Jon Ralston writes the script for what would be said in Carson City if the capital was injected with truth serum

Sunday, May 13, 2007 | 7:04 a.m.

If you are confused about the governor's transportation plan, help is available.

With the blizzard of numbers raising the specter of a snow job and the political intrigue enough to perplex Tom Clancy, perhaps we should imagine the unimaginable: What if there were unvarnished honesty in Carson City?

That is, what if everyone involved actually had to tell the truth - it might sound something like this:

"Yes, my idea to divert room tax will take so much money from the convention authority that it will not be able to grow and may have trouble paying its bonds. And who knows if these projections are even close or what the impact on the economy might be.

"But who cares? It will help Sheldon Adelson and he gave me a hundred grand - and those were legal contributions, not the hundred grand in casino chips and cash that my poor pal Warren Trepp is accused of handing to me on that fun cruise with all the booze and blondes.

"And, yes, I know taking live entertainment tax money will create a potentially sizable hole in the general fund that could hurt education and other programs. But so what? No one will realize that until 2009, which gives me two years to get well and have Sheldon give me another bright idea. And guess what, people? No new taxes.

"I will save you money and they will cost you money. Yes, I have only one note, ladies and gentlemen. But it got me where I am, so why change my tune now?"