Carlos Slim didn’t amass his huge wealth with a great product… to the contrary there are many complaints about the poor quality of his product.

Slim bought the telecommunications monopoly from the Mexican government for a steal in the early 90s. We’ll never know what deals were struck that allowed Slim to lay hold of the entire telecom system, but one thing is for sure, his 40% profit margins have made him the richest man in the world.

Carlos Slim owns 90% OF LANDLINES AND 80% of all cell lines in Mexico. His control over the system allows him to overcharge and sell an inferior product.

Now Carlos Slim is buying up assets in the United States. He is the second largest stock holder of the New York Times, owns large shares of Sears and other big U.S. companies, and is buying up cell phone businesses all over the country.

The oligarchs are coming… the oligarchs are coming! We’ve already had a Gilded Age in this country. Let’s keep the Robber Barons out!

This Wednesday in Las Vegas, a group called Two Countries One Voice are holding a march against Carlos Slim at 3:30pm in front of the Venetian. The http://www.ctia2013.com/ convention is taking place there, where attendees include Slim owned American Movil.  Attendance is open to all. Find more on Twitter at #2C1V @2Paises1Voz.

The Supreme Court has traditionally applied a rational basis scrutiny to laws affecting religious freedoms that are generic laws affecting everyone. A law targeting a religion may get a heightened scrutiny.  In any event, laws like zoning laws for example, that prevent the expansion of building sizes in a given area would not be deemed to ‘affect religious freedom’ if the law prevented a Catholic Church from expanding its building size (See City of Boerne v. Flores).

A federal law called the Restoration of Religious Freedom (which mirrors SB192) created a strict scrutiny standard, which caused a Catholic Church to file suit over a simple zoning law in the aforementioned Flores case down in Texas. The Supreme Court overturned the federal law on the basis that it overextended Congress’s authority to regulate states under the 14th Amendment.

My concern with SB 192, beyond what others have expressed about potential discrimination, is that it creates a strict scrutiny standard with the language that requires the state to demonstrate a “compelling governmental interest” when burdening religious freedoms. Look up strict scrutiny, and you’ll find that exact language.

If SB 192 passes, we may find the state being compelled to honor polygamous marriages under this statute… as a prohibition on such would certainly substantially burden the religious freedoms of some in Nevada. The government would then be required to demonstrate a compelling interest and the prohibition would be subject to strict scrutiny.  When strict scrutiny is applied, laws rarely meet the test.

This bill has been introduced under the guise of simple protection of religious freedom, when in reality it expands the power of religious groups to disregard normal laws that apply to all of us. This bill is a bad idea. We already have the 1st Amendment which protects us from real discrimination against the free exercise of religion. That right was not meant to prevent society from setting the height or size of buildings, and obviously has never protected polygamous marriages.

Click here to read more about the Nevada CO-OP.

Now funding for this provision was pretty much written out when we nearly fell off of the fiscal cliff at the end of last year, but 24 states managed to get their funding applications approved, and Nevada made the cut. That funding has led to the formation of the Nevada Health CO-OP, the first and only nonprofit insurance alternative that Nevada will see next year, both on and off the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange.

Headquartered in the heart of Las Vegas, the Nevada Health CO-OP will become a statewide entity by 2015, beginning by serving Southern Nevada and the Washoe County areas. I’m told that rates and plan information will be available this summer.

This looks promising. First, it’s a nonprofit, meaning that all of the money that the company makes will go right back into member benefits. Without the burden of maximizing profit margins, a nonprofit insurance company can both focus on quality care and affordability.

Here’s the other deal. It’s a CO-OP meaning it’s run by its members. I like the idea that the insurance company reports to me, not shareholders. If members see areas for improvement, they can make it happen.

I’m also happy that the CO-OP is being formed by leadership from the Culinary Health Fund. The Culinary Health Fund has a reputation for providing some of the best health care coverage in Nevada for its members and their immediate families. Note that word ‘immediate’; you and your kids may be able to get the culinary health insurance, but your Uncle Johnny cannot. But with the Culinary Health Fund’s guidance, the Nevada Health CO-OP’s plan is said to be shaping as similar to the culinary plan as possible, giving Uncle Johnny an affordable, comparable option.

Though the Nevada Health CO-OP is the first insurance company of its kind in Nevada, co-ops are nothing new to the state. In Lincoln County, farmers and ranchers came together to form Nevada Farm Fresh, a local cooperative that allows its members to compete with high volume large farming operations. Other organizations throughout Nevada have done similar things, pooling their resources and efforts to form something bigger, in a range of industries from food to utilities. While insurance may be a new area for this time-tested idea, the same ability to compete with national brands, look out for the welfare of members and keep Nevada’s resources in Nevada are all things that co-ops, including the Nevada Health CO-OP, are positioned to do.

So what happens next? According to the ACA, in 2014 everyone is going to need insurance. Open enrollment doesn’t start until October, but the team at the Nevada Health CO-OP wants to help Nevadans get started today. Interested parties can reserve a spot in the Nevada Health CO-OP via the nonprofit’s website or by giving them a call (702.823.COOP).

So here we are, months before the ACA is really going to make its full impact on your health insurance, and there are already affordable options forming as we speak. Whether you have your insurance situation figured out or have no clue what the next step is, you should check out the website or give the Nevada Health CO-OP and see if their options work for you.

First posted on Ramirez Group Blog.

Latinos living in the United States are among the minority groups with the lowest rate of health insurance coverage. This dynamic, along with economic, dietary and other factors place the Latino community at risk for growing health problems. To talk about these issues, the League of United Latin American Citizens along with co-hosts, Latino Leadership Council, NAHJ- Nevada, Latin Chamber of Commerce, and the UNLV Office of Government Affairs will host a town hall with leading health experts. Along with focusing on health issues affecting the Latino community, local expert panelists will be speaking about the Affordable Care Act and what the process will be to enroll in the State Exchange Programs.

“Health care is one of the most important topics concerning the Latino community,” said Liliana Rañon, Health and Nutrition Director at LULAC. “The fact that we are among the most uninsured presents a growing problem. Luckily millions of Latinos will now have access to health care thanks to the Affordable Care Act, but there is still a long way to go in terms of navigating the process for the exchanges and then following through on preventative care. However, conversations like the one for this town hall are a great start in the right direction.”

WHO:    Steve Wiener, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Liliana Rañon, LULAC Health and Nutrition Director

CJ Bawden, Silver State Health Insurance Exchange

Rose Park, Governor’s Office for Consumer Health Assistance (GovCHA)

                         Andres Ramirez, Know Your Care     

WHAT:    Health Care Town Hall

WHEN:            Tuesday, April 23^rd, 2013 from 10:00 A.M. to Noon.

WHERE:            Grant Sawyer State Office Building. 555 E. Washington Ave. 4^th Floor

UPDATE 5:30PM: Both Senators, Mo Denis and Justin Jones, voted yes today to add language that would exempt religious organizations and pastors from performing or recognizing same-sex marriages. While that is already a given with the First Amendment, it probably comforts some people who might have misgivings about the law. The bill will be up for a final vote on the Senate Floor on Monday, before it goes to the Assembly.

I happen to be a progressive Mormon myself, so let me set the record straight about why Mormons should support marriage equality.

First, does the Mormon Church believe that marriage is between a man and a woman?  Well it does now anyway. If you remember, it used to be a man and multiple women, but that’s beside the point. If you look at canon and statements made by Church leadership in terms of what Mormons should practice, then the answer is yes.

That said, I don’t recall canon or Church leaders anywhere or anytime telling politicians how they should make law. In fact the canon (Article of Faith 12) expressly states:

“We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”

I strongly believe that the moral principles of the LDS faith strongly support the principles in the Constitution; namely that the law shouldn’t treat an entire class of people as second class citizens. To that end, the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is clear:

“no state shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It clearly demands that our government grant all citizens equal treatment under the law. When we aren’t talking about a “protected class” of people, like racial minorities and women where strict scrutiny will apply, the Court simply applies what they call a “rational basis” scrutiny. In other words, a law that treats one person differently than another can only be upheld if it has a rational basis. One could argue that gay people should be a protected class since they have a significant history of discrimination against them. Still, even without the strict scrutiny, I challenge anyone to give me a RATIONAL reason why a gay couple shouldn’t be allowed to marry… and better yet why they can be treated differently than anyone else.

Let’s also consider that gay people aren’t going to stop being gay people. They are going to live with each other, be a part of families, have jobs, and live their lives like anyone else. Not allowing them to marry is just denying them a right the rest of us enjoy. It’s not gay prevention.

Let’s be clear: Allowing civil marriages between gay couples in no way obligates the LDS Church to accept or perform said marriages. These are absolutely separate things. The First Amendment protects their right not to perform said marriage.

Thankfully there are plenty of Mormons who agree with me like Republican Jon Huntsman:

“All Americans should be treated equally by the law, whether they marry in a church, another religious institution, or a town hall. This does not mean that any religious group would be forced by the state to recognize relationships that run counter to their conscience. Civil equality is compatible with, and indeed promotes, freedom of conscience.”

Mitt Romney also made the case that the Mormon faith doesn’t direct its members about how the law should be, even when it comes to abortions:

“The church does not say that a member of our church has to be opposed to allowing choice in our society and therefore there are Mormon Democrats,”

Romney goes on to make the point that the Mormon Church is opposed to sex outside of marriage, but does not pursue law to enforce that on others. Watch the whole video below. Mitt Romney makes my whole argument for me from 9 minutes on:

Today more Mormons know and make friendships with gay people, and are learning that they aren’t a threat to the family unit or anything else for that matter. Indeed, they are members of many of many Mormon families. The fear will reside as understanding grows. In time, I believe the Mormon culture may even embrace gay culture, at least as much as it does any other culture.

For now, let’s just try to uphold the law and the Constitution and protect marriage equality for all.

In prior posts I have been critical of Chancellor (Boss) Dan Klaich’s leadership of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Needless to say, powerbrokers in Carson City and Reno were not happy. As a consequence, I was the recipient of requests by guardians of the status quo to either stop or “tone down” my posts. Boss Klaich even took time out of his busy schedule to meet and discuss my concerns. However, I feel so strongly about higher education and see so many problems with how higher education in Nevada is administered, I will continue with my inquiries in hopes of motivating meaningful reform.

In a nutshell, the primary problem with higher education in Nevada is that decision making is driven by insider politics instead of a policy vision of what higher education should accomplish, and a plan of how the higher education system should be organized to meet these goals. No episode better captures these issues than the on-going debate about how to fund Nevada’s seven higher education teaching institutions.

During the 2011 legislative session, the Nevada Legislature created an interim committee to make recommendations to revise how the state funds its higher education institutions. The old formula was engineered by the great northern Nevada legislator Bill Raggio. Like every other budgetary structure that Raggio created, the formula’s underlying principle was the redistribution of resources from southern Nevada to subsidize, at a much grander level, the institutions in northern and rural Nevada. The old formula was such a scam that northern community colleges received more than twice as much in per pupil funding than southern Nevada’s research university. The committee was composed of 12 voting members, six from northern Nevada and six from southern Nevada including NSHE apologist Regent Michael Wixom even though three quarters of the population live in southern Nevada. Fortunately, the committee was chaired by then Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford who, despite leaving the Legislature to run for Congress, saved the process from being completely hijacked by Boss Klaich.

To that end, before the committee issued its request to solicit bids for a consultant to assist with its’ work, Boss Klaich was circulating what would eventually be more than two dozen versions of his funding formula. Not surprisingly, two of the five bids had direct ties to Boss Klaich. The WICHE proposal planned to use Dennis Jones’ organization, NCHEMS, as a subcontractor. Jones has a long relationship with NSHE and even though the bid was rejected, NCHEMS would work on the project as Boss Klaich’s in-house consultant. MGT, a firm that Boss Klaich had contracted with in 2010 to the tune of $99,670 plus expenses to produce yet another evaluation of NSHE’s funding formula, also submitted a bid. Because MGT was tainted by its prior dealings with Boss Klaich, its bid was rejected as well.

In the end, a split committee, with Regent Wixom voting with the north, awarded a $150,000 contract to SRI International to assist with its work; the same firm that conducted Governor Brian Sandoval’s economic development analysis. Because the firm had just spent the prior year evaluating every nook and cranny of the state’s economy, SRI was an ideal partner to recommend how to align higher education funding with the Governor’s plan to develop and diversify Nevada’s economy. Instead of embracing the opportunity to work with SRI, Boss Klaich plowed ahead, telling a reporter after SRI won the bid that “Until I see something better, I’m going forward with [my plan], which I think is fair.”

For Boss Klaich, “going forward” meant a delicate process of appeasement seeking to mollify dissension among the campuses. For the rural community colleges there was a “small institution factor” that somehow did not apply to similarly sized institutions in southern Nevada. For southern Nevada there was the promise that the new formula will deliver millions of dollars to the south’s three institutions. Not surprisingly, UNR, Boss Klaich’s alma mater, was held harmless as all of the proposed shifts come at the expense of the rural community colleges (if his plan were to be actually implemented). And here is perhaps Boss Klaich’s most clever bait and switch – his proposed budget overrides his own funding formula by redirecting money that would otherwise be appropriated to the three southern Nevada institutions to mitigate cuts to the northern institutions. The end result is that NSHE’s budget continues to protect the historically privileged northern schools at the expense of expediting relief for the disadvantaged southern Nevada’s institutions.

To make matters worse, there are at least three instances when the recommendations of the interim committee were ignored. During the August meeting, Senator Horsford refused to support the inclusion of operations and maintenance funds for the state’s two research universities into the funding formula (under Raggio’s old formula this had been the case; an obvious give away to UNR, which because it has been built well beyond its need has twice the square footage as UNLV while generating three quarters of UNLV’s FTE). Senator Horsford also refused to include mitigation for the rural community colleges in the funding formula. Yet, after the interim committee made its recommendations both of these items were in Boss Klaich’s funding formula.

Similarly, the interim committee voted not to apply formula principles to the dental, law, and medical schools because those institutions are funded with line items. Yet, between the submission of NSHE’s budget request in early fall and the release of the Governor’s budget in January, one of the features of the funding formula (the ability of institutions to keep their tuition and fees instead of having those dollars count against their general fund allocations) was applied to the three professional schools – a shift that sends millions more to the UNR campus at the expense of UNLV’s dental and law schools.

Because of all of Boss Klaich’s maneuverings and the myriad back-fills, carve-outs, mitigations, and redirections which I will address in a future post (bottom line, money always moves in one direction – from the south to the north), his formula, if implemented, would shift less than 3% of the total NSHE budget to the southern institutions. And even this may not materialize given that enrollments at both CSN and UNLV are down. No wonder Boss Klaich implemented a gag order that made public discussion of the formula by campus administrators a fireable offense.

The manner in which Boss Klaich has conducted himself throughout this process is telling. However, I would be remiss to simply log the various ways in which Boss Klaich has undermined the credibility of his own funding formula and not offer suggestions about how Nevada should think about reforming higher education. Fortunately, the work completed by SRI as part of the interim committee’s final report includes a number of important recommendations that are worthy of consideration. I focus on three here.

I. Study the Cost of Education in Nevada

First, despite all of the work that has been done on the funding formula, both during the interim and previously by MGT, no study has actually analyzed what it costs to provide higher education in Nevada. Hugh Anderson, who chairs the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee and was a Governor appointee to the interim study committee, recently published an editorial in the Las Vegas Review Journal noting this point and suggesting that “Nevada conduct its own study of the cost of delivery for each discipline at each level so future funding would be based on Nevada-specific data rather than extrapolations from other states.”

Under Boss Klaich’s proposal, the state “pays” a base rate of roughly $130 for each student credit hour at all of the campuses. This value is then weighted by enrollment and multiplied through a matrix that includes discipline specific values that vary depending upon if the course is offered at the lower, upper, or graduate levels. The matrix was concocted by Dennis Jones using values cobbled together from a handful of other states that have little in common with Nevada.

As a consequence, no one actually knows what the cost is for the provision of higher education in Nevada. Or put differently, instead of developing a funding formula that measures the true costs of funding the state’s higher education institutions and then leaving it to the elected officials to fund the formula or not, Boss Klaich chose to reverse engineer the process using information taken from state’s with little in common with Nevada to arrive at a budget number that he thought the Governor and the Legislature would support.

II. Devolve Community Colleges from State to Local Control

Second, the SRI report recommends that Nevada devolve its community colleges from state to local control. Presently, Nevada is one of three states where community colleges are governed exclusively at the state level and Nevada may be the only state that uses the same exact funding mechanism for both colleges and universities and community college. Most states long ago realized that local control and funding of community colleges provides a superior model to a centralized, remotely administered governance structure. Local funding and local governance gives local communities clear stakes in these institutions and thus, creates a strong incentive for local constituencies to maximize and adapt these institutions to meet local work force development and demographic needs. This is particularly significant in light of the Obama administration’s TAACCCT initiative that is making $2 billion dollars available to support partnerships between local industries and community colleges. Because Nevada’s first round application was rejected and the state failed to apply for the second round, thus far Nevada has received the minimum award.

Senator Barbara Cegavske has introduced legislation, SB 391, that audits the community colleges and transfers their control from NSHE to the Department of Education while local governance and funding arrangements can be developed and implemented. Not surprisingly, Boss Klaich testified intensely in opposition to any encroachment on his empire. He even brought along two of the community colleges presidents whom he can unilaterally fire. Maria Sheehan, the President of Truckee Meadows Community College, was notably vehement in her testimony. I wonder if her opposition had anything to do with her being denied other jobs because of revelations of falsified enrollment data at a California institution she once ran (a charge that Boss Klaich independently absolved). In the end, Boss Klaich had the good sense to see the writing on the wall and pledged his support for an interim committee to study how Nevada should devolve its community colleges. Hopefully, Boss Klaich will play a constructive role in this discussion instead of again impeding the work of the Nevada Legislature.

III. Align Higher Education Institutions to Capture Federal Dollars

Lastly, we need to align our higher education institutions to capture federal dollars. Nevada is at the bottom in securing federal grants despite being a swing state that is represented by the U.S. Senate Majority Leader. Higher education is a particularly poor performer. Certainly, failing to seriously pursue TAACCCT grants is one highly visible example, but so too is the failure for any of the NSHE institutions to achieve either Minority Serving or Hispanic Serving Institution status despite Nevada’s demographic diversity. Unfortunately, the only manner in which Boss Klaich’s funding formula accounts for Nevada’s increasing diversity is in the performance pool (a 5% “carve-out” of each school’s funding that can be earned back by meeting institution specific benchmarks). Schools are rewarded financially when students from diverse backgrounds graduate. There are, of course, no resources anywhere else in the formula – or in the higher education budget more generally – designated for these institutions to assist with the recruitment and success of students whose very presence on a Nevada college campus has a multiplier effect that allows state money to be leveraged to obtain federal dollars.

So here is a simple suggestion. Why not make student diversity a driver of the formula? Doing so would position the state to capture low-hanging federal money and provide certainty to the campuses that if students from under-privileged backgrounds enroll at their institutions that the resources will exist to ensure that these students progress and graduate in a timely manner. My guess is that because of the geographic distribution of the state’s minority populations there was little appetite for such a commonsensical reform in a northern dominated institution like NSHE.

Toll Roads

Suzette LaGrange decided a while back she’d love to get on the Las Vegas City Council. After all, I am confident all those big developer and real estate clients of hers at Colliers International would love to have their will pushed from within the council.

That’s what she’s been doing for the past decade anyway. As a member of the board of directors and vice chair of government affairs for the Southern Nevada Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP) she has been a voice for investors and developers. Essentially, she’s been a lobbyist.

On a side note, during her tenure with NAIOP, they supported a plan that would include toll roads on the 95. They lobbied the government for this plan. Now think about that… first I don’t want to pay any tolls, and second I don’t think that’s good for the tourism industry that we rely on heavily here in Las Vegas.  Point being, real estate investors and developers don’t always think about the best interests of the entire community or even other important industries. Las Vegas needs representation for everyone, not just one sector.

Yet when her opponent City Councilman Steve Ross pointed out the above facts to voters, Suzette Lagrange went ballistic. In typical politician style, she tried to silence her opposition, and deny the truth and the facts. More things we don’t need at city hall.

First on Facebook she has the nerve to call Steve Ross “dishonest” and then proceeds to deny any connection to the toll roads or even that she had ever been a lobbyist – an outright lie.

Click to enlarge

“Lobbying on behalf of issues for NAIOP is among the duties of board members according to the group’s website.” Benjamin Spillman Las Vegas Review Journal

UPDATE: Here’s video of Suzette LaGrange actually lobbying before the City Council. What were you saying Suzette?

Then she has the brass to send Steve Ross a cease and desist letter which Jon Ralston published here.

Instead of laying out all the ways she’s totally wrong, you can read Steve Ross’s attorney make a complete breakdown of how Suzette LaGrange is misrepresenting the truth here (also featured on Ralston’s blog).

Now, Steve Ross is a Democrat and Suzette Lagrange is a Republican. But no matter what your party affiliation might be, remember the city has done a great job despite one of the most horrible recessions in American history (particularly in Nevada). Downtown is developing into something amazing. The city’s budget is solvent, and issues have been resolved that have satisfied all parties, whether the employees, unions, management, the tax payer, etc. Steve Ross has been at the helm during this time. He represents all of us, with leadership we can trust.

Suzette LaGrange has already demonstrated her style of leadership with her dishonesty and use of legal threats to silence speech. Her history lobbying for the big real estate developers and investors does not reflect the type of background and connections the public at large would like to see on the city council. The city council must serve as a check against those powers. They are the last line of defense against mischievous development, shady land deals, and keeping buildings safe for people.

This race may not go past the primary on April 2^nd, if one of the candidates gets over 50% of the vote. Early voting goes through Friday, and Election Day is next Tuesday. Please go out and vote. Every vote counts in these low turnout elections.

Let me paint you a picture. Unless the city does something about it, there won’t be a library system in North Las Vegas within the next 2 years. It’s that bad.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

The situation is at least as bad with the park system. This prompted folks who are trustees on the parks board to speak out. They felt the city wasn’t communicating these issues to the public, trying instead to talk about “jobs creation” etc. So the parks board trustees sent out a press release and had an emergency meeting a few weeks ago to get the public involved.

This created a firestorm at city hall, let me tell you. After all, it’s election time, and this can’t be making ole Mayor Shari Buck look good, what with the parks and library system ready to crumble. So her cronies at the city attorney’s office sent out a gag order to silence the board members. Read the memo here.

I showed up for the library board meeting on Tuesday to see what the scenario was looking like for the libraries (that’s where I got the information for the infographic above). I was shocked to see a cabal of city attorneys all huddled in the front row. Apparently they were worried about what the library board might discuss. During the meeting, one city attorney stood up to warn the board about speaking on particular subjects. First,they used a strict construction interpretation of open meeting law to tell the board they couldn’t discuss the C tax during a discussion about the library budget for which there was not even a vote. Second, at the end of the meeting they were all warned that they could not take positions on city policy and to generally be careful about anything they might say publicly during this election season.

I guess that’s how they roll up there in North Las Vegas under Mayor Shari Buck’s watch. Either way, there is disaster coming unless someone can get in and fix the budget in North Las Vegas. From my perspective, there must be new leadership in North Las Vegas, no doubt about that. You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again, and expect a different result.

John Lee is running for the office of mayor, and he has proven he can work across the aisle and generally work well with other people to get things done, something Shari Buck has proven time and time again she can do anything but (just look at her public interaction with Speaker of the Assembly Marlyin Kirkpatrick a few weeks ago. Imagine what she does in private.).

While you are at it, vote for Isaac Barron in Ward 1. He will work with the new mayor much better than any of the alternatives, who I expect some would actively work against a new mayor.

What are you waiting for? Go vote! You have early voting through Friday, and Election Day is Tuesday. Find more information about where and when to vote here.

Raja with wife and Congresswoman Shelley Berkley
Photography by Oscar Nonis

The 2013 elections for the City of Las Vegas have abysmal turnout numbers. Yes people, there is a city council election going on right now for Las Vegas Ward 2! The race is between extreme partisan career politician Republican Bob Beers and successful private business owner and Democrat Fayyaz Raja (on ballot as F. Raja).

Bob Beers spent years in the Nevada legislature, so we all know what horrible things to expect from him. So who then is Raja?

Who is Fayyaz Raja?

If you look up “American Dream” in the dictionary, there should be a picture of Raja and his family.

Raja and his wife Kathy have lived in Ward 2 for over 30 years. During that time, Raja has graduated from UNLV with two degrees (one in hotel management and the other in political science), worked in the hotel casino industry, and ventured into his own business doing real estate investments.

When some of our top strip properties opened, Raja was trusted with the responsibility of making sure things went well. He was part of the opening management team for both the MGM Grand and Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino. He was also the opening general manager for The Chicago Brewing Co. in Las Vegas.

Raja’s involvement in the community is also noteworthy.  Raja is a founding member of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration Alumni Association. He is a graduate of the Citizen’s Police Academy (Las Vegas Metro) and FBI Citizen’s Academy. Currently, Raja is an active member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Use of Force Review Board and also serves on the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Citizens Review Board.

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley recently endorsed Raja, knowing he will be the best person for this job.

Early voting is going on now until Friday, and Election Day is next Tuesday, April 2^nd. With the race down to Raja and Bob Beers, the winner on Tuesday will be our next councilman from Ward 2.

We at The Nevada View officially endorse Raja for city council, and hope you will go and vote for him, or tell your friends in Ward 2 to do so.

Bob Beers – The Wrong Choice

Bob Beers slipped his way into the Las Vegas City Council last year by way of short notice special election when Steve Wolfson became the District Attorney. Beers’ years as a career politician gave him the connections and money to take that seat without much resistance. Fortunately for the city, there is an alternative on the ballot in 2013. Fayyaz Raja (appearing on ballot as F. Raja), who has spent years in the private sector as a successful entrepreneur is running in Ward 2.

Why shouldn’t you vote for Bob Beers? There’s a rap sheet a mile long.  Let’s start with the basics.

First, Bob Beers can’t even follow the laws of the land.  He was fined thousands of dollars for violating election laws just two years ago, after his constituents booted him from his Nevada senate seat.

While in the Nevada Senate, he supported putting guns in our elementary schools. The Tea Party is going to love this guy. While it sounds like a novel idea, putting guns in the hands of teachers who aren’t trained to handle extreme situations is a bad idea for many reasons. It has been rejected by schools and educators nationwide. Having more guns in untrained hands increases the likelihood that children will get shot, plain and simple. Having more trained armed security is the only thing being considered by any serious policy makers.

How is Beers on education? Jon Ralston probably remembers that Bob led the charge AGAINST full-time kindergarten in Nevada. Backwards policies like this have kept our students at the very bottom of education achievement for decades.

Oh, and get this: Bob Beers thought so much of the failed one-term Republican Governor Jim Gibbons who even fellow Republicans rejected, he is quoted as saying-

“Nevada is much better off with Gov. Gibbons than we’ve been with Gov. Guinn.”

Wow!  Guinn, also a Republican, is regarded by most as one of the best we’ve had in recent years. He fought for education in Nevada like few have fought before. I think anyone who remembers would know Gibbons is probably the worst governor in Nevada history.

How about motorcycle helmet laws that save hundreds of lives every year? For Bob Beers, that’s just socialism or nanny state (see previous link). Sometimes laws save lives and just make good common sense. But Beers is such an ideologue, he can’t see common sense.

Finally, Bob Beers decided that “illegal immigrants” should be treated like second class citizens and required to pay out of state tuition if they want to attend a local college (see previous link). Yes, even the children who moved here when they were two and have been through our high schools and are trying to better their situation. Even they should be punished and instead of helping them have a future, he wants to take away their opportunity and put them to work cleaning up his yard.

Right now you or someone you know lives in Ward 2. Turnout at the election is atrocious. We need to convince more people to go and vote for Raja because he is a common sense guy not driven by extreme ideological positions. Las Vegas has offered wonderful opportunity for Raja and his family and he wants to ensure those opportunities are there for everyone.

Just remember, Bob Beers served in the senate for years, and did everything in his power to keep education in Nevada at the bottom. By not improving education, diversifying the economy, and reforming our reliance on tourism for state revenues, the downturn in the economy hit Nevada worst of all states. That’s why voters finally said ENOUGH and kicked him out of office. Don’t let this guy ruin Las Vegas Ward 2 the same way. Voters, time to dump this guy.