Don't read the Nevada section of the Review Journal today with a mouthful of cornflakes. More than likely you'll end up choking on 'em.
No, I don't mean you'll choke on the headline about their being 26 ward4wannabes signed up for a shot to replace Buck on the council. Why 1 in 26 is better odds than you'll get a the local casino and it's a lot better than going through the fuss and bother of the democratic process.
For some reason, Lynette Curtis had to go to the University of Nevada Reno to get this nugget of wisdom:
"You can claim some experience,
and, obviously, you'll have the name recognition," said University of
Nevada, Reno political science professor Eric Herzik. Mid-term appointments are the perfect opportunity to get your foot in the political door, he said. "You avoid the expense and all the fighting of an election." (RJ)
The egghead from up North left out the most important bit, you'll have that stench of incumbency come election time that local developers, casino operators, and newspaper publisher-developer-casino operators just love to throw campaign money at. Nonetheless, none of that will make you choke on your cornflakes. Everybody knows all that stuff already. But--empty your mouth of all food and liquids please--this'll do it:
"I'd like somebody who can be their own person," [mayor Shari] Buck said. "Somebody who can stand up to special interest groups and lobbyists."
Er...what? You mean like how Buck stands up to Boyd and Station Casinos and says "yes, give me tens of thousands of dollars in campaign money"? Like how Buck stands up to Gary Goett and says "yes, use some of that $220,000 you owe the city and give me campaign money"? Like how Buck says to one of Nor'Town's most craven lawyer-lobbyists "yes, take city land for free on the promise that you might build a sea of tenement-apartments downtown someday"? (Sun)
Perhaps being "their own person" means in this context "won't vote with the rest of the damn Democrats on the council." Still, let's hope the council won't pick someone who "stands up" to special interest groups and lobbyists in the traditional North Las Vegas fashion--on their knees genuflecting.
And the Review Journal really should have a warning label like: "Please empty your mouth of all liquids and foodstuffs" the next time it reports on Nor'Town.
That won't be a problem for the Sun. No doubt its developer-casino owner-publisher plans to keep his dealings in Nor'Town a bit more quiet in the future as he reduces local coverage. Say, who watches the watchman?
