PK, Let's NOT Do This Again

PK O’Neill vs. the facts (excepts from his newsletters)

Issue 1: Representation; Leadership vs. Serving the People

PK O’Neill’s candidacy for reelection raises serious questions about pragmatism, principles, integrity, the role of a representative, what it means to be a Republican, what it means to be conservative, what it means to represent your constituents and what it means to govern.

We the people are naive enough to expect that the politicians whom we choose to support are indeed deserving of that support, and that they respect us enough to keep their word and honor the promises and pledges they make to us.

We are naive enough to expect that the representative we elect would first and foremost represent us his supporters, not those who ignored or worked and voted against him. Sure, on some level an assemblyman represents everybody equally in his district; for example in cases when his colleagues play regional politics, but on matters of principle and the practical applications of principles there is no question what intellectual and moral integrity dictates.

The sad lesson from PK’s service as freshman assemblyman is, …elections have consequences? Yes they do, and they are just the consequences you expect when you elect someone who campaigns one way and votes the opposite way in the Legislature.

PK: I believe that the Capital District deserves effective representation in the Nevada Assembly.

But... Carson City has no representation in the Legislature. PK turned out to be “effective” only to the extent that he “went along to get along” in the roll-over-and-play-dead “Republican” caucus in the Assembly. And for that, he received his reward:
Sandoval will endorse Republican lawmakers who voted with him | NevadaAppeal.com

PK: When I originally ran for office, I pledged to listen to everyone in Assembly District 40, to consider their views and all available information and to apply my own principles when voting for legislation.

But... Most emphatically NO.

BEFORE being elected, PK promised to listen to the people who supported him, worked to elect him and voted for him. He did NOT proclaim any personal “principles” that are different from the 2014 platform written by his supporters. He pledged to oppose all tax hikes, such as the “margin tax” -- which the people voted down 80-20 in the same election PK was elected.

AFTER he was elected he told us to our face that he will represent and work for “all” people in the district -- specifically NOT those who got him elected. And so he voted for that tax when it came back as the “commerce tax,” for a total of 30 of 32 tax and fee hikes in the 2015 Legislature.

PK: I believe that my actions are in accord with the majority of my constituents.

But... that is true only if PK only considers his constituents to be RINOs and Democrats -- NOT the people who got him elected. Remember, PK was censured by his own Party for violating his express promises.

In AD40, vote for someone who does respect his constituents and does honor the campaign promises he made to win their support.

Issue 2: Taxation

PK: Campaign Promises, 2014

• Nevada should grow, not tax our way out of the recession.
• NO general tax increases
• NO margin tax alternative
• NO mining tax increases
• NO corporate income tax
• NO entertainment tax
• REDUCED modified business tax

• "[The margin tax, a.k.a. Education Initiative] could be a death knell for the economy. IT IS A JOB KILLER. Such a tax would make Nevada the fourth-largest business tax environment in the country, drastically hindering the state's ability to attract businesses and grow jobs, while causing serious damage to existing businesses. This November, vote NO on the margin tax."

But... The 2015 session of the Legislature passed 32 tax hikes 
(http://www.npri.org/docLib/201510281_The2015LegislativeSessionReviewandR...)
and PK voted for 30 of them (http://rinohunt.info/oneill-2).

SB483, deceptively named relating to governmental financial administration
(http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Reports/history.cfm?ID=1034),
• Imposes the “Commerce Tax” on gross income (currently over $4M, but you know how that goes), subject to complicated adjustments and industry-specific rates. This is substantially the same “margin tax” that the people voted down 80-20 in 2014.
• Creates a “Nevada IRS” and requires ALL businesses to file a “commerce tax” return.
• Hikes the Nevada cigarette tax from $0.80 to $1.80 per pack, and imposes a revenue stamp tax on the dealer.
• Hikes the business license fee to $500 and the filing fee by $25.
• Extends the sunset on mining taxes.
• Revokes the sunset on the increase in the school support tax.
• Extends the sunset on some court fees.

AB380 imposes the sales tax on internet purchases.
Other bills hiked road and fuel taxes, professional license and registration fees, etc.

Common sense and basic economics tell you that a business has to pass on all costs of doing business -- cost of goods, labor, facilities, equipment, maintenance and repair, taxes and fees, etc., or else they move away or end up exhausting their reserves and going out of business. It is always the end customer, it is always ALL people, who pay these taxes in higher bills and higher prices for everything.

In AD40, vote for someone who will fight to repeal all these tax hikes before they do their inevitable damage to the state's fragile economy.

Issue 3: Education

PK: Following Governor Sandoval’s State of the State speech, in which he outlined a comprehensive plan for improving education in Nevada, the Legislature considered no fewer than 15 new or expanded programs intended to increase student achievement.

But... The 2015 S.o.S. address was the best liberal Democrat speech since Lyndon B. Johnson announced his Great Society in 1964.

PK: Much of the Nevada Legislature’s attention in the 2015 Session was directed at Kindergarten through 12th grade education.

But... None of those proposals had anything to do with improving education in the only place where education takes place and therefore the only place where it can be improved -- IN THE CLASSROOM.

PK: Detractors of the program say research shows smaller class sizes have a mixed impact on student performance, and having a quality teacher in the room is more important than having fewer students.

But... It is intellectually honest researchers, and dedicated, non-ideological teachers with lifelong classroom experience, who say that.

PK: [One of these programs] requires the Department to monitor school district plans for class-size reduction and related quarterly reports; review and verify the accuracy of program variance requests; and provide documentation relating to the distribution and use of program funds. The Department must also advise local school boards concerning its expectations for the use of the funds, including the minimum number of teachers the district is expected to employ.

But... High quality education requires TEACHERS -- NOT “policies,” not programs, not consortia, not public-private partnerships, not self-serving vendors, not professional associations, not lobbyists, not administrators, not statisticians, not "educators" who never teach; NOT armies of social workers, NOT armies of professional, research, support and office staff -- local, state and federal...

Maria Montessori, Marva Collins, Jaime Escalante and E.D.Hirsch, Jr. managed to teach ghetto kids to the highest standards WITHOUT federal “aid” or quarterly reports.

If the politicians ever did want improve education, they would:
• Eliminate the overhead due to all the federal mandates,
• Hire only teachers who were subject matter majors, not “education” majors;
• Pay them competitively with other jobs for which their degree qualifies them. We would still save 1/2 to 2/3 over current spending on “education.”

In AD40, vote for someone who does understand that it takes anything but throwing money at the education bureaucracy to educate our children.