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Resolution Takes a Shot at Christians: DNC Claims “Inclusivity” While Vilifying Religious Views

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Last year the Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a resolution that purported to champion voters who were religiously unaffiliated. In reality, the asinine resolution, which passed unanimously at the DNC’s summer meeting, held unveiled contempt for voters of faith while attempting to hide that contempt in an unneccessary resolution.

“Be it resolved that the Democratic National Committee recognizes: The value, ethical soundness and importance of the religiously unaffiliated demographic … that religiously unaffiliated Americans are a group that, as much as any other, advocates for rational public policy based on sound science and universal humanistic values and should be represented, included and heard by the party.”

The resolution begins with giving a demographic of the religiously unaffiliated within the DNC and claims that one in three members are nonreligious. One in three of the DNC’s members are nonreligious and yet the implication is that this resolution was necessary so they could be represented, included and heard? Something is off.

So what, exactly is the point of this resolution? I believe that the answer lies in two paragraphs from the introductory remarks.

“Whereas, the nonreligious have often been subjected to unfair bias and exclusion in American society …”

“Whereas, those most loudly claiming that morals, values and patriotism must be defined by their particular religious views have used those religious views, with misplaced claims of ‘religious liberty’, to justify public policy that has threatened the civil rights and liberties of many Americans …”

Essentially, the DNC claims that the nonreligious have seen bias by the religious and those same religious people have no moral ground to stand on, that our moral views are “misplaced”. In their stated attempt to provide inclusion for what they claim is the majority in their party, they are alienating the minority and condemning anyone that believes in Judeo Christian values. That’s quite the circular reasoning on the part of the DNC.

The DNC chairman, Tom Perez, has had little but contempt for Christians in the past. He claims that we have no opinions our pastors have not given us, disregarding the very reason we are Christians in the first place, our belief in a savior. It’s no surprise he would lead the charge to pass a resolution that vilifies Christians in a thinly veiled “inclusivity” wrapping.

Call to Action: The Democratic Party platform touts that it supports “faith communities” but I suppose faithful Christians shouldn’t be included in that description. I am not ashamed to be a Christian. I am not ashamed of my God or my beliefs. The DNC is misguided in their claims of religious inequality and their own resolution is proof. The Church should be praying for our country, for the contempt we see in actions like these and for those that call themselves our enemies. We have an enemy and it’s not the DNC. Pray for an awakening and redemption for the United States of America.

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://www.nevadabusiness.com/2020/01/resolution-takes-a-shot-at-christians/

Sources

Faith Community

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/dnc-passes-resolution-criticizing-religious-liberty-and-praising-the-religiously-unaffiliated

DNC Resolution Celebrates Religiously Unaffiliated

https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2019/10/01/democrats-show-carelessness-resolution-religiously-unaffiliated

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democratic-party-nonreligious-voters

A Sanctuary State: Enforcing the Law in Nevada

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In October, the Las Vegas police department announced that they were ending an agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to notify the agency of undocumented immigrants. Moving forward, they’ll only inform ICE of the detainment of these individuals in the case of violent crimes. This move expands the sheriff department’s established direction in December of last year to stop placing immigration holds on undocumented immigrants with low-level traffic bench warrants. Essentially, southern Nevada is now a sanctuary for illegal immigrants when they are arrested.

Meanwhile, a “Sanctuary State” bill died at the legislature this year. The bill, AB 281, would have restricted state and local law enforcement agencies from detaining someone solely on the basis of a hold request relating to immigration enforcement. While the bill was ultimately defeated, it shows an alarming tendency by leaders in this state to circumvent the law to suit specialized sub-groups.

The force of the law should be the penalty of breaking it. That’s true with God’s laws and commandments and it should be true of man’s as well. When you start to pick and choose which laws to follow and which to ignore, we become a society of lawlessness. Who would determine which laws should be enforced? How do you determine which of two people should be prosecuted and which should be let go? This is the very reason we have laws in the first place. Without laws, and their enforcement, the state, the very nation disintegrates. For proof of that fact, you need only to look to history.

It is vital that the people in this nation are subject to the laws and judgement of this nation. Judgement makes law absolute instead of relative. Judgement forms the core of all that is important in life. Without judgement, there cannot be accountability. Without accountability, oppression and injustice reign.

Call to Action: We are in serious danger of becoming a state and nation of exceptions. Lady Justice is blind for a reason, to keep order and uphold the laws. Allowing blanket exceptions opens up a frightening door that prohibits true justice and ultimately harms more than it could ever hope to help. Speak out against Nevada becoming a sanctuary state. Let our law enforcement agencies know that their job is to enforce the law. They don’t have the right to pick and choose which laws they enforce and they’re going against their very mandate by doing so.

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.”

Sources

Las Vegas police to end federal immigration holds
Las Vegas police stop detaining low-level offenders for ICE

https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/dems-open-the-door-on-sanctuary-state-non-issue-but-republicans-should-know-what-is-on-the-other-side

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/24/sanctuary-state-bill-dies-legislature/3567244002/

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/Bill/6508/Text

Originally Published

https://www.nevadabusiness.com/2019/12/a-sanctuary-state-enforcing-law-nevada/

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: One Amendment Provides Access, While the Other Adds Restrictions

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Two bills were passed in the final days of the legislative session which change the way the public can access information we are entitled to as taxpayers. They are Senate Bills (SB) 224 and 287. Ostensibly, both bills were intended to grant easier access and provide consequences for not providing that information. And, for the most part, that’s what they do. However, an amendment to Senate Bill 224 made a simple, yet important change which, in some ways, makes accessing complete information even more difficult.

To provide some background, SB 287 was amended by Assembly Democrats in an unrecorded huddle known as a “behind the bar” meeting. While those meetings had been criticized the entire session, this time the intention to pass SB 287 was supported by both sides of the aisle. The bill is designed to remove hurdles to getting public records from Nevada government entities. In “no nonsense” language the bill says that access to public records should be provided promptly and without unreasonable fees. And, for the first time ever, state and local governments could be penalized for willfully violating Nevada’s public records law. Officials could face between $1,000 and $10,000 in fines for impeding access to records. This is good news to those of us that have been frustrated by the outright non-compliance of government agencies to provide access to public records.

Now for the bad news, SB 224. Called the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) secrecy bill, the amendment to SB 224 called to make the names of those receiving tax-funded pensions public. Great, that’s what we want. We want to know who is receiving what money, how much they are receiving, how long they’ll get it and why. As that’s money from our pockets, we’re entitled to that information. Making the names confidential was conservative’s, myself included, only complaint with the original bill. So, I’d like to know why, when the Assembly decided to release the names, they felt the need to make information that was explicitly made public before, confidential. While the names will be disclosed, public agencies can now withhold information such as last employer, years of service credit, retirement date and whether the benefit is a disability or service retirement. That is all vital public information that can now be hidden.

The purpose of these bills was to, “make as much information public as possible to allow the press to investigate how PERS benefits are managed.” That’s according to SB 224’s sponsor, Senator Julia Ratti (D). In its revised form, SB 224 actually increases government secrecy. It keeps non-sensitive, and yet contextually relevant, information from the public making it much more difficult for the public to understand the system. Hiding under layers of bureaucracy is certainly nothing new, but I had hoped that these bills would create more transparency in Nevada government, not less.

Call to Action: Public employees work for the citizens, we don’t work for them. “We the People” have a right to know how much we’re paying, to whom and for what. Once again, the Democrat-controlled legislature has told us that they know better than us. They’ve blocked our ability to analyze and judge compensation for public employees. This is especially frustrating in light of the fact that a lot of good had been done with these bills and this change was so counter to their purpose. SB 224 needs another amendment to comply with it’s original purpose of providing complete information to taxpayers.

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.”

Sources

https://www.npri.org/commentary/sb224-betrays-governor-sisolaks-dedication-to-transparency/

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/Bill/6505/Overview

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/Bill/6370/Overviewhttps://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/18/nevadas-public-records-sunshine-law-sb-287-additions-receives-praise-experts/1492287001/

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/2019-legislature/nevada-lawmakers-ok-public-records-bill-adding-teeth-to-law-1678757/

Originally Published

https://www.nevadabusiness.com/2019/09/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

You Get What You Vote For

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Participate in the Process

In the last few years I’ve noticed a disturbing trend from both Democrats and Republicans. When elections don’t go the way they want them to, both sides are guilty of trying to circumvent the system through recalls or even threats of impeachment. If you don’t like who was elected in a fair and free election, guess what? We have a system in place to address that. It’s called voting and it happens every couple of years. In the United States, if we want new leadership, we vote for it. Change should occur through elections, not through attempts to remove elected officials once they are in office.

We’ve seen it happen with the never-ending cries for President Trump’s impeachment. Those cries began the very moment he won the election. And now a group of conservatives calling themselves Fight for Nevada have filed paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office to recall Governor Sisolak. Currently working to drum up support for their cause, Fight for Nevada plans to start gathering signatures for a recall petition later this year. They contend that Governor Sisolak, and the Democratically-controlled legislature, have passed too much liberal legislation. Nevada’s leadership have done exactly what they promised to do when they were elected and now this group wants them fired for it.

I’ve never been shy about sharing my views, I’m a staunch conservative and I’m unhappy with a number of bills that were passed in the most recent session of the state legislature. Regardless, I respect the process of our government. A process that consists of fair elections and change based on votes and campaigns. Governor Sisolak, and his Democrat counterparts in the Assembly and Senate, won their elections fair and square. They won the vote, much like Trump legally won his election, which is the point. Our system of government is based on a specific and fair election process. Attempting to skirt that process simply because the non-majority doesn’t like the results is both childish and goes against the very point of free and fair elections.

You want change in government? Great, so do I! The way forward for change is not to whine and start petitions when things don’t go your way. Support the candidates you like. Campaign for them and be involved in the process. Run for election yourself if you can. Most importantly vote! Nothing tells a candidate more succinctly that you don’t like the job they’ve done than simply not re-electing them the next time.

We’ve become apathetic in our views towards government. When things don’t go our way, much like children, we look for the easy way to get what we want. Whether you like them or not, both Trump and Sisolak are actually fulfilling the campaign promises they made, the same promises that got them elected in the first place. They’re doing the job they were elected to do. It’s ridiculous to turn around and try to remove them from office.

CALL TO ACTION: Voter turnout gets lower every year. Nevada hasn’t seen over 80 percent of the voting public turn out since 2012 and, last year, less than 63 percent of voters participated in the general election. Change starts with votes. You don’t like what you see in government? The solution is simple. Vote. Campaign. Be active and involved in the political process. Every single person in this country has a voice and should be using it, especially when elections come around. The next opportunity for change is in 2020. The time to start getting involved is now.

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.”

Sources

https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/elections/voters/election-turnout-statistics

https://news3lv.com/news/local/conservative-group-forms-committee-to-recall-nevada-governor

Originally Published: NevadaBusiness.com

Please Don’t Call This Number Again: RoboCalls Are Out of Control

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We’ve all been there. You’re sitting down, enjoying some quiet time with your family and your phone rings. You should just let it go to voicemail, but it could be important, so you answer. “Do you want to refinance your home? We can help,” the automated message shouts at you before you hang up in frustration.

If it seems like robocalls have gotten completely out of control in recent years, it’s because they have. In April of this year alone, 4.9 billion robocalls were placed in the United States according to a YouMail Robocall Index. That’s 1,900 calls a second over the course of only one month. The previous month was even higher with over 5 billion robocalls placed in March. On an individual basis, that’s about 15 calls a person, or a call every other day.

According to the same data, nearly 200 million robocalls have been placed to Nevada so far in 2019. That’s about 100 calls per person in this state. When just comparing April 2018 to April 2019 there are over 15 million more robocalls to Nevada this year for that single month.

Robocalls are a growing issue in the United States and one that has largely gone unaddressed. And, besides simply being incredibly annoying, robocalls are dangerous. Nearly 25 million Americans have lost $8.9 billion in phone scams according to a poll conducted last year on behalf of Truecaller. Furthermore, according to a study from First Orion, nearly half of all mobile traffic in the United States will be from scam numbers by the end of this year.

Even more worrisome, many of those calls are spoofed, where a scammer disguises their phone number to look local in order to better entice someone to answer. In fact, not answering has been one way to solve the robocall problem, at least for some. Many of us no longer pick up the phone, or are very wary of answering calls, from numbers we don’t recognize. Apart from possibly missing important calls from loved ones, this affects our businesses and clients as well. What if I miss out on an important call because I was worried it might be spam? A better question is, why haven’t we done something about this sooner? Why is it that scam artists are better prepared and more technologically advanced than everyone else? We have data on how these calls are being made, who is making them and how frequent they are; so why can’t we stop them?

Last month, Nevada’s Attorney General Aaron Ford joined with 41 other states to urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take decisive action on this issue. Ford sent comments to the FCC requesting that further action be taken to protect Nevadans saying, “My office is heavily invested in protecting Nevadans from falling victims to scams. In recent years, the number of spoofed calls and the consumer financial losses tied to these scams have nearly doubled.”

Call To Action: I’d like to thank Attorney General Ford for his efforts. Ford’s comments to the FCC are a first step, but more must be done. Let’s stop simply ignoring calls from numbers we don’t recognize and start making some calls of our own. Call your representatives at the state and federal level and demand legislation that helps end robocalls and stop the people behind them.

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://www.nevadabusiness.com/2019/06/please-dont-call-this-number-again-robocalls-out-of-control/(opens in a new tab)

How to Run Your Business: A Guide for Employers, Provided by the Government

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Still underway in Carson City, the 80th Legislative Session has been a doozy so far. With approximately 1,000 bills proposed between the Assembly and Senate there is much to be done before the session adjourns in early June.

One thing Nevada legislators are eager to weigh in on is how businesses manage their employees. In for consideration are several employment bills that would, in many ways, dictate how you run your business and, certainly, how you interact with your employees.

Legislators made it clear months ago that minimum wage would be on the docket this year, and it is. Several bills propose a raise to the minimum wage in various ways. SJR6, one of the more extreme resolutions, is a holdover from the 79th session and would increase the minimum wage until it reaches $14 an hour. This is an amendment to the Nevada constitution and would have to pass the popular vote in November 2020. Other bills introduced relating to minimum wage include AB456, AB175, SB192 and SB106, all of which are geared toward regulating what you can pay your employees, regardless of their efforts or experience. AB 456 proposes a more moderate increase of $0.75 per year until the minimum wage reaches $12 an hour, or $11 an hour if the employer offers health insurance.

In addition to minimum wage, issues such as employment discrimination, workers compensation and offered benefits are slated for consideration. For example, one bill, AB 138, deals with workers compensation and makes it easier for employees to bring claims of work-related injuries. Another, AB132, prohibits employers from denying employment to a candidate based on testing positive for marijuana in a pre-employment drug test. Requiring paid sick leave for all employees and paid sick time for the needs of family members, as well as new rules on discrimination, are also among laws being considered.

I’m certainly not saying that employees shouldn’t have a fair wage, ample opportunities, vacation and sick days and health benefits. If you want to employ the best team, you have to take care of them. This is an employee market and if you don’t take care of your good talent, you’ll lose them. And, it’s the right thing to do. However, when legislators are considering these bills that look out for the “little guy” employee, they need to consider the fact that there have to be jobs for them in the first place, and regulations kill jobs.

None of these bills are favorable toward employers. In fact, many don’t seem to take the employer into consideration at all, other than to make it seem as though every business exists only to take advantage of their team. If lawmaker’s are to be believed, based on their proposed bills anyway, Nevada businesses are money hungry corporate machines who care nothing for their employees. Yet, the mantra in Carson City is “We’re Pro-Business.” It makes no sense.

The reality is, many of Nevada’s businesses are small businesses who are trying to provide gainful employment for their employees and also provide for their own families. Even Nevada’s large businesses, who provide hundreds of jobs in the community, must look out for their bottom line to keep their doors open.

Call to Action: Regulating what an employer must pay and how they must pay it stifles and kills business which creates a deficit in the very jobs legislators claim they want to protect. It’s common sense. Let businesses take care of their employees. Reach out to your state representatives and let them know your thoughts on being told how to run your business and manage your people. Get involved in the process. We need businesses to step up and provide some much needed common sense in Carson City.

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.”

Source

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019

Originally Published

https://www.nevadabusiness.com/2019/05/how-to-run-your-business-a-guide-for-employers-provided-by-government/

Democrats Flex: Legislature Endangers Nevada’s Future

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Having begun on February 4th of this year, the 80th session of the Nevada Legislature is off and running and the liberal House and Senate are already flexing their muscles. The new majority is looking to change the business friendly nature of Nevada in favor of more government, less transparency and less power of the people. We need to be aware of the issues to prevent even more damage to the future of the Silver State.

SB143 | Gun Control: Effective on January 2nd of next year, SB 143 reintroduced the universal background checks in Nevada. Proven in other states to be ineffective, these background checks are really just a gateway to universal gun registration and more gun control in Nevada. Unfortunately, conservatives don’t seem to have a voice in Carson City. As Jim Wheeler, Assembly Minority Leader and a Republican from Douglas County said in a recent interview on Nevada Newsmakers, “I don’t believe we were heard with this particular bill being shoved through. They said they didn’t hurry this bill through, they did. And even so, 504 people from the rural areas showed up in opposition to this bill to testify while only 42 people signed in, in support of this bill. And, most of those were from out of state.” The bill was read for the first time on February 11th and passed a mere four days later on the 15th.

SB 123 | Voter Registration: Allowing people to register to vote on Election Day, SB 123 is practically an invitation to voter fraud. Currently, Nevada law allows people to register to vote by mail the fourth Tuesday before an election, by appearing in person at the office of the county or city clerk by the third Tuesday before an election or via automatic voter registration at the DMV or online. This law would make it so you can show up on the day of the election, provide proof of residence documentation and vote. That vote is counted in the election regardless of the fact the proof of residence isn’t verified until after election day. I’m sure no one will take advantage, right?

SB 337 | Unions: Despite the fact that unions have time and again proven to be corrupt, this legislature wants to allow them more power. The bill would adopt a “majority of the votes cast” standard for determining the winner of some elections conducted by the Local Government Employee-Management Relations Board. This means a union could forcibly represent 10,000 workers even if only a fraction of those workers actually took part in the election, provided a majority of those voting were in favor of unionization. Unions represent the entire workforce and such a standard would force many employees into representation without their consent.

SB 339 | Transparency: Nevadans have a right to know how and where the government is spending our money. Regardless, government transparency has been a major issue in the past and SB 339 would make it even easier for the government to hide spending. The bill would authorize the government to declare certain records to be confidential. There have been recent lawsuits in order to obtain public information a government agency didn’t want to hand over. This bill would make it even more difficult for us to see what the government is up to with our money.

In addition to the bills listed above, we should be on the watch for a whole host of big government laws that are coming down the pipeline. A minimum wage increase is a priority for this legislature and will likely be on the ballot for the next election.

Call to Action: There may be a majority of liberal lawmakers but that doesn’t mean conservative voices can’t be heard. We need to speak up and speak out about the laws being passed in our state. Call, email or visit with your representatives, remind them that their responsibility as an elected official is to represent all of Nevada to the best of their ability. The liberal majority wants to take Nevada in a dangerous direction and if we don’t speak up now, we’ll no longer be a haven for business, but rather a big government cesspool.

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.”

Sources

https://pvtimes.com/opinion/ray-hagar-concern-that-voice-of-rural-nevada-not-being-heard-67596/

https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/what-to-watch-in-the-2019-legislative-session-a-guide-to-the-biggest-policy-debates

https://www.npri.org/commentary/nevada-policys-guide-for-the-2019-legislative-session/

https://ballotpedia.org/Nevada_Minimum_Wage_Increase_Amendment_(2020)

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/Bill/6608/Overviewhttps://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/80th2019/

https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/what-to-watch-in-the-2019-legislative-session-a-guide-to-the-biggest-policy-debates

https://www.npri.org/commentary/nevada-policys-guide-for-the-2019-legislative-session/

https://ballotpedia.org/Nevada_Minimum_Wage_Increase_Amendment_(2020)https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/Bill/6608/Overviewhttps://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/80th2019/

Originally Published

https://www.nevadabusiness.com/2019/04/democrats-flex-legislature-endangers-nevadas-future/

A Lone Wolf and Global Security: President Trump Removes Troops from Syria

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As I’m sure you’ve already heard, just before the end of 2018, President Trump announced that he would be pulling 2,000 American troops from Syria and removing the United States’ presence from the area. The move was motivated by what the President referred to as Isis’ defeat in Syria as well as the cost in terms of U.S. lives and taxpayer money. In mid-December, when announcing the removal of troops from the area, President Trump tweeted, “We have defeated Isis in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump presidency.”

Shortly after Trump’s announcement, General James Mattis announced his resignation as Defense Secretary alongside Brett McGurk, who served as a special presidential envoy to the coalition fighting Isis. McGurk has been instrumental to building the 74-nation coalition against the terror organization. Mattis’ and McGurk’s resignations are a blow to the United States’ defense around the world. Each had experience and knowledge that will be difficult to find elsewhere. In addition, Mattis was well-regarded by both Republicans and Democrats and an asset as Defense Secretary.

Despite the vocal opposition of his allies both at home and around the world, as well as the experts who would certainly know the best way forward, President Trump has determined that removing troops from Syria would be best for the United States in the long run. He did this seemingly unpredictably taking a lone wolf approach to global security. That’s not good.

While this issue is now somewhat overshadowed in America by the government shutdown, it should remain a vital concern for U.S. citizens. It certainly hasn’t been overshadowed for the Kurds in Syria who have been fighting Isis for years. It also has remained at the forefront of the minds of Israelites who are now looking to increase their efforts in Syria in order to protect their own borders from renewed threats.

For Americans, it’s important to know that Isis has not been defeated and we know that terrorism is never far from home. The terrorist organization has at least 2,500 fighters in the area and, while fighting has slowed in recent years, there is more to be done. The task of finishing the fight in Syria will now fall to the Kurds, who have been armed by the U.S. but have received little support, and Turkey, a longtime foe of the Kurdish militants. In addition, and also a huge concern, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been vocal in his animosity towards Israel.

Despite this, shortly after announcing his intentions to remove U.S. troops from Syria, President Trump and President Erdogan spoke on the phone. During that call, President Erdogan promised to eradicate Isis in the area and President Trump reportedly said, “OK, it’s all yours. We are done.”

Erdogan’s history of lashing out against Israel (he made comments against the country days after that phone call with Trump) as well as Turkey’s fight against the Kurds is counterintuitive to the country destroying Isis in Syria.

Call to Action: The bottom line is, regardless of the best advice available to him President Trump has made a unilateral decision that will have a ripple affect around the world. Claiming this move is in the best interests of America is a copout that I fear will soon come home to roost. Don’t stay in the dark about these issues. Fights that happen in the Middle East affect us here in big ways. We can’t just turn our back and say it’s not our business.

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.”

Sources

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/world/middleeast/us-syria-troop-withdrawal.html

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Mattis-signs-order-withdrawing-US-troops-from-Syria-despite-disapproval-575286

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/US-Syria-withdrawal-betrays-legacy-of-volunteers-who-died-fighting-ISIS-575169

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Talking-Turkey-575345

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Analysis-Can-US-led-anti-ISIS-Coalition-survive-McGurks-resignation-575166

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Kurdish-region-of-Iraq-alarmed-by-US-sudden-withdrawal-574947

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Russia-Turkey-Iran-team-up-on-Syria-talks-as-US-weighs-pulling-troops-574799

https://insider.foxnews.com/2018/12/20/gen-jack-keane-trump-making-mistake-withdrawing-us-troops-syria?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share-buttons&utm_medium=email

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-12-19/trump-syria-withdrawal-a-grave-mistake

https://www.jpost.com/American-Politics/White-House-in-disarray-sows-distrust-in-Mideast-ahead-of-peace-plan-roll-out-575232

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/What-now-for-Kurdistan-575346

https://www.jpost.com/International/Trump-Turkey-promised-to-eradicate-what-ever-is-left-of-ISIS-in-Syria-575242

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/12/20/us_withdrawal_from_syria_is_a_risky_mistake_but_trump_did_it_anyway_138977.html

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/19/us-troops-syria-withdrawal-trump

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/12/20/lawmakers-baffled-by-trumps-decision-to-pull-troops-out-of-syria/

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/2178867/donald-trumps-troop-pull-out-syria-weakens-us-hand-middle

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/thiessen-trumps-pull-out-from-syria-has-his-enemies-cheering/

https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/106985/end-of-days-expert-on-iran-things-are-about-to-get-biblical/

https://conservativevideoalerts.com/pentagon-expecting-more-resignations-following-mattis/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/19/has-isis-been-defeated-in-syria-as-trump-claims

Originally Published

From the Publisher

Outrageous Property Tax Increases on the Horizon: Nevada Legislature Democrats Push SJR14

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With the defeat of Question 3 from the most recent election, I believe people are beginning to see the absolute detriment of changing the Nevada constitution in ways that aren’t sustainable. Another hurdle along those same lines that we’ll be facing in the 2019 Legislature is SJR14. While Question 3 was in the final stages of becoming a constitutional amendment, SJR14 is a constitutional amendment near the beginning of the process, with time to stop it before it gains too much steam.

The proposed amendment would change the way property taxes are assessed in Nevada. Having passed the 2017 Legislature, it now must pass the 2019 Legislature and then it would go on the ballot in 2020. If passed, this amendment would be detrimental to property owners and will have a devastating affect on the fluidity of a real estate market which, many agree, makes for shaky ground.

Essentially, were it to pass, SJR14 would require that property taxes reset at a much higher rate, in some cases doubling or tripling, each time a property is sold. According to Washoe County Assessor, Michael Clark, “SJR14 removes the property tax cap and all depreciation the first fiscal year after the sale of the property.”

Clark, along with Janine Hansen, president of Nevada Families for Freedom, have co-founded a coalition to stop this bill from going any further in the legislature.

“We have moved into an era of confiscatory taxation,” said Hansen. “This particular piece of legislation, upon the sale of a home, would increase the property taxes, in many cases doubling it or more, both for homes and for businesses.” We all know how that’s working out for California.

According to Clark, some real examples of this can be seen by looking at the current taxable value of property being sold. Speaking of a parcel in Washoe County, Clark said, “Taxes with abatement were $7,706 for 2017. Based on taxable value, they would have been $17,766. With the implications of SJR14 the 2017 taxes on this parcel would be $21,165.”

Hansen added, “What this does is suck all of the money out of the private sector, which is the productive sector of society and puts it into the government sector, which is non-productive. It will definitely decrease money available for anything in the private sector. And, it could certainly up the numbers of people that will lose their home due to property taxes.”

Call to Action: There is time to stop this from happening. Go to CoalitiontoStopSJR14.org to sign up for updates as this bill moves through the 2019 Legislature. When possible, attend hearings on SJR14 and email your elected officials letting them know you oppose this increase. Hansen said it best when she concluded that, “the government never has enough money. It doesn’t matter when, how or why, they never have enough money; they always want more. If we allow them, they would take 100 percent of what we have. That’s how they are, they just continue to increase property taxes.”

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.”

Sources

https://www.coalitiontostopsjr14.org

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/79th2017/Bill/5709/Overview

Originally Published

https://www.nevadabusiness.com/2018/12/outrageous-property-tax-increases-on-the-horizon-nevada-legislature-democrats-push-sjr14/

Where’s All the Marijuana Money? Education Funding

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Remember when President Obama promised the ACA would lower costs and allow us to keep our providers? We all know how that turned out.

It seems the same thing happened with tax revenues from the state’s newest industry – Marijuana. When proponents were touting all the reasons we should legalize the industry, funding education was at the top of the list. A few years later, and with substantial collections in taxes from the industry, educators are back at the table asking for more funds for schools. So, what happened to the boatloads of money that was supposed to go to education? It appears that only a small portion of funds collected are directed to education, with the remainder being deposited in the general fund.

When marijuana was first legalized, part of the ballot Question 2 that allowed for the legalization specifically called for an excise tax on wholesale marijuana sales from large-scale cultivators and distributors. It was a condition of legalizing marijuana and those funds are currently being funneled into Nevada’s Distributive School Account (DSA), as they were always meant to. However, there is also an excise tax on retail marijuana sales, on top of regular sales tax, that doesn’t get put into the DSA, even though that was the original intention with the tax.

“The tax was first contemplated after Question 2 had already passed, during the governor’s 2017 State of the State address,” explained Daniel Honchariw, a senior policy analyst with the Nevada Policy Research Institute. “In the speech, Governor Sandoval indicated that he wanted this additional tax and those new revenues would also funnel directly towards education. Unfortunately, the 2017 Legislature, after they passed the 10 percent retail tax, failed to steer its revenues to the DSA due to a procedural technicality during the appropriations process. Instead, those revenues have been funneling to the state’s ‘rainy day’ fund.”

The good news is that legislators have the opportunity to redirect the funds to education. It’s my understanding they plan to make the necessary changes in the 2019 session.

Unfortunately, our education funding issues can’t be fixed simply by redirecting funds. When that large chunk of change from marijuana gets dropped into the DSA, it’s not going to alter the amount that education gets per pupil. Rather, less money from the state’s general fund will be sent to education as less will be needed.

“It will supplant, not supplement,” said Honchariw. That’s not a bad thing but it does make it clear that funds are not the bigger issue here. The money is there but the system and the funding models need reform urgently. Recently, several Nevada school districts, including both Clark and Washoe County, joined to support the Fund Our Future Nevada initiative in order to make changes to the DSA’s funding formula.

Call to Action: Changing the state’s funding formula for education is a necessary step in the right direction. If education stakeholders claim not to have enough money but state and tax revenue, from both business and marijuana, are overwhelming being sent to the DSA, clearly there’s a disconnect. While I advocate demolishing our entire Nevada education system and starting from scratch (with some notable exceptions) and copy other excellent education model systems working across our country, we need to immediately address the problem at hand and fix the Marijuana education funding formula and connect the dots; thus, fulfilling the promise made to our citizenry.

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.”

Sources

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/education/clark-county-joins-nevada-school-districts-in-push-for-funding/?utm_email=14D36412A2DEF41E64C59546C9&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=morningheadlines&utm_term=Clark%20County%20joins%20Nevada%20school%20districts%20in%20push%20for%20funding%20-%20title&utm_campaign=Your%20Morning%20News

Originally Published

https://www.nevadabusiness.com/2018/11/wheres-all-the-marijuana-money-education-funding/

Time to Drain the LVCVA Swamp

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If you caught an employee using company funds for personal use, would you pay him to retire, give him a fat performance bonus and let him continue working for you as a highly paid consultant? Not in a million years. Yet, that’s exactly what the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) has done with CEO Rossi Ralenkotter, who recently received a retirement package amounting to about $455,000.

There’s no denying that the LVCVA under Ralenkotter did a great job in promoting Las Vegas as a tourism and convention destination. But recent news reports have made it pretty obvious that some of its executives were using the taxpayers’ money as personal slush funds. With an annual budget of $251 million and apparently very little oversight, there was plenty of room for dishonesty. Brig Lawson, the director of business partnerships, used LVCVA funds to purchase $90,000 worth of Southwest Airlines gift cards between 2012 and 2017. He instructed Southwest to mark the invoices as promotional expenses, not gift cards, and then distributed them to various people within the agency.

We know that Ralenkotter used more than $16,000 for personal travel, and board member Lawrence Weekly used another $1,400 for his daughter’s travel. In the end, auditors were unable to determine what happened to about $50,000 worth of cards. What private company would neglect to track $90,000 worth of cards that could be used like cash? A company that would soon be out of business! But, we’re talking about an agency that runs on taxpayers’ money. Like most government-run institutions, it doesn’t have to follow the same rules as the rest of us. There seems to be an unending supply of other people’s money, which is the easiest kind of money to spend.

The gift card fiasco is only the latest in a series of incidents that illustrate a widespread, systemic misuse of public funds at LVCVA. It routinely violated its own already-lax expense policies, funding first-class overseas trips for board members and spending lavishly on high-end entertainment. Its warehouse distributed thousands of dollars worth of promotional gifts, including iPads and Bose speakers, without tracking where they went. The agency routinely pulled Convention Center security guards away from their regular duties to drive Ralenkotter and “chief tourism ambassador” Oscar Goodman around town, despite the fact that Ralenkotter received an annual vehicle allowance of $9,000.

LVCVA executives learned in February 2017 that the Southwest gift cards hadn’t been properly accounted for, but they didn’t report it to the board for an entire year. After the board-appointed auditors concluded that $50,000 worth of cards was missing, LVCVA declined to pursue the matter, claiming it would cost more than $50,000 for auditors to track down the cards. Was that the real reason, or was it because they wanted to hide what really happened?

After the police became involved, the board rushed into its hearing about Ralenkotter’s severance package before police had a chance to investigate further. His cronies all lined up to praise his years of service and voted to give him a half-million-dollar, taxpayer-funded parting gift to go along with his $400,000 taxpayer-funded retirement. North Las Vegas mayor John Lee was the only one opposing this outrageous act.

Call to Action: It’s time to drain the LVCVA swamp, starting with an investigation into where the missing cards went and who used them. What happened in the LVCVA shouldn’t stay in the LVCVA. The agency owes it to the taxpayers to finally show some accountability, set up procedures for tracking expenses, and punish wrongdoers instead of rewarding them.

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://www.nevadabusiness.com/2018/09/time-to-drain-the-lvcva-swamp/

What Does PERS Have to Hide? Over $1.8 Billion of Public Money Each Year

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Nevada’s Public Employee Retirement Systems (PERS) has a history of protecting their data and blocking the public’s access to information, even though the public (you and I) are footing the hefty bill of almost $2 billion a year. That’s more than 10 percent of state and local government’s combined own-source revenue, and the second highest percentage in the nation.

It’s bad enough that they don’t want us to have the information, but we’re also paying for their lawsuits to keep the information protected from us, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In 2011, the Reno Gazette-Journal filed a suit to obtain the names and benefit amounts of public pension recipients. Carson City District Court Judge James Russell ruled in favor of the newspaper, which, of course resulted in a lengthy appeal. The state Supreme Court agreed with Judge Russell, however the ruling stated PERS had no obligation to extract the information from their database, but only had to provide existing reports.

The case was remanded back to Judge Russell, and PERS finally provided data for 2013. This marked the one and only time the organization provided such information.

NPRI (Nevada Policy Research Institute), was denied the data for 2014, subsequently launching a lawsuit to obtain the same information PERS was forced to provide for 2013. The case was heard on March 7 of this year by the Nevada Supreme Court with a ruling expected at any time.

In addition to their reluctance to release what is clearly public information, PERS officials presented false testimony, and were reportedly chastised by Judge Russell. Later, in an evidentiary hearing before Judge James Wilson, Chief Operations Officer Cheryl Price stated that PERS possessed no records that included benefit recipients names along with social security number, apart from the confidential individual members’ files. This potentially perjurious statement was immediately revealed to be false when Price admitted that PERS does create a separate public record containing Social Security numbers and full names of all pension recipients.

So, why is PERS so adamant about us not knowing where our money is going? I encourage you to check out TransparentNevada.com, a site created and maintained by NPRI that provides information on the 60,000 monthly checks distributed by PERS. There you’ll see a few recipients getting over $250,000 a year in benefits. The average annual benefits paid after 30 years of public service is almost $70,000.

PERS was created by NRS 286.015 to provide a reasonable base income to qualified public employees “who’s earning capacity has been removed, or has been substantially reduced by age or disability.” Well, that’s clearly not being enforced!

Here’s an example for you. A metro officer retires in 2013, at the age of 37 years and 11 months. His retirement is $110,802 a year, making his lifetime retirement benefits about $13.2 million. Meanwhile, he still has a lot of years to work and does so for the federal government. How’s that for milking the system? Do we blame him, or do we blame the system?

Call to Action: When our legislature convenes in the coming year, PERS reform and transparency needs to be at the top of their list. We have the right to know where our money is distributed and how. Our government works for us, not the other way around. It’s time we insist they take steps to close the loopholes in the system and stop this nonsense of hiding information from us, while spending our money to keep information from us.

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://www.nevadabusiness.com/2018/08/what-does-pers-have-to-hide-over-1-8-billion-of-public-money-each-year/

Theft Through Paperwork: SOS Filings and Business Fraud

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For the past several years, and for as little as $150, you too could own the business of your dreams. Of course, you’ll need to steal it and, if you’re caught, it’s a felony violation. However, the possibility of arrest for a category-C felony hasn’t deterred criminals who contact Nevada’s Secretary of State’s (SOS) for nefarious reasons. Would-be business thieves, through a simple filing process, can change the ownership and officer information of Nevada-registered businesses, for just a small fee in many cases. From there, criminals can change a business’ name, sell property or even borrow against the good credit of a company.

It’s a huge issue that has recently come to light. Filing can be changed either online, through the SOS’ “Silver Flume” program, which was instituted by former Secretary Ross Miller in 2012, or via paperwork submitted to the office. According to an article published by the Las Vegas Review Journal last month, the SOS received as many as 173 complaints about fake filings from 2015 to 2017, but only in one case did they find fraud. In 35 other cases, the secretary’s office corrected records or ended investigations when they didn’t receive a response to inquiries from possible scammers. And, another 46 complaints were dismissed because the victim knew the potential fraudster.

I reached out to Secretary of State Barbra Cegavske to find out what her office is doing to combat fraud. An official statement sent to the Review Journal in response to the articles published on this topic indicated that, while the Secretary of State takes the filing of false or forged documents very seriously, the agency’s function is, “mainly ministerial, similar to that of a county clerk or recorder.” The statement added that office has no statutory authority to “verify the validity of information contained in the filings or the identity of those filing at the time of the filing.”

When asked for what, specifically, Cegavske would be doing to fix this issue, her agency responded with the following:

“The Secretary of State is in the midst of a 2-plus-year project to replace and modernize its aging commercial recordings systems.  In addition to updating to new technology, we are enhancing the notification and monitoring capabilities where customers can elect to receive electronic notifications when a change is made to an entity on file with our office.  Customers will also be able to order online copies of records so they may immediately review documents filed. We will continue to work with the Nevada Registered Agents Association, the Business Law Section of the State Bar Association, legislators and other interested parties to identify further system and process enhancements that benefit Nevada businesses and minimize (prevent) fraudulent filings.”

In the past, legislators have been reluctant to give the SOS too much investigatory power because many feel it can be a barrier to commerce. While we want to ensure that Nevada remains business-friendly we also must protect those businesses from theft so simple, a child could easily do it.

CALL TO ACTION: This is a huge issue that must be addressed immediately. Reach out to your legislators and demand that they find a balance between pro-business needs and protecting those same businesses. For those concerned about fraud for their own business, the SOS has some advice: opt-in the email notifications and make sure you’re actually receiving them, regularly check your business’ activity through the website and file a complaint if anything is suspicious.

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.”

Sources

Weak safeguards make Nevada companies easy targets for fraud

Nevada lawmakers react to secretary of state’s weak business safeguards

Statement by Barbara Cegavske, Secretary of State

Originally Published

https://www.nevadabusiness.com/2018/07/theft-through-paperwork-sos-filings-and-business-fraud/

The Dumbing Down of Our Education System – Governor Sandoval Leads the Way in Nevada

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Governor Sandoval, in late April this year, filed an emergency regulation to provide relief for Nevada teachers who are in jeopardy of losing their jobs by failing to complete a state-mandated course. The regulation indicates that, “affected employees will have two more years to fulfill the requirement,” according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal article.

What message is he and the teachers sending to our children by changing the rules? Is he saying, rules and laws don’t have to be followed if you don’t feel like complying?

Nevada teachers must take and pass a college-level course on parent and family engagement. The course must be state-approved, is three-credits and takes a full semester to complete. Evidently, a vast number of teachers felt they were above the law and the Nevada Governor agreed with them.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of situational ethics and the resulting changes they cause. Take a look at Nevada’s K-12 grades, and the rest of our country’s schools, and you’ll see we are graduating a majority of children that can no longer compete in the world marketplace. Folks, it’s time to raise the bar, not lower it.

My family recently had the honor of hosting three young ladies for a few nights at our home. They were all from Uganda and touring the United States in a singing troupe. These young ladies, ages 9, 14 and 16, perform several evenings a week and on weekends. They speak three languages and attend school with a traveling teacher between 8 in the morning and 5 in the evening, each weekday. They do homework until midnight when not performing and get up at 4 A.M. to finish their homework and prepare for the day.

I can’t begin to share with you how bright and joyful these girls were. And, it woke me up to the low, almost nil, expectations we have on our own children. Such expectations must start with us. We must lead by example and we must demand our teachers and government leaders lead as well.

Call to Action: Take the reigns for your own children and grandchildren, leading by example. Don’t allow a “we’ll deal with it later” attitude to keep our state, and country, from producing quality, educated citizens. We should be striving for excellence and we’re not even hitting mediocre. Let’s give our kids and grandkids a future by setting the right example in our own life and by raising the bar for them. Let your kid’s teachers know you’re watching and you expect them to lead from the front and not accept this dumbing down agenda. Meet and get to know your government leaders and demand the same from them.

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://www.nevadabusiness.com/2018/06/the-dumbing-down-of-our-education-system-governor-sandoval-leads-the-way-in-nevada/

Nevada’s Charter Schools Just May Be the Answer

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For those of us in business, it should come as no surpise that privately run charter schools are out performing traditional government run schools, by a landslide. We’re all frustrated with our state’s dismal ranking in education. Did you know that, according to a report by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, in 2014 Nevada’s charter schools moved up nine spots in national rankings, from number 22 to number 13? This came after Nevada enacted two pieces of legislation regarding charter schools. The first included preformance measurments as part of charter contacts, and the second provided facilities support.

According to a report by The Guinn Center entitled “Demographics, Enrollment and Performance Metrics at K-12 Schools in Nevada”, for the school year 2013-2014, state sponsored public charter elementary schools outperformed district public schools in math proficiency and reading proficiency. In addition, traditional state sponsored public charter schools have the highest average star level, according to the report.

Nevada’s charter schools are state-funded public schools that have their own governing boards, are held to the same academic standards as traditional schools but have more latitude in regards to budgeting, operations, curriculum and staffing. They have the freedom to hire teachers without a union contract. They are ran by people that understand business and are accountable for student acheivements as well as budgets. Unlike traditional schools, if they fail their contract doesn’t get renewed and they lose their jobs.

As of 2015, charter schools accounted for just over six percent of total public school enrollment, with long waiting lists of students trying to get enrolled. Therein lies one of the problems. With everyone wanting the best education for their kids, there just isn’t enough capacity in charter schools.

Perhaps part of the success of charter schools lies in the fact that Nevada law prohibits the local school district from interfering with charter operations. However, charter schools must meet a number of standards for acheivement, safety and accountability for tax dollars. And speaking of tax dollars, according to an NPR report last year, on average nationally, charter schools get 30 percent less money than their counterparts. That alone takes the wind out of the sails of those that believe money is the solution to our education woes.

The bottom line is, government simply cannot compete with private business. This has been proven over and over again. Take a look at our postal service, rates continue to increase while service and dependability decreases. Those of us in business have no option but to succeed, because we don’t have a safety net. We’re much more cautious with the allocation of resources because we have a limited supply and must spend wisely. This concept is clearly demonstrated in the charter school system in Nevada.

CALL TO ACTION: Maybe its time we stopped complaining about our failures in education and examine what we are doing right. Perhaps more charter schools really is the answer we’ve been searching for.

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://www.nevadabusiness.com/2018/05/nevadas-charter-schools-just-may-be-the-answer/

The Bundy Trial: Fighting the Feds

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Now that the Cliven Bundy trial has ended with a victory (at least temporarily) for the Bunkerville rancher, it’s time to ask what we can learn from this David-and-Goliath battle between a small businessman and the federal government.

Bundy had been running his cattle on federal land for many years, but in 1993 he stopped paying grazing fees to protest a BLM directive that limited his grazing area to protect the desert tortoise habitat. The feds now say he owes more than a million dollars in fees and penalties. Bundy claims that the federal government doesn’t have a right to own land, and that states own the land within their borders. In 2014, he and his sons and some armed supporters had a showdown with federal authorities trying to execute an order to round up his cattle. Threats were made on both sides, and many people feared it would turn into a shootout, which luckily didn’t happen.

The result was federal felony conspiracy and weapons charges against Bundy, two of his sons and some militia members. Bundy spent two years in a federal detention center awaiting trial, but was released in January after U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro tossed out the criminal charges because of what she called “flagrant” misconduct by federal prosecutors. The feds were so eager to punish Bundy that they repeatedly ignored the law, lied to the court and withheld evidence that could have harmed their case.

Think the federal government is out to protect our rights and enforce the law? The IRS has been caught illegally targeting conservative groups, the Clintons used the FBI to spy on the Trump campaign and the list goes on. One positive thing that came out of the Bundy case is that at least one judge believes the federal government should not be above the law.

Cliven Bundy is no hero. He threatened federal marshals with weapons and encouraged others to resist law enforcement officers with armed force. However, it’s encouraging to see one man stand up against the almighty federal government and fight for the principles he believes in, whether or not you believe his actions were justified. Many people, especially in Nevada, are sick and tired of being pushed around by the feds.

The federal government controls more than 80 percent of Nevada land, and it’s not just areas like the Test Site and Area 51. It’s also parcels of land right in our urban areas. Thousands of acres are set aside to protect desert tortoises, pupfish, sage grouse and other so-called endangered species, which often seem to get more protection than human beings.

The federal government is taking over more and more of our lives. If you own a bakery, you don’t dare refuse to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. Catholic hospitals are threatened with legal action if their employees’ health insurance plans don’t cover abortions. The EPA is likely to come calling if you break down a beaver dam on your property that blocks your access to drinking water.

Burdensome government regulations make it difficult for small businesses to succeed. One 2017 survey determined that the average small business spends $12,000 a year complying with government regulations, 44 percent of businesses spend at least 40 hours a year dealing with federal paperwork, and 29 percent spend at least that much on state and local rules. Although President Trump is trying to roll back some of these regulations, it still seems like the federal government is a silent (and unwelcome) partner in everybody’s business.

The Cliven Bundy case should remind us that it’s every American’s right to stand up for their principles, and that sometimes the little guy can win, even when the odds are stacked against him.

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://www.nevadabusiness.com/2018/02/the-bundy-trial-fighting-the-feds/

A Wolf in Republican Clothing: The Dean Heller Dilemma

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How do you solve a problem like Senator Dean Heller? He was elected on a conservative platform, touting conservative values and the moral high ground. But, since he was elected, his voting record tells a different story. It’s a common tale in the United States, politicians tell us what we want to hear to get in office and play the game to stay there. Nevada, which was one of the few states that went blue in the 2016 election, has a challenge finding conservative voices. Unfortunately, it seems as though even our state’s conservative voices find themselves speaking liberal-ese while in office.

Senator Heller seems to be fluent in both conservative and liberal-speak and it’s clear he tailors his speech to the crowd he’s in front of at any given moment. However, one look at his history of voting as a senator tells the true story of Senator Heller’s leanings. Since 2012, nearly half of his votes have been pro-liberal. According to the right-leaning Conservative Review, which has created a score-card for conservatives in office, Dean Heller receives a grade of “F” for his record of voting.

Senator Heller has misled his conservative base in Nevada on multiple issues including gun control, healthcare and immigration, among others. In one of his first votes in office, he voted to advance gun control legislation. The vote furthered Harry Reid’s gun control proposals and laid the groundwork for a future gun registry nationwide.

More recently, Senator Heller voted “yea” on the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, the largest healthcare reform since the Affordable Care Act’s passing in 2010. The bill made changes to Medicare reimbursements, filled in a funding gap and extended a children’s insurance program (CHIP). Unfortunately, it’s also expected to increase the nation’s debt by $500 billion over the next 20 years. The bill’s efforts to fix healthcare could be compared to trying to use a bandaid to fix a gunshot wound. In essence, the bill was hobbled together as an answer to our healthcare problems but in actuality fixes very little and costs way too much.

As yet another example of the Senator’s left voting record, he voted to affirm President Obama’s executive amnesty for immigrants, despite remarks against the action previously. In 2014 Senator Heller said, “What I don’t agree with is the use of the executive order nor do I agree with the Administration bypassing congress.” At the end of that same year, Senator Heller voted against an order that would have declared President Obama’s decision to cut Congress out of the lawmaking process unconstitutional. Then, in 2015, he voted to fully fund the executive amnesty action he supposedly didn’t “agree” with.

These are just a few examples showing Senator Heller’s propensity to vote Democrat, leaving Nevadan’s with virtually no conservative voice in the national arena. I think it’s far past time we had a balance to the liberal shouting that has originated in the Silver State.

Call to Action: I’m sure you’ve noticed, we have an election in November of 2018 and it’s time for a change. Senator Dean Heller has had since 2012 to show Nevada that he means what he says and says what he means. It’s clear that isn’t the reality with this senator. Let’s elect a conservative voice that actually follows through on what they say they believe. It’s time for Senator Dean Heller to find another job.

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://www.nevadabusiness.com/2018/01/wolf-republican-clothing-dean-heller-dilemma/