LIBERATE LAUGHLIN

This Tuesday Laughlin Will Be Occupied By A Hostile and Illegitimate Government

(January 11^th, 2009)

This Tuesday at the Laughlin Town Hall, a dark day will dawn. As Eastern Europe collapsed in the vanguard of Communist armies in the waning days of the Second World War, the people of that unfortunate part of the world had governments, not of their choice, imposed on them against their will. On this Tuesday in history, that grim scenario will play out again in our own community.   

Prague Winter

By now most of you know that newly elected County Commissioner Steven Sisolak on his very first day in office chose to break with nearly two decades of practice by his predecessor Bruce Woodbury and summarily dismissed the voting rights of the citizens of Laughlin. Rejecting four of the five candidates elected in a free and fair poll for the Laughlin Town Advisory Board, he instead packed the board with a controlling majority of Democrats from the extreme left wing of that party. You’d think someone who won with a minority of the vote would try and not annoy his constituents so fast

This morning he was interviewed on KLAS-TV in Las Vegas by political pundit Jon Ralston on the current events program Face To Face. The good Mr. Ralston started off strong asking him if he was being partisan but then let Sisolak repeat several comments he’s made this last week that range from patently untrue to disingenuous. So what did the notoriously aggressive Buffalo Bulldog do? He took Sisolak's word for it and moved on to the next issue. He needs to tell his producer to do a little research. Steve Sisolak should tell his staff to do the same.

Blame It On Bruce

He claimed that if his predecessor Bruce Woodbury picked all Republicans to fill the Board for years than that was partisanship as well. Well first of all I seem to recall our parents telling us something about two wrongs don’t make a right. And I think lying was there as well. Bruce Woodbury did not appoint all Republican Boards, despite the claim of one of Sisolak’s unelected appointments that the Board has never had a Democrat. This is a bald faced lie. Democrat Debbie Dauenhauer not only served on the Board but was its Chair. Democrat Robert Bilbray, cousin of former Democratic Nevada Congressman James Bilbray, served on the Board for years. And there were others. But the real point is that Bruce Woodbury didn’t appoint anyone. He confirmed the choices made by the voters. If more Republicans than Democrats were elected, well I think that’s how elections work. The objections from Sisolak’s camp seem very Soviet. As if the Party Commissar needs to give the people “guidance” because of their “political error”. Think Czechoslovakia in 1968. Only once in his decades long tenure did Bruce Woodbury exercise his legal right to pass over a candidate chosen by the voters. The uproar was immediate and being the decent man he was he admitted it was a mistake and never did it again. Sisolak may have acted legally, but he did not act morally in abolishing voting rights in Laughlin.

Sisolak claimed the polling was designed to keep longtime incumbents on the Board. Only one member, Cheryl Crow, who chaired the Board’s Parks & Recreation Committee, had served more than a few years. Sisolak claimed the polling was unfair. It’s true that only about one in four voters chose to cast ballots for the Town Advisory Board, but if low voter turnout is grounds to annul an election, Oscar Goodman is in serious trouble.

The Bully’s Big Lie

Perhaps the most insulting comment was that the poll was flawed. Like any good community we have a number of people who collectively represent the Laughlin civic establishment. A few are dedicated public servants but most of these people are hard working volunteers in our service organizations, PTA groups, churches, youth athletics, social service organizations, the Friends of the Library and the like. A small number of such people can be considered political actors of one sort or another. Like those who run for or take political office or even opinionated bloviators like KLBC-TV General Manager Bruce Clark or myself. But we choose to swim in the shark pool.

The straw poll was administered for much of the day by Jessie and Dottie Lewis. These two hard working and dedicated people first served for decades as public school teachers and now it’s hard to think of a volunteer activity you don’t find them at whether it’s a service club or the Metro Police Volunteers or a charity fund raiser or the Friends of the Library annual cruise. But they’re not politicians. And they’re as honest as I am conceited. And let me tell you that’s honest.

The Clark County Elections Department has seen fit to have the Lewis’ serve as volunteer field registrars for years. But apparently Steve Sisolak and his gang think that they’re stuffing the ballot box or turning away legitimate voters. The straw poll was run off of the same voter rolls as the general election and the results counted by so many people, including county employees, that it would take Houdini to rig the vote. Steve, if you want to pick a fight with someone you can pick me, but leave non political people out of it. That’s simply the act of a bully.  

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