Election Day is next Tuesday, November 6. Thank goodness, it’s nearly over!
Many Nevadans are feeling somewhat fatigued by all of the privileges and attention paid to us on account of our being a battleground state. We have been constantly accosted on television, radio, newspapers and the internet by vicious campaign advertising. For the past several months, our phones have been ringing off the hook, both night and day, with “surveys” and robo-calls promoting one candidate or another. It will be nice to finally put this critical election behind us and move forward. Of course, we can only hope, when the dust finally settles, that ‘forward’ is the direction we will be moving.
Over recent weeks, the Progress has made several endorsements of candidates that we have felt are especially important to the Moapa Valley. We have endorsed Ruth Johnson in the race for Clark County Commission District B; Trustee Chris Garvey for the Clark County School Board District B; and a ‘yes’ vote on Clark County Ballot Question No. 2.
In this final issue before the election we offer the following endorsements. Our readers can take them or leave them as they see fit.
Presidential Election: Four years ago, President Barack Obama rode into office promising an era of non-partisan cooperation, compromise and change. Now we are looking back on a four year term that has been far from what was promised. Instead of offering non-partisan cooperation, this administration has been characterized by the most rancorous partisan bitterness and deepest division. Instead of compromise, the Obama administration has shown a complete unwillingness to reach across the aisle and find a middle ground. Indeed it has worked towards shoving landmark legislation down the throats of the American people despite a majority opposition to it. Finally, the only change we have seen has been to pull the country and its government further toward an unsustainable entitlement mindset rather than the entrepreneur driven, free market engine that has been key to American success for more than 200 years.
The simple truth is that we, in southern Nevada, are NOT better off than we were four years ago. It is time to make a real change. We need someone in the White House who has experience in creating a sensible and successful budget and sticking with it. We need someone who believes in the American dream rather than in some utopian cradle-to-grave government-dependent society. We need someone who knows and appreciates the essential role of business, both large and small, in the American economy. We need someone who understands that it is the ingenuity of the American entrepreneur that has indeed ‘built it’; that it is because of that entrepreneurial spirit, and the prosperous business and commerce that springs from it, that our government has been able to offer so much to so many for so long. There is only one person on the ballot who seems to recognize these things.
The Progress endorses Mitt Romney for President.
U.S. Senate: In recent years, Congresswoman Shelly Berkley has overstepped far outside of her Las Vegas district trying to impose her liberal, urban-centered agenda on rural areas that she does not represent. She did so, first and foremost, by introducing outrageous legislation that would have locked up thousands of acres of new wilderness in Gold Butte. This was done entirely outside the realm of her own electorate, and without any invitation from local residents who would have been most affected by such legislation.
Senator Dean Heller, on the other hand, has long been engaged with area residents on the ground regarding Gold Butte as well as many other rural issues. His staff has worked face to face with the real local stakeholders in seeking a sensible solution to the Gold Butte area. Heller has listened to the real people in his district on these issues; not just performed the bidding of self-righteous enviro-special interests.
We endorse Dean Heller for U.S. Senate.
U.S. Congress: The new Congressional District 4 is a vast expanse of land, most of it sparsely populated. In fact, a relatively small portion of inner city Las Vegas provides a large part of its voters. But it is the rural portions of the district that have the most varied, challenging and unique needs; needs that will go wholly unmet if they are not understood.
Danny Tarkanian, while not completely at home in the rurals, has at least shown a willingness to learn. He has made numerous trips around the rural parts of the district, taking time to talk to community leaders in those areas and to get to know their unique issues. He has at least shown an interest and a desire to address rural needs.
Steven Horsford, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to even recognize that there are rural areas in the district. And he probably wouldn’t know how to get to them if he did. He has run his campaign, almost exclusively, from deep within the relatively small slice of urban Las Vegas that is his electoral stronghold.
If Horsford is elected, he may know how to take care of his inner city constituents. But he will have absolutely no concept of what is needed in the rural parts of the state. The rurals will suffer.
For that reason, we endorse Danny Tarkanian for U.S. Congressional District 4.
State Senate District 18: This newly drawn district is truly a behemoth. Much of it is considered rural. But there is rural, and then there is rural.
Certainly, the communities of northeast Clark County are in an entirely different classification than the more remote places in the state like Eureka or Elko or Winnemucca. While there are some core values that unite all these areas, they each pose a very different set of problems needing a different set of solutions.
It will be a ponderous challenge for any one person to represent such a sprawling district. But that is what will be needed. It will be essential that whoever is elected be able to hit the ground running and not have to spend a lot of time and energy learning the ropes in the State Legislature.
Pete Goicoechea has already spent more than a decade in the Legislature as an Assemblyman. He served as the Republican minority leader in his last term. Goicoechea is the only candidate that has the real experience to meet the formidable District 18 challenge head on.
The Progress endorses Pete Goicoechea for State Senate District 18.
State Assembly District 19: For the voters in Overton, Assemblyman Cresent Hardy is once again on the ballot. In his first term, Hardy proved himself as a quick study up at the Legislature. Hardy comes from pioneer Virgin Valley stock. And despite coming out of Virgin Valley High School, he is a pretty smart guy. He has always been a good neighbor to the Moapa Valley community. Hardy is in touch with folks here and has a solid understanding of what Moapa Valley needs from the State Legislature.
We endorse Cresent Hardy for Assembly District 19.
State Assembly District 36:
Pahrump resident James Oscarson was once a long-time resident of Moapa Valley. He still owns property here. He has a love and respect for this community and he feels at home here. He is best equipped in this race to represent our needs in Carson City.
We endorse James Oscarson for Assembly District 36.
Go Vote! Finally, and most importantly, we would simply encourage the people of Moapa Valley to exercise their privilege, and their civic duty, and vote in this election. If you have not already done so, we would urge you to come out to the local polling places on Tuesday and cast your ballots.
In a close election, every single vote matters. And there are bound to be some very close results in the upcoming election. So go vote!
Happy Election Day, Moapa Valley! We hope to see you at the polls.
