There is a basic rule in business: you have to show up, perform and be accountable. Nevada taxpayers should expect nothing less from Nevada government.
Attorney General Aaron Ford provides a timely example of why government needs more accountability, not less. Public record reporting found Ford spent hundreds of days outside Nevada during his tenure. The Nevada Independent documented at least 322 days through official calendars and explained that incomplete records meant the true number could be higher. According to official reports, he’s been out of the state almost a year out of the six and a half years he’s been in office
Travel itself is not misconduct. Attorneys generally attend meetings and conferences. But when the state’s chief law-enforcement officer spends that much time outside the state, taxpayers have every right to ask: Who is minding the store?
Those questions became more serious when the Nevada Commission on Ethics reviewed complaints involving Ford. In February, its Review Panel unanimously determined there was credible evidence sufficient for further proceedings regarding alleged violations of Nevada ethics law. That is not a finding of guilt, and Ford deserves the same due process as anyone else. But it is an official Nevada proceeding, not political rhetoric.
From a business perspective, this is exactly the wrong message and the wrong example for Nevada. And now Ford has his eyes on the Governor’s seat. Really? If this is the example being set by someone wanting Nevada’s top job, what message does that send to the Nevada businesses and employees who are expected to show up every day, perform, produce results and be accountable? The Governor is Nevada’s top dog. We should expect the person sitting in that seat to set the standard, not lower it.
Check out the ripple effect if Ford becomes Governor. Government employees already enjoy protections rarely seen in private business. With Ford setting the example, how much worse could it get for Nevada taxpayers?
Private unions bargain over company money. Government unions bargain over our money and often with politicians they helped elect. Then those same officials negotiate their pay, benefits and workplace protections. That is not accountability. That is a built-in conflict of interest.
Even Franklin Roosevelt, hardly an enemy of organized labor, recognized the distinction. In 1937 he warned that ordinary collective bargaining could not simply be transplanted into government service because government officials ultimately answer to the whole public.
Who does government work for? It should not be the employee. It should not be the union. It should not be the politician. It should be the public.
Call to Action: Aaron Ford wants Nevada’s top job. Based on the record we have examined, he has not demonstrated the leadership, accountability or management example Nevada should demand from its Governor. This is not about whether Ford is intelligent or capable. It is about performance. Leadership is proven by results, responsibility and showing up. Show us the results… and show us you showed up.
And while we are at it, Nevada needs to take a hard look at NRS Chapter 288. Government employees deserve constitutional protections, whistleblower protections, protection from discrimination and legitimate due process. What taxpayers should not have to surrender is the fundamental right of government managers to manage government.
Pay good employees competitively. Reward excellence. Protect those who do their jobs. Require people to show up when the job requires it. Measure performance. Give supervisors the authority to correct problems. And when someone repeatedly refuses to perform, government should be able to do what every successful Nevada business eventually must do: Replace them.
Campaign promises are cheap. Leadership is proven. Look at performance, accountability and results—not rhetoric. When Nevadans compare the records, Governor Lombardo has shown the kind of leadership we should expect from the state’s highest office.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Originally Published
https://nevadabusiness.com/2026/08/aaron-ford-public-office-is-a-job-not-a-perk
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