May 10, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

'I WANT MY LIFE BACK': Sheriff ends re-election bid
Young, saying he is weary of politics, ends campaign
By MOLLY BALL AND DAVID KIHARA
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Sheriff Bill Young talks with a reporter Tuesday in his office in Las Vegas. Young has decided against running for re-election.
Photo by John Locher.

A campaign sign for Sheriff Bill Young stands Tuesday on Cheyenne Avenue near Rancho Drive. Young, citing family and the death of Sgt. Henry Prendes, has decided not to run for re-election.
Photo by K.M. Cannon.

Sheriff Bill Young's smiling, uniformed image is all over town on campaign signs, and his campaign war chest bulges with almost $1 million.

Yet on Tuesday he abruptly dropped out of the race that was seen as his to lose, endorsing his second-in-command to succeed him and saying it might not be the end of his political career.

"The county would be lucky to have him," Young said of his undersheriff. "You could add up the best qualities of the other candidates in this race, and they wouldn't be a pimple on Doug Gillespie's ass."

Young, who is in the last year of his first four-year term, said he does not know what he will do immediately after his term ends in January. But further down the road, "in six to eight years," he said he might consider running for governor.

"Never say never," Young said, when asked whether he would seek political office again.

Young also expressed relief that he was stepping away from politics and expressed disdain for the realities of political life. He said several times that he was "tired of politics" and the many demands on him and his time.

"I know there's more to life than just politics. And I want that. I want my life back," he said. "I've been sheriff for the last few years. I've lost touch with a lot of my friends, guys I grew up with."

Young's announcement came near the end of the two-week period during which candidates must file their paperwork to run for office in November. Filing began May 1 and ends Friday. Six candidates had filed to run for sheriff as of Tuesday.

Gillespie, who Young picked for the undersheriff's post when he was elected, is scheduled to file for the office today. Young said he would give his campaign money, totaling about $900,000, to Gillespie, as allowed by law.

Young said Las Vegas has become a more violent place in recent years, and that has troubled him.

"The town's getting tougher, and it's not getting any easier," said the 50-year-old Young. "I think there's a lot of criminal element that has come here that has made the town a little harder-edged. I've lived here my whole life. It's become more hard-edged."

Some have speculated that Young -- like his predecessor Jerry Keller, who took a job as vice president of security for Wynn Resorts after he left office -- might accept a lucrative job with a casino.

Sig Rogich, a powerful political consultant who worked on Young's campaign, said he believed Young might have gotten an offer he couldn't refuse, but Rogich said he did not know what it was.

"I think he's got some opportunities that probably have come his way," Rogich said.

Young did not dispel that notion but said that he has no immediate plans and that no casinos have offered him a job.

"I haven't been contacted by them," he said, adding, "(A gaming industry job) could happen. But I think the FBI guys have the corner on that right now."

On Tuesday afternoon, Station Casinos released a statement expressing interest in Young once he is out of office: "Bill Young has done an outstanding job as Sheriff and the citizens of Southern Nevada have been fortunate to have him serve in that position. In the past, we have expressed interest in discussing his joining our company once he has fulfilled his term as sheriff. As Sheriff Young indicated, however, he has a number of opportunities in the private sector to consider and he will make a decision on which opportunity to pursue once he leaves office."

Young said he would not enter into any negotiations about his future while he is still serving as sheriff.

"I'm going to finish my term first before I do anything," said Young, who receives $134,263 per year in salary. "It's not going to be under consideration."

Young joined the Metropolitan Police Department in 1979 as a patrol officer but quickly worked his way through the ranks. In 1984, Young was promoted to sergeant and two years later moved up to lieutenant, according to his department biography.

In 1995, Young was promoted to captain and oversaw the resident officer program, K-9, Air Support and Search and Rescue, according to the biography. In 1999, he was promoted to deputy chief in charge of the county jail and took over as the deputy chief for the Special Operations Division in 2001. He has served on the SWAT team and in Vice/Narcotics.

Young's decision not to run came as a surprise to many, even those who knew about it before Tuesday's announcement.

On the evening of May 2, Young called political consultant Kent Oram, a friend who managed his campaign, and the two had an hours-long, heart-to-heart talk, Oram said.

"We had signs up. We were raising money. He was going to file (today) at 4," Oram said. "It took me by complete surprise."

Oram said running two successive campaigns -- his own and then the More Cops ballot measure, which voters approved in November 2004 -- took a toll on Young. But the sudden death of Young's mother was the knockout punch.

Seventy-year-old Emma Young and her brother died in July in an 18-vehicle pileup on Interstate 80 near Elko.

"All of a sudden -- bang -- she's gone," Oram said. "We put the campaign on hold and waited a month and a half. He said, 'OK, I guess I'll run,' but he wasn't the Bill Young he always was."

Over the weekend, Young was in Carson City for a memorial ceremony for slain Sgt. Henry Prendes. Young, who is originally from Northern Nevada, visited with family and prepared to make an official announcement, Oram said.

"The reason we kept it quiet was that he wanted to tell his command team at the meeting today," said Oram.

Oram has signed on to run Gillespie's campaign.

Billy Vassiliadis, another powerful political consultant who worked on Young's campaign, said he found out Young would not run a few days ago. Vassiliadis said Young has had something of an awakening.

"The police department is like being in the military," he said. "It's always about the next assignment, the next promotion. Someone's always telling you where to go next, and momentum carries you."

Having always effortlessly risen to the next level, Young suddenly asked himself what he wanted for himself rather than what others expected of him, Vassiliadis said.

"About a year ago, he said to me, 'I don't know if I want to do this again. I'm not going to do it just because everybody thinks I'm going to do it,'" Vassiliadis said.

He said Young's charm allowed him to become skilled at the political games of working a room, shaking hands, listening to people sincerely while asking them for money. "But he hates it," Vassiliadis said.

Young might prefer to visit his son in Southern California, "hang out on the beach, play golf and not be criticized for not doing his job," Vassiliadis said.

Clark County District Attorney David Roger, whose office prosecutes the criminals the police catch, said he was disappointed Young would not seek re-election.

"I think he has served the community well during his term," said Roger, who is also finishing his first term in office.

Roger, a Republican, filed for re-election last week and does not have an opponent.

There was widespread speculation Tuesday about possible reasons for Young's decision.

Lt. Ron Williams, 37, has been campaigning for sheriff for several months and has indicated that he planned a negative campaign against Young. After Gillespie said he would file today at 10:30 a.m., Williams, a critic of Young's policies, promptly announced he would file at the same time.

Williams said Young would not have survived the election.

"It's been four years of failure," he said. "If he would have run, his feet would have been held to the fire. We are every reason he is no longer in this race."

Young, who dismissed Williams and the other candidates, said he was confident that he would have won the race had he chosen to run.

Young was also confident that Gillespie is the best person for the job.

He called Williams the "Frances Deane" of sheriff candidates. Deane is the embattled county recorder under investigation in connection with allegations of fraudulently selling sensitive documents.

Gillespie will have the support of political heavyweights Oram, Vassiliadis and Rogich.

Rogich said Gillespie might not have Young's charisma, but he is well-liked by rank-and-file police. "He will command the respect of the troops," Rogich said.

Young said that not seeking a second term will give him the freedom to pursue long-term goals, such as getting a new Metropolitan Police Department headquarters downtown.

He said he will be remembered for the More Cops initiative, which raised sales taxes a quarter of a cent to allow the department to hire 150 to 180 new officers each year. The ballot measure continues to be controversial because it raised taxes and added police without adding resources elsewhere in the county, but Young said history will vindicate him.

"Someday, somebody is going to say, 'That was a good move,'" Young said. "It will be a lasting legacy."

Young said he was looking forward to a new stage of life.

"I've been feeding at the public trough for 28 years now. Now it's time to go out and get a real job," he said.

Review-Journal writer Francis McCabe contributed to this report.

Apr. 30, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

JUDGING THE JUDGES: Three Supreme Court seats up for election
Nine local judges also face voters this year
By A.D. HOPKINS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Two Supreme Court justices and nine Southern Nevada judges answer to the voters in 2006. In Nevada, unlike many states, judges run for office, and the 10-day filing period for the offices opens Monday.

Three Supreme Court seats, occupied by Justices Nancy Becker, Michael Douglas and Robert Rose, are up for election, but Rose, who is currently chief justice, has announced his intention to retire when his term is up at the end of this year.

No candidacy is official until the candidate actually has filed, but two Clark County District Court judges -- Nancy Saitta of the Civil/Criminal Division and Cynthia Dianne Steel of the Family Division -- have indicated they will challenge Becker and Douglas, respectively.

A race between Becker and Saitta would pit candidates who received strikingly similar scores this spring when Clark County lawyers were asked to rate their job performances. Each had a retention recommendation of 70 percent, and about half the lawyers rated each "more than adequate" on job-related characteristics. Becker's scores were a little better on key traits such as case preparation, weighing evidence and argument fairly, and appropriate application of law and rules, but more lawyers see Saitta as courteous.

Douglas received much higher ratings from lawyers than his probable opponent did -- an 81 percent recommendation for retention, versus Steel's 53 percent rating for retention on the family court. Douglas was considered more than adequate in 59 percent of all responses and Steel more than adequate in 29 percent.

Douglas' weakest score was in properly applying law, rules of evidence, and procedure, where 19 percent marked him less than adequate. Some articulated that position in written comments. Douglas, who was appointed to the court in 2004 to fill an unexpired term upon the death of Justice Myron Leavitt, said that the comments "tend to be about my performance when I was still a district judge. ... But I am pleased to see that the majority seem to like me and think I have the opportunity to get better."

Steel had a 42 percent less than adequate on the same question, and 43 percent less than adequate on clearly explaining her decisions.

One lawyer commented, "This judge is caring and means well, but she needs to listen to the attorneys more ... as she often misapplies the law. ... She has the ability to be a good judge, but her personality quirks/personal feelings are getting in the way."

Steel said she could explain neither scores nor comments without knowing who made them. A former legislator who was elected a judge in 1997, she has made one unsuccessful run for the Supreme Court. "I'm running for the same reasons as last time," she said. "Out of seven justices on the court, there ought to be one with a family court background, to understand the dynamics of that bench and the administrative needs of that court."

District Judge Michael Cherry announced in December he will run for the Supreme Court seat being vacated by Justice Robert Rose. In his current seat, lawyers gave him high marks on all substantive issues, but in written comments, some mutter that he is moody. "I was an aggressive lawyer, and I'm an aggressive judge," responded Cherry. "We deal with a lot of people who get out of line, and we have to control our courts."

Cherry, 61, asserts he brings a particularly rich experience to the campaign, serving currently on both civil and criminal cases and also on the court's three-judge panel for construction defect cases. "I had experience in the complex MGM fire and PEPCON explosion cases, and would be one of the few on the court with extensive experience in family law, in 20 years of private practice." He doesn't face election in his current seat until 2008, and so can run for the high court without giving it up. Lawyers gave him an 83 percent recommendation for retention in that seat.

Only two Clark County District Court judges are up for re-election -- Timothy Williams, appointed recently to fill the unexpired term of Judge John McGroarty, who retired, and Douglas Herndon, who was appointed early last year after Judge Ron Parraguirre was elected to the Nevada Supreme Court. By law the two remaining years of those terms must be filled by election, but the interim occupants do not yet have conspicuous opposition, perhaps because aspiring candidates are more attracted to three new seats where they might run unopposed. Williams took the seat too recently to be included in the Judicial Performance Evaluation.

Herndon was given good scores; two of his higher ones, 72 percent more than adequate and 66 percent more than adequate, were for work ethic, and for case preparation and weighing all arguments before rendering a decision. "I'm pleased everybody noticed how hard I worked to be prepared. I guess there are some things people think I need to work on, and I'll do what I can," Herndon said.

Justice of the Peace James Bixler is a candidate for one of three newly created seats on the District Court. Bixler had one of the highest retention rates on the survey, 94 percent, and on job-related traits 74 percent of all responses called him more than adequate. One comment summed up most of the others: "One of the 'good ol' boys' but a good judge none the less."

Seven other JPs who were rated also are expected to run for re-election to the seats they now occupy: William Jansen, Deborah Lippis, Douglas Smith and Ann Zimmerman in the Las Vegas Justice Court, Stephen Dahl and Natalie Tyrrell in North Las Vegas, and Rodney Burr in Henderson.

Only Tyrrell is known to have opposition so far. Tyrrell, who won a three-way race for an open seat in 2000, was given a 67 percent recommendation for retention, and 40 percent of all responses to her questions were more than adequate. She remarked, "My scores went up a little bit, which is always gratifying. I noticed that my lowest score totals 65 percent more than adequate and adequate, and if 65 percent of the voting public think that, I'll be re-elected." That score was for proper application of law and rules of procedure and evidence, on which 35 percent of the lawyers called her less than adequate. But some complimented her courtesy, ethics and energy.

Her opponent is Christopher Lee, a deputy district attorney. He said, "As a prosecutor I have been able to help individuals, but as a judge I will be able to help a larger community, North Las Vegas. The majority of the work is dealing with criminal cases, and it takes someone who has been in the trenches ... to come to a fair decision."

Tyrrell's fellow JP in North Las Vegas, Dahl, had an 89 percent retention rating and some of the highest scores on the survey for individual traits -- 74 percent more than adequate. "He should be on the District Court bench, now, with an eye towards the Nevada Supreme Court, wrote one." But Dahl said, "I like working out here in the smaller city atmosphere." He cites the "Life of Crime" program he runs jointly with Municipal Judge Warren VanLandschoot in which youthful offenders are pulled in to meet policemen, convicts and other sadder-but-wiser folks who explain where the youngsters may be headed. "That would have been harder to bring off in a bigger jurisdiction."

In Las Vegas, Douglas Smith had a 72 percent recommendation for retention, yet about a fourth of the lawyers called him less than adequate on courtesy, and questions about case preparation and properly applying the law. Some written comments were complimentary, but others accused him of bad temper and bias. He responded, "I kicked a DA out of my courtroom for his behavior and knew I was going to be blasted for that by him and his friends. If you want to run against me, put your name on the line, but don't act like that in court."

Zimmerman said, "I like this job but I don't like running for re-election." This year will mark the second time she has had to do it. Lawyers gave her a 77 percent recommendation for retention, and high marks for courtesy and freedom from bias. Some written comments accused her of unduly favoring the prosecution. She said, "I kept the promises I made to be available 24 hours when somebody needed a search warrant; the police know who will answer the phone.

"And I'd like to point out that you've never printed my name in connection with the Galardi trial. I had the opportunity six years ago to have a campaign contribution from that quarter, and I declined."

Lippis opened her campaign with a kickoff party March 22, hosted by Mayor Oscar Goodman. "I love this job and am excited about the changes coming down the pike in Justice Court, the way we're adapting technology so that people will be able to get on the phone and take care of business," she said. Lawyers gave her an 87 percent recommendation for retention, and at least 59 percent called her more than adequate on every trait of a good judge. She won an unexpired term in 1992, and ran again in 1994 and 2000, always unopposed.

Longtime Las Vegas Justice William Jansen will run, his office staff said, but the R-J was unable to reach him for an interview by deadline. Many of the written comments suggested the 70-year-old former FBI agent should retire, yet the bar gave him an 82 percent recommendation for re-election if he decides to serve again.

Rodney Burr of the Henderson Court is up for re-election, but did not return a phone call to inquire about his possible candidacy. He has a 90 percent recommendation for retention and high scores for all characteristics evaluated.

JANE ANN MORRISON: District judge appears antsy to be the Nancy sitting on high court

District Judge Nancy Saitta said she would decide this week whether she's going to run for the Nevada Supreme Court seat held by Nancy Becker since 1999.

Saitta, a Democrat, toyed with the idea of a congressional race against Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., before deciding against that. When interviewed Thursday, she was short on specifics about why voters should bounce Becker.

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Asked whether it's politically astute to be announcing now when her name has been among the hordes of people mentioned by former topless club owner Michael Galardi, and not in a good way, and during a time when voters are disenchanted with politicians in general, Saitta said she would be "proud to stand up and protect the integrity of the judiciary."

Because she would be running midterm, even if she lost, Saitta would have a job, albeit one she seems eager to abandon. If Saitta runs, this would be a rough-and-tumble race between Justice Nancy and Judge Nancy.

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS: After 3 1/2 years as the U.S. public printer, Nevadan Bruce James is retiring from the job. He and his wife, Nora, hope to be home by Christmas, too late to run for any office this year but early enough to think about future elections.

James, a Republican, won the heart of his party when he stepped aside so that John Ensign wouldn't have a resource-draining primary in 1998, weakening him for the general election against Democratic Sen. Harry Reid. (Ensign lost anyway, but by only 428 votes.)

James was appointed by President Bush to be the nation's public printer in 2002 and made a commitment to serve three to five years. He told Bush he would stay on until a new public printer is found to run the Government Printing Office. "This was my first time in government service and my first time living in Washington," James said Thursday, shortly after his retirement became public.

Some Republicans urged him earlier to jump into the crowded Republican governor's primary, but James said that's not going to happen. "Jim Gibbons is in a good position to be elected the next governor," he said.

James, 63, who made his personal wealth in publishing, said he would be a better candidate now than he was before because he's better at public speaking and interacting with people and he understands public service better.

He also will be able to say that he took a government office operating at a $35 million-a-year deficit and made it profitable, using those profits to modernize it. How many politicos can make such a claim?

RATE HIKE: The United States Automobile Association, which insures military personnel and their families, increased auto insurance rates in Nevada by 10 percent and laid the blame on doctors and lawyers running up medical bills unnecessarily.

USAA told its Nevada customers that the auto insurance premiums are going up because "auto claims costs in Nevada are among the highest in the western United States, and our injury claims are two times higher than those in neighboring California." The letter continues: "Fraudulent medical and legal providers fuel these losses by exaggerating injuries, resulting in costly unnecessary medical treatments."

Meanwhile, a federal grand jury in Las Vegas continues its investigation into whether certain doctors and lawyers are in collusion to drive up medical costs for lawsuits.

BIG BROTHER: The Clark County Business License Department is asking landlords to rat out their business tenants. Oh, it's not phrased quite that harshly, but letters have gone out asking landlords to provide lists of their business tenants to the county, so the county can check whether they have business licenses.

It's a voluntary effort, and the county has no recourse if you don't, or if the letter just gets lost in the trash, but officials are hoping that enough people will help them with their enforcement.

It's not just a question of losing money from unlicensed businesses, but the licenses trigger inspections for health, safety and fire, explained the department's Nancy Hancock.

Maybe there's a good reason to snitch on your tenant ... but only if you feel like it. For once, the government can't make you.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0275.

Apr. 14, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Ethics complaint made against municipal judge
By ED VOGEL
REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU

[[[George Assad]]]

Judge to face hearing before Commission on Judicial Discipline

CARSON CITY -- A Las Vegas municipal judge has been charged with violating judicial ethics rules by detaining a woman who was not a party to a case before his court.

Commission on Judicial Discipline prosecutor Mary Boetsch brought the charge against Las Vegas Municipal Judge George Assad on Tuesday. The charge was made public Thursday.

In her complaint, Boetsch said Assad ordered his bailiff to hold Anne Chrzanowski on March 31, 2003.

Chrzanowski had appeared before Assad to tell him the actual litigant, Joshua Madera, was at work and she was there on his behalf. She said she had spoken to someone in Assad's office about appearing for Madera, who faced a traffic citation.

According to Boetsch, Assad ordered Chrzanowski held until Madera arrived and told his bailiff to jail her if he did not show up. Chrzanowski called Madera from Assad's office phone, then was handcuffed and placed in a holding cell until the man arrived.

Boetsch said Assad had "no legal basis" to place Chrzanowski, "a nonlitigant," into custody and his actions violated the Canons of Judicial Conduct. She added Chrzanowski was not given an opportunity to be heard and was denied even minimum due process rights.

The Commission on Judicial Discipline will conduct a hearing and consider disciplining Assad.

Commissioners have the power to remove, censure or suspend a judge with or without pay. They also can order a judge to pay a fine, attend training classes and issue a public apology.

A date for the hearing has not been set.

Apr. 13, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Governor hopefuls pitch business views

Five candidates describe plans for state's economy

By SANDRA CHEREB
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RENO -- The state's five gubernatorial candidates Wednesday appeared on the same stage for the first time in Northern Nevada and sought to woo the region's business community with their visions of how to foster economic development.

Republicans Rep. Jim Gibbons, state Sen. Bob Beers and Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt and Democrats state Sen. Dina Titus and Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson stressed the importance of education to developing a work force and said they support incentives to lure businesses to the state.

Gibbons and Beers stressed fiscal restraint, low taxes and smaller government, with Beers opposing a ballot measure to raise the minimum wage and the congressman criticizing fellow Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Gibbons said the Guinn administration was in "for-profit mode." He added, "When we have surpluses ... that tells me the people in this room are paying too much."

"We need a government that's small and efficient," said Gibbons, who touted his tax restraint initiative in the mid-1990s that requires a two-thirds majority for the Legislature to impose new taxes.

Beers, from Las Vegas, said Nevada could ruin its reputation for being business-friendly and its advantage over other states through taxes and raising the minimum wage to $6.15 per hour from $5.15, a measure that is up for final voter approval in November.

"I believe the minimum wage initiative will hurt the number of entry-level jobs," Beers said.

Hunt, who also opposes the wage increase, said, "I am a business person who just happens to be in politics." She touted her seven years as chairwoman of the state's tourism and economic development agencies and her small-business background.

"When these small businesses are thriving, people are working," she said. Revenues generated by a healthy economy would pay for education improvements and other infrastructure, she said.

Hunt has said the 2003 tax increase pushed by Guinn and approved by the Legislature was unnecessary because it generated a large surplus that later led to taxpayer rebates.

Democrats Gibson and Titus said taxes should be held in check but said they need to be balanced against needs and planning for growth.

"The revenues we're receiving right now are at record levels ... but other things are at record lows," Gibson said.

"When you look at the condition of our education system, we're 47th," he said. The state needs "to apply these revenues to our problems," he said.

Titus, of Las Vegas, said taxpayers want "a fair tax" and to know they are getting their money's worth.

"Just because you have a good year doesn't mean you go in and change the whole structure," she said.

Economic development, Titus said, involves discussions on immigration overhaul, vocational training, health care and natural resources.

"It's all related to quality of life," she said.

About 500 people attended the forum, sponsored by the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada.

Apr. 10, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Gibbons running far ahead of field
Poll finds wide gap in gubernatorial race
By MOLLY BALL
REVIEW-JOURNAL

[[[Beers
"Really bad numbers"

Gibbons
"Where you want to be"

Gibson
"Another wake-up call"

Hunt
"The invisible candidate"

Titus
A Polarizing candidate]]]

Rep. Jim Gibbons is the prohibitive front-runner in the race for Nevada governor, according to a new Review-Journal statewide poll of voters.

The poll shows that the Republican congressman probably would take 50 percent of the primary or the general election vote if either contest were held today. Republican state Sen. Bob Beers comes off as the weakest of the five gubernatorial candidates in the poll, which surveyed 625 Nevadans who said they regularly vote in state elections.

"Nothing's really changed in the big picture since we started tracking these races a year ago," said Brad Coker, managing partner of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., the Washington, D.C.-based firm that conducted the survey April 3 through Wednesday. "Gibbons is still by far the strongest Republican, and he still beats all the Democrats."

Of 268 poll respondents who said they were registered Republicans, 51 percent said they would vote for Gibbons in the primary. Fifteen percent were for Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, and 11 percent favored Beers. Twenty-three percent of Republicans were undecided.

"It's always good to be over 50 percent," University of Nevada, Reno, political scientist Eric Herzik said. "That's where you want to be."

Herzik said the poll should be comforting to Republicans, especially Gibbons, and troubling to Democrats, who will have to navigate considerable obstacles to make headway.

"These results should make Republicans breathe a sigh of relief," he said. "For all the negative publicity Republicans have faced recently, these numbers are pretty good."

But one Republican won't be happy, he added. "These are really bad numbers to Bob Beers. With four months to go, he's still barely in double digits, and he doesn't have the money to take on Gibbons in a media campaign."

The problem, Herzik said, is that even conservative voters who know and like Beers' anti-tax stances don't see a reason to vote against Gibbons. "Bob Beers has been trying to paint Jim Gibbons as a big-spending liberal, but voters remember the Gibbons Tax Restraint Initiative," he said.

The Beers campaign countered that it's still early in the game, and 60 percent of those polled either didn't recognize Beers' name or didn't have an opinion of him.

"Right now, Congressman Gibbons is riding on name (identification)," Beers campaign manager Andy Matthews said. "He has an advantage there because he's spent so much time in the spotlight. But over the next four months, we're going to get our message out, and we'll see that gap close and eventually disappear."

Gibbons also beat both Democratic candidates by double digits when voters were asked about hypothetical general election matchups. The voters chose Gibbons over State Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, 50 percent to 33 percent. Gibbons was the favorite over Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson, 44 percent to 30 percent.

"These numbers aren't a whole lot different than a year ago despite the fact that we've had four candidates taking shots at us for the last year," Gibbons campaign manager Robert Uithoven said. "Jim Gibbons has been able to weather all that."

A Review-Journal poll in May 2005 had Gibbons taking 60 percent of the primary vote, while another in October gave him 53 percent.

There were hints of good news for Gibson in the poll, Coker said. It showed him improving slightly against Titus since the October survey and doing a bit better against Gibbons in the general election.

"His name recognition went up a little bit, and his numbers improved a little bit against Dina Titus, but not a lot," Coker said of Gibson. That, he said, was probably because "Gibson had just gotten into the race the last time we polled," and voters have had a chance to get to know him now.

The Democrats' dilemma is that, although Titus is positioned to win the primary -- the poll has her ahead by 10 points -- she wouldn't fare as well as Gibson in the general election. Herzik sees an opening for Gibson but thinks he must move aggressively.

"This should be yet another wake-up call for Gibson," Herzik said, noting that 65 percent of voters said they either had a neutral view of Gibson or didn't recognize his name. The fact that Gibson brought Gibbons' numbers lower than Titus did indicates that voters whose minds might be closed to Titus still are giving Gibson a chance but don't know much about him, Herzik said.

"Gibson needs to get out there," he said. "I don't think Dina Titus' support is really deep, but he has to get going with a message for the red-meat Democrats."

The problem for Titus, Herzik said, is that she can be a polarizing candidate. "Almost as many people dislike her as like her," he noted.

Asked whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Titus, 29 percent said favorable and 21 percent unfavorable. Comparable numbers for Gibson were 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively, giving him what analysts call a better "spread."

In other matchups, Gibson tied a race against Hunt, while Hunt defeated Titus in a one-on-one matchup.

"One thing that's consistent across several polls is that Senator Titus has really high negatives," Gibson spokesman Greg Bortolin said. "We feel it's virtually impossible for her to get to 50 percent in the primary."

Titus retorted that she could beat Gibson, noting that she has come out ahead of him in every poll. As for the general election, she said she would address Gibbons when he was her opponent.

"Nobody has yet held Jim Gibbons accountable for his record in Washington. He's just been coasting," Titus said. "When we start calling him on the votes he's cast against seniors, minorities and children, the numbers will shift."

Herzik called Hunt "the invisible candidate."

Hunt's camp responded to the poll by questioning its accuracy, saying Mason-Dixon was unreliable.

"You've got to wonder who they called and what they asked," Hunt campaign manager Frank Roberson said. "There's something wrong here. If all the polls said Gibbons had a 36-point lead, that would be one thing," but other polls show a closer contest.

The poll sampled 268 Republicans, 257 Democrats and 100 nonpartisans. Four hundred interviews were done in Clark County, 125 in Washoe County and 100 in rural Nevada. Female respondents slightly outnumbered the men.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points when all voters were surveyed. For the primary questions, the margin of error was 7 percentage points.

Google.cn and Google.com published this section (Election and Public Service) at 9:11 a.m. in the morning on March 31, 2006. It covers about the 25 fliers from January 18, 2006 to March 21, 2006.

Just type your name, the title of a report or an article, your concerned, the name of an organization, an event, or a reporter;{like "Chairperson Elaine Chao", "�⏬��", "�L��䗗���", and among others) on the searching box of Google.cn and Google.com please, and what can you find the good things that Google and WBTI have for you?*2

Many people have a good perspective on Google. Google.cn and Google.com will put more effort and wisdom to contribute to English and Chinese readers being an efficient visitor on the searching of fluent and useful information. Washington Business and Technology Institute's (WBTI's) website has been continuously published by Google.com and Google.cn about every 11 days. We wish advanced performance may be extended from Google.cn to WBTI.*3

You're on Google.cn and Google.com, if you're on Washington Business and Technology Institute's website at http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti

[[[A compliment or encouragement is verbal sunshine! We are pleased to quote the following three short but meaningful ones:
***** No matter how busy you are, you must take time to make other person feel important. ---Mary Kay Ash
***** There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assit another human being---to help someone succeed. ---Alan Loy McGinnis
***** There are two things people want more than sex and money ...recognition and praise. ---Mary Kay Ash
All art, permanent or temporary, has a life in the immediate experience, but then has a life in the imagination. ---Anish Kapoor 1954- :in "Sunday Times" 11 July 1999
"Accomplishment will prove to be a journey, not a destination." ---Dwight D. Eisenhower]]]

[[[Dear Dr. & Mrs. Lei:
I am writing this letter to invite you to my next Senior Advisory Committee meeting at 9:30 am on Thursday, February 23, 2006, at the Lieburn Senior Center, 6230 Garwood Avenue (map is enclosed). ..... Dr. Tony Tung-tien Lei has been U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Senior Advisor since January 2000.]]]*4

[[["It's really my pleasure and honor to be named as an Associate Professor of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration of WBTI. WBTI has a good reputation with its Advisory Board and faculty members. The Board has Governor Kenny Guinn as its Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign as Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman as Executive Directors. With the excellent and informative publications of 'Google.cn', 'Google.com', 'Communitylink of Reviewjournal.com', 'Next Weekly' and among others, high-ranking officials of Nevada with the spiritual leadership of Chairperson Elaine Chao of WBTI have been inspired to help realize the creed for professional righteousness, community service, and humane spirit of WBTI," expressed Justice Michael Douglas of Nevada Supreme Court at the Event and Dinner Party in the Emperor's Garden Restaurant on February 4, 2005 in Las Vegas. It was held by the Committee to implement the ART EXHIBIT of Mr. QIN QUAN XIONG.]]]*5

[[[Some of the significant idea from the letters to Dr. Tony Lei, President of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI):
"It's my great pleasure and honor to be named by you as a Senior Advisor and Honorary Chairman of CCDAPCC of WBTI. Please know that I irrevocably stand by my personal commitment to diversity issues in this state and that my sense of patriotism and faith in America stems from its embrace of that diversity." --A. William Maupin, Chief Justice of Nevada Supreme Court
"As Mayor, I will continue to devote my energies into the preservation and improvement of the standard of living enjoyed here in the City of Las Vegas." --Oscar B. Goodman
"It is only with the dedication and commitment of good people like yourself that I will achieve my goal of becoming Governor of this great state. Dema and I can't thank you enough for your assistance and your positive activivities in the community." --Kenny C. Guinn]]]*6

[[["As the Hononary Chairperson of International Cities Business Council of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI), I'll have more venues to work for international tourism with Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn who is the Chairman of the Advisory Board of WBTI. We're putting all our effort and wisdom to work for our people, land, and country under the spiritual leadership of Chairperson Elaine Chao of WBTI," said Lorraine Hunt, Lt. Governor of Nevada, on November 11, 2005.
The above message was signed by Lt. Governor of Nevada Lorraine Hunt:.....]]]*7

[[["It's my great pleasure to extend my warm greetings of 'Happy Lunar New Year!' to every American and Chinese here in Las Vegas and North America through the Communitylink (at http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti) of the largest newspaper in Nevada, Las Vegas Review-Journal," said James Gibbons, U. S. Congressman and Senior Director of Washington Business and Technology Institute, in the Event and Dinner Party held by Nevada Republican Party and ARCC on January 29, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event and dinner party were sponsored by Asian Republicans of Clark County for a reunion of the lunar new year to the Chinese, Asian, and American people in Las Vegas:.....]]]*8

---------------------------------------------
References

*1. Michael Douglas is a distinguished Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court. Valerie Weber is a famous and achieved Assemblywoman of Nevada and the Minority
Whip of the Assembly. Cheryl Moss is an outstanding District Court Judge of Nevada serving in Las Vegas, Clark County.
*2. PAI of WBTI. 'U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao's on Google!' "A search of 'U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao' on the Google.com," Mountain View, California: Google.com.
*3. Ibid.
*4. Berkley, Shelley. 'I am writing this letter to invite you to,' "A letter from U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley to Dr. and Mrs. Tony Tung-tien Lei," (February 8, 2006), Las Vegas, Nevada: Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Office.
*5. Denton, Mark; Vega, Valorie; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Michael Douglas has been appointed Associate Professor of GSBPA by WBTI,' "A search of 'Justice Michael Douglas wbti' on the Google.com," (March 25, 2006), Mountain View, California: Google.com.
*6. Guinn, Kenny C. 'Nevada Proud of Our Troops in the Middle East,' "Section of 'Business & Administration' of the WBTI website," (March 23, 2006), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.
*7. Hunt, Lorraine. 'As the Hononary Chairperson of International Cities Business Council,' "A search of 'Chairperson Lorraine Hunt' on the Google.com," (March 26, 2006), Mountain View, California: Google.com.
*8. Gibbons, James. 'It's my great pleasure to extend my warm greetings of,' "A search of 'James Gibbons, U. S. Congressman' on the Google.com," (March 27, 2006), Mountain View, California: Google.com.

Apr. 03, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: It's frequent flier mailing time for incumbents

Handy guides just in time for campaigns

By MOLLY BALL
REVIEW-JOURNAL

GOP Rep. Jon Porter, running for re-election, has mailed "Guide to Emergency Services" at taxpayer expense.
Review-Journal

Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson, seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, contrasts his energy plans with Rep. Jim Gibbons' support for big oil and gas companies.
Photo by Gary Thompson.

It's in the fine print under the return address: "This mailing was prepared, published, and mailed at taxpayer expense."

Sending out colorful, glossy mailers at taxpayer expense is a time-honored advantage of incumbency. Republican Rep. Jon Porter took advantage of it last week, when his more than 100,000 constituents in suburban Clark County received a handy "Guide to Emergency Services," complete with the congressman's familiar bespectacled photo on the front.

Advertisement

The large, trifold flier features three tear-off cards printed with emergency numbers -- first off, in bold: 911 -- with space on the back to note personal emergency contacts and meeting places.

The flier includes a checklist for an emergency kit that families should put together, including a flashlight, moist towelettes and cash. It advises residents to "find out what kinds of disasters ... are most likely to occur in your area" and that, in such situations, "you may have trouble getting through" to emergency contacts, "or the telephone system may be down altogether, but be patient."

It must be flier season in Congress. Republican Rep. Jim Gibbons also recently sent a taxpayer-funded mailer to his rural and Northern Nevada constituents, on the hot topic of "Keeping Nevadans Safe." Coincidentally, Gibbons is also running for office; he's seeking the Republican nomination for governor.

Porter's office says his flier was born from a sincere need.

"Our office has heard a lot of concerns about emergency preparedness," Porter spokesman T.J. Crawford said. "We've gotten a lot of great feedback on it. People say, 'We're putting it up on our fridge.' "

Never mind that it just happens to be an election year and Porter just happens to have an opponent in the race to represent the divided congressional district.

"His first priority is making sure his constituents are taken care of," Crawford said.

election year energy plan

Jim Gibson, Henderson mayor and a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, announced his energy platform last week, touting "creative ideas for alternative energy."

He contrasted that concept with what he called "Gibbons' record of baby-sitting big oil and gas companies," saying the two candidates' differences on energy provided an unmistakable way to distinguish between two men whose names are nearly identical.

With Gibbons the Republican front-runner and Gibson in what is seen as a close race, many political operatives dread the prospect of a Gibbons-Gibson general election.

As for the energy plan, Gibson said he would support tax incentives for the purchase of hybrid and alternative fuel cars, and for use of alternative fuels, and would push Nevada universities to do more research on alternative energy.

keeping tabs of contributions

Porter agreed last week to donate to charity $500 his campaign received from a Washington lobbyist who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges Friday. Porter received the funds in 2002 from Tony Rudy, who admitted in federal court to conspiring with the disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff in a political bribery scheme.

"If someone's convicted or pleads guilty, he (Porter) is going to distance himself," said spokesman Crawford, adding that Porter has not decided which charity will receive the money.

Last year, Porter gave $11,000 to Goodwill of Southern Nevada that he had received from former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for taking bribes from a defense contractor.

Since 2000, Porter also has received $35,000 from the political action committee belonging to Rep. Tom DeLay, who is facing campaign finance charges in Texas. Porter has said he will divest himself of that money if DeLay is convicted.

Democrats served notice Friday they are keeping close watch on Porter, who blasted Nevada Democratic Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Shelley Berkley in January over campaign funds they received from Abramoff clients.

Later, Berkley returned $500 from one of the clients.

"Democrats are waiting to see if Porter takes his own advice on this issue," said Kirsten Searer, Nevada State Democratic Party spokeswoman.

Contact political reporter Molly Ball at 387-2919 or MBall@reviewjournal.com. Stephens Washington Bureau writer Raam Wong contributed to this report.

Mar. 31, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Attorney announces candidacy for state Senate District 8
By MOLLY BALL
REVIEW-JOURNAL

An attorney and former Clark County Commission candidate has announced he will run against state Sen. Barbara Cegavske in the Republican primary.

Tim Cory says he will emphasize ethics and that this time, he will stay in the race. In 2004, he filed to run against incumbent County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald, but dropped out after just 10 days.

Cory had previously run for the same seat in 2002 against then-Commissioner Mark James, also a Republican, who narrowly defeated Cory in the primary. In May 2002, Cory announced he was dropping out of that race, but changed his mind later the same day.

Asked whether he could be relied upon to stay in the race this time, Cory said, "Just watch me if you have any doubts."

Cegavske is finishing her first term representing Senate District 8, which encompasses an area of suburban Clark County west of Jones Boulevard and north of Spring Mountain Road.

"I'm looking for a new breed of legislator," Cory said on Thursday. "Voters in District 8 want trust and accountability in their public officials."

However, Cory declined to criticize Cegavske. "I just want to put my best foot forward for voters and give them a choice," he said.

Cory, 56, is a bankruptcy lawyer and serves as a federal bankruptcy trustee, responsible for evaluating and administering business bankruptcy cases. He served as chair of the Clark County Republican Party in 2003, despite having been a registered Democrat until 2001.

"I'm much more comfortable as a Republican," Cory said in explaining the switch. "I come to the table from the conservative side, both fiscally and socially."

According to county elections records, Cory did not register to vote until he was past 40, in 1992.

"I will confess that I, in terms of getting personally involved in politics, used to think someone else would step forward ... and engage my interests," Cory said. But now, he said, "I've had many years engaged in the process, in the community and in politics. I have a track record."

Cory said he didn't yet know what should be done about ethics in government but wanted "to have a real debate about it."

In addition to ethics, he said he would focus on education and tax restraint. He said he would have voted against the 2003 record tax increase, which Cegavske voted against.

"Taxes should be raised only as a last resort," he said. "We should concentrate more on growing the tax base."

However, Cory said he is opposed to the Tax and Spending Control ballot initiative.