Economy

Dear Editor:

On November 18th, the extension of unemployment benefits (H.R. 6419) was defeated in the House on a roll call vote. Why? Because Republicans voted against it by a 143 to 21 margin. Even though one of those 21 votes in favor was cast by our congressman, Dean Heller, it was not enough to prevent the cutoff of jobless benefits for five million workers in the dead of winter.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval said today he will make it a priority as governor to encourage businesses to relocate to Nevada from neighboring states where taxes have been raised to deal with the economic slowdown.

Assemblyman John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, has been unanimously elected as Speaker for the upcoming legislative session.
Oceguera has served as majority leader under former Speaker Barbara Buckley, who could not run again because of term limits.
The vote of the 26-member Democratic caucus on Wednesday will be formalized on the first day of the legislative session on Feb. 7.

I turned off the TV late last night, unable to withstand another minute of talking head after talking head trying to come up with a narrative for this election.

For some reason, it seems they think that their audience is comprised of 6-year-olds who can't comprehend anything that isn't force-fed to them in tiny, single-concept bites.

Was it the NObama election? Was the the fiery phoenix of the Tea Party? Was it creeping socialism, or simple arrogance? What about government spending? Or was it just time to throw the bums out?

Republican Steve Martin, whose neck-and-neck race with incumbent state Treasurer Kate Marshall will be decided Tuesday, recently answered some questions about his candidacy in an e-interview with the Nevada News Bureau.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada’s “actual� unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2010 increased to 22.3 percent from 21.5 percent in the second quarter, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Senate Democrats are running a slate of candidates across the state in the hopes of winning a 14-seat, veto-proof majority for the upcoming 2011 session.
But Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said he does not expect it to happen, and he has not discounted the possibility of the GOP winning the majority.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – The question of how well the Gibbons administration has done in quickly and efficiently deploying Nevada’s share of stimulus dollars is difficult to quantify.

I'm a taxpayer who has lived here for 20 years and my dream is not the same dream Mae Adams and her trustees dreams are!

I have a problem with a Boise, Idaho resident like Steve Neighbors telling me what's best for Carson City. We are already in the NEGATIVE with other projects (Pony Express and V&T). We have experts say that in this economy it might not be the best thing to start a new project. I kind of would like to see the "pay as you go, and if you cant pay, then don't go" theory when it comes down to tax payers footing more projects.

Dozens of Nevada’s nonprofit groups, service providers and others met this week in Reno and Las Vegas to consider the looming threat of deep cuts to the state budget cuts which threaten to eliminate or dramatically reduce health care, education, and human services.

Service agency and nonprofit directors from Lyon and Storey counties attended the Monday meeting, hoping for insights on how to plan for the upcoming deep cuts to Nevada’s public education, health and social services that will hit the rural areas especially hard.

(Updated at 11:45 a.m. on Oct. 21, 2010, to include Gov. Gibbons comments.)
Questionable attack ads and the role of the federal government in job creation were the top issues in an energized debate Wednesday between Rep. Dina Titus and Republican challenger Joe Heck in one of the most closely watched house races of the Nov. 2 general election.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., is defending his decision to seek stimulus money on behalf of constituents and Nevada government entities despite voting against the massive funding measure in February 2009.

Shop Carson City First: It's All Here!, an idea spearheaded by the Carson City Chamber of Commerce a few years ago, has taken on a new incarnation, this time using social media as a tool to spread the word about its members and the deals and services they offer.

As advertising budgets tighten, social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter have become a cost-effective means to spread the word to consumers about the latest deals and exclusive offerings in town.

Yep, there’s a new guy sitting in the corner office of Heavenly admin building on Kingsbury Grade — Pete Sonntag, one-time ski bum turned management of the giant resort at Lake Tahoe.

So maybe the era of ski bums isn’t over. They may not wear suits but they often are the people doing the suits’ job.

Democratic state Senator Joyce Woodhouse and Republican challenger Michael Roberson debated the budget, taxes and unjustified political attacks today in a race viewed as critical by both parties for the upcoming 2011 legislative session.
Woodhouse, running for a second term in Clark District 5, said the mailers sent out by the Nevada State Democratic Party attacking Roberson did not come from her campaign or have her review.

Under a proposed state budget plan, four of Nevada's museums operated by the Division of Museums and History would close, including the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, said Peter Barton, acting administrator for the Division of Museums and History.

Other museums on the proposed state budget chopping block are the Nevada Historical Society in Reno, the state's oldest museum which opened in 1905; the Lost City Museum in Overton; and the Nevada Northern Railway Passenger and Freight Depot in East Ely.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
A much-anticipated face-to-face debate between U.S. Sen. Harry Reid and his GOP opponent Sharron Angle on Thursday displayed stark contrasts between the two candidates but provoked little in the way of controversy.

By Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto is joining a 49-state bipartisan mortgage foreclosure working group as part of a coordinated national effort by states to review the practice of so-called “robo-signingâ€� within the mortgage servicing industry.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – The neighborhoods of this capital city and the Washoe Valley just to the north are ground zero for one of the most fiercely contested state legislative races in Nevada this year.
Potentially at stake is the makeup of the 42-member Assembly and whether Democrats can sustain their dominance of the lower house with a 28-member, veto-proof majority.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors voted to delay a decision on funding the downtown ice rink to give staff the time to work out details for having the funding come from redevelopment funds instead of the general fund.

At today's Board meeting, Supervisor Shelly Aldean made the motion to send the issue back to staff, commenting earlier that, "It gives me heartburn to fund this out of the general fund."

LAKE TAHOE — The 2011 Amgen Tour of California, the largest cycling event in America, will start at Lake Tahoe, officials announced today.

Lake Tahoe’s first-ever involvement in the race will feature more than a lap and a half around the Lake beginning at the California/Nevada border in South Lake Tahoe with the Stage 1 finish at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort in North Lake Tahoe. North Lake Tahoe also hosts the Stage 2 start at Squaw Valley USA, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics.

With a goal of 300 drivers, Capital Ford's Drive One 4UR School was on par Saturday to raise $6,000 for Carson High School athletic programs.

More than 300 Carson City residents took a test drive of 12 Ford 2010 and 2011 model cars and trucks at the Carson High School parking lot Saturday to support the girls soccer and basketball teams.

"Carson City once again continues to show its true spirit as a community by getting behind fundraising events such as Drive One 4UR School," said Tim Milligan, general manager for Capital Ford in Carson City.

By Nevada News Bureau staff
CARSON CITY – The head of Nevada’s Retail Association says a tax increase will likely be needed to balance the state budget next year, and expanding the sales tax to include at least some services is one place to look.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera said today he believes the Legislature will have a great opportunity in 2011 to look at ways of broadening the state’s tax base to eliminate the volatility that has created Nevada’s boom and bust funding cycles.

San Rafael Coffee Company & CASA of Carson City are hosting a Foster Kid's Gift Card Party.

Enjoy on-the-premises freshly roasted coffee and tasty pastries while listening to live entertainment by local musician Keith Barnett on Friday, September 17th from 5 to 6:30pm.

Admission is one (or more) pre-loaded gift card from your favorite retailer or card provider in any denomination, $10.00, $50.00, $100.00 or more. (Ask the retailer to donate them)

In an effort to fulfill a need to keep homeowners up-to-date in this ever-changing and challenging economy, Homeowner Talk, a public television show and online resource was launched earlier this year. The show features several guests with a variety of expertise including: landscaping, insurance, finance, and foreclosures. New episodes have been planned and will air in September, October and November.

In an effort to fulfill a need to keep homeowners up-to-date in this ever-changing and challenging economy, Homeowner Talk, a public television show and online resource was launched earlier this year. The show features several guests with a variety of expertise including: landscaping, insurance, finance, and foreclosures. New episodes have been planned and will air in September, October and November.

Democrat Rory Reid's campaign for governor made a stop in Dayton on Saturday at the home of Shirley Lafreniere, a member of the Lyon County Democratic Party.

About 30 of Reid’s supporters attended the event. One of those supporters was Charles Lawson. Charles Lawson is running for Lyon County Commissioner. Reid addressed issues on energy, economic development and education.

Reid is a lawyer, business executive and the chairman of the Clark County Commission. He has managed Clark County’s $6 billion budget for seven years without raising taxes.

It’s hardly a surprise to those living in Nevada that the unemployment rate is high, 14 percent more or less depending on who’s counting. The state is in a hole because of poor tax structure, decreased tourist visits and encroaching California Indian casinos, among other things.

And all the experts are predicting a slow growth and return to the basic 3 or 4 percent unemployment.
The Obama Adminnistration in Washington says we’re on the track to recovery and if we can just control the lunacy that is the New York Stock Exchange and others we’ll be all right.

Yeah.