it should be noted, is now in the business of getting venture capital to invest in Nevada.

Heller, a Republican, sent out a press release with Assembly Democrat Marcia de Braga of Fallon criticizing Townsend's plan.

"I find it hard to believe that any elected official in the state of Nevada would attempt in any way to divert funds from PERS for any pet project, or to gamble the hard-earned money of those employees who rely on PERS for their retirement," de Braga said.

Heller said voters have already expressed protection of PERS by prohibiting loans from PERS to the state and in 2000 rejecting a plan to allow the investment of state money in companies to assist economic development in Nevada.

"Clearly the people of Nevada saw the inherent flaws in opening the PERS to the type of political onslaught that occurs at the federal level to the Social Security and Medicare Trust funds," Heller said. "To adopt such a plan would be a bold-faced end run around the will of the people."

For the record

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., will be feted with the Education Hero Award during the Clark County Public Education Foundation's sixth annual fund-raising dinner Saturday at the Four Seasons. For tickets or information call 799-1042 or visit the website (www.ccpef.org).