Tony Cook

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Lobbyists flout disclosure rules in talks with commissioners: Lack of penalties blamed for lack of compliance; Sunday, July 13, 2008; On more than 170 occasions this year, lobbyists failed to file disclosure forms when they visited Clark County commissioners, leaving the public in the dark about what issues they were pushing and on whose behalf.
Controversial UMC deal working out well after all: Sunday, July 6, 2008; Despite its questionable origins, a cardiology contract at University Medical Center has resulted in improvements at the public hospital, according to a report provided to county commissioners last week.
Hauler insists it can boost rates: Republic Services says a ’93 deal lets it raise residents’ bills over county commission’s objections; Wednesday, July 2, 2008; Republic Services is now saying it doesn’t need county commissioners’ approval to start charging valley residents more for garbage collection.
Same lobbyist for courts, shorter term, more money: Sunday, June 29, 2008; What’s increasing faster than the price of gasoline? Apparently, the cost of court lobbyists.
Toxic feud at SEIU’s top ends with resignations: Local’s two ranking leaders reach agreement amid union disorder; Saturday, June 28, 2008; The terms for the resignations of the top two leaders of one of Nevada’s largest unions were laid out over salad and breadsticks at a Las Vegas Olive Garden on Tuesday night.
Next target: UMC: With a California group’s bid to wrest nurses’ union representation at St. Rose hospitals from SEIU tied up, the union turns to University Medical Center, where SEIU has two years to go.; Tuesday, June 24, 2008; The California Nurses Association, unsuccessful so far in pushing aside the powerful SEIU as the preferred organizer of nurses in Southern Nevada, has set a new goal: to unseat the SEIU at University Medical Center.
Boarders getting rent help from county coffers: Sunday, June 22, 2008; A former group home whose license was revoked by Clark County continued to irk neighbors, University Medical Center introduced plans for an advertising campaign to remake its image and Commissioner Tom Collins — a frequent critic of the Sun’s reporting on the county — proposed charging the Sun and Las Vegas Review-Journal for office space at the county government center.
State delaying Medicaid payouts: Hospital officials say hold creating problems; Friday, June 20, 2008; State officials say souring economic conditions have spurred an increase in Medicaid enrollees, causing reimbursement requests to outstrip the amount of money Nevada budgeted for two Medicaid programs.
Adelson money is political baggage: Ads elsewhere have attacked ties to mogul, and heat is building here; Thursday, June 19, 2008; As the Culinary Union agitates, a divide among Democrats on the Clark County Commission is growing about whether to accept money from the companies of Sheldon Adelson, the conservative casino mogul.
Unwanted trade: Boarders for group home residents: Switch cuts short neighbors’ rejoicing; Wednesday, June 18, 2008; The neighbors of Eagle Ridge Manor, a trouble-prone group home for the elderly and the mentally ill, successfully petitioned county commissioners to revoke the home’s business license in March.
Audit report won’t tell you much: Election Department data redacted to ensure privacy; Sunday, June 15, 2008; If you’re looking for a quick read this summer — and we mean real quick — check out the recently released audit of the Clark County Election Department’s information systems.
You don’t have to come in first to win: Lobbyist beats out rivals to represent county despite low staff ratings; Sunday, June 8, 2008; How good is Dan Hart, the lobbyist Clark County commissioners picked last week?
County grumbles but OK’s $3.2 million court overruns: Thursday, June 5, 2008; Clark County bailed out the judiciary this week after learning that District Court officials had overshot their annual budget by $3.2 million.
Hauler’s plea for rate increase gets second look: Commissioner says deal may prevent legal fight over landfill cleanup; Tuesday, June 3, 2008; Despite seemingly strong legal grounds to insist that Republic Services pay the full cost of closing Sunrise Landfill, some Clark County commissioners — led by Commissioner Chip Maxfield — continue to push a plan in which ratepayers would pick up the tab.
Degrees were fake, but good enough: Truth about man who got referrals from judge, county contract comes as a shock; Monday, June 2, 2008; Raymond Giunta is a man of many titles. Some knew him to be a clinical psychologist. Others knew him simply as Dr. Ray. In reality, he was neither.
Still spending, still no guidelines: Sunday, June 1, 2008; Clark County commissioners approved a $1.4 billion county operating budget last month amid lots of talk about limited resources, so we decided to check up on how they’re managing the dollars they control individually.
UMC painter blew whistle in ’05: Police took little action on his report of facilities thefts; hospital ‘brushed it under the carpet,’ he says; Sunday, May 25, 2008; We’ve got an interesting nugget this week about that Metro Police investigation at University Medical Center.
Budgeting: County heeds, state bleeds: Why one has weathered downturn, the other suffered; Saturday, May 24, 2008; Nevada’s two largest governments — the state and Clark County — are in strikingly different financial positions as the nation experiences an economic slump. There’s talk of a third round of cuts to the state budget, but the county has remained largely unscathed.
SEIU disputes outcome of nurses’ vote, gaining time: Tuesday, May 20, 2008; The Service Employees International Union is challenging the results of a recent union election in which the rival California Nurses Association fell just short of the majority vote needed to take over representation of more than 1,000 nurses at three St. Rose Dominican hospitals here.
Standoff over landfill closure possible: Sunday, May 18, 2008; Republic Services hasn’t said publicly that Clark County must help pay for the cost of closing Sunrise Landfill — a position with which the county disagrees.
Landfill decree avoids big issue: County deal with EPA won’t settle who will pay for cleanup; Thursday, May 15, 2008; Clark County is preparing to sign a consent decree that would let it off the hook with federal authorities who want the Sunrise Landfill properly closed, but would leave unanswered the key question of who will pay for the work — the garbage company or county ratepayers.
New-route noise lights up airport hotline: Sunday, May 11, 2008; This week’s main topic: Airplanes.
CNA tips status quo, but doesn’t oust SEIU: Outcome for St. Rose nurses still uncertain, but union unrest is clear; Friday, May 9, 2008; The Service Employees International Union suffered a clear vote of no confidence this week as registered nurses it represents at three St. Rose Dominican hospitals voted in greater — though still inconclusive — numbers to join a rival union.
UMC thefts on overtime alleged: Police say workers helped bosses steal goods on company time; Wednesday, May 7, 2008; Not only did University Medical Center employees help their bosses steal from the public hospital — they also charged the hospital tens of thousands of dollars in overtime while doing it, according to police.
Nurses unions’ showdown starts today: Tuesday, May 6, 2008; Registered nurses — numbering 1,100 — at three St. Rose Dominican hospitals vote today and Wednesday on whether to retain the Service Employees International Union as their bargaining representative — or join a rival union.
Rent hike redux at Cactus Ridge: Mobile home community’s residents again accuse owner of attempting to force them out; Sunday, May 4, 2008; Residents of Cactus Ridge Mobile Home Community are elderly and in many cases disabled. Most live on fixed incomes, often on Social Security alone.
Commissioners’ discretionary funds still are spendable cash: Sunday, April 27, 2008; This week we’re circling back on some outstanding issues. Among our subjects: commissioner parties, county pay raises for people who don’t work for the county and doggy death row.
Rising caseloads keep probation officers from involvement in children’s lives: Sunday, April 27, 2008; Juvenile probation officers are the Jekylls and Hydes of the legal community, hybrids of cop and social worker, enforcer and buddy.
Political lesson on Election Day for students: Sunday, April 20, 2008; Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax estimates a showing of 650,000 voters, which would pass the previous record of about 550,000 in 2004.
Labor law broken during SEIU election, report says: Preliminary probe finds union misused funds, roster; Thursday, April 17, 2008; A preliminary U.S. Labor Department investigation has found that one of Nevada’s largest unions violated federal labor law during its most recent officer election, including the use of union funds and membership rosters for internal political purposes.
Public pays the bill: Audit: Take-home vehicles issued to county officials who don’t need them; Tuesday, April 15, 2008; Clark County’s 106 take-home vehicles are intended to be for workers who frequently respond to emergencies at night and on weekends, but auditors found that many responded to after-hours calls only a few times a year — and in 11 cases not at all.
$41 million won’t go as far as it should, commission hears: Sunday, April 13, 2008; Clark County held its annual budget workshop last week. The tone was dismal. The only things missing among the pie charts and bar graphs were some thunderclaps and shrieking violins.
County stops retrieving the departed’s possessions: Burden will be shifted to health care workers because of budget cuts; Wednesday, April 9, 2008; Clark County Public Administrator John Cahill is ending a major part of what his obscure county office does — respond to hospitals and hospices to secure the personal property of the dead.
On UMC theft investigation, Collins’ reaction to parking story: Sunday, April 6, 2008; Metro Police are still investigating allegations of massive theft in the facilities department at University Medical Center.
As home values drop, don’t expect tax bills to follow: Thursday, April 3, 2008; One might think there would be at least one bright spot for those who have watched their home values fall in recent months — smaller property tax bills. But that won’t be the case for most Clark County homeowners.
He’s a county commissioner and he’ll park where he wants: Thursday, April 3, 2008; If you don’t know Clark County Commissioner Tom Collins, here’s a tip. Don’t ask him about his parking habits. A Sun reporter made that mistake Wednesday.
Union woos nurses amid rift: California group’s bid comes as national SEIU leaders fight; Tuesday, April 1, 2008; A California-based nurses union is seeking to exploit a national rift in the country’s largest and fastest-growing union by poaching nurses at three local St. Rose Dominican hospitals, according to state labor leaders and national experts.
Sign-toting preachers on the Strip may see law change: After ACLU intervenes, commission could scrap body-width provision; Sunday, March 30, 2008; Perhaps the only people on the Strip more annoying than smut peddlers might be those street preachers who hold up signs with messages that say things like “God hates ____.”
County overpaid company, audit ﬁnds: Employees questioned deals beginning in 2004; Thursday, March 27, 2008; The county sewer district overpaid a company more than $227,000 through a series of questionable contracts and employment arrangements, a county audit found.
Picking up where recycling story left off: Sunday, March 23, 2008; We’re doing some house cleaning this week, with some updates on recycling and massage parlor regulations. Plus a message from Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury.
County shops for sin sites: No one is saying why it wants to buy buildings housing adult social clubs; Saturday, March 22, 2008; Commercial Center caters to roller hockey jocks and transvestites, Korean grocery shoppers and swingers, churchgoers and pool hall junkies, those in need of a wig or a bong. For the past few months, it has attracted another potential client — Clark County.
Convenient gas? Not at any price: Sandy Valley residents say safe water worth more than a local pump; Wednesday, March 19, 2008; Sandy Valley has one bar, three restaurants and five churches for its 2,000 people. What it doesn’t have is a gas station. The nearest pumps are almost 20 miles away in Jean, and some valley residents would like to keep it that way.
Even in disguise, cell tower at day care center a tough sell: Damaging effects not yet proven, but residents still concerned; Sunday, March 16, 2008; Savvy readers might remember that debate about a cell phone tower going up at a day care center in the south part of the Las Vegas Valley.
Indictment: Lots from campaigns, little to IRS: Former commissioner’s son, daughter-in-law charged in tax case; Saturday, March 15, 2008; Former Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates’ son was barely old enough to drink when his mother showered at least $356,166 in campaign money on him, his wife and the young couple’s advertising company.
Hospital defends its $1 million deal: Some county officials critical of easy approval; Thursday, March 13, 2008; University Medical Center officials and some Clark County leaders continued Wednesday to defend a pricey hospital contract awarded last year to Dr. Dipak Desai, whose clinics are at the center of an unprecedented infectious disease crisis.
Pricey Desai dumped by hospital: Doctor agrees to cancel deal official said held UMC ‘hostage’; Wednesday, March 12, 2008; University Medical Center on Tuesday canceled its contract with Dr. Dipak Desai, whose clinic is at the center of the nation’s largest hepatitis C scare. But the history behind the lucrative contract — under which Desai and his company received nearly $1 million a year — leaves lingering questions.
Like it or not, condo project going up at mountain: Sunday, March 9, 2008; Mount Charleston residents fiercely protested a condominium project on Kyle Canyon Road during last week’s Clark County zoning meeting. County commissioners said they disliked the project, too. Then they voted to approve it.
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice ...: Republic Services got commissioner to pay for free service — the first time; Friday, March 7, 2008; Republic Services charged a resident $30 for a service that’s supposed to be free, then tried to justify it by citing a law that doesn’t exist.
Like sewer rate plan? Depends: Proposal to raise rates in valley to pay for rural improvements would benefit some, hurt others; Wednesday, March 5, 2008; Clark County is considering an increase in sewer rates to help pay to replace deteriorating facilities in its rural areas — places such as Overton and Indian Springs.
Struggling Boulder City Hospital to seek tax district status — and funding: Official says money is needed for emergency room upgrade, technology; Tuesday, March 4, 2008; The chief executive of the private Boulder City Hospital has grown weary of hearing demands for more — and better — services from his little hospital, the only one in town. Well, he says, if residents want more doctors, more fancy equipment and faster emergency room care, they are going to have to chip in.