Nor'Town: Politics in North Las Vegas, Nevada

Nor'Town Sludge Cakes

I could call them "nuggets" or "gleanings" or "quick hits," but up here in Nor'Town, they're sludge cakes!

• So, slap some new paint on the Sliver Nugget and have the taxpayers buy the City Council a shiny new building, and you now what you get? "Downtown redevelopment." (Sun)
• Remember that guy who wanted to pull all the park cops out of the parks over Memorial weekend? Except, of course, the future site of the shooting park, cuz it gets nasty up there. Well, he's gone. (RJ)
• Steven Horsford, or "Horsford" as Barrack calls him, is basking in the glow of Obama's recent nabbing of the Democratic presidential nomination. (Sun)
• Shelley Berkley, meanwhile, an ardent Clinton supporter, waits longingly by the phone for Obama to call. (RJ)
• But, but, where's Ruben Kihuen? On myspace. Do you think he'll be able to get the culinary union to become a myspace friend?

  "The first-term assemblyman and first immigrant elected to the Nevada Legislature endorsed Clinton and took her on a tour of his Culinary-heavy district. He told her members were ignoring the Obama endorsement and supporting her, in front of the assembled national press corps. It was seen as an attempt to drive a stake through the heart of the union.

  "Kihuen was elected with much help from the Culinary political organization, though he told the Sun the union’s help has been overstated.

  "In any case, union officials are still fuming, according to sources familiar with their thinking.

  "Kihuen, who didn’t return a phone call Friday, was offered a chance to apologize and make amends at a meeting, but either declined or failed to do so adequately, according to a source familiar with the meeting but not associated with either party." (Sun)

• "Troubled" Nor'Town Housing Authority gives up. One reason HUD doesn't like them? Cuz they're basically the City Council: '[HUD] further criticized the agency for the make-up of its board. Four out of the five board members, including its chairman, William Robinson, also serve as North Las Vegas City Council members." (RJ) There must be a swell mayoral race slogan in there somewhere! "Vote for {select one: Stephanie Smith, William Robinson}! He/She Killed the Housing Authority!"
  

Shelley Berkley Better Watch Her Back

Term limited Mayor Mike was profiled in the Review Journal today, and we learn he's interested in a seat in Congress. Assuming he's not planning to move, that could mean he might be thinking of taking on Shelley Berkley in two years. He'd have to start raising funds, oh, about two years ago, though, because Shelley's got money to burn.

Now the fact that Sheldon Adelson is spending money on his unflattering robo-calls about Berkley into Nor'Town homes might lead conspiracy minded types to wonder if there is an unholy alliance between Adelson and the mayor to take her on. Adelson is a notorious Republican king-maker after all, and the mayor would be king, or at least a congressman.

Well, okay, in the case of our current governor, Adelson is more of a boob-maker, but you get my point.

Of course, there are other Clark County Republicans who might be interested in replacing Berkley, like Bob Beers and Joe Heck. So maybe Adelson is trying to soften her up for a run by one of them. But, they may be more interested in filling the vacuum left by the Gibbons' meltdown and take a shot at the Governor's mansion.

Or maybe Sheldon just likes spending money irritating Nor'Towners during dinner.

In any case, you might want to check out the Nevada Democrats rebuttal to the robocall over on the party site, just so you get both sides.

And it is just peculiar to go after Shelley as being soft in her support on the war. She voted FOR the original resolution that Bush used to send troops into Iraq. You know, the vote that has embarrassed some presidential candidates. If anything, Berkley's been too enthusiastic about Bush warmongering, especially back in the days that that was the popular and easy stance to take.

Berkley Will Sign Up Today

In case you want to be there, here's Berkley's schedule for signing up to run:

What: Congresswoman Shelley Berkley files for re-election
When:  9:30 a.m. Friday, May 9
Where: 1st Floor Pueblo Room, Clark County Government Center

Candidate Updates

Yay! More candidate filings for Nor'Town seats!

Try to stay awake for this one: perennial Shelley Berkley punching bag and sign poster Kenneth Wegner has entered the race for Berkley's seat in Congressional District 1.

Anybody else notice the funny holes in his signs? They say "Win the War ______," and there's a hole.

What war? In Iraq? Wasn't that all won and everything a couple of years ago? I seem to remember a sign about that on a boat somewheres. Maybe the war on drugs? Poverty? Halitosis?

Guess that's what happens when you recycle your signs--you have to snip out the outdated bits.

Tom Collins has picked up an opponent for his Clark County Commission Seat. One Gary Hosea will be filling Shari Buck's shoes this time around.

John Lee (D), who was toying for a while with the idea of running for mayor of Nor"town, has signed up to run again for his state senate seat. He's got a challenger named Ron McGinnis (R).

Signing Up for Election Day

The official period for signing up to run for political offices for the November election has begun, and you can keep track of who's signed in over at the Clark County election site.

Course, Nor'Towners are waiting for the real fun of the city council and mayor race in 2009 when we have that silly off-year election that dooms the election to apathy and oblivion.

For now, we will just have to get by with the other races.

So far, several sacrificial lambs have signed up to get their butts whupped by Shelley Berkley this fall for Nor'Town congressional district 1:

• Chris Dyer (R) He's apparently a national delegate to the Repukelican convention and a dedicated Ron Paul supporter. (RtF)
• Edward "Mr. Clean" Hamilton (R)
• Ray J. Kornfeld (R)
• Mike Powers (R)

Well, at least that'll give you Republicans something to do at the primary. Mayor Mike oughtta jump in, too, just to make it interestin'--and to waste his money.

Tom Collins (D) will be running again for his seat on the Clark County Commission in District B. On Wednesday, May 14th, you can have pie with him. Mmm...Pie. I am resisting the temptation to call it "Pardee pie". Drat. I am so weak.

Marilyn Kirkpatrick (D) has signed up to defend her seat for for Assembly District 1.

Morse Arberry (D) will be running again in Assembly District 7.

Ruben Kihuen (D) will be running again in Assembly District 11.

Kelvin Atkinson (D) will be defending his seat in Assembly District 17. Atkinson has a challenger, one David Isbell (R). I guess Alberto* Angelo Carvalho's still in Iraq?

Mo Denis (D) has a challenger for his seat in district 28, one  Augustin "Tino" Mendoza, who's lost a couple of races for the state senate. (RJ,RJ) My favorite picture of Mr. Denis shows him trying to give Governor Jim Gibbons a little religion, which doesn't seem to have taken.    

Confused and lost? Check out the district maps over at the Nevada Legislature site.

* My apologizes for the dumb mistake. If it counts for anything, I have gotten it right in the past.