The 78th Session — An Autopsy

The elections in November 2014 were a great surprise to many and shock to some. The people swept all Democrats out of the state-wide offices, reversed the majorities in both houses of the Legislature, and by a 4-to-1 margin defeated the "margin" tax. We the Republican base were looking forward to restoring long-overdue sanity at the State level.

Instead what we got once again was proof, as if we needed it, that there is absolutely no need for a Democrat Party in Nevada. The "Republicans" were all too happy to give them everything they want. And we got proof, once again as if we needed it, that there is absolutely no reason to look to "Republicans" for relief from the insane excesses of government.

It began with a fundamentally flawed predisposition and presumption about governance. After being elected, Republicans said they'll represent "all" the people in their districts -- not the people who volunteered, campaigned, fundraised or VOTED for them; those people have outlived their usefulness, they can go to the back of the line. You never hear of a Democrat having the compulsion to "reach across the isle."

It continued with the Governor's state of the State address on January 15. Having campaigned as part of "Nevada's conservative team," the re-elected governor he gave the best liberal Democrat speech since Lyndon Johnson, proposing the most comprehensive liberal agenda since the Great Society -- huge tax hikes, huge budget hikes, huge new programs.

And it was cemented with a fratricidal coup within the Republican caucus, as the 78th session was about to start. Disgusted with the selection of solid conservatives for speaker and chairmen of key committees, the "establishment" minority threatened to caucus with the Democrats to force their choices into those positions. And of course they got their way. Conservatives were booted out, RINOs were placed in control.

In the 78th session of the legislature, this new ruling majority -- the unholy alliance of RINOs and Democrats -- played out repeatedly to stifle the will of the people as expressed in the elections, and to thwart the efforts of conservative legislators on issue after issue:

Repeal Common Core? NO.
Repeal data collection and data mining on K-12 students and their households? NO.
Allow opting out of SBAC testing? NO.
Allow local control of education? NO.
Notify parents before a girl gets an abortion? NO.
Allow "campus carry," so potential rape victims can protect themselves? NO.
Let the "sunset taxes" ... sunset? NO.
Hold the line on tax and budget hikes? NO.
Limit the budget to actual tax receipts? NO.
Eliminate wasteful programs, especially in education? NO.
Enact alternatives proposed by the REPUBLICAN Treasurer or Controller? NO.
Revise the caucus system so more people WILL participate? NO.

Instead what we got was:

The biggest tax hike in the State's history -- from "Republicans."
The biggest hike in the State budget -- from "Republicans."
New and higher taxes on businesses -- from "Republicans."
The biggest and most wasteful "education" budget -- from "Republicans."
Big new programs in "education" -- from "Republicans."
Big increases in the "education" bureaucracy -- from "Republicans."
More "gun control" -- from "Republicans."
A fair number of self-stroking legislation -- from "Republicans."
A collection of feel-good kumbaya nonsense legislation -- from "Republicans."

Unfortunately, the people with power forget the most basic facts. Government does not "invest," it only SPENDS. You can't TAX a State into prosperity. No business ever pays any taxes; they pass all costs of doing business onto their customers, or they go bankrupt, or they LEAVE. Education takes place in the CLASSROOM, not in programs; and it's done by TEACHERS, not program administrators. "Sound" public policy is maximizing individual freedom, not imposing ever more complex and ever more expensive social welfare programs.

Sadly, we got the best legislature that money can buy. The news throughout the session were full of stories about all the suits "working" the Legislature Building. The streets of Carson City rivaled Rodeo Drive in terms of the numbers of exotic luxury cars buzzing around. You couldn't help but conclude that there sure must be a lot of money to be grubbed here, given how much ostentatious wealth is being thrown at the effort to get it.

So, like I said above, there is no need for a Democrat Party in Nevada. Pack it up; you can go home. The RINOs give you everything you could possibly wish for. Enjoy one party rule; and the color is not red or blue... It's GREEN. Government of the people, by the people and for the people? Sorry, Abe. As the singer Andy Williams used to yell at the Cookie Bear: Not Now, Not Ever, Never!

God help us all.