Opinion

A friend of mine commented recently, "The Legislature and the governor have kicked the can down the road again, and this time they're tearing up the road." She's right.Some believe the governor and...

When it comes to criticizing Republicans, Democrats are pikers compared to me; however, now would be a good time to give a little credit where credit is due. And the Nevada GOP is showing not only ...

President Obama's decision to withdraw 33,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by next summer is unlikely to be greeted enthusiastically by anyone. Those on the far left and right of the political spec...

During a recent speech at the American Constitution Society (ACS), United States Attorney General Eric Holder lauded our American civilian court system as "our most effective terror-fighting weapon...

They stood up there on the stage, shoulder to shoulder, and voiced their opinions freely, often disagreeing with each other over the various details, but they did it like the gentlemen and lady tha...

A few years ago, I sat in on a meeting of local Carson City Democrats and their guest speaker for the night, Republican State Sen. Mark Amodei.

With most of high school and college graduations behind us, I have to wonder how many of the graduates will or have sent thank-you notes to those who recognized their achievement with a gift.I'm a ...

The 2011 Legislative Session is now history. Given the extremely difficult financial conditions facing state government, the Legislature spent most of its time dealing with budget and funding issue...

Reportedly, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once said that political power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. While apologizing for using the words "Kissinger" and "aphrodisiac" in the same sen...

The -'s "Silver Dollar" and "Wooden Nickel" feature recognizes positive achievements from the capital region and, when warranted, points out others that missed the mark.SILVER DOLLAR: To theCopyrig...

"Fast and Furious" may not mean anything to you, but it should. If I told you that this was and is a program intended to deceive the public into believing something that is absolutely not true and ...

My wife, Susan, and I have lived in Northern Nevada for 26 years and have never visited Yosemite National Park. Some of our most beautiful treasures are those which exist right under our nose. We s...

For two days next month, July 9-10, Nevada will be the center of the conservative universe, as the fourth annual Conservative Leadership Conference convenes in Las Vegas - including the next in an ...

Greetings from Washington, D.C., where they don't seem to have gotten the word that the nation is in a deep recession. The restaurants are full, traffic is horrendous, construction is booming, and ...

In the final hours of the 2011 Nevada State Legislative Session, Senate Bill 271 passed, bringing with it opportunities for the two states that border Lake Tahoe to reinvigorate the spirit of compr...

Here's some of what used to be grown in Nevada - hay and grain for horses and mules, flour, potatoes, butter, cheese, milk and beef, fresh vegetables, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, apple...

Kudos and a tip of the hat to the members of the 176th Legislative Session that grappled with a horrendous amount of issues of which the budget was the showstopper, with redistricting playing secon...

Dr. Death is dead. Murad (Jack) Kevorkian, whose name has been synonymous with doctor-assisted suicide, died earlier this month at 83. He spent eight years in a maximum-security prison for helping ...

Last week, I wrote about how the pressures of the final hours of the Nevada Legislature result in lots of bad lawmaking. Today, Anjeanette Damon details some really odious bits of sausage making, including a measure to benefit NV Energy that could cost rate payers $1 billion.

This episode supports the contention that the 120-day session limit makes for very bad legislating. Limiting the number of days the Legislature meets does not limit the mischief that can cause. It simply gives the lobbyists and inside wheeler-dealers all the power, while shutting out the public.

Billionaire financier George Soros and his army of drug legalizers will be back in action in Nevada next year in their continuing campaign to legalize "personal doses" of marijuana. Although we've ...

Although the biennial budget deal agreed upon by the Legislature and governor will result in rigorous budget cuts for Western Nevada College, its Fallon campus will be spared downsizing or even clo...

The loss of civilizationI once read an account about an ancient people - humanoids who lived more than 10,000 years ago on the eastern coast of Africa. There were two unique features of these ancie...

Following the end of the 2011 Legislature, my friend and political pundit Steve Sebelius wrote the following:"That brings us to the Americans for Tax Reform pledge overseen most vigorously in Nevad...

The ferociously fought battle over the 2011-2013 state budget is now history, with about 80 percent of the legislators, lobbyists and observers expressing satisfaction ... and relief. No "special s...

I have a great deal of respect for Tyrus Cobb and his long service to the country. But I have to respectfully disagree with his championing of the proposed Yucca Mountain project. As someone who ha...

Here in Nevada and around the country, school budgets are being cut to the bone. Believe me, teachers know how to wring the value out of every nickel and dime they are paid, every classroom dollar ...

We all know the art of creating legislation is so unseemly that it is regularly compared to making sausage. But, unlike good sausage, does it have to leave a bad taste in your mouth?

The same thing happens every two years here in Carson City. The last days of the legislative session are always a wild time, as legislators hurry to finish up work within the 120-day deadline. Almost anything can happen. Rules are suspended, bills die only to be revived, new bills are introduced and voted on before anyone can have a chance to read and understand them.

Retired Carson city District Court Judge William (Bill) Maddox has come full circle in his legal career, a circumstance that seems to suit him just fine.Maddox, a former Carson City district attorn...

When it comes to immigration reform, my friend and fellow columnist Ty Cobb Sr. got it right last month when he wrote that U.S. immigration policy should be designed to attract the best and the bri...

A once great humanitarian and civic leader, first lady Eleanor Roosevelt had said, "In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. The choices we ...