Nationality: Chinese, American
Ethnicity: Asian American
Occupation: Secretary of Labor

The year is 1961. President John F. Kennedy has just created the Peace Corps. He speaks idealistically of creating world peace and promoting friendship, of encouraging American volunteers to learn how to work side by side with citizens of developing nations.

In one of those developing nations, Taiwan, eight-year-old Elaine Chao plays in the red earthen clay with her sisters, while her parents, James and Ruth, dream of a better future. James, at the time, was studying at St. John's University in Queens, New York. Later that year, Elaine, her mother, and sisters board a freighter from Taipei to join their father in America.

"It was a wonderful trip for a small child of eight," Chao told Geraldine Baum in a 1992 interview with the Los Angeles Times, shortly after then-president George Bush named her director of the Peace Corps. "My first port of call was Los Angeles. That's where I laid my first foot on America."

Peace Corps
Though Chao had never served as a Peace Corps volunteer, her appointment to head the agency in late 1991 seemed like a natural fit: an immigrant from a developing country heading an agency in the midst of transition. A Republican loyalist who'd campaigned for Bush, California governor Pete Wilson, and other Los Angeles-area Republicans, she represented a new, young and refreshing political face.
The limelight faded quickly, however. Chao lost her job as head of the Peace Corps when Bush lost his bid for reelection. But she had too many skills to disappear entirely. In mid-1992, she was named president of United Way of America, a job that has perhaps stretched her well-touted management skills and experience with nonprofits to the limit.

When Chao took over the job of United Way director, the agency was in turmoil. Former United Way president William Aramony had been pulling in a $390,000 annual salary. He had spent agency donations on first-class airline tickets and had hired a friend with questionable bank dealings as the agency's chief financial officer. As these disclosures became known, local United Way agencies began withholding dues. As the scandal hit the headlines, Aramony resigned under fire. United Way donations plummeted by $140 million between 1991 and 1992.

Chao's job was to reform the agency and help it regain credibility. Selected from a list of 600 candidates, she was praised for her integrity, honesty, and management skills. She did not seek the position, but after accepting the job, called it too good to pass up. "United Way of America is a challenge that I could not decline," she said in an August 1992 interview with the Washington Post.

Born in Taiwan, she emigrated to the United States with her mother and sisters in 1961. The family, rejoining her father, James, settled in Queens, New York. After her father completed college, he formed a shipping and trading business, Foremost Maritime Corporation, which today is well known in international shipping circles.

Chao remembers her father as hard-working and driven, a man who taught his daughters how to fix toilets and apply tar to driveways. He passed on conservative values, stressing the importance of hard work and education in achieving one's goals. As the shipping business prospered, the family moved from Queens to Long Island and eventually to an affluent New York City suburb in Westchester County.

Chao graduated from Mount Holyoke College and received her master's in business administration from the Harvard Business School. She also studied at such prestigious institutions as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dartmouth College, and Columbia University. After completing her schooling, Chao began to climb the corporate ladder. With a background in international banking and finance, she worked from 1979 to 1983 as an international banker at Citicorp in New York. She was selected as a White House fellow to serve at the White House in 1983 and 1984, and joined BankAmerica Capital Markets Group in San Francisco as vice-president of syndications.

After moving to California, she got involved in Republican politics, campaigning for Bush, Wilson, and local politicians. She served as national chairman of Asian Americans for Bush/Quayle in 1988 and spoke briefly at the GOP convention.

Her work was rewarded with an appointment as deputy administrator of the Maritime Administration, which launched her on a slow but steady climb through federal government bureaucracy. After two years as deputy administrator, she became chairperson of the Federal Maritime Commission and then was appointed deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. As she climbed the ranks, she gained a reputation as a confident, hardworking manager. She also gained insights into Washington D.C.'s inside political network.

Chao attended luncheons with Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor, dated various political insiders, and networked heavily. This networking, along with her hard work, made her the highest ranking Asian Pacific American woman in the executive branch in U.S. history.

But some of her stances occasionally infuriated other Asian Americans. For instance, she joined Bush in opposing the Civil Rights Act of 1991 because it promoted quotas, a concept she felt inhibited minorities' meritorious achievements.

Nevertheless, when first appointed Peace Corps director, she spoke of her immigrant roots with pride. At her swearing-in ceremony, she talked about playing with red earthen clay as a child because there were no other toys and of eating duck eggs because chicken eggs were unavailable. "These memories of living in a developing nation are part of who I am today and give me a profound understanding of the challenges of economic development," she said in a January 1992 interview with the Los Angeles Times.

The Peace Corps, at the time, was in the midst of transition. Bush wanted the organization to develop more specialized training for less-poor but highly needy emerging democracies, such as Hungary and Bulgaria. It also was fighting to overcome an image of arrogance that had been fostered through its thirty-year existence. Chao felt she could understand this arrogance well. "I still remember ... how valuable tissue paper was and how rich Americans seemed because they would use it up and throw it away so easily," she said in a 1992 interview with American Shipper magazine. "It's an attitude thing, born out of naturally acquired affluence. It's hard to explain, but it stays with you and you understand the feeling."

United Way Challenge
When she joined United Way, she approached the agency much as she approached the Peace Corps. Just as she visited nearly half of the agency's active volunteers worldwide, she spent much of her first year as United Way director visiting local affiliates from Maine to Oregon, trying to determine what they felt was missing. She felt strongly that making the national organization more sensitive to local needs would be a key to turning United Way around. "This is a redress that is badly needed and is long in coming," she said in a May 1993 interview with the Christian Science Monitor.
To restore public confidence in the agency, Chao started at a salary of $195,000, half the salary of her controversial predecessor. She imposed new travel and expense controls, and restructured programs to put more emphasis on training, field regulation, and service. Before she joined United Way, the agency had increased its board of directors from thirty to forty-seven members to include more local affiliate representatives. To directly serve local agencies, she established a member-services division.

Like most restructurings, the changes at United Way were painful. Nearly one-third of the agency's staff was let go, and its budget was cut by one-third. But Chao is slowly getting results. As of late 1993, most affiliates who had withheld dues had returned to the fold. And, although a difficult economy caused a slowdown in charitable contributions, Chao said her prognosis for 1994 was "cautious optimism."

On January 31, 2001, Chao was sworn in as the nation's 24th Secretary of Labor, making her the first Asian-American woman appointed to a President's cabinet in U.S. history.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Family: The family, rejoining her father, James, settled in Queens, New York. After her father completed college, he formed a shipping and trading business, Foremost Maritime Corporation. Education: Chao graduated from Mount Holyoke College and received her master's in business administration from the Harvard Business School. She also studied at such prestigious institutions as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dartmouth College, and Columbia University.*2

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

*1. Google.com. 'A profile of Elaine Chao,' "A search of 'elaine chao' on the Google.com," (July 4, 2005), U. S. A.: Google.com.
*2. Ibid.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 30, 2005 Contact Greg Bortolin or John Trent
775-684-5670

CARSON CITY � Gov. Kenny Guinn announced today that Nevada has received a $528,500 National Emergency Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor as a precautionary measure in case the Department of Defense closes the Hawthorne Army Depot.

揟his grant application is by no means a concession in our effort to preserve the Hawthorne Army Depot, which is so vital to Mineral County抯 economy,� Gov. Guinn said. 揕ast week in Clovis, N.M., I told the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) that I strongly disagreed with their recommendation to close the army depot in Hawthorne and that the process in which the commission reached its decision was flawed. However, early intervention and planning for a worst-case scenario is a responsible step to take.�

The $528,500 early planning grant will be administered by Nevada抯 Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. Birgit Baker, department director, said Gov. Guinn directed her department to apply for the grant in early June. She said the funds would be funneled through the Governor抯 Workforce Investment Board to conduct a community survey and impact analysis, and to craft an economic diversity plan for the region.

The Governor said being proactive by utilizing the emergency grant funds to craft a plan for Hawthorne抯 future economic diversification is the wise action to take. If the base escapes closure � Hawthorne will have an updated plan for broadening its economic base.

U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, said the Department of Labor allocated more than $28 million in emergency grants to 35 states, the District of Columbia and Guam, each of which could be affected by the 2005 BRAC recommendations. "These funds will help communities develop their transition plans and, in some instances, enhance the economic development program that will be key to helping workers and communities adjust and create new opportunities as the BRAC process moves forward."

Office of the Governor
101 North Carson Street
Fax: 775-684-7198
Grant Sawyer State Office Building
555 East Washington, Suite 5100 Las Vegas, NV 89101
Fax: 702-486-2505

"Under the recommendation of President Dr. Tony Tung-tien Lei, Ms. Wendy Yu-ping Wu and Taiwan Benevolent Association of America have received a Certificate of Recognition from U. S. Congressman Jon Porter dated July 30, 2005. She was appointed Assistant Fellow of Public Administration Institution (PAI) and Chairperson of Interstate Business Cooperation and Development Council by Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) on May 11, 2005." The announcement was made on Saturday, July 1, 2005, by Dr. John Wang, Spokesperson for WBTI in Las Vegas, Nevada, U. S. A.*2

The following is the statement of the Certificate of Recognition:

[[[[ Congressman Jon C. Porter
United States Congress
Washington, DC 20515-2803
July 30, 2005

United States Congressman
Jon C. Porter
Recognizes and Honors
Wendy Wu
FOR YOUR DEDICATED SERVICE AND PROFOUND COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE TAIWAN BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

July 30, 2005
Jon C. Porter
United States Congressman ]]]]]*3

"On behalf of Taiwan Benevolent Association of America, it's my great honor to receive the Certificate of Recognition from U. S. Congressman Jon Porter. As a faculty member of Public Administration Institution and Chairperson of the Interstate Business Cooperation and Development Council of Washington Business and Technology Institute,*4 it's my pleasure to put some of my effort and wisdom to the community service and humane spirit of the Institute for the people and communities of Nevada," said Ms. Wendy Yu-ping Wu in San Jose, California after she was informed by President Dr. Tony Tung-tien Lei about the greetings letter through the phone call and WBTI website at http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti by Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Ms. Wendy Wu plans to complete her term as President of the Taiwan Benevolent Association of America (TBAA) on July 30, 2005. Based on her excellent experience, knowledge, enthusiasm, and professionalism, Ms. Wu has elevated the TBAA to new heights in terms of its national recognition, quality of work, and its significance among many American Chinese and Asian American institutions in this country.

Soon, the TBAA is scheduled to hold its next 28th Annual Conference during July 29-31, 2005, in Las Vegas, Nevada. In light of Ms. Wendy Wu's efforts and unselfish spirit in promoting cross-cultural understanding and mutual respect for diversified interests rising from a variety of the communities, she has already become a real dynamic force and role model in the common pursuit of improving quality of life for our society.

As the largest civic organization representing U.S. immigrants from Taiwan, the TBAA currently has approximately 15 chapters and 30,000 active members nationwide. Their members are concerned about the new developments in Cross-Strait Relations, the U. S. China Relationship and the Asian Economy. They are increasingly focused on working with mainstream American society on these and other issues. Your participation would greatly inspire them as they move forward to achieve their goal.*5

"It's our honor to have U. S. Congressman Jon Porter's Certificate of Recognition to Ms. Wendy Yu-ping Wu in welcomimg the people from all around the world to Las Vegas to participate the 28th Annual Convention of the Taiwan Benevolent Association of America. We're also pleased to have Ms. Wendy Yu-ping Wu's interest in offering her caliber whose integrity, knowledge, and experience may bring to Washington Business and Technology Institute an interstate perspective," points out President Dr. Tony Lei of WBTI. "Throughout Ms. Wendy Wu's distinguished endeavor, she has accomplished a great deal of business and community service practices and earned a good reputation as a conscientious and dedicated professional. Taiwan Benevolent Association of America and Wendy deserve the significant Award and Greeting from U. S. Congressman Jon Porter." *6

------------------------
> Dear U. S. Congressman Honorable Jon C. Porter,*7

> Dr. Tony T. Lei, Advisor of Taiwan Benevolent Association of Las Vegas [President of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI)], Mrs. Wendy Wu, Chairperson of Taiwan Benevolent Association of America (TBAA), Miss Sue Phelps, President of Taiwan Benevolent Association of Las Vegas, Mr. Lo-Yu Sun, Board Advisor of TBAA, and Ms. Hui-Ching Chen, Director of Secretary Division of TBAA request the honor of your presence as a Kenote Speaker (for short speech) and/or as a grantor of Greetings Letter at the Opening Ceremony of 28th Annual Convention of Taiwan Benevolent Association of America (TBAA)

> on Saturday, the Thirty of July, 2005
> at the Paris Hotel and Casino
> 3655, Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
> from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
>
> Participants: About 500 people.
> Attire: Business
>
> RSVP: Please e-mail Dr. Tony Lei at tojulei@yahoo.com. Or please call Judy for RSVP at 255-9058 on or before
> Friday, May 20, 2005.
>
---------------------------------------------
References

*1. Michael Douglas is a distingueshed Justice of the Supreme Court of Nevada, while Jessie Walsh is an achieved District Judge of Nevada. Valerie Weber is a known Assemblywoman of Nevada, while Cheryl Moss is the first Asian American elected in Nevada history as a District Court Judge.
*2. Douglas, Michael; Weber, Valerie; Moss, Cheryl; Chang, Tiffany. 'Wendy Wu has been appointed Assistant Fellow of Public Administration Institution of WBTI,' "A search of 'wendy yu-ping wu' on the Google.com," ( June 27, 2005), U. S. A.: Google.com.
*3. Porter, Jon. 'Certificate of Recognition from Office of Congressman Jon Porter,' "The 'Certificate of Recognition to Taiwan Benevolent Association of America and Wendy Yu-ping Wu' sent by U. S. Congressman Jon C. Porter to President Dr. Tony Tung-tien Lei of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI)," (June 29, 2005), Las Vegas, Nevada: Office of Congressman Jon Porter.
*4. Douglas. Ibid.
*5. Denton, Mark; Walsh, Jessie; Moss, Cheryl; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Our mutual cooperation and development between the officials and people will bring us a peaceful, happy, and healthy community,' "Newsbrief of WBTI," (February 7, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.
*6. Chang, Tiffany. 'Nancy Becker has been appointed Fellow of Public Administration Institution of Washington Business and Technology Institute,' "A search of 'Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nevada Nancy Becker' on the Google.com," (June 28, 2005), U. S. A.: Google.com.
*7. PAI of WBTI, 'An invitation e-mail to U. S. Congressman Jon C. Porter,' "A search of 'u. s. congressman jon porter' on Google.com," (July 1, 2005), U. S. A.: Google.com.

It is our pleasure to post the following response after we sent the invitation letter to U. S. Senator Jon Ensign by e-mail. We are certaily pleased to know that Jonn hopes "that he would be able to attend a future event":

My name is Matthew from Senator John Ensign's office. Our office recieved your invitation for the ARCC Mempership Mixer at the Ice House Lounge on July 16th. Unfortunately, the Senator is going to be out of town, and will not be able to attend. He did want to thank you for the invitation and hopes that he would be able to attend a future event.

Matthew McBride
Intern
United States Senator John Ensign
333 Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: (702) 388-6605
Fax: (702) 388-6501

Dear Friends:

It is my pleasure to join you in honoring a distinguished member of our community, Dr. Tony Lei.

Dr. Lei's extraordinary commitment and dedication to Southern Nevada is beyond compare, and is reflected by his participation in numerous educational, political, collegial and business entities. He has given generously of his time and talents to help make Clark County, Nevada a better place to live.

Dr. Lei's expertise and professional service to the public benefits not only the Asian American community, but all the citizens of our great state.

I only wish there were more citizens like Dr. Tony Lei. It is an honor to know him.

Very Truly Yours,

JESSIE WALSH
District Court Judge

Judge Jessie Walsh, Dept. 10
Phone - (702) 455-4668
Email - Dept10ea@co.clark.nv.us

Jw/jkw

[[[This will serve as a formal confirmation and reminder that the Membership Mixer will be held on July 16, 2005 at the Ice House Lounge: 650 S. Main Street; Las Vegas, NV 89101.
Time: 6 pm; Dress: BussinessCasual; Fee: $12; Speaker: Judge M. Douglas]]]
---By Dr. Jasmine Brooks, ARCC President

Interesting individuals may call Judy at 702-255-9058 or e-mail her at tojulei@yahoo.com for RSVP before or on Friday, July 8, 2005.

The following is a draft of reference:
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI)
http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti

Dear U. S. Congressman Honorable James Gibbons,

Dr. Tony T. Lei, President of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) and Dr. Jasmine Brooks, President of Asian Republicans of Clark County (ARCC)

request the honor of your presence

as a Guest of Honor

at the Event and Hors d'oeuvres Party for
ARCC Membership Mixer
sponsored by ARCC, and co-sponsored by WBTI, among others

Saturday, the sixteenth of July
Two thousand and five
at six o'clock in the evening
Hors d'oeuvres served at six thirty

in Ice House Lounge

Las Vegas, Nevada
650 South Main Street
Las Vegas, NV 89117 (702) 493-3330

Participants: About 120 people
Attire: Business Casual

RSVP: Please e-mail Dr. Tony Lei at tojulei@yahoo.com. Or please call Judy for RSVP at 255-9058 before or on Friday, July 8, 2005.

---------------------------------------------
*****Fore more details, please have
your Assistant or yourself click on
the sections of "Asian Republicans of Clark County" and "Business & Administration" at: http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti

Sincerely,

PAI and GSBPA
WBTI

Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Copyright @ Las Vegas Review-Journal

JOHN L. SMITH: Poll affirms Gibbons' inside track to governorship; Perkins stuck at gate

Nevada's political trainers just now are going over their track strategies in anticipation of the 2006 governor's race.

But a statewide Magellan Research poll on the subject says that not all the horses have four legs and that a couple bear a striking resemblance to Shetland ponies.

At least one probable entrant is lucky that the glue factory isn't open for business, or he'd be taking his last ride.

The real race won't surface for months, but Magellan's Marvin Longabaugh says Republican front-runner Jim Gibbons remains a substantial favorite to go all the way. The poll was commissioned by a local campaign consultant on behalf of a Southern Nevada political action group.

According to the 1,000-sample survey, balanced by political affiliation, gender, and age with a margin of error of about 3 percent, the congressman easily would defeat all potential challengers with the exception of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. But even in the event of a Gibbons-Goodman race, Gibbons shows a 48.1 to 36.9 advantage over the mayor. (And, yes, yes, Goodman has indicated that he won't run.)

Goodman polls as easily the most highly recognized name among top Democrats, but what about those who actually have expressed interest in running for the office?

Take Goodman out of the mix, and something fascinating happens. Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus rises in stature and far outdistances Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson in a primary proposition.

But what about Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins?

So far in this derby, he's a proverbial rocking horse.

Put it this way. Scientists have spotted more life on Mars than in Perkins' gubernatorial bid. We're talking fossilized microbe-level readings here.

In a Democratic primary without Goodman on the ballot, Titus picks up the most steam, going from 19.5 percent to 36.3 percent of the vote, far ahead of Gibson's 21.2 percent. Perkins continues to rack up single digits despite his increased profile during the recent session of the Legislature.

Perkins has plenty of friends in high political places, strategists Pete Ernaut and Billy Vassiliadis among them.

What he doesn't seem to have is a pulse.

"I find it unbelievable that he can mount any sort of media campaign sufficient to get him out such a hole," attorney Longabaugh says. "People have said it's possibly because of his performance at the Legislature, but I think it's just because folks don't know who he is. It's a name identification issue, not a performance issue."

Titus looks great in a Democratic primary sans Goodman, but according to the survey her problems begin once the pre-run is finished. Bluntly stated, without a lot of help she figures to get smoked in a general election against Gibbons. The tally: 50.4 to 27.1, with the rest undecided.

Obviously, Titus is going to have to work on her crossover appeal outside Clark County.

"It surprises me that Perkins did as poorly as he did and that Dina Titus did as well as she did," Longabaugh says.

Technically, the Republican primary won't be handed outright to Gibbons, but according to the poll his potential competition doesn't add up to anything he should worry about.

Of several names to surface, Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt enjoys the most name recognition, but in a primary she trails Gibbons by a wide margin: 49.4 percent to 14.1 percent, with 8.2 percent going to State Sen. Bob Beers and 4.2 percent favoring University Chancellor and television station magnate Jim Rogers.

Gibbons is no Secretariat, but at this rate he won't have to be.

What does it all mean?

The election won't be held until next year, but watch these numbers reverberate. The poll will be downplayed by some, but it can't be ignored.

"Perkins is a nonstarter," consummate handicapper Longabaugh says, "and it's Gibbons' race to lose."

Gov. Kenny Guinn and his allies will spend the next few months trying to explain the nuances of his two terms as a terribly sincere tax-and-spend Republican. Meanwhile, although you can't yet hear the thunder of hooves, there's a governor's race on behind the scenes.

A lot must happen in 16 months to ensure a competitive finish to this lopsided derby in the making.

John L. Smith's column appears Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. E-mail him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0295.

Welcome your input to Pan Pacific and Asian American Forum (PPAAF) and Literature and Academic Forum (LAF)! These Forums are offered freely to the faculty, advisors, and friends of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI). The Forums (by the sections of 'Business & Administration' and 'Social & Community') are a daily presentation of WBTI website at:

http:/communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti

by WBTI through Communitylink of the largest newspaper in Nevada, "Las Vegas Review-Journal". They are also published by Google.com, AOL.com, Webcrawler.com, among others three times a month (about each ten days) locally, nationally, and internationally.

PPAAF and LAF are non-profit and non-partisan contributions of WBTI to our community with both a philosophy and spirit of serve about self through modern information management and effective research methodology. In management, our efficiency is "do the things right" and our result is "do the right things."

The Forums welcome articles, literatures, photos, campaigning speeches, ect. on the basis of righteousness that they may contribute to make Nevada a wonderful place for home living and business development.

Hope our efforts together may help improve the quality of life of all our residents and visitors of the silver state Nevada.

The responses to WBTI's Forums of PPAAF and LAF have been enhanced by the infomation documents sent to us for post from U. S. Senators Harry Reid's and John Ensign's office in U. S. Senate, Washington D. C.; U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Office in U. S. Congress, Washington D. C.; Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn's office at Carson, Nevada, U. S. A.; among others since the establishment of WBTI on January 8, 1996.*2

The PPAAF has advanced to the number of sections at "PPAA19", while LAF has advanced to "PAI6".*3

Any courtesy that may extend from you to WBTI will highly be appreciated.

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

*1. GSBPA and PAI of WBTI are the initials of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration (GSBPA) and Public Administration Institution (PAI) of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI).
*2. Denton, Mark; Walsh, Jessie; Moss, Cheryl; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Our mutual cooperation and development between the officials and people will bring us a peaceful, happy, and healthy community,' "Newsbrief of WBTI," (February 7, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.
*3. Walsh, Jessie; Moss, Cheryl; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Drs. Lee Bernick, Keong Leong have been appointed deans of GSBPA of WBTI,' "The Special Column on 'Nevada Examiner'," (March 28, 2003), Las Vegas, Nevada: Nevada Examiner.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2005 Contact Greg Bortolin or John Trent
775-684-5670

gov. guinn, federal highway administrator
announce u.s. 95 settlement

CARSON CITY � Gov. Kenny Guinn announced today that an agreement to settle a Sierra Club lawsuit has been reached, allowing construction to restart on the U.S. 95 widening project in northwest Las Vegas as early as this fall.

The agreement allows for the addition of new lanes, construction of high occupancy lanes in each direction, monitoring systems and other technologies designed to reduce congestion and improve safety on the busy highway. The agreement also includes measures designed to improve the environment by testing air filtration systems in nearby schools, retrofitting Clark County school buses with cleaner burning engines, and gathering information on vehicle emissions.

Gov. Guinn made the announcement at a press conference this morning in Las Vegas. He was joined by Federal Highway Administrator Mary E. Peters.

揟his has always been one of the most important highway projects for southern Nevada, and one of my highest priorities,� Gov. Guinn said. 揥e can move forward now, on a project that certainly will keep the families, the commuters, and truckers traveling on U.S. 95 much safer.�

Peters said the Federal Highway Administration worked closely with the Nevada Department of Transportation to reach the Sierra Club settlement as quickly as possible because the widening work is vital to the Las Vegas economy and quality of life of area residents. The Sierra Club lawsuit stalled the project since last August. U.S. 95 is congested with nearly 12,000 vehicles on the six-lane highway traveling less than half the speed allowed during peak commuting hours. Estimates indicate that even a slight increase in the speed vehicles could travel would save the public more than $8.5 million per year in delay costs.

Office of the Governor
101 North Carson Street
Fax: 775-684-7198
Grant Sawyer State Office Building
555 East Washington, Suite 5100 Las Vegas, NV 89101
Fax: 702-486-2505

-- Jun. 24, 2005
Copyright @ Las Vegas Review-Journal

Lighter Side of Utah
Shakespearean Festival balances 'Doctor Faustus' with less-dark selections
By KEN WHITE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

[[[James Ivens plays the lutar for patrons during the Utah Shakespearean Festival's Greenshow.
Ben Livingston, top, as Mephistopheles and Donald Sage Mackay as Doctor John Faustus star in the Utah Shakespearean Festival's production of "Doctor Faustus." The show's dark themes led to an overall lightening of the summer schedule.]]]

Putting together the lineup for the Utah Shakespearean Festival is all about balance, said executive director and festival founder Fred C. Adams.

This year's summer festival, which runs through Sept. 3 on the campus of Southern Utah University in Cedar City, has lighter fare overall, thanks to the festival's production of Christopher Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus" tipping the scales to the dark side.

By contrast, the Shakespeare offerings in the summer season include "Love's Labour's Lost," "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream," as well as the musical "Camelot" and the Irish tragicomedy "Stones in His Pockets."

"Doctor Faustus" is the story of a man who finds himself struggling with himself and the devil's henchman, Mephistopheles.

"This is the oldest 'Faustus,' " Adams said. "Marlowe had heard a German version of the story, and he wrote it into dramatic form, and he rewrote it later" into yet another version.

The festival is using Marlowe's first version. The second version had more special effects, Adams said, and it was "bloodier."

Director Howard Jensen guides a cast that includes Donald Sage Mackay as Faustus and Ben Livingston as Mephistopheles.

"We try to keep in the framework of our mission statement," of giving audiences a good sampling of the classics and "theater that makes a difference," Adams said.

Even though "Romeo and Juliet" ends badly for the lovesick couple, it's still not as dark as the average Shakespearean tragedy, such as "Macbeth" or "Hamlet."

Writing for the theater in Shakespeare's time was not much different than writing for a sitcom today, Adams said.

"They had to grind them out, and write in committee, and rewrite," Adams said. "In some ways it was similar to our times. They had to fill the theater, and they wrote the bloodiest, loudest, most daring plays."

On the lighter side is "A Midsummer Night's Dream," directed by Kathleen F. Conlin, who directed "Morning's at Seven" last season. She has been the festival's casting director for 15 years, and three years ago was named an associate artistic director.

"It's lighter, but there are undertones," Conlin said.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is about the lives of four confused lovers that intertwine with the magical feud of the fairy kingdom's King Oberon and Queen Titania. Meanwhile, Puck manages to scatter his love potion in all the wrong places, and there's a chaotic play rehearsal by a group of rustic peasants.

Conlin said that of all the plays being produced this year, she was most intrigued by "A Midsummer Night's Dream," partly because of its spiritual side, and it enables Conlin to continue "examining what you can do with Shakespeare indoors. Outdoors, there's an expectation of simplicity. You can also use the darkness and the wind. Indoors you have to manufacture those elements."

The cast includes Anne Newhall as Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons; Michael Brusasco as Lysander; Ashley Smith as Demetrius; Christine Williams as Hermia; Tiffany Scott as Helena; John Tillotson as Bottom; Corliss Preston as Puck; Michael Sharon as Oberon; and Newhall also in the role of Titania.

Here's a rundown of the other plays on tap at the Festival:

n "Romeo and Juliet," a perennial favorite, is the story of young Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, two star-crossed lovers from feuding families. It stars Paul Hurley as Romeo, Tiffany Scott as Juliet, Joe Cronin as Montague and Phil Hubbard as Capulet. It's performed in the Adams Shakespearean Theatre.

n "Love's Labour's Lost," directed by Timothy Douglas, takes place in the peaceful court of King Ferdinand, where he and his idealistic friends have resolved to dedicate themselves to three years of fasting, study and complete abstinence from women. All is peaceful until the arrival of the beautiful princess of France and her ladies. It stars Lea CoCo as Ferdinand; Brian Normoyle as Longaville; Matthew-Lee Erlbach as Dumaine; David Ivers as Berowne; and Melinda Pfundstein as the princess of France. It can be seen in the Adams Shakespearean Theatre.

n "Camelot," directed by Brad Carroll, is a place where chivalry, honor and romance flourished, at least until the arrival of Lancelot, who brings unexpected complications to the court of King Arthur and his beautiful Queen Guinevere. With music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics and book by Alan Jay Lerner, the retelling of the Arthurian legend features such songs as "If Ever I Would Leave You" and "Camelot." It stars Peter Sham as Merlyn, Brian Vaughn as Arthur, Christine Williams as Guenevere, and Michael Sharon as Lancelot. It will be performed in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.

n The Irish tragicomedy "Stones in His Pockets," written by Marie Jones and directed by J.R. Sullivan, shows what can happen when a Hollywood film crew moves to a rural Irish village to shoot its next blockbuster. Jake and Charlie are two of many extras hired for the movie and bounce from the film shoot to the catering table, from a glamorous starlet's trailer to the pub where the locals and Hollywood crew all gather. The adult-themed, two-character production stars David Ivers and Brian Vaughn. "Stones" is performed in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.

n The festival's Greenshow, a free performance of song and dance, takes place each night, and the Royal Feaste offers dinner and entertainment four times a week.

THE FALL SEASON

Three more plays are scheduled Sept. 22-Oct. 29 in the Randall L. Jones Theatre as part of the Utah Shakespearean Festival抯 fall season.

Shakespeare抯 "All抯 Well That Ends Well," directed by J.R. Sullivan, tells of the complications that arise when the king forces young Count Bertram to marry the orphaned Helena. He vows never to love her or to consummate the marriage, unless Helena can complete a seemingly impossible task.

"Pippin," directed by Marc Robin, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, relates the quest of the fabled Emperor Charlemagne抯 son, who is trying to find his true calling and fulfillment in life. His search leads him through war, politics and love.

"The Foreigner," written by Larry Shue and directed by Paul Barnes, is a comedic recounting of what happens when two Englishmen, Froggy and Charlie, arrive in a rural Georgia fishing lodge. When others at the lodge try to talk to the pathologically shy Charlie, he doesn抰 respond. Froggy, in order to make things easier for his shy friend, claims that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and doesn抰 speak English. With everyone thinking he can抰 understand them, he becomes the unwilling witness to bizarre schemes, mistaken identities and evil villains.

Sunday, June 26, 2005
Copyright @ Las Vegas Review-Journal

GREENER PASTURES: Western states fight to attract, keep businesses -- Part I
Dissatisfaction with California's business climate drives companies to Nevada, but some of them say Silver State repeating neighbor's mistakes
By JENNIFER ROBISON
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Playing off the 2003 election of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Nevada Commission on Economic Development created its "Nevada to the Rescue" ad campaign to lure Golden State businesses. The ads appeared in major publications in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento, among other cities.
NEVADA COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger poses in the cab of an "Arnold's Moving Co." truck in front of the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign on Las Vegas Boulevard on Aug. 4. Schwarzenegger was in Las Vegas to ask businesses to return to California.
Photo by John Gurzinski/REVIEW-JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

In recent years, Nevada officials have cultivated the state's image as a haven for beleaguered businesses, a respite from the corporate income taxes and inventory fees that most other states have.

And like hundreds of other business owners from California in particular, the executives of Best Lighting Co. were won over. The lighting manufacturer moved its Newport Beach, Calif., distribution center to the Speedway Commerce Center in North Las Vegas about five years ago in search of reasonable incentives, affordable land and less restrictive business regulations, said Dave Melanson, vice president of operations. "We came here and it was a breath of fresh air."

But Melanson said he has since found reason -- 833 million reasons, to be exact -- to question the long-term viability of the state's business climate.

In July 2003, Gov. Kenny Guinn signed an $833 million tax increase -- the largest in Nevada's history -- that Melanson and other business executives say hit the commercial sector especially hard, with hundreds of new levies and fees against business and industry.

Now, "the `Californication' of Nevada is happening right before my eyes," Melanson said. "I've seen a dramatic decline in the quality of life here in the last five years. They're beginning to tax the hell out of us. We saw it coming in California -- the workmen's comp (premiums), the overtaxation, the constant harassment by city officials. Nevada's not there yet, but this state is going to kill the goose that lays the golden egg, and people will start going to Montana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas."

Others say such predictions are overblown, and Nevada's tax structure imposes so little on business and industry that a small growth in taxes has little effect on the state's economy.

"We always need to be concerned about diversifying the economy, so we want to keep a good pro-business climate," said state Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas. "However, if you look at the number of businesses moving here from California and the rest of the country, I think we have a pro-business climate. I don't think a small increase in taxes hurts. We still have no corporate income tax and no net proceeds tax. The business taxes here are very low and regulations are kept to a minimum."

Nevada's business leaders say they have a vested interest in the contrast between the Golden and Silver states because so many companies new to Nevada come from California. Last year, 32 of the 60 businesses the Nevada Development Authority helped bring to the Las Vegas Valley came from California, and 38 of the 77 businesses the Nevada Commission on Economic Development assisted in bringing to Nevada hailed from California.

Though few people assert that commercial pipeline is in immediate jeopardy, increasing numbers of industry watchers say they're concerned that, since the 2003 tax increase and a recent run-up in property prices, Nevada has been on the same high-tax, high-cost path that hobbled California businesses in recent years -- and they say understanding California's fiscal issues is essential to avoiding them.

'California is quicksand'

Edward Wiseman is president and owner of North Las Vegas-based Spacecraft Components Corp., an electrical-connector manufacturer that relocated to Nevada from Hawthorne, Calif., in early 2004 after city officials sought to impose what Wiseman called a burdensome regulation on the company.

"They sent us a questionnaire asking for all the names, addresses and phone numbers of the suppliers from whom we purchase material and how much we spend with them every year," Wiseman said. "Their purpose was to force those people to have a (Hawthorne) business license to sell to us, even if they weren't in Hawthorne. I told them we'd been in business 40 years and had developed sources and suppliers that they were going to be making public record, and our competitors would have access to that. It was the crowning blow."

Wiseman also wanted to escape high workmen's compensation insurance premiums. In California, he said, Spacecraft Components' premium was $195,000 a year; in Nevada, the company, which has about 80 employees, pays $41,000. Other basic expenses are lower as well: Wiseman estimated his company's utility costs are as much as 30 percent lower than in California, and liability insurance is 20 percent to 30 percent less expensive.

Bruce Cowan, president and chief executive of Acclaim Electronics, said his 20-employee company had "almost a whole person dedicated to paperwork" when the computer chip distributor was based near Carlsbad, Calif. After moving to Las Vegas in 2003, Cowan said, Acclaim's business costs dropped by 50 percent.

"California is quicksand," Cowan said. "There's no doubt in my mind that California is not the place to do business."

A study published in February 2004 confirmed that California's business climate has forced many companies to seek less-regulated locales.

The California Business Roundtable, an association of chief executives from some of California's largest corporations, retained Massachusetts consultant Bain & Co. to issue the California Competitiveness Project, which analyzed how the state compares to others in attracting and keeping new businesses.

The report found that 100 percent of senior executives surveyed said they viewed California's business climate unfavorably. What's more, nearly 40 percent said they planned to move jobs out of the state. The study also reported that a typical small manufacturer in California with $20 million in revenue and $200,000 in operating income would have an income of more than $1 million in Nevada.

California's relatively high taxes help boost the cost of doing business. The state's 8.8 percent corporate income tax is higher than that in all but 10 states, and California also imposes a 9.3 percent income tax on unincorporated businesses.

"We've had a trend involving a Legislature that doesn't take job creation into account when they're changing or creating new laws," said Sara Lee, a spokeswoman for the California Chamber of Commerce in Sacramento.

Lee cited the state's Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act, which she said employers called the "Sue Your Boss Law," as one example of inhospitable legislation. Signed in 2003 by outgoing Gov. Gray Davis, the bill encouraged lawsuits against employers over minor labor code violations such as small amounts of unpaid overtime.

And in March 2004, the Service Employees International Union sponsored the Budget Accountability Act ballot initiative, known as Proposition 56, which would have reduced the threshold for adoption of the state budget from two-thirds to 55 percent of the Legislature.

"Everything in California was regressing," Wiseman said. "Democrats there felt business was something they could tax and get more funds out of. It was part of a social experiment on labor, but (legislators) didn't have to pay for it."

New taxes in Nevada

Some local businesspeople and legislators say they're concerned Nevada is embarking on the same kind of experiment.

Kara Kelley, president and chief executive of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, said she and other chamber executives "absolutely hear" concern from members about growing taxes.

"When we do member education, we hear it quite frequently," she said. "People tell us, `One of the reasons I came here is (low taxes), and now they're going to screw it up.' "

State Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, said he also hears anecdotal evidence of the commercial sector's growing frustration with state taxes. Lost in all the talk earlier this year of $600 million surpluses and $300 million tax rebates, he said, is the fact that the state will increase its spending 24 percent in the next two years, while population and inflation will increase 12 percent in the same period.

"We have gotten to the point where people looking to move here move somewhere else instead," said Beers, who added he will go door to door this fall with a petition for a Taxpayers Bill of Rights limiting state spending growth to the same percentage increase in population and inflation rates combined.

"The average businessperson sees the direct impact of all our policy changes on them. They see that they're not able to give their employees as large a raise, and it worries them."

So when and why did businesses begin to see more taxes?

In 2002, Guinn, citing an $800 million budget shortfall resulting from the economic effects of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, assembled the Governor's Task Force on Tax Policy to suggest new revenue streams. Among the proposals: new sin taxes and increased property taxes. At the center of the task force's recommendations was a gross receipts tax of a quarter of 1 percent on all businesses making more than $350,000 a year. The levy would have erased almost half the state's deficit. The nongaming business community didn't warm to the idea.

"After the gross receipts tax (was suggested), we had companies put us on ice," said Somer Hollingsworth, president and chief executive officer of the Nevada Development Authority, a private, nonprofit economic diversification agency in Las Vegas. "We had a lot of companies tell us, `We're not doing anything until we find out what you're going to do with taxes.' They wanted a stable situation, and they saw the state not being stable at that point. Even though it was just a discussion, it really scared them. We sat there for 120 days (the length of the legislative session) with companies not doing anything."

The 2003 Legislature shot down a gross receipts tax but found other corporate sources for new revenue.

The list of taxes and fees enacted in 2003 runs 12 letter-size pages -- the majority of which detail business license fees through the secretary of state's office. For example, incorporation-document correction fees went from $150 to $175, while the fee for resignation of a resident agent rose from $40 to $100. The cost of resignation of an officer or director became $75, compared with no fee prior to the session. Registration of a resident agent doubled in price, from $250 to $500. A broker-dealer license cost $150 before 2003, compared with $300 after the session, and a security sales license went from $55 to $110. It also costs more to dissolve a business in Nevada -- $75 today, compared with $60 before the 2003 session.

In addition, the business license fee increased in 2003 from $25 to $100 and converted from a one-time charge to an annual fee.

The talk of the business community in 2003, however, was the addition of a gross payroll tax that replaced the quarterly $25-per-worker head tax. The 0.7 percent payroll levy, which went into effect in October 2003, dropped to 0.65 percent in July 2004. The Legislature reduced it further, to 0.63 percent, in the 2005 session. It will go back up to 0.65 percent in July 2007 unless the current rate is reauthorized.

Steven Miller, policy director of the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a libertarian think tank, said the taxes "are a significant problem."

"It's bad policy to put disincentives on the creation of jobs," Miller said. "A lot of these taxes get passed on to employees, but over and above that, these taxes are a real disincentive for talented and high-income people to move here and start up their businesses.

"People are always interested in Nevada because it still has a low-tax reputation from 25 years ago, but when people start to understand the actual new taxes, you can see their expressions change. I talked at a Rotary Club meeting and happened to mention in passing the payroll tax. A couple visiting Las Vegas came up to me afterward. He was an eminent domain lawyer, and they were asking for a clarification on the payroll tax, and you could see it hit them. You could see the shift of attitude as their illusions of Nevada as a low-tax state were swept away."

Yet, economic development officials say the number of companies moving to Southern Nevada is as high as ever.

Bob Cooper, economic development manager for the city of Henderson, said 13 companies so far this year have committed to relocating to or expanding in Henderson, up from 10 companies midway through 2004.

"We're doing fairly well. We're concerned anytime we see a rising trend in business operating costs from a tax basis," Cooper said.

"However, we have to look at the primary source for most of the businesses moving here, and that's California. In comparison, we still have a very favorable climate, not just in basic taxes but also in expenses like workmen's comp insurance. Across the board, companies here can operate at a far more efficient rate than businesses in California."

Hollingsworth added that "not one client we've brought in" has complained about the payroll tax.

In fiscal 2002, the Nevada Development Authority assisted 50 companies, 13 of which came from California, in moving to the Las Vegas area. In fiscal 2003, the authority assisted 53 businesses, 19 of which came from California. Fiscal 2004 brought 60 new businesses, including 32 from California. As of mid-June, the authority had assisted 42 companies in their moves to Southern Nevada in fiscal 2005, which ends June 30. Thirteen of those businesses are from California.

Titus said Nevada's taxes haven't discouraged businesses from relocating to Nevada because many executives "are more concerned about having a well-educated work force and a good quality of life for employees. And those are the kinds of businesses we want -- ones that bring in well-paying jobs, that care about funding education, that care about environmental issues and support for the arts."

Hollingsworth added that concern about new taxes has come primarily from companies already in Nevada.

"Local businesspeople went into shock over the (payroll) tax because they hadn't seen it before," Hollingsworth said. "But everything is relative to where you're recruiting from. What we think of as a problem, Californians won't even notice, because they're dealing with so many problems."

Barbara Buckley has been appointed Adjunct Associate Professor of GSBPA, WBTI
By Velorie Vega, Mark Denton, Cheryl Moss, and Tiffany Chang

In meeting with the large and growing population of public employees in the states of Asia and Nevada, Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) will open its training programs for the increasing graduate study and research needs of professional public administrators. To emphasize the balance of the practicality and theoraticality of the programs, the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration (GSBPA) of WBTI has supported by many high-ranking officials of Nevada in offering their times, experiences, and knowledge to teach at an honorary or adjunct capacity.*1

"Through the recommendation by our faculty members including District Judges Valorie Vega, Mark Denton, Family Court District Judge Cheryl Moss, and President of Paradise Democratic Club of Las Vegas John Ponticello; Ms. Barbara Buckley has been appointed Adjunct Associate Professor of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration (GSBPA) of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) on March 27, 2004," announced Dr. John Wang, Spokesman of WBTI, on Monday March 29, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Barbara E. Buckley was born in November 23, 1960; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received her B. A. with honors from University of Nevada, Las Vega. Her education has enhanced with University of Arizona, J.D., Summa Cum Laude.*2

Barbara's Legislative Service include: Nevada Assembly, 1995-2003 -- two special and five regular sessions; Majority Floor Leader, 2001; Assistant Majority Floor Leader, 1997-1999. She is now the Majority Leader of Nevada Assembly.

Her affiliations are: Executive Director, Clark County Legal Services, 1996-present; 2001-present, Assisted Living Advisory Committee; Founder, Southern Nevada Affordable Housing Committee; Founding First President, CLASS Publication.

Barbara has the following personal and professional achievements: Access to Justice Public Lawyer of the Year Award, State Bar of Nevada, 2000; Nicholas J. Horn Award, Nevada State Medical Association, 1999; Recognition Award, Southern Nevada Center for Independent Living, 1999; Outstanding Contribution in Shaping Health Care Policy, 1999; Nevada Nurses' Association; Positive Approaches Award, 1999; Legislator of the Year Award, Nevada Association of Social Workers, 1998; Consumer Advocate of the Year Award, Nevada Trial Lawyers Association, 1998; Brocho de Oro Award, Hispanics in Politics, 1998; Legislator of the Year Award, Nevada Medical Political Action Committee, 1997; Special Achievement Award, American Association for Retired Persons, 1997; Women of Achievement Finalist, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, 1994 and 1996; Legislator of the Year Award, Nevada Judges Association, 1996; Southern Nevada Women's Political Caucus Award, 1994; Outstanding Female Law Graduate, University of Arizona Law School, 1989.*3

Barbara Buckley is a Democrat. She is at the District No. 8 of Clark County Assembly. Barbara is an Attorney at Law.

Her Hobbies/Special Interests include Hiking, reading, and traveling.

Barbara has been elected as the "Oustanding Democrat of the year 2003." We are pleased to post the message of the coming event and champagne reception party for Barbara 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.*4

This year's event will be held on Wednesday April 8, 2004 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Ballyˇs 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.*5

***********************
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.*6

The following is a part of the article written for Senator Harry Reid awarded "Outstanding Democrat of the Decade," by Tiffany Chang.*7
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.*8

This School, the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration (GSBPA) of WBTI, is proud to have Harry's acceptance as its Adjunct Professor of Administrative Strategies on May 31, 2003 at the Tea Party by many and most of the community and association leaders of the Asian American Community of Nevada (most of them in Las Vegas).*9

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

*1. . Sechrest, Thomas; Thomas, Michael; and Estes, Nolan. (1995) "Leadership for Creating Educational Changes; Integrating the Power of Technology. Volume 1 of the Proceedings of Twelfth International Conference on Technology and Education," Austin, Texas: The University of Texas at Austin.
*2. Google. 'Barbara Buckley," "An online of google.com at Google!" (March 27, 2004), U. S. A.: Google.com.
*3. Ibid.
*4. 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.
*5. Ibid.
*6. Ibid.
*7. Chang, Tiffany. 'Senator Harry Reid awarded Outstanding Demaocrat of the Decade,' (2000), "Nevada Examiner," Las Vegas, Nevada: Nevada Examiner.
*8. Ibid.
*9. Reid, Rory; Moss, Cheryl; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Summer 2003 Symposium of WBTI is remarkable,' "WBTI Newsbrief," (June 6, 2003), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.

Friday, June 24, 2005
Copyright @ Las Vegas Review-Journal

2005 Legislature limited eminent domain actions
U.S. Supreme Court ruling concerns Southern Nevadans who fear abuses
By JOHN G. EDWARDS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Thursday's Supreme Count decision upholding the right of local governments to seize people's property for private development set off alarms among Nevada residents and attorneys who have dealt with eminent domain cases.

"In the future, none of us will be safe in our homes or our property from such arbitrary action by bureaucratic kleptocrats who decide they want your property to increase the tax base or to give it to some super-rich supporter who they think can use it for a higher and better use," said Las Vegas attorney Kermitt Waters, whose firm defends land owners in eminent domain cases.

Thursday's ruling said state governments can set their own restrictions on government seizure of private homes and businesses. The recently ended Nevada Legislature did just that.

Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas and author of one of the bills, said because of the new laws, "You're not going to see abuses in the future like you have in the past."

Another critic of the court decision was Harry Pappas, whose family battled the city of Las Vegas for 11 years to stop the condemnation of its downtown shopping center.

The Pappas' settled their case for $4.5 million last year, but he remains angry that the city forced the sale of the real estate. Pappas lambasted the Supreme Court decision.

"America now is just like the Nazi countries or the communist countries," Pappas said, recalling how his mother's family lost their property in Greece to the Nazis during World War II.

"They just took the Fifth Amendment out of the Constitution," he said, referring to the amendment prohibiting government from taking property "without just compensation" and "due process of law."

"When they come to take your property, kill them," Pappas said.

Jan Jones, the former mayor of Las Vegas, whose administration used the city's powers of eminent domain to force the Pappas family to sell its property for the expansion of the Fremont Street Experience, defended the decision.

"You have to preserve the core. You have to give people a reason to still go downtown," she said.

"Would there be any reason for the tourists on the Las Vegas Strip to go there?" she asked. "Believe me the courts and City Hall are not going to be a tourist attraction. What happens to these jobs (downtown)? What happens to the revenue? What happens to the (property) taxes from these businesses? Ask the casino workers how they would feel without jobs.

"Do I apologize for an unpopular decision. No, it was the right thing to do," Jones said, while admitting that city officials could have been more sensitive to property owners.

Dan Polsenberg, who represented the city in the Pappas case, said the Supreme Court decision gives governments more authority to seize private property than Nevada's eminent domain laws.

Opposition to the decision cut across party and political lines.

"The possibility of abuse by local governments can be considered almost a certainty of abuse," said attorney Allen Lichtenstein, who represents the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada.

Said Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., "Because of his ruling, every homeowner in every neighborhood could be uprooted simply because a developer offers local officials a better deal. That is simply wrong."

In the Supreme Court case, the justices upheld by a 5-4 vote that the city of New London, Conn., could condemn land for economic development without finding that the affected area was a blighted neighborhood, the grounds Las Vegas cited for seizing Pappas' land, Polsenberg said.

Even before Thursday's ruling, the Nevada Legislature adopted, and Gov. Kenny Guinn signed, two bills aimed at restraining government condemnation powers.

"It doesn't look like to me this (court decision) would invalidate either of the two (condemnation) bills that passed this session," said Risa Lang, deputy legislative counsel with the Nevada Legislative Council Bureau.

The bills sponsored by Care and Assemblyman William Horne, D-Las Vegas, add several new requirements governments must satisfy before they can condemn private property for redevelopment.

Under the new laws, two-thirds of a redevelopment area targeted for seizure must be blighted. Also, the government must cite four out of 15 possible factors, such as inadequate sanitation, that show the area is blighted. The previous law required one out of nine factors, Care said.

If land that has been taken through eminent domain is not developed within 15 years, it must be offered for sale back to the original owner at the price the owner was paid, Care said.

"Why should the property owner miss out on the joy of the appreciation of his property, his investment?" he said.

Care believes the new laws will make condemning land for development "extremely difficult to do in Nevada, very difficult."

Horne insisted that he is on Waters' side of the issue.

"I think he wants the same thing that the rest of us want," Horne said. "That is to be secure in our property rights."

Ngai Pindell, who teaches property law and land use regulation at UNLV's Boyd Law School, said the court addressed a difficult case "in the principled way."

"The case shows how hard it is for cities to balance individual protections and public benefits," Pindell said. "There's potential for abuse on both sides, and the court opted for a flexible approach as opposed to a more rigid per se test. And I think that's appropriate, given the difficulty of the decisions involved."

Others were upset by the ruling but doubt it will open the door to abuses.

Laura Fitzsimmons, a Reno attorney who has represented Nevada property owners in condemnation cases, called the Supreme Court decision a "travesty," but she doubts local governments will take advantage of the ruling.

"Nevadans are very jealous of their property rights," she said in an electronic message. "So, for the time being, I would be very surprised if local governments would act on the license to steal that the Supreme Court has given the city of New London."

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman agreed that the ruling could be misused by governments.

"Philosophically, I'm opposed to a government taking of land from a private individual to give to another individual who will use it to make a profit," Goodman said.

He noted that the city has negotiated land purchases for redevelopment in downtown Las Vegas without forcing owners to sell.

"The city has the right to do that," he said. "As long as I'm mayor, we won't do that. We're doing fine without using eminent domain."

Jones said Goodman would be unable to redevelop downtown had it not been for her administration's action. "He didn't have to make the hard decisions," she said. "Bench quarterbacks, they're a dime a dozen."

Waters fears Nevada bureaucrats will be emboldened to continue taking property despite the new state laws, which he said are inadequate because legislators "weren't serious about fixing" the state's property condemnation laws.

"I invite the citizens to consider an initiative petition to take this redevelopment statute and put this monster back in its cage once and for all," he said.

Waters specifically faulted Horne's bill because it bars courts from overturning the findings of the government condemning property unless there's "credible evidence" of bribery or fraud.

Waters said the effect of the provision is: "No matter how erroneous, dishonest or deceitful their findings of need and necessity might be, you cannot challenge it in court."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2005 Contact Greg Bortolin or John Trent
775-684-5670

CARSON CITY � Gov. Kenny Guinn led a delegation of Nevada legislative and military leaders and gave testimony today at a regional hearing on the possible closure or relocation of several Nevada military installations. The hearing, one of many scheduled as a part of the bi-partisan Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) Commission, was held June 24 in Clovis, N.M.

Here is text of Gov. Guinn抯 testimony:

Kenny C. Guinn
Governor of Nevada
Testimony before the BRAC Commission
Ref: Reno-Tahoe International Airport/Air Guard Station
and Hawthorne Army Depot
Clovis, N.M.
June 24, 2005

Mr. Chairman and members of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, I would like to begin by thanking you for your commitment in facing the tough challenge of reviewing and validating the recommendations made by the Department of Defense in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process. Nevadans appreciate and support the efforts of Congress �.

and support the concept of the BRAC process.

However, in reviewing the recommendations released in May, it is clear there was no objective review or application of any standard criteria to many of the locations identified for realignment or closure. In particular, the recommendations call for the realignment of the One Hundred and Fifty-Second Airlift Wing of the Nevada Air National Guard and closure of the Hawthorne Army Depot. These recommendations require your close scrutiny for many reasons.

Review of the data collected and the conclusions supposedly based on that data reveal the information is either incorrect or the format of the 揹ata call� prohibited a true picture of these facilities. Several key leaders in the state are with me today and will provide more detail � but I'd like to start by addressing how the BRAC process failed.

Regarding the Nevada Air National Guard, not only was the call for information flawed in the way it was gathered and analyzed, it made conclusions that are categorically wrong. Others here today will identify some specific errors in this part of the process, including 搒kewed data calls� that failed to present a true picture of the land, logistics and capabilities of the Nevada Air Guard base, but I would like to talk to you about issues that appear to have been omitted from the process altogether.

First and foremost is the department's failure to comply with the federal law that requires both consultation and concurrence with the Governor of a state before acting to close or move a Guard unit assigned in a state. Our founding fathers understood the need for the federal government to provide support and resources to the militia of the states. They also recognized states must have the authority to ensure the safety and best interest of its citizens. The department's failure to recognize any Governor抯 role in this process is simply unacceptable.

I do not believe the BRAC process gave any consideration to the vast state mission the Nevada Guard performs. In a state with yearly wildfires, annual flooding, one which lies on hundreds of fault lines, one with the largest dam in the United States, one with hundreds of miles between metropolitan centers, and one with cities and tourist attractions that are very attractive targets to terrorists, it is apparent that the BRAC process disregarded the National Guard's Constitutional obligation to the State of Nevada.

Unless called to federal active duty service, the National Guard is under the control of the Governor, the commander-in-chief. In Nevada抯 situation, the C-130 aircraft is an invaluable asset to such a geographically large state.

The Air Guard � at state expense � transports personnel and equipment to assist our citizens when their homes were in danger of being flooded.

The Air Guard � at state expense � trains our city, county, and state first responders, helping keep Nevadans safe.

The Air Guard � at state expense � serves as part of our Nevada emergency response plan, and delivers medical supplies in the most expeditious manner, should a mass casualty event occur.

The Air Guard � at state expense � fights raging wildfires and keeps flames away from homes and families.

The Guard C-130s are a resource the State of Nevada depends upon heavily � and simply cannot do without.

Basing the realignment decision on flawed data collection and analysis methods, then disregarding one half of the Guard's dual state and federal mission, does great injustice to our military as a whole and the citizens of our state. But I ask you to take a careful and thoughtful look at what Nevada and the nation stand to lose in the BRAC process and to also examine how the information was obtained. I think you'll see what a disservice this BRAC process did to the Nevada Air National Guard.

I am also compelled to bring your attention to the severely flawed data and incorrect analysis in the Army BRAC Report which recommends closure of the Hawthorne Army Depot. The process considering Hawthorne seems to have followed the same pattern of flawed data calls and erroneous conclusions.

From a macro view, the Army report is unsound in five areas; 1) Statistical data on employment and production capabilities, 2) Joint DoD activity and potential activity associated with the base, 3) Cost of base closure, 4) Encroachment and 5) Analysis of alternate scenarios.

Regarding employment data, DoD measured employment displacement resulting from the base closure to the total employment of the Reno/Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. It determined the loss of jobs represented less than 0.1% of total employment. In fact, Hawthorne is 133 miles from the Reno/Sparks area. The loss of employment from the closure represents more than 30% of the jobs in the entire county. Add in indirect jobs lost and the figure rises to more than 50% of the current employment in the county. The recommendation has the potential to change this community forever. We all know the damage that a 50 percent drop in employment can do to a community, and in particular, what impact it could have on such a small community like Hawthorne.

The Army report also does not take into account Joint DoD activity at Hawthorne such as the Navy Special Forces High Desert Training and Navy Undersea Warfare Center, Marine Corps Sniper Team training and weapons testing, Army Ranger high desert training, nor the processing of range scrap from Air Force and Navy bombing ranges. Of note, more than 80 percent of this nation's live ordinance is dropped on Nevada bombing ranges.

DoD estimates the cost of closing the depot at approximately $180 million. Additional costs such as retiring outdated military munitions, creating duplicate military capability elsewhere, and such costs such as environmental remediation could well exceed $840 million.

Encroachment issues face many military facilities nationwide. However, the Hawthorne Army Depot has the largest, most diverse, environmentally compliant state-of-the-art military munitions dismantling facility in the depot system. It encompasses 230 square miles of unencumbered land surrounded by other federal lands of the Bureau of Land Management and the U-S Forest Service. The town of Hawthorne is situated with no threat of encroachment. Meanwhile, other depots that will have to absorb Hawthorne's mission do not enjoy such relief from encroachment. In fact, it will take 5 to 7 years to complete environmental permitting necessary to build similar capabilities at other facilities that are already suffering encroachment issues.

There was no analysis done considering alternate solutions such as closing another facility and moving its function to Hawthorne. I believe the BRAC process requires such an analysis.

I also believe the statistical data concerning Hawthorne is sufficiently flawed to warrant full re-consideration of the decision to close the depot. Additionally, several current joint functions of the Hawthorne Army Depot were not cited and are assumed to have not been considered in the process. Finally, the proposal to close a munitions base that does not suffer encroachment issues and move the functions to a base that does, inherently counters the BRAC mission.

I ask you to give serious consideration to my remarks, and the more detailed remarks of the following Nevada participants.

Thank you.

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Office of the Governor
101 North Carson Street
Fax: 775-684-7198
Grant Sawyer State Office Building
555 East Washington, Suite 5100 Las Vegas, NV 89101
Fax: 702-486-2505

***** "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
--- Galatians 5:22 of the Bible

"Dear Dr. Lei and Mrs. Lei, Thank you so very much for being at the meeting last night. More importantly, thank you for your support for ARCC. I look forward to a very bright future for all of us. I promise you that we will have a strong membership built on honor and integrity. Please continue to support our endeavors. Talk to you soon," wrote Dr. Jasmine Brooks by e-mail in the evening on June 23, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada.*2

Dr. Jasmine Brooks is President of Asian Republicans of Clark County (ARCC).*3 She held the Special General Meeting of ARCC successfully at the office of Clark County Republican Party on June 22, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

[[[Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
---Jeremiah 17:7-8 of the Bible]]]

"We all need to smile every once in a while," said the "IT'S KINDA FUNNY".
From the Qian of "I Ching," people may learn that 'The sky is naturally auspicious and strong; it is good for predicting the future."*4

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 assist another human being---to help someone succeed. ---Alan Loy McGinnis*5
***** There are two things people want more than sex and money ...recognition and praise. ---Mary Kay Ash

The sky is beautiful!

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References

*1. Dr. Jasmine Brooks is President of Asian Republicans of Clark County (ARCC).
*2. Brooks, Jasmine. 'We will have a strong membership built on honor and integrity,' "An e-mail from Dr. Jasmine Brooks to Dr. and Mrs. Tony Lei," (June 23, 2005), Las Vegas, Nevada: Dr. Brooks' Office.
*3. Douglas, Michael; Walsh, Jessie; Weber, Valerie; and PAI of WBTI. 'Dr. Tony Lei enriches the lives of many in our community of Clark County and Nevada,' "A search of 'Dr. Jasmine Brooks' on the Google.com,", (June 23, 2005), U. S. A.: Google.com.
*4. Denton, Mark; Walsh, Jessie; Moss, Cheryl; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Our mutual cooperation and development between the officials and people will bring us a peaceful, happy, and healthy community,' "Newsbrief of WBTI," (February 7, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.
*5. Ibid.

It is our pleasure to post the following information about Clark County Republican Party.

Clark County Republican Party
Las Vegas, Nevada

The following are the officers of the Clark County Republican Party:*2

[[[On the left column ---
Chairman
Brian Scroggins

Secretary
Jane Ham

Press Secretary
Nathan Emens

Membership Director
David McGowan

Precinct Organization Administrator
Paul Adams

[[[On the right column ---
Vice-Chairman
John Hambrick

Treasurer
Matt Passalacqua

Assistant Treasurer
Steve Martin

Finance Chairman
Jim Pressler

Events Coordinator
Ulli Miyashiro

"I believe that each individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruits of his labor, so far as it no wise interferes with any other man's rights; that each community, as a state, has a right to do exactly as it pleases with all the concerns within the State that interfere with no other State . . ." ---Abraham Lincoln*3

THANK YOU, NEVADA!!
for helping to keep the White House in the hands of the people.

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

*1. PAI is the initial of Public Administration Institution of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI).
*2. Clark County Republican Party. 'A profile of CCRP,' "A search of 'Clark County Republican Party' on the Google.com," (June 23, 2005), U. S. A.: Google.com.
*3. Ibid.