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November 23, 2009

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David McGrath Schwartz

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Recent Stories (view all stories)

Despite economy, swank of lawmaker’s fundraisers not in recession
Monday, Nov. 23, 2009
The tough economy hasn’t prevented at least one elected official from throwing elaborate fundraisers. Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera has set a new bar for unconventional campaign events hosted by Nevada lawmakers.
Art of the spin, unemployment-rate style
Tiny drop gets response from pols, but experts say it’s nothing to cheer
Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009
No sooner were the latest unemployment numbers released Friday morning than politicians offered their takes, illustrating that no fact will go un-spun this campaign season.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ideclared the drop in statewide unemployment from 13.3 percent to 13 percent a “positive development.” Gov. Jim Gibbons, however, had a different, more somber, take.
Lawmakers look at past appropriations to learn for future
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009
The list of projects approved by the 2007 Legislature looks like a collection of receipts from a Christmas past, when mommy and daddy still had jobs and the house wasn’t in foreclosure.

Stimulus job-count guidelines frustrate
State comptroller says ‘no standards’ for tallying results
Friday, Nov. 13, 2009
Forgive the average citizen if the federal stimulus does not appear as transparent as promised. The federal government says the stimulus has directly created or saved 5,658 jobs in Nevada. The state puts it at 5,080. Sen. Harry Reid’s office says it’s 6,134.
Furlough exemptions extended for prison guards
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009
Nevada's correctional system will avoid furloughs under a plan approved today to transfer money from a inmate fund and seeking to lease an empty Southern Nevada prison to a private company.
New law spurs recalls aplenty in the rurals
Now more voters can call for a politician’s ouster
Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009
Step gingerly, politicians. Recall fever is sweeping Nevada.
Lowden: ‘I didn’t laugh about it’
But tape of exchange over Reid bomb story reveals otherwise
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009
Was it a chuckle or a laugh? And what, exactly, was she laughing at? The talk radio exchange that set off the skirmish between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sue Lowden, one of his Republican challengers, was dissected Tuesday on the Northern Nevada TV program “Nevada Newsmakers.”
Special session of Legislature likely; tax hike not
Elections are one reason budget might be balanced with cuts
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009
The “no new taxes” slogan isn’t just for the governor anymore. As tax revenue continues to plummet, a special legislative session to address a growing budget gap becomes more likely. And there’s little appetite among legislators to raise taxes.
Spokesman: Gibbons 'made mistake' over Reid car bomb
Monday, Nov. 2, 2009
Gov. Jim Gibbons today repeated his belief on a Nevada political show that the bomb in Harry Reid's station wagon in 1981 was a telephone book in a shoe box. The development came a week after Gibbons' claim was widely dismissed and the Reid campaign provided police reports and bomb squad log disproving the theory. His spokesman later today said Gibbons "made a mistake." Dan Burns said Gibbons had heard from someone last week that it was a shoe box with a phone book in it.
A bad week for Sue Lowden, but it’s still really early
Challenger of Sen. Reid has rough times — one year before the election
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009
Welcome to the spotlight, Sue Lowden. Not long ago the former chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party looked like the clear favorite to emerge from the GOP field and face Sen. Harry Reid in next year’s election. Then came last week.

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Recent Blog Posts (view all entries)

Where's Gibbons? In the meantime, Sen. Schneider in charge
Friday, March 13, 2009
Gov. Jim Gibbons is out of state, as is Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki. That means gubernatorial authority rests in the hands of Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas,.
Elko seems to bring out Gibbons' ire
Monday, March 2, 2009
Assemblymen claim conservative caucus doesn't exist
Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008
Maybe conservative Assemblyman Ty Cobb now knows how Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert feels.
Governor wants to eliminate step pay increases for teachers, state employees
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008
No state employee paying attention to the state's fiscal health was expecting a cost of living adjustment in the next two years. But now, Gov. Jim Gibbons said he plans to eliminate step increases for state workers and teachers.
Budget deal approved
Monday, Dec. 8, 2008
The Legislature's job is done in under 9 hours, quicker than even the most optimistic observer predicted for the special session.
Assembly moves ahead on two budget bills
Monday, Dec. 8, 2008
Assembly passed the first bill, calling for the sweeping of government accounts, unanimously.
Budget deal contains 'revenue enhancements'
Monday, Dec. 8, 2008
The Las Vegas Sun has obtained a copy of the plan to cut $341.75 million from the budget.
A look at the budget cut history
Monday, Dec. 8, 2008
A little history lesson on the budget cuts from budget director Andrew Clinger:
Republicans are the wild card in budget deal
Monday, Dec. 8, 2008
The Assembly and Senate are in session, going through the ceremonial portion of the agenda.
Local governments could hurt budget deal
Friday, Dec. 5, 2008
Some local governments are more than worried about the state's plan to borrow up to $160 million from them. Some have actually pulled out there money, fearing the state would not repay them.

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