separation of powers

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

Those are the last lines of the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. The technology of the day – hand-writing in cursive – delayed the final copies until July 4.

This is my final column on the sad legacy we Boomers are leaving our children.

The first one defined the public interest as mainly maximizing economic growth. That piece and the next showed that the economic policies, practices and institutions that maximize growth also promote fairness among individuals. They also debunked obsessions with income inequality. The third part focused on the 21st Century revival of progressivism and statist liberalism, plus the addition of political correctness (PC).

Here I offer directions for some solutions.

Our Founders and the classical liberal intellectuals they followed got the basics of government right and thus launched two centuries of freedom and opportunity leading to hope, unprecedented economic growth and astounding human flourishing and wellbeing.

However, a century later a counter movement arose and has continued to gain until now, undermining freedom and opportunity and diminishing hope, growth, wellbeing and flourishing.

“I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy … geography … commerce and agriculture in order to give their children the right to study painting, poetry, music and architecture …”

In our last column, we specified the duty of elected public officials: a fiduciary duty to voters, taxpayers and the broad public interest. Not, as some people claim, to government institutions such as the system of higher education, the military or some social service agency.

CARSON CITY – Board of Regents candidate Ron Knecht confirmed today he was let go from his state job with the Public Utilities Commission in March, saying no cause was given despite his request for an explanation.

“I can’t tell you a lot,” he said. “I’m no longer working there.”

CARSON CITY – A conservative Nevada think tank today filed its notice of appeal to the state Supreme Court in its separation of powers case challenging the ability of state lawmakers to also work in public sector jobs.

CARSON CITY – A regulation requiring thousands of home-based businesses to pay a $200 annual fee won approval today from a legislative panel.

Secretary of State Ross Miller has been trying to get the regulation approved for several months, but has seen the regulation stymied by strong opposition from some Nevada residents and Republican lawmakers who argued the regulation exceeded his authority.

CARSON CITY – A conservative Nevada think tank today announced the second case taken on by its Center for Justice and Constitutional Litigation (CJCL), this one aimed at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for allegedly flooding a Pahrump church camp through negligent and illegal work on two streams.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Policy Research Institute’s Center for Justice and Constitutional Litigation has just filed an opposition brief maintaining that Sen. Mo Denis’ resignation from his executive-branch job does not moot Pojunis v. State of Nevada, et al., because of several well-established exceptions to the “mootness doctrine.”

CARSON CITY – The business of drawing new political boundaries will now get under way by three court-appointed special masters following two days of public hearings on what Nevada’s legislative and congressional districts should look like for the next decade.
The clock is ticking.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,� he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,� he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons said his administration is reviewing requests for information from a legislative panel performing a review of base budgets but said the constant calls for more data and staff responses are burdensome and time consuming.
“We’re struggling to meet the needs of the public with a vastly decreased budget,” he said.

CARSON CITY – An effort by the Nevada Legislature to undertake a fundamental review of several state agency budgets with an eye to improving efficiencies and saving money began yesterday without support from Gov. Jim Gibbons or his staff.

CARSON CITY – An effort by the Nevada Legislature to undertake a fundamental review of several state agency budgets with an eye to improving efficiencies and saving money began yesterday without support from Gov. Jim Gibbons or his staff.