Tin-Eared Harry Reid Files Part I: HR 3548 to extend emergency unemployment benefits to his state with the nation’s 2nd highest unemployment rate, is stalled in his US Senate. The House gave it to him on 9/22 after only 12 days there.  Senator Harry Reid then proceeded to just sit on the bill for 17 days before doing anything with it. Then it finally came up and Sen Jon Kyle had some issues, but then so did Sen Jean Shaheen, but Sen Dick Durbin is blaming only the GOP.

And Harry Reid, who is supposed to be leading this body and caring about his state, couldn’t care care any less than he does about any of this while his state’s residents suffer.

Today marks the 26th day without any action or leadership, whatsoever, on this from Sen Harry Reid…none!

Harry Reid has earned his defeat many,many, many times over!

If only he’d show some interest in his own state‘s unemployed

Pay attention to Mitch: Sen McConnell came right out the other day and said the healthcare bill will not get out of the US Senate. I’m tending to agree with him, but for other reasons.  And for the first time the pundits are talking about a veto. Remember you heard that here first too…way, way back in the early summer! I really think President Obama will veto something that doesn’t meet the demands he made on the Congress; but I still don’t think it will get to his desk at this point.

We’ll get into a possible veto in a piece soon!

The bill is a turkey so far and in DC, a bad bill is always worse than no bill at all.

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Chris G Files: Every person ever born in Clark County was listed as a host for Chris G’s fundraiser at the Stirling Club in an effort to scare off potential challengers, but she still has two big issues with the FBI not yet giving the all-clear to her husband, Gary Gray-Giunchigliani, and that $40,000 she took from Uncle Sheldon.

We still don’t know if Culinary 226 is going to put up people to challenge those who dared to cross them but if they’re giving Chris G or John Cahill a free pass, you’ll see that they lack the muscle to politically threaten anyone here anymore.

Most of the other unions here think 226′s D Taylor is now all bark and no bite after being slapped down during the 2008 caucus.  With allegedly way more than 65% of his membership now being foreign nationals unable to vote, maybe that’s true?

Chris G is a good commissioner and I’d be scared to take her on too if I were Taylor.

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Tin-Eared Harry Reid Files Part II: Uncle Harry released his new commercial touting his help bailing out CityCenter—which is pretty much owned by Dubai World—a foreign government-ish concern. Using MGM-Mirage chair James Murren was very dumb—he’s one of those ‘big shots’ we told Harry never to use!

Aren’t Harry Reid campaign staffers reading WatchDogWag for timely tips and handy advice anymore?

Labor unrest in an election year? James Murren has some major issues brewing with the dealers at his properties and Murren does not have the affection of employees that Terry Lanni did.

Murren outsourcing hundreds of jobs at Mandalay Bay and Culinary & Bartenders allowing for local temp agencies there,  isn’t sitting well, at all, with MGM-Mirage employees as thousands of rank and file are now on on-call status.

There were nothing but non-union temps at the Shriner’s benefit concert there last night.

Then you have to consider the tens of thousands who applied at CityCenter who didn’t get chosen and the vitriol and invective all over the Net over how poorly they handled their hiring process. Do you think reminding those voters was wise?

Plus, MGM-Mirage now has 5 active shareholder lawsuits that would have never been filed had they listened to my advice and split the company into three new operating units and gave their stockholders equity in each; they wouldn’t have needed a dime from Dubai, or taxpayer supported banks, had they done that!

MGM-Mirage CityCenter headed for bankruptcy?

Their debt loads are gargantuan and many people believe a bankruptcy filing is inevitable.

In a nutshell, MGM-Mirage’s Jim Murren is badly damaged goods and could generate bad headlines, so you don’t put him in your campaign ads when you’re also badly damaged goods like Harry Reid.

This is what happens when you have DC firms who don’t know squat about Nevada doing your ad work.

Nothing but little kids, and babies, and old folks, and puppies, and kittens, and daisies, and daffodils, and Landra…that’s it, no one else; that’s if you want to have even a sliver of a chance at winning Uncle Harry.

Everything and everyone else only serves to remind us why the entire state of Nevada doesn’t like Senator Harry Reid.

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Good Point!: A highly respected law/lobbying firm like Jones & Vargas should not be representing NVDEMS under any circumstances if one of their partners—Tammy Peterson— is a Dem, personally blessed by DNC Rep Sen Steven Horsford, who Jones & Vargas clients may have interests before, given his Carson City position—plus, she’s getting free, undisclosed services from NVDEMS’ staffers of the NV Senate Caucus funded fully by Dem donors.

Assembly and Senate NVDEMS caucus staffers are now acting like campaign consultants by forcing candidates to sign blood oaths and demanding a cut off the top as the feeding frenzy on south Valley View continues unabated in anticipation of major loses next year.

They want theirs and they’re going to stuff their pockets with as much as they can get.

It is another giant loophole in Nevada’s poor campaign disclosure laws that allows for a super-rich, super-special interest connected, privileged attorney like Tamara Beatty Peterson—a partner in one of the state’s premier firms—to enjoy undisclosed freebies!

Yes, it would be highly unethical, and would leave an indelible smear on this fine firm so yes; JV should have recused themselves from NVDEMS’ landlord dispute and recommended another firm as long as their partner is a candidate, and as long as they may have conflicting interests with the state senator(s) who personally recruited their partner for public office.

Jones & Vargas now looks like they’re buying indulgences for their clients with Nevada Senate leader Sen Steven Horsford because they already own Sen Bill Raggio who is also a partner in the firm.

Covering all their bets?  You betcha!

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Super ambitious Wolfie faces a career ending vote despite the groovy beard

At Seniors United: Councilman Steve Wolfson said the new City Hall vote next month will be the ‘toughest he’s ever cast’ and rejected my contention that our Ward hates the idea (sorry Stevie-boy, I live in the Ward too and work its precincts; by 9:1 we hate the idea!), but Oscar! wants it, so it looks like it’s going to happen.

If Steve Wolfson wants higher office, as such an ambitious guy certainly does, he should vote ‘no’ next month; a ‘yes’ vote will act as a millstone around his neck for the rest of his political life.

Why even take the chance of ruining your career by circumventing NV law for a project that will only benefit a couple of hundred people during construction and only serves to super-enrich connected fat-cats at taxpayer expense?

It’s also time to do some deep digging into Forest City and all of the multi-layered financing schemes, scams, and land swaps that are circumventing Nevada law and rejecting required voter approval. It appears Forest City just wants the more valuable land, so there should be something ironclad that if they don’t develop, that they cannot sell/flip and must return the Symphony Park parcels to taxpayers in five years.

That would be exceedingly fair and would protect taxpayers too!

Watch their super-negative reaction and the negative reaction of their patrons at City Hall to such a suggestion, and you’ll see what this new City Hall (Haul) scheme, scam, and taxpayer rip-off is really all about!

NV legislature sidebar: It’s long passed time to permanently yank ‘Oscar’s Slush Fund—Redevelopment Fund’ to help pay the state’s bills; 25 years of nothing but two or so projects give you the opening.

Nothing is happening downtown because all the connected guys are waiting for their cut first.

Permanently remove the slush fund and watch downtown take off!

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Meetings ran late: So I missed Rory’s kick off and I’m told the food was good but he was a snoozer. Everyone who attended the Women’s Demo luncheon 6 days earlier reported he was a snoozer there too. I read his 9,437 page campaign manifesto and that too, was a snoozer!

If you’re having trouble sleeping, the prescription is Rory Reid! He may even be covered by the Medicare prescription drug benefit!

We’re quite proud though that Rory Reid has embraced our suggestion that he run a ‘Dull is Desirable’ campaign!

Mike Zahara
10182009
WatchDogWag.com