Opinion

Why is The Godfather so popular among conservative men?

A Mafia film with some famously violent scenes and dealing with the problems of a family of criminals? A story that ends with the underworld boss fully in control after dispatching his enemies with extreme prejudice?

True, the earnest opening lines are: “I love America. America has made my fortune.” An awesome beginning, but that’s not the reason.

Much of the reason lies with the backstory we heard about how Francis Ford Coppola came to produce and direct the film and co-author its script with Mario Puzo, who wrote the book.

This is a picture of an unsung hero of Carson City, though few know of him. No, it's not really Santa under a rainbow but it is a picture of a simple hard working business owner who, like countless other business owners, makes this city work as part of the free enterprise system. This man is out before dawn cleaning and preparing the property where he runs his business and is still at work long after dark every day throughout the year.

We love the Christmas season. As we've noted with most cultural traditions, though, Christmas holds different meanings for folks depending on their time, place and circumstances.

Carson Animal Services Initiative (CASI) would like to thank the staff at Benson's Feed and Pet Food for helping us host another great Pictures with Santa on December 5. Our furry friends came out in droves to tell Santa all about their year in hopes of a special treat, which Jim Benson promptly supplied! To all the people who came out to support CASI, we sure appreciate it! Merry Christmas from CASI ~ Building Shelter, Building Community

Last year, Nevadans voted almost 4-to-1 against taxing businesses based on their gross receipts. Amidst an anemic economic recovery, most Nevadans understood that taxing them on their top line, with no regard for their costs or profitability, was a terrible idea.

But then the 2015 legislature, at Gov. Sandoval's last-minute behest and without reasonable opportunity for anyone to examine what he proposed, passed such a tax anyway.

James Smack says it can be quite difficult to have a conversation or state facts on public affairs television with today’s progressives of the Obama/Clinton/Sanders ilk. The statist liberal crowd is used to controlling media narratives, and they don’t brook dissent or facts and logic that undermine their control.

When a conservative brings up a valid point or question, they get flustered and angry. Instead of a thoughtful, constructive, respectful answer, the conservative often gets shouted down, not debated in a reasonable exchange between civilized discussants.

Climate change is the cause of everything, even crime, prostitution and terrorism.
Those are among claims studies have made in recent years. With world leaders meeting in Paris this week to discuss a new global climate treaty, we'll hear more of these stories.

The terrorism connection, which blames the rise of ISIS (or the Islamic State) on climate change in Syria, is particularly noteworthy because President Obama said earlier this year that climate change is a greater threat than terrorism. We're guessing that will encounter some skepticism in Paris right now.

The Geminids- the king of meteor showers- is soon approaching. On December 13 and 14, the sky will glow with up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour.

Today we’re thankful that the widely despised Commerce Tax is moving toward a Nevada voter referendum.

Acting for the concerned citizens of RIP Commerce Tax, Inc., Ron filed a referendum petition on that tax in October. Tax-hike advocates brought a meritless law suit seeking to deny you a vote on it. RIP filed its answer, and a hearing on the case will be held 9 AM Wednesday, December 2 at Carson City’s court house. After defeating this suit, we’ll have legions of folks gathering signatures to put it to a vote next November.

Science is a process, not a doctrine. It asks questions and sets out to test them for answers. But our culture seems to regard science in an animate form, like a guru seated atop a mountain.

We put science on a pedestal and submit to it as the final authority on all of our problems and important questions. We rely on science to give us the answers.

We even permit science to be the driving force behind public policy, in spite of the fact that science is a search for questions that remain unanswered.

Take the issues of climate change and global warming.

Many believe that government is increasingly responding to the agenda of special interests and not acting for the common good. I am holding steadfast that our local government needs to be: of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Veterans Day, in my mind, is the most important day of the year. Even before “We” had a country, our military personnel and their families were making great efforts to secure our freedoms and safety. Without Veterans we would not have a country. For that we owe a debt of gratitude beyond any other.

In spite of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press, there are some places where journalists don’t belong and are simply not allowed: At times inside a court room with closed proceedings, a jury deliberation room, a medical exam room, and in a legal consultation, among other places.

If we share a weakness, it’s our perpetual optimism.

As free-market economists, we often reflect on the amazing achievements of the past 300 years, and doing so, grow sanguine about what people can accomplish when free to create, innovate, produce and exchange with each other mostly free of government interference.

As fathers, we teach our children to assume most folks are good and to begin relationships by extending respect, friendship and generosity unless they have clear reasons to do otherwise. As relationships progress, they should respond to others in ways reflecting the accumulated mix of good and bad a person has demonstrated.

Columbine. Blacksburg. Carson City. Sandy Hook. Aurora. Fort Hood. Nashville. Marysville. Charleston. Roseburg.
The list goes on a lot longer than this.

Whether a school, a mall or shopping center, military base, movie theater or a church, mass shootings seem to have become commonplace across America. Their occurrences are always shocking. The frequency alarming.
Instead of looking deeper into the reasons behind these killers’ actions, though, our society finds it easier to examine only skin deep and blame the weapons used to carry out their crimes.

You see it on television, and hear it on the radio frequently. You read it in print or online just about everywhere.
Don’t smoke. Smoking kills.
The anti-smoking crusade, which started back in the seventies and picked up steam in the eighties, has succeeded in getting Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man removed completely from the media. Tobacco is the first thing to get taxed whenever government needs more revenue. And states have passed laws banning tobacco use in public and private spaces.

Gov. Brian Sandoval rode a bear market into office. And while this "bear" rodeo continues, the Governor seems to have gotten the hang of things, riding this zephyr like a pro.

- Brett Fisher is a cartoonist and writer residing in Carson City. He and his wife, Lisa, have lived in the state capital for over seven years.

Have you ever wondered why there has been such a big push in the past decade or two toward so-called green energy?

I surmise that the reason has less to do with saving the environment, and more to do with saving the pockets of people who have tied up their fortunes in it.

Solar and wind power sources have been around for decades, but they’ve never really caught on. Kind of like electric cars. There have been fads and trends toward them, but none that have been proven to last the tests of time.

As we await the arrival of final rules and regulations from the Nevada Gaming Commission regarding Sports Betting Investment Groups from SB443, the NGC sent out an announcement regarding a position that it believes DFS to be considered gambling.

Now, why is this decision a good thing?

Nevada has now set a tone that other states can decide to follow. If other states’ Gaming Boards determine the same, this will slowly creep into other questions regarding this part of the statement:

The freedom of individuals to take a job, quit a job, start a business, or close a business at will is an essential part of America. When Thomas Jefferson wrote that we have a God-given right to "the pursuit of happiness," this is a big part of what he meant. Unlike the European legacy of being chained to the family occupation, Americans are free to decide how and what work we do for a living, plus when and where.

A couple weeks ago I received an email from a gentleman who I will call Joe. “Joe” said he has been visiting Carson City for over 30 years and liked it so much that he recently moved here from San Diego. He wanted me to know that now that he is a resident he thinks Carson City cannot continue growing or it will be ruined.

Brett Fisher is a cartoonist and writer residing in Carson City. He and his wife, Lisa, have resided in the state capital for over seven years.

A lot of people are asking themselves and the society in which we live this question hours after a fatal mass killing at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.

I’m a native Oregonian, born and raised just an hour or two north of Roseburg. My parents called this mill city, situated between the North and South branches of the Umpqua River, home for a few years a decade back. I know the area fairly well. One of my favorite places to visit was Wildlife Safari just a few miles down the road in Winston.

Deep Thoughts, Cheap Shots and Bonbons. “It ain’t over till it’s over” — Yogi Berra

From the September 17th Board of Supervisors meeting
Agenda item
#21C Purchasing and Contracts
To approve Purchase Order # 2016-8807 for the purchase of roofing supplies from Garland/DBS, Inc., for a total amount of $93,091.07 with a 10% contingency amount of $9,309.11 for a total not to exceed amount of $102,400.18 to be funded from Capital Projects. Late Material included.

Clouds lifted lazily over the pine nut mountains as Old Glory floated in the breeze. The smell of peanuts and popcorn caught noses with delightful surprise as foot long hot dogs tempted resolves with their sizzle and pop. The sounds of John Fogerty’s Centerfield crackled through the speakers and soon Whitney Houston’s 1991 version of the Star Spangled Banner would bring players and spectators alike to a standing salute.

Brett Fisher is a cartoonist and writer residing in Carson City. He and his wife, Lisa, have lived in the state capital for over seven years.

Brett Fisher is a cartoonist and writer who lives in Carson City. He and his wife, Lisa, have resided in the state capital for over seven years.

This column dovetails my last one concerning mental health care in Nevada.

The recent zeal to bring attention to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has rightfully brought the topic to the fore. But I feel that the media blitz has been at the expense of other equally severe mental disabilities, the awareness of which have waned and suffered. However good the intentions toward autism coverage may be, this attention has consequently overshadowed other developmental disabilities that are just as critical to treat, and equally heart-breaking.