| PLAN News: 2004 |
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December 27, 2004 – Right-leaning scribe aspires to papers of old –Sierra Sage publisher does not shy away from writing opinion – When he purchased the Sierra Sage newspaper three years ago, Leonard Semas decided he would write in the tradition of Benjamin Franklin . . . .I don't make up my mind by the emotionalism of news headlines," he said. "I look for logic and consistency in positions. To me conservatism is logical, it is reasonable. The liberals want women to have a right to choose abortion, but they oppose capital punishment. There is no consistency." Bob Fulkerson, the executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said the Sierra Sage is "a little sprout" in a conservative movement that has grown dramatically since Barry Goldwater ran for president in 1964. "There is an incredible amount of scapegoating, fear-mongering in the Sierra Sage and other ultra-conservative publications," Fulkerson said. "It is simplistic and plays on people's emotions on why things in the country are the way there are. They can blame the liberals and feel good about themselves."
December 16, 2004 – Lives on the line – Nevada has the fourth-highest suicide rate in the U.S. –All they know is she's somewhere between Lancaster, Calif., and Las Vegas, and she wants to kill herself. – From their tiny office on the east side of Las Vegas, Dorothy Bryant and La Rae Gibb are trying to find her. Her husband has called the Suicide Prevention Center hotline from California and told them his wife, despondent over their recent separation, threatened to kill herself--and then took off for Vegas . . . . It explains why Southern Nevada's only suicide hotline--in a state with one of the highest suicide rates in the United States--is housed in a dismal office afflicted with outdated equipment. "It's abysmal that the state and county do not fund this," says Paul Brown, Southern Nevada director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. At its worst, there were episodes when there was no one to take hotline calls, Brown says. "Years ago you could call the hotline and you'd get a recording telling you, 'No one's here, please call Reno.' This state has a history of ignoring this serious and preventable problem. It's another example of misplaced priorities by state and local officials." According to the Centers for Disease Control's most recent report, in 2002, 423 people in Nevada killed themselves. The state's per-capita suicide rate of 19.52 means Nevada has the fourth-highest suicide rate in the nation, behind Alaska, Montana and Wyoming. Knowing this and then seeing the digs of the Suicide Prevention Center can be a shock. – By Andrew Kiraly, Las Vegas Mercury The NationA Moral Minimum Wageby Peter Dreier & Kelly Candaele December 06, 2004 – A Moral Minimum Wage – In two so-called "red" states that favored George W. Bush on November 2, voters also overwhelmingly approved ballot measures to raise the minimum wage by one dollar, to $6.15 an hour. In Florida, where Bush beat John Kerry by 381,000 votes, voters favored the minimum wage increase by 3.1 million votes (a lopsided 71.3 percent to 28.7 percent), despite the opposition of the state's business community and Governor Jeb Bush. In Nevada, Bush narrowly beat Kerry by 21,500 votes, but voters backed the wage boost by 293,328 votes (68.3 percent to 31.6 percent). . . . Bob Fulkerson, director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, says that the extensive door-to-door field operations on behalf of the minimum-wage increase by unions, community groups and environmental organizations increased voter turnout in target districts, accounting not only for the wage-increase victory but also for the Democrats' picking up three seats in the State Assembly and one seat in the State Senate. "The issue tugged at people's heartstrings," Fulkerson said. "They saw it as a basic matter of fairness." -- (Web Version) December 06, 2004 – Proposed election changes face scrutiny – County registrars and other officials are looking to tighten up election laws, but several civil rights groups said this week they'll work to ensure the reforms don't intrude on voter rights. . . Paul Brown, the Southern Nevada director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said his group also hopes to push legislation requiring county registrars to have uniform rules for voters with a previous felony. Different counties had different policies toward felons who have had their voting rights reinstated, said Brown, whose group is in the midst of a project to help felons reinstate their voting rights. "We're just trying to get some more uniformity in that," Brown said – Las Vegas Sun November 14, 2004 – JOHN L. SMITH: State must address undocumented immigrant issue -- and soon – They gather near the corner of Bonanza Road and Rancho Drive each morning at sunrise, waiting for work. If they're lucky, they'll find it in the form of stoop labor, yard maintenance or simple construction. A few hours, or perhaps a few days. Pay is low, but they aren't picky. . . . "If we listen to extremists and deport Hispanic immigrants, it would derail Nevada's economy," Molina observes. "Hispanic immigrants account for 16.5 percent of Nevada's work force, yet receive only 8.3 percent of total earnings. Why is that? Are our low earnings due to the type of jobs we hold? Or is it due to employment discrimination?" - Las Vegas Review Journal October 21, 2004 – In the dark – The Legislature restored voting rights for ex-felons, but not all of them know it –Three months ago, two strangers rang Dean OKrent's doorbell. The strangers weren't door-to-door salespeople hawking vacuum cleaners or evangelists preaching the benefits of a particular religion. Rather, they wanted to talk about the upcoming election and the importance of voting. That's when OKrent cut them off – BY KEVIN CAPP, Las Vegas City Life September 24, 2004 – Nevada rates an F for disclosure laws – Study: Requirements are insufficient –In his financial disclosure, one Nevada legislator lists income from eight different sources. Among them are his salary as an attorney, interest and dividends, social security payments, and compensation for sitting on the boards of two corporations and a charitable foundation. What do those corporations do? What stocks pay those dividends? Is he a partner in the law firm, or just a junior associate? The answers to those questions could provide crucial information about the legislator's private interests, but the disclosure form the lawmaker is required to file doesn't say. The financial information Nevada legislators disclose is woefully insufficient, according to a new national study that examines the personal entanglements of state lawmakers across the country. The study, released today by the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity, gave Nevada an F for disclosure requirements. . . . There is not enough information in the disclosures for voters to understand where their representatives' bread is buttered, said Paul Brown, executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. Every legislative session, PLAN puts together a report, called "Jackpot," analyzing elected officials' ties to industry based on their filings. But it is often impossible to figure out what's behind the mysteriously named corporations listed on disclosure forms, some of which list an address in an anonymous strip-mall storefront and a phone that rings and rings. "It takes us six months," Brown said. "By the time we figure out who gave what to whom, the session's over." – By Molly Ball, Las Vegas Sun September 16, 2004 – 'Sleeping giant' – Study shows Latino immigrants contribute billions to Nevada economy – Despite being a pillar of Nevada commerce, many Hispanic immigrants in the work force get shortchanged. That's the message woven into an economic impact report requested by a state nonprofit group that champions progressive change. The report, released this week, says both documented and undocumented immigrant Hispanics pour billions into the public and private sectors, yet many see little in return. That's especially the case with unauthorized migrants, the report says. It says food stamps, Social Security, comprehensive Medicaid and Medicare and housing are among federal programs they can't partake in, despite stereotypes arguing otherwise – By Vince Keenan Las Vegas Mercury September 13, 2004 – Hispanic immigrants boost economy – Nevada sees $20B boost annually from demographic – Immigrant Hispanics pump as much as $20 billion into Nevada’s economy a year, contributing to the vitality of the nation’s fastest growing state, a report released Monday shows. That impact represents more than one-fourth of the gross state product, according to the report by the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and the Chicago-based Center on Work & Community Development – By Bill O'Driscoll RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL More Press CoverageSeptember 13, 2004 – Study details immigrants' impact on state economy – The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and the Center on Work & Community Development have released a study that says Hispanic immigrants contribute $19.7 billion to Nevada's economy. The study also found Hispanic immigrants paid $1 billion in taxes to the state and local governments in 2001. Nevada ranks sixth in the country for the highest number of immigrants, who make up 16.5 percent of the state's work force. Almost 20 percent of Nevada's residents report they're Hispanic. Bob Fulkerson, executive director of PLAN, said the study was based on statistics from the 2000 census. He said the study helps to dispel misconceptions that immigrants are a drain on Nevada's economy by taking jobs and using government resources – Las Vegas Sun
August 20, 2004 – Proposed parking fee increases at UNR triggered a loud protest by university employees outside Thursday's Board of Regents meeting. – About 75 members of the State of Nevada Employees Association chanted, "Freeze the parking fees," as they picketed the Thursday meeting of the Board of Regents. The union members gathered to demand a University of Nevada, Reno parking fee freeze and an audit of the UNR Parking Service budget over the past five years.SNEA Lead Organizer John Collins said the 1,000 state workers at UNR are the only Nevada state workers required to pay for workplace parking. "There's no free place to park," Collins said. "They're balancing their budget on the backs of the employees."The union petitioned the Board of Regents Budget and Finance Committee to audit the UNR Parking Service budget to determine if profits generated by the Parking Service violate board policies. Union researcher Albert Carlson said the Budget and Finance Committee voted unanimously to hold the audit Thursday.UNR President John Lilley said that he was unfamiliar with Collins' complaints, but said that those who park at UNR have lower-cost options."No one likes paying parking fees, but one has a choice," Lilley said. Lilley said that freezing escalating parking permit costs would be "impossible." "We've made commitments," Lilley said. "There will be no freeze." Union member Bill Brinsmead, who works at the UNR physics department, said that low-cost parking is becoming scarce. "They're converting more and more lots to silver — the money-making lots," Brinsmead said. "It's outrageous." Parking fees have increased at UNR every year for the past six years. Blue parking, the least-expensive parking at UNR, has more than doubled in cost in six years. Silver parking, the most costly UNR parking, has risen from $220 to $320 for a year of parking. Lilley said that parking fees are necessary for the university because the state of Nevada provides no money for parking. Workers complained that UNR state employees are forced to pay parking fees, while higher-ranking Regents and college deans park for free. Lilley explained that the university president needs convenient, free parking. "Because I come and go and I have very little time, I have a reserved space," Lilley said. Carlson said the Board of Regents, who holds authority over all Nevada public universities, does not allow university parking services to accumulate profits from year to year. But that's exactly what has happened at UNR, the union researcher said. "Last year, the parking budget ... showed that there would be a $4,200 surplus," Carlson said. "It was radically off." Carlson claims that UNR Parking Services has accumulated about $2.4 million in profits in the past. "At the same time, they're raising fees," Carlson said. "We're demanding an official audit ... so that employees won't be injured." By
Peter Schelden - Sparks Tribune August 19, 2004 – Lawsuit filed to remove another petition – Initiative would cap damages in malpractice cases – Yet another lawsuit has been filed over a petition scheduled to appear on the November ballot. A group filed for a writ of mandamus from the Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday, asking the court to immediately pull the Keep Our Doctors in Nevada petition from the ballot. . . . But Bob Fulkerson, executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, argues that Keep our Doctors in Nevada would hurt low-income families who cannot afford medical expenses not covered by lawsuits. "We see this as very much disproportionately affecting low income people," he said. "Our state, through Medicaid, pays for that and it's already strapped for funding. This would make a bad situation worse." – Las Vegas Sun August 11, 2004 – Progressive groups seek to get out felon vote – State law restores voting rights of some out-of-jail felons – RENO -- A coalition of progressive groups is trying to get out the vote in Nevada among those who got out of jail. "Now that you've done your time, it's time to VOTE," reads a billboard displayed Tuesday by the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, a statewide coalition of 43 organizations. Alliance leaders said a new state law that automatically restores the voting rights of felons who have completed sentences for first-offense, nonviolent crimes could make a difference in a battleground state that President Bush narrowly carried in 2000. Thirty-three other states have enacted similar legislation, according to The Sentencing Project in Washington, D.C. Bob Fulkerson, the alliance's director, said only about 500 of Nevada's 44,000 out-of-jail felons are registered to vote. "If only 10 percent of them registered and turned out to vote it could make a huge difference," he said. Chris Carr, the state Republican Party's executive director, accused the alliance of being a front for Democrats who are trying to help John Kerry carry Nevada. With voter registration almost even between the two political parties, Nevada and its five electoral votes has been identified as a battleground state. "I don't think it's about giving felons a second chance and the right to vote," Carr said. "I just find it appalling what this group is doing." -- By MARTIN GRIFFITH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS To the editor: (This Letter was published in the Las Vegas Review Journal on August 14, 2004)In response to the July 11 article "Progressive groups seek to get out felon vote," I would like to reiterate the importance of educating our state's ex-felons about the new law affecting their voting rights. The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada is a strictly non-partisan, nonprofit organization working to empower Nevada communities. We register any eligible person to vote, without concern for his party affiliation. We targeted former felons for one of our voter registration programs as a continuation of our involvement with this issue over the past six years. I am appalled that the executive director of the Nevada Republican Party is not embracing the restoration of voting rights for every eligible person in this state, even those with prior felony convictions. It is disheartening to read that he is questioning the integrity of our work when so much of our work is aimed at protecting the integrity of our democratic process. The goal of our voter registration program is to strengthen the voices of the people in this state, not to strengthen the power of any particular party. Many of the people we've helped have been disenfranchised for 30 or 40 years, and are some of the most politically interested and energized people I've ever met. Given Nevada's sad voter turnout statistics, I wish everyone were so excited about exercising his right to vote. LAUNA HALL August 09, 2004 – Indictment sends warning to candidates – Statute flaw lets some escape felony charge – Liberal and conservative observers alike heralded Janet Moncrief's indictment last week as a signal of more aggressive enforcement of campaign finance laws, a shift they described as long overdue. "From our point of view as a watchdog group, I think the dog finally has teeth," said Paul Brown, Southern Nevada director for Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. – Las Vegas Review Journal August 06, 2004 – Taxes, sweet taxes –Rising values of homes mean big property tax hikes on the way – Las Vegas Sun July 15, 2004 – WATER PIPELINE AUTHORIZATION: Lincoln County land bill opposed – Group fears Eastern Nevada could become `another Owens Valley'– WASHINGTON -- A coalition of 45 conservation and ranching groups and individuals is organizing opposition to a Lincoln County land bill in Congress they charge would deprive rural counties of water and harm the region's ecosystem. The group contends the bill, which includes authorization for a water pipeline to Las Vegas, would turn Eastern Nevada into "another Owens Valley," the Central California farming region that Los Angeles drained during the early 1900s In a three-page letter sent Monday to the Nevada congressional delegation, the group also contends the bill, introduced by the lawmakers last month, would circumvent environmental laws used in deciding where to put a pipeline. "There are already procedures in place with open public participation," said Paul Brown, Southern Nevada director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, one of the signers. By SAMANTHA YOUNG – STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU ( More Coverage -- Las Vegas Sun ) Down the drainReaders Note: This artical was published in the CityLife - LasVegasCityLife.comJune 30, 2004 BY PAUL BROWN You may not be able to walk on water, but thanks to the drought, you can walk on large parts of what used to be Lake Mead. Even with the drought, Las Vegas has adequate water supplies for our existing residents. However, if we accept unlimited growth, then we will have a water shortage. Existing levels of growth already threaten our quality of life with overcrowded roads, dirty air and an enormous stress on our water supply. But if you listen to the growth-at-any-cost folks, there's nothing to worry about. They want to build water pipelines from rural Nevada to Las Vegas and that will allow us to grow to 3.5 million people. Our congressional delegation recently introduced a bill that grants rights of way for the pipelines. But, importing water from rural counties is an extremely risky proposal. And it's costly. It will cost billions of dollars to drill wells, construct the hundreds of miles of pipeline, and do the necessary hydrological and environmental studies to pull off this water importation scheme. Do you really think only new residents will pay the billions of dollars needed to build these pipelines? There are other costs too. The environmental impact to Eastern Nevada could be disastrous. Look what happened to Owens Valley when the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, or LADWP, siphoned off its water. Owens Valley turned into a toxic dust bowl creating serious air quality problems. Now, Los Angeles' residents have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to remediate the environmental problems caused by LADWP's water importation project. This scenario could repeat itself in Nevada, if we allow these pipelines to go through. If built, the Nevada pipelines will obtain ground water supplies from rural areas of our state, which are in the same extreme drought as Southern Nevada. People living in our rural areas will be affected. Indian Springs residents report declining water levels in their wells, even without the additional pumping proposed by Southern Nevada Water Authority. Water levels in Devils Hole are also declining, threatening the survival of its pupfish. Do we want to draw water from the Overton Wildlife Management Area and Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge? What about fishing holes and hunting areas? Will sportsmen still have places to go or will they fall victim to Las Vegas' growth too? Are these pipelines really needed? Other more environmentally sound and cost-effective water supply options are available to SNWA. They can start with improving their water conservation program. Las Vegas has extremely high-water consumption per capita compared to dozens of other Western cities. We must do better. SNWA can also use our nearby Colorado River waters more efficiently. An interstate water market could provide Las Vegas with more water at a cheaper cost than building pipelines into rural Nevada. The risks and costs of building the water pipelines are too high. Besides, it would be foolish to import rural water if it means our quality of life goes down the drain. PAUL BROWN IS THE SOUTHERN NEVADA DIRECTOR OF THE PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE OF NEVADA. June 19, 2004 – Voter outreach effort targets Hispanic community – Alicia Herrera waited anxiously at the North Las Vegas library Thursday night hoping they would come. She set up tables and chairs for at least a dozen of them, leaving room for extras in case they brought little ones. She put a pen and booklet in each place, a red, white and blue manual on elections and voter registration -- all in Spanish . . . "It's not an unusual problem for all our (grass-roots) groups," said Paul Brown, the Southern Nevada director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, or PLAN, a liberal activist group. "Outreach is always tough in Las Vegas. There's so many people coming and going. Families are working, cars are breaking down and there's always something else on people's mind." But the task of registering and ultimately getting people to vote is not impossible. It's a matter of creativity, Brown said, adding that various political organizations and grass-roots groups are considering setting up booths at SWAP meets, presenting for socials clubs and taking advantage of other community events to engage prospective voters. – Las Vegas Review Journal June 18, 2004 – Registration gap narrows – State Democrats close in as voter drives intensify – Another 9,500 Nevadans registered to vote in May, and Democrats are now just 10,131 voters behind Republicans statewide . . . . Many other statewide groups also have plans to register voters. The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, for example, hopes to register about 2,000 people before November, said Southern Nevada Director Paul Brown. PLAN has targeted new voters at bus stops, the gay pride parade and a Martin Luther King Day parade, Brown said. – By Kirsten Searer, LAS VEGAS SUN To the editor: On behalf of the tens of thousands of minimum wage earners, I'd like to thank the Review-Journal for its recent editorial that rails against raising the minimum wage in Nevada from $5.15 to 6.15 because "it is akin to endorsing inflation, perhaps the most onerous tax on the poor." Thank God we have not raised the minimum wage in seven years. Otherwise prices for electricity, gasoline, prescription drugs, milk and housing would be spiraling out of control. PAUL R. BROWN - LAS VEGAS The writer is Southern Nevada director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, which was involved in the petition drive to place the minimum wage hike proposal on the November ballot. June 18, 2004 – Voting rights 'blessing' for ex-felons – The number of former felons using a 2003 law to restore their right to vote has skyrocketed in recent months, private and public officials working to help promote the law said. – By Timothy Pratt, LAS VEGAS SUN June 12, 2004 – JANE ANN MORRISON: Would-be merger of MGM-Mirage and Mandalay spelled trouble – MGM Mirage's desire to gobble up Mandalay Resort Group would have created a gaming behemoth that probably would have made money for stockholders, but I'm not convinced it would have been good for Southern Nevada, either politically or economically. . . In competitive races, a mammoth company can open doors by bundling donations from separate casinos and subsidiaries and funneling them to their candidate. Or it can close doors and encourage its vendors to do the same, essentially knee-capping a candidate. "Instead of being the 900-pound gorilla, they're going to be the 2,000-pound gorilla, and I wouldn't want to get in a fight with them," said Paul Brown, who monitors campaign contributions to lawmakers for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. – Las Vegas Review Journal Jun 12, 2004 – Group has enough signatures for minimum-wage initiative – Advocates of a higher minimum wage in Nevada said Thursday they’ll easily top the minimum signature count needed by Tuesday to advance their proposed constitutional amendment for a $6.15 base wage — $1 more than the federal standard. The Coalition to Give Nevada a Raise needs at least 51,244 signatures of registered voters. Bob Fulkerson of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, which is in the coalition, said more than 80,000 signatures will be turned over to election officials around the state on Monday, a day early – AP ( More Coverage - Las Vegas Review Journal ) June 04, 2004 – Hydrologist: Monitoring of rural water needed – LV urged not to rush to grab new supplies – Although Southern Nevada could put extra water to use for growing Las Vegas, it is a social decision on how to share the scarce desert resource of groundwater within the state, a scientist said Tuesday night . . . Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN), which sponsored the workshop along with the Sierra Club and Friends of the Wilderness and other environmental groups, said that water officials need to pump groundwater in untested valleys around the state. – Las Vegas Sun ( More Coverage - Las Vegas Review Journal ) June 04, 2004 – Education initiative first to be submitted – Petitioners say 90,000 signatures collected – The Education First initiative could be the first proposed amendment to the state constitution to be placed on this November's ballot. . . . Paul Brown, the Southern Nevada Director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, pointed out that the initiative wouldn't actually increase spending for education. "It's another nice sounding initiative that doesn't address the problem," he said. People naturally tend to take up the easiest issues when they are negotiating, he said. So it's counterintuitive to negotiate the education budget first, he said. "Whether you're in a labor contract or you're negotiating with your kids, you knock out the easy things first," he said. "It's human nature." – Las Vegas Sun; June 01, 2004 – State has duty to empower former felons - By LAUNA HALL, Progressive Leadership Alliance -- Letter to the Editor - printed in the Las Vegas Sun May 24, 2004 – Opponents of water plan take trip to make point – A caravan of conservationists set off Friday from Las Vegas on a cross-state tour to take a firsthand look at the proposed Bob Fulkerson, the statewide director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said following the tour that it worked both to strengthen opposition among the urban conservationists and helped forge alliances with rural residents use of rural ground water to slake thirsts in urban Southern Nevada. . . . "We succeeded in deepening and broadening the opposition to plans to export water from Northern Nevada," said Fulkerson, whose group was the primary sponsor of the tour. "We also succeeded in building deeper ties with people from Lincoln and Nye and White Pine counties, people who the environmental community haven't traditionally gotten along with. "We realize we have so much more in common than we have issues that divide us," Fulkerson said of the ranchers and farmers in the rural areas. "I thought I knew and loved rural Nevada before this trip, but after spending so much time on this trip, I came back much more resolute– By Launce Rake LAS VEGAS SUN It’s time to focus on saving waterEditorial - Reno Gazette JournalMay 21, 2004 — Drought warnings take on special significance this year, given growth projections that say Washoe County may grow by 58 percent in 20 years and Clark County may grow by 70 percent. Growth, however, is only part of the water picture. The other part is consumers’ willingness to conserve. Many people are angry over growing population and blame government for allowing it. Railing over growth, however, won’t solve water problems. More industry, commerce and educational institutions and the people who run them are required to maintain and even increase the quality of life that many Nevadans are so proud of. New residents need homes, services, roads, parks and above all water, the basic requirement for life. Unfortunately, many of these people think little about how much water is available or where it comes from. As long as it pours from faucets and sprinklers, they’re happy. The point that some conservationists make is that enough water is available to serve existing needs, although no one is certain how much exists in underground aquifers to handle the future of the hottest and driest place in the nation. So, water agencies and conservationists are doing their part to mitigate possible shortages by educating people about water and how to conserve. Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, for instance, has planned a tour this weekend to teach people about regional resources and their management. Understanding water issues is a long process. The best thing the rest of us can do is to follow the rules of usage when utilities impose them in coming months and to learn as much as we can about upcoming legislation on managing developable resources. To the editor:May 17, 2004 – It is disheartening to see the letters from anti-tax forces against more moderate Republican leaders in our state. Gov. Kenny Guinn and Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, in stepping up to the plate to champion much-needed revenue increases for our state in the 2003 Legislature, demonstrated a sense of statesmanship that these ultra conservative forces sorely lack.In 1967, two other Republican leaders, California Gov. Ronald Reagan and Nevada Gov. Paul Laxalt, championed tax increases for their states. "It's the responsible thing to do," Gov. Reagan remarked at the time. A bipartisan coalition of Nevada legislators increased the gaming tax by 20 percent and the sales tax by 50 percent. Anti-tax crusaders are guided by a selfish, "me first" philosophy -- and not by what's best for the interests of our state. Taxes are the dues we pay for membership in our community. Every time we drive, turn on the tap for water, use the Internet or other public service, our tax dollars are at work. I am grateful that we have enlightened Republican leadership in our state that saw the need for tax increases, and bucked the noisy far right opposition. BOB FULKERSON
May 13, 2004 – Reno Yucca rail hearing attracts fewer participants – RENO -- A retired engineer said Wednesday that Nevadans must realize the dangers of America's dependence on Middle Eastern oil and back nuclear power and the Yucca Mountain repository project . . . . Bob Fulkerson, state leader of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, noted he has opposed Yucca Mountain for 20 years. He vowed to fight it for as long as he lives – Las Vegas Review Journal May 09, 2004 – PLAN brings voter registration to area — Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada sponsored non-partisan events Saturday to increase voter participation, especially those in minority groups. Several presenters spoke before groups took to the streets to try and register new voters door-to-door. The speakers discussed about mobilizing various groups to vote who PLAN officials said were traditionally disenfranchised – Sparks Tribune May 06, 2004 – Clock running on tax initiative – Proposition 13-type petition drive begins – CARSON CITY -- Supporters of an initiative petition to place a Proposition 13-type property tax reform measure into the state constitution filed their paperwork Wednesday, giving themselves just 42 days to collect more than 50,000 signatures . . . Not everyone thinks the proposal is a good idea. Jan Gilbert, Northern Nevada coordinator of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said Angle's proposal would be terrible for Nevada."Just look to California to see what happened there with Proposition 13," she said. "It hog-tied them and their schools are still struggling." – By SEAN WHALEY REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU April 28, 2004 – Special-use permit OK’d for air-monitoring station – Washoe County commissioners split on party lines Tuesday night in approving a special-use permit for an air-monitoring station near Gerlach, the first step in what could be the biggest coal-fired power plant in Nevada . . . “It is ironic that the first step in approving this noxious plant is to vote to install an air-monitoring system to establish a base line of clean air before it goes in to pollute the air,” said Bob Fulkerson, Progressive Leadership Alliance director. – Reno Gazette Journal April 23, 2004 – Environmental groups say Bush undoing decades of progress – Celebrating Earth Day, Northern Nevada environmental groups on Thursday cited success in protecting the environment but said the Bush administration is reversing more than three decades of progress . . . Critics also lashed out at the administration over its implementation of the National Environmental Protection Act, described by Bob Fulkerson of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada as the country’s “cornerstone of environmental policy.” The administration is pushing massive projects — including the Yucca Mountain nuclear repository and importation of water to Las Vegas by pipeline — without adequate environmental review as rightly required by the NEPA process, Fulkerson said. - Reno Gazette Journal April 22, 2004 – Earth Day activists: Environment will help sway Nev. elections – RENO, Nev. (AP) - Activists celebrating Earth Day predicted environmental issues will play a key role in Nevada's fall elections - from the statehouse to the White House . . . Bob Fulkerson, director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, a statewide coalition of 43 organizations, said the conservation movement has grown in the past 20 years since there were only a couple of paid organizers in the state. "Today there are 10 times that amount and many new groups and boards who are bringing young people along," he said. – By SCOTT SONNER ASSOCIATED PRESS Editorial -- Reno Gazette Journal - April 09, 2004 — Court campaigns must be changed: According to a report released last week by the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, most of the money raised by Supreme Court candidates comes from lawyers, lobbyists and casinos, and eight of the top 10 donors have cases before the court. An already cynical electorate is sure to wonder what that says about our judiciary. The report, “The Supreme Jackpot: A Study of Campaign Contributions to Nevada Supreme Court Justices,” is not an indictment of the judges or candidates, however; it’s an indictment of the system that requires candidates for our highest court to raise money to win or retain their seats. The average amount that candidates for the court have raised for their campaigns, according to PLAN’s report, has risen steadily in recent years, from $172,197 in 1998, to $196,779 in 2000 and $313,845 in 2002, even though six of the seven justices have faced token opposition at best. With critics of last year’s decision on the Legislature’s budget impasse determined to make the justices pay, the cost for those judges up for re-election is sure to climb even higher this year. The system poorly serves the justices, who must spend time raising money and surely understand the questions that are raised by contributions from those who appear before the court. It doesn’t serve challengers well, because they’re not able to raise the kind of money an effective campaign takes. And it doesn’t serve the citizens, who expect court decisions to be based on the merits. PLAN’s recommended solution to the problem is public financing of Supreme Court campaigns, funded by a voluntary $50 contribution from attorneys on their annual license renewal and a small fee on civil and criminal lawsuits. North Carolina approved such a system in 2003 to take effect for this year’s election. A better plan would be to get politics out of the courts by adopting a system similar to the Missouri plan (which, unfortunately, has been rejected by Nevada voters in the past), in which judges are appointed and then face voter confirmation rather than a contested election. Neither solution is perfect, but both are better than what we have now. April 02, 2004 – Now I’m an American’ – Nearly a year after starting the process, Norma de la Cruz takes oath of citizenship – Norma de la Cruz has fulfilled her dream and become a U.S. citizen. She raised her right hand Thursday in a naturalization ceremony with 19 others and swore to defend the Constitution and U.S. laws. “Now I’m an American,” she said, wearing a U.S. flag pin in her lapel. “I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting for this for many years.” . . . She participated in a 12-week citizenship course sponsored by the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, and said it helped allay her doubts . . . My goal is to have 200 new Latino voters who can be able to vote out of this,” [Rosa Molina of PLAN] said. The success of the classes “shows that there is a demand that can’t be met,” said Bob Fulkerson, state director of PLAN. “It just means the world to me,” Fulkerson said. “I wish we could afford to have classes everyday. Instead of graduating 20 to 40 per class, graduate 500 per class.” Fulkerson said he was in the process of raising money from individuals and foundations to double the number of classes offered next year. -- By Geralda Miller, Reno Gazette Journal March 31, 2004 – Supreme Court justices raised more than $1.5 million – Gaming companies, large law firms top list of donors – Nevada's Supreme Court justices raised more than $1.5 million to get elected, mostly from gaming companies and large law firms that appear before the high court, according to a new report from the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. The report, titled "The Supreme Jackpot," was released Tuesday and shows a system that is "unfair to those who go before the court and also to the justices themselves," said Paul Brown, PLAN's executive director and lead researcher on the report. "It gives the impression that the judges aren't unbiased, and that's not fair to the judges," he said. The report, the latest in the Jackpot series examining money's influence in politics, shows the average amount raised in a winning bid for the court in 1998 was $172,197, a figure that rose to $313,845 in 2002 – By ERIN NEFF LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL Feb 23, 2004 – Reno women marry in San Francisco – Two Reno women helped make history Sunday when they tied the knot in San Francisco and returned home Monday to the hugs and kisses of their four children . . . the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, which lobbied against the marriage amendment, said opposition to same-gender marriages is rooted in fear of the unknown and fear of change. He said the U.S. Constitution guarantees equality and that gay marriages will someday be as accepted as marriages between races or between people with different religions. Although proponents of same-gender marriage admit they are bucking thousands of years of tradition, Fulkerson said, slavery, mixed-race marriages and laws limiting women’s rights also were once traditional. “What is important is how equal access under law is best served — and it certainly isn’t served by denying rights to people of the same gender,” he said. -- Reno Gazette Journal February 08, 2004 – Divide over tax increases has loyal Republicans at odds – . . . Assemblyman Chad Christensen is becoming something of the hanging chad of local Republican politics. Not only did he pay himself $16,000 in cash from his campaign fund with no disclosure of how he spent it, he also violated the new federal campaign finance law with a contribution to Bush-Cheney '04. Christensen's campaign report shows a $1,000 payment on Nov. 14, 2003, to the local Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. Under the new McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, a national campaign cannot accept money from a state political campaign. State political campaign funds could include money prohibited under the federal campaign reforms, said campaign finance watchdog Paul Brown, the executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. Brown said Bush-Cheney would have to return the money. – Las Vegas Review-Journal February 04, 2004 – Law to boost felons' voting not working – Impact sought in black community – Seven months after becoming law, a 2003 bill meant to make it easier for certain former felons to get their right to vote restored is not achieving its goals, officials said. The bill -- AB55 -- is of particular importance to the black community, where a high number of males older than 18 are former felons, said Paul Brown, regional director for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, a nonprofit group that testified on behalf of the bill in the 2003 Legislature. – Las Vegas Sun PLAN Editorial – December 2003 – This year played out faster than a roll of quarters on a tight video poker machine – Back in January, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada hit the ground sprinting and we've never stopped. Readers Note: This Editorial was published in Las Vegas CityLife, a News and Culture Weekly newspaper January 15, 2004 – Gibbons launches education initiative – CARSON CITY -- Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev. kicked off his campaign today for a constitutional amendment to require the Legislature to fund education before making other budget decisions . . . The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, an organization of labor, racial minority groups and gays, said the petition does not address the critical problem of providing adequate money for the schools. "If these people were serious about helping education, they'd be running an initiative to fund Nevada schools at the national average," Bob Fulkerson, state director of the alliance, said. He said Nevada ranks 48th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in education spending per pupil. – Cy Ryan - Las Vegas Sun |