Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service aspects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.

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We take care of the housing problem of our people
By Kenny Guinn*1

Last week I read in the paper that the average sales price for a home in the Carson Valley rose by $40,000 in just one year. The increase in home prices throughout our state, along with our rapid population growth, has made it difficult for many in our communities to find affordable housing. In light of this, I wanted to let you know about the efforts of our state's Housing Division to help low- and moderate-income citizens obtain economical housing.*2

Each year, the U.S. Department of the Treasury provides low-interest, tax-exempt bonding capacity to the division to be used by Nevada¡¦s business community to produce affordable housing. Since its creation by the Legislature in 1975, the Housing Division has used this bonding capacity to assist more than 19,500 first-time homebuyers to obtain safe and reasonably priced homes in their communities. To date, the initial principal loan values for these new homes amount to nearly $1.5 billion.

As home prices continue to escalate and homeownership becomes increasingly difficult, the need to provide alternative housing opportunities for Nevadans grows even more important. Since 1995, our state has seen a steady increase in the construction of residential housing. The division plays a key role in expanding these housing options across the state, thereby creating hundreds of construction related jobs each year.

Last year, the division issued nearly $128 million in tax-exempt bonds that allowed developers to build more than 2,800 units, which represents about 30 percent of this market. And, since its creation, the division has helped finance more than 25,000 residential units. The division also administers a federal tax-credit program that provides economic incentives to developers to construct specialty housing, including senior and assisted living units.

The Housing Division requires the new projects financed under its programs to meet certain energy efficiency standards, and the division is working to upgrade older units as well. Recently, a seniors' apartment project in Henderson, which was financed by the agency, became the first affordable housing development in our state to meet the federal Energy Star efficiency standards. The cost savings generated by this superior energy rating will help the seniors living in this development to live more economically and comfortably. Moreover, last year, the state assisted nearly 1,000 low- and moderate-income homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

In 2003 alone, Nevada added more than 90,000 residents. Therefore, it is important for us to continue our partnership with the business community to ensure that affordable housing is available for our citizens. I would encourage those of you who are interested in learning more about the Housing Division's programs to visit its website at http://nvhousing.state.nv.us/.*3

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

*1. Dr. Kenny Guinn is the Governor of Nevada, U. S. A..
*2. Ofiice of the Governor. 'A message from Governor Kenny Guinn -- March 3, 2004,' " An E-mail from the Office of Governor Kenny Guinn to Dr. Tony Lei," (March 3, 2004), Carson City, Nevada: Office of Governor Kenny Guinn.
*3. Ibid.

About the Author:

Kenny Guinn, 67, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Physical Education from Fresno State University and later obtained a doctorate in Education from Utah State University in Logan. He was named Superintendent of Schools in Clark County and served with distinction in that position until 1978.

In his work for the Clark County School District, Guinn was recognized as an effective administrator committed to educational excellence at a time when the county was experiencing exponential student growth. His service to Clark County students was honored when Kenny C. Guinn Junior High School was named for him.

In 1978, Guinn began applying his management skills in business as Administrative Vice President for Nevada Savings and Loan in Las Vegas, which later became PriMerit Bank. At PriMerit, he was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Las Vegas-based bank. Soon thereafter, Guinn was recruited to the energy business as the President of Southwest Gas Corporation and eventually became Chairman of the Board of Directors of that utility in 1993.

In 1994, Guinn was recruited by the University of Nevada Board of Regents to serve as interim president of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

In addition to his one-year term at UNLV, Guinn served the state in leadership roles on a variety of committees and commissions, including the Clark County Community College Advisory Committee, the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees, the White House Conference on Children and Youth, among others.

Guinn has also worked in his community in a variety of volunteer roles, ranging from involvement in the Boy Scouts and Pop Warner Football to the United Way of Southern Nevada and the Southern Nevada Independent Youth Athletic Association.

Dr. Kenny Guinn is now the Governor of Nevada, U. S. A. at his second term.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service aspects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.

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On Public School Funding --- Statement from Governor of Nevada Kenny Guinn
By Tiffany Chang

Microcomputer Revolution is great, but it has not trasfermed America's schools. Many people expected that it would do so, however, were probably unrealistic because the amazing technical achievements of the last two decades have been superimposed on an education system designed for another era and a different society.

"It is no longer a question of what should we do, but rather what must we do to create schools for 21st century? According to Branson (1990), there are two approaches to improving American education: (1) patch up the existing system or (2) design a new one. If so, the "patches" attempted to date apear to be reaching a point of diminishing returns, and calls for fundamental change are increasing." *1

Nevada has been featured by the international perspectives of a modern city of Las Vegas, among others. "The demands on America's young people in a global society call for a total redesign of our current educational structure. No longer can we follow a century-old model to prepare students for a high technology, multi-cultural, information rich age. We believe the current secondary school model lacks vision, integrity, and intellectual respect to function even at lowest student, parental, community, business, and academia expectations. The Minnesota New Country School is an attempt to start with a clean slate and design a high school that can meet the needs of students for today and tommorrow." *2

Funding education has been a great enterpreneurship in America. "In 1991 the state of Minnesota sponsored a competitive funding opportunity to promote advanced technology alternative education sites throughout the state. Four educators and a broad base of community support lead to the birth of The Minnesota New Country School. The school serves 80 students, grades 7-12, and has $150,000 in state of the art technology." *3

It is our pleasure to post the Press Release of the Office of Governor Kenny Guinn on March 2, 2004 as in the following:

For Immediate Release: March 2, 2004

Print Version (Word) Contact Greg Bortolin or John Trent
775-684-5670

STATEMENT FROM GOV. GUINN on PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING*4

CARSON CITY - Gov. Kenny Guinn has released the following statement regarding the initiative petition filed to raise Nevada's public school funding to the national average:

¡§The filing of the initiative petition ensures further discussion about the future of education for our children. So I am looking forward to the debate that will be forthcoming. Ultimately, it is the will of the people that will decide this issue, and I have great faith that our citizens will decide what is best for them.

"As I*5 noted in my State of the State Address in 2003, education isn't just on my agenda. It is my agenda. Because as everyone knows, education is a crucial component to the overall economic health of our state. Therefore, in the coming months, it will be interesting to hear what improvements the people of our state will receive from this proposed investment." *6

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

*1. Jordan, William; and Follman, Joseph M.. (1993) "Using Technology to Improve Teaching and Learning," Greensboro, North Carolina:South Eastern Regional Vision for Education.
*2. Sechrest, Thomas; Thomas, Michael; and Estes, Nolan. (1995) "Leadership for Creating Educational Changes; Integrating the Power of Technology. Volume 1," Austin, Texas: The University of Texas at Austin.
*3. Ibid.
*4. Office of the Governor. 'Statement from Governor Guinn on public school funding,' "An e-mail of the Office of Governor Kenny Guinn to Dr. Tony Lei," Carson, Nevada: Office of Governor Kenny Guinn.
*5. Dr. Kenny Guinn is the Governor of Nevada, U. S. A. with the following Education: BA Fresno State Univ., 1957; PhD Utah State Univ., 1970. (*According to the search from yahoo.com.)
*6. Office of the Governor. Ibid.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service aspects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.

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"OUTSTANDING DEMOCRAT OF THE YEAR" 2003 ---
Assembly Leader Barbara Buckley
By PAI of WBTI*1

We are pleased to post the message of the coming event and champagne reception party by the Paradise Demcratic Club for Nevada:

Dear Friend:

We are proud to serve as co-chairs for the Paradise Democratic Club's "Outstanding Democrat of the Year" 2003 Champagne Reception honoring our dear friend Assembly Leader Barbara Buckley.*2

This year's event will be held on Wednesday April 8, 2004 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Bally¡¦s Hotel Skyview room 26th floor. Please consider sponsoring this event by purchasing a table of 10. Individual tickets may be purchased for a reasonable money each.

As a lasting tribute to Barbara, we will produce a commemorative journal. To make the evening a success, we need your support. Please consider purchasing an ad in the journal. The Paradise Democratic Club uses all proceeds from the sale of these ads to assist Democratic candidates.

If you have any questions, please call John Ponticello at 363-2456 or Gary Hallmark at 871-1835.

We are anxious to make this event special for Barbara, because of her beliefs in the ideals and principals of the Democratic Party and because she has always been there for us.

Sincerely,

Harry Reid Shelley Berkley Oscar B. Goodman

U.S. Senator Congresswoman Mayor, Las Vegas

Dina Titus "Mr. Speaker" Richard Perkins

State Senate Majority leader Speaker, Nevada Assembly.*3

***********************
PARADISE DEMOCRATIC CLUB OF LAS VEGAS

"OUTSTANDING DEMOCRAT OF THE YEAR RECEPTION"

HONORING The Majority Leader of the Nevada Assembly

Barbara Buckley

as "THE OUT STANDING DEMOCRAT OF THE YEAR" 2003

and

Debbie Trudell, Joe Bifano and Lois and Bert Mack as

"Grass Roots Democrats of the Year" 2003

With a Special Recognition Award to Justin Gilbert

This year's event will be held on Thursday April 8, 2004, 7 to 9 PM at Bally's hotel Skyview room on the 26th floor. To buy tickets, cosponsor (buying a table of 10) or place an ad in the Commemorative Journal please use the form below

If you have any questions call John Ponticello at 363-2456.*4

The following is a part of the article written for Senator Harry Reid awarded "Outstanding Democrat of the Decade," by Tiffany Chang.*5

On October 22, 2000, U. S. Senator Harry Reid received the "Outstanding Democrat of the Decade" 1990's Award from the Paradise Democratic Club of Las Vegas (PDCLV) at the Skyview Room of the Bally's Casino and Hotel, Las Vegas. In the Program, the National Anthem was sung by Rose McKinny James. The Event was chaired by the President of PDCLV, John Ponticello. He introduced participants of all the elected officers, leaders of unions, persons campaigned for public service, among others. The Keynote Speaker was Senator Harry Reid. Special Speakers were U. S. Senator Richard Bryan, U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, and U. S. Senate Candidate Ed Bernstein. Comments were offered by Rory Reid, Nevada State Democratic Party Chairman, and Danny Thompson, Secretary/Treasurer of Nevada State AFL-CIO. Remarks were deliverred by past Honorees (who were in attendance): Charlie Waterman, 1980's; A.G. Frankie Sue Del Papa, 1990 (with a letter); Hon James H. Bilbray, M.C. Ret., 1991 (with response); U. S. Senator Richard Bryan, 1992; U.S. Senator Harry Reid, 1993; D.A. Stewart Bell, 1994 (with response); Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, 1995; County Commissioner Yvonne Akinson Gates, 1996; Senator Dina Titus (with response), 1997; Jan Laverty Jones, 1998 (with response); Mayor Oscar Goodman, 1999 (with a letter).

The heightlight of the Event was the presentation of the Outstanding Democrat of the Decade Award to U.S. Senator Harry Reid by the President of PDCLV, John Ponticello. U. S. Senator Reid graduated from Utah State University in 1961. He received Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University. On April 10, 1998, he was honored as Advisor and Vice Chairman of the Advisory Board of Washington Business and Technology Institute.*6

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

*1. PAI of WBTI is the initials of the Public Administration Institution (PAI) of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI).
*2. Democratic Paradise Club. 'Invitation Card,' "An e-mail to Dr. and Mrs. Tony Lei from the President of the Democratic Paradise Club John Ponticello," (March 1, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: Democtatic Paradise Club.
*3. Ibid.
*4. Ibid.
*5. Chang, Tiffany. 'Senator Harry Reid awarded Outstanding Democrat of the Decade,' (2000), "Nevada Examiner," Las Vegas, Nevada: Nevada Examiner.
*6. Ibid.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service aspects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No Such Thing as "Dropping the Charges" in Domestic Violence Cases
By Bernie Zadrowski*

Want to drop the charges against my husband/boy friend? This is a
phrase often stated by victims of domestic violence to myself and other
prosecutors assigned to the domestic violence prosecution unit. For
whatever reason, usually it is the classic “cycle of domestic violence.
Many believe that a simple phone call to the district attorney
directing them not to pursue the matter is all that it takes to end the
litigation. [FN 1] This, thankfully for the victim, is not the case.

Often my students at CCSN, where I have taught criminal law for the
last six years, are surprised to learn that the district attorney’s office
will pursue a case even after the victim has expressed an interest in
not proceeding. They cannot understand how we would proceed without the
victim (or as is often the case, with a “hostile victim). The simple
answer that I tell them is that they have watched too many police
dramas on television and that in real life, a prosecutor does not have the
ability under the Nevada Revised Statutes to simply “dDrop a case that
can be otherwise proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

A prosecutor must follow the law, and the law states that:

"If a person is charged with committing a battery which constitutes
domestic violence pursuant to NRS 33.018, a prosecuting attorney shall not
dismiss such a charge in exchange for a plea of guilty, guilty but
mentally ill or nolo contendere to a lesser charge or for any other reason
unless he knows, or it is obvious, that the charge is not supported by
probable cause or cannot be proved at the time of trial . . ." [FN2]
NRS 200.485(7))

Thus, there must be a significant problem with the case in order to
discontinue the prosecution. The victim merely not wanting to proceed is
not such a problem ?usually.

Statistics show that there are approximately 1,600 calls per month
reporting domestic violence cases to the LVMPD. [FN3] If the prosecution
in the courts could be accomplished immediately after arrest, the
problem of having a victim who does not wish to proceed would be avoided.
However, there is always the passage of time that creates problems. Many
of the cases wherein an arrest was made will be approved for
prosecution, complaints will be drafted, and subpoenas will be sent out days,
weeks, or months later. Many problems may surface after this point.

For instance, a victim and/or witness may attempt to avoid service of
the subpoena by failing to answer the door when the process server comes
knocking, or she may actually leave the place of residence for a period
of time. Hiding out until the case is over is a fact we frequently
encounter. This, however, will not usually end the case. Frequently the
State will exercise its power and secure a “material witness warrant
whereby the victim will be arrested and brought in to court to give
testimony. [FN4] This is a very harsh way to compel the victim to
testify, and is very infrequently used. We just don’t like to have to put an
innocent victim in jail to get them into court. However, if the crime
is severe enough we will proceed in this fashion. Thus, the State can
proceed in these cases where the victim wishes not to proceed.

An even more frequent problem to successful prosecution is that the
victim will show up to court, but will tell the prosecutor that “nnothing
happened, or “I was exaggerating.“I was the one who started it, not
him is a popular excuse. Now and then we also hear victims tell us
that they never really told the police the things that were written in the
police report and that the “cops lied.
These “recanting victims as they are known in the battery/domestic
violence unit can be dealt with even if they take the stand and recant
their testimony. Often the police officer can be called to testify that
at the time of the incident the victim offered a very different and
compelling statement about the defendant’s guilt. Additionally, the
prosecutor may offer into evidence an audio copy of the original 911 call,
where the victim frantically pleads with the 911 operator to send the
police. Sometimes the police officer can testify about everything that
the victim told him in an “excited utterance. [FN5] These types of
impeachment evidence may offer the judge just enough corroboration to
convict the defendant even when faced with the recanting victim. Thus once
again, the problem of having a victim who wants to “drop the charges
can be overcome.

A recent study found that, nationally, approximately 5 million women
are beaten by their boyfriends or husbands annually, and that
approximately four women are killed by a male intimate partner each day. [FN6]
Nevada is not immune from such violence; one need only look at the
headlines of the newspaper to see that we have our share of domestic violence.
It is a serious problem, one that we have should have zero tolerance
for in our community. Given these horrific statistics, I always remind
my students that the police officers who arrest domestic batterers and
the district attorneys who prosecute them will proceed with all of the
tools that we have at our disposal to convict those who have committed
an act of domestic violence. For a better understanding of why we must
proceed on cases where the victim wants to “drop?the charges, I
suggest taking a look at the section that deals with domestic violence at the
LVMPD web site. It is worth looking at in order to answer the question
of why we must proceed with these cases.

[FN 1] Cycle of ViolenceLVMPD website -
http://www.lvmpd.com/metro/domestic_violence_law.htm

[FN2] Nevada Revised Statutes, sect. 200.485(7)

[FN3] Las Vegas Review Journal, 12/26/03, “UUrban Legend, Domestic
Violence Up all Year?
[FN4] Nevada Revised Statutes, sect. 50.205

[FN5] Nevada Revised Statutes, sect. 51.095

[FN6] Nevada Legislative Council Bureau Research Division, background
95-02
-------------------------
About the author

*1. Bernie Zadrowski is a deputy district attorney assigned to the special
victims unit, battery/domestic violence detail. He is also an adjunct
professor of criminal law at the Community College of Southern Nevada.
*2. The University of Denver
College of Law
Denver, Colorado
J.D. May 1997
*3. The American Academy of Dramatic Arts
New York, New York
A.O.S. Theater, 1990
*4. The University of Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, 1988
GPA: 3.0