Posts Tagged ‘Nevada’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Nevada Gaming Revenues Jump 8.1 Percent In October, Baccarat A Key Factor In Win

By Sean Whaley | 2:44 pm December 9th, 2011

CARSON CITY – Nevada casinos took in $961 million in October for an 8.1 percent gain over the same month in 2010, the Gaming Control Board reported today.

The Las Vegas Strip took in $561 million for a healthy, double-digit gain of 13.3 percent. A big reason was the $159.3 million in revenue taken in from the card game baccarat, a 74 percent increase over October 2010.

Washoe County saw a significant decline in gaming revenue, however, of 9.3 percent. Eight of the last 10 months in this calendar year have been down in the county.

For the fiscal year-to-date, gaming revenues statewide total nearly $3.6 billion, or just 0.3 percent behind the same period in 2010.

“Really baccarat was the story for the state and the Strip,” said Michael Lawton, senior research analyst for the GCB.

Slot machine / Photo by Jeff Kubina @ Wikimedia Commons

It was the biggest October win for baccarat on record. The “hold” percentage, or the amount retained by casinos on the baccarat wagers, was also high at nearly 19 percent on the Strip, he said. The typical hold on the game is about 12.5 percent.

A number of special events, including an Indy car race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 16, and a fight at the Mandalay Bay on Oct. 29, helped bring in a lot of visitors to Las Vegas, Lawton said.

The gaming revenues boosted state general fund tax collections, bringing in $65 million and reducing the overall gaming tax revenue decline reported for the year so far from a negative 5.5 percent in the previous report to a negative 2.4 percent through the most recent report.

Percentage fee collections are still below the projections made by the Economic Forum in May, but are improved from the September report. After the September report, the state was about $16 million, or 7.4 percent, below what was projected for tax collections. With the October numbers, the state is now about $12 million, or 4.3 percent, below projections.

“But we have quite a bit of time to catch that up,” Lawton said.

There are a number of positive elements in the report, he said. The 13.3 percent double-digit gain on the Strip comes off a double digit gain reported in October of 2010 over 2009 of 16.1 percent.

“This represents the first time since July of 07 that the Strip has faced a double-digit comparison and then matched it with a double-digit increase,” he said. “So that’s very positive.”

Slot machine play was up 5.4 percent on the Strip in October, bringing in $246 million, making it the sixth consecutive month of increases. The volume of slot play on the Strip, or the amount played by visitors, has increased in seven of the last eight months.

-

Audio clips:

Nevada gaming analyst Michael Lawton says the story of the October gaming win was baccarat:

120911Lawton1 :30 at 18.78 percent.”

Lawton says the Strip turned in a strong performance on top of a strong October 2010:

120911Lawton2 :10 that’s very positive.”

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

National Group Says Brand Name Drug Coupons Will Hike Health Care Costs By $253 Million In Nevada Over 10 Years

By Sean Whaley | 4:48 pm November 17th, 2011

CARSON CITY – The proliferation of brand name drug “co-pay coupon” promotions lure insured consumers from generics to more expensive brands and will increase health care costs by $253 million in Nevada over the next decade, a new national study says.

The use of these promotions by state and local government workers alone will cost Nevada taxpayers an extra $31 million over ten years, the study says.

National Institutes of Health via Wikimedia Commons.

The practice of offering the co-pay coupons will mean increased costs for employers, unions and state employee plans, according to new research from Visante and released by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA). The association represents the nation’s pharmacy benefit managers who work for the health care plans operated by governments, unions and private employers.

“Brand co-pay coupons lure patients from generics to expensive brands and stick employers, unions, and government employee health programs with the extra costs,” said PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt. “In Nevada, taxpayers will pay an extra $31 million just to cover the use of brand co-pay coupons by government workers in state and municipal employee health programs.”

The report says the co-pay promotions are aimed only at those who already have prescription drug coverage. The coupons are banned in both the Medicare and Medicaid programs, but are allowed in the commercial market except in Massachusetts because of its comprehensive health care law.

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Vice President Karl Uhlendorf issued a statement in response to the study: “For years, America’s biopharmaceutical research companies have helped patients suffering from disease access programs that can help them get the medicines they need. Co-pay assistance programs are an example of this kind of help.

“Coupons and vouchers provide an important benefit to patients by defraying the cost of out-of-pocket payments, breaking down barriers to access and encouraging better medication adherence,” he said.

PhRMA represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies. PhRMA members invested an estimated $49.4 billion in 2010 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $67.4 billion in 2010.

In a telephone interview, Merritt said the purpose of the study is to educate consumers about the true costs of the promotions to themselves and their health care plans, many of which are paid in part by taxpayers.

“I think the first step is education to show payers, whether they be taxpayers or businesses or unions, how much money is being wasted by these co-pay coupons,” he said. “And I think that people have not realized that by getting people to switch from generics to brands, and from less expensive brands to more expensive brands, it costs billions of dollars a year and hundreds of millions to each state around the country.”

Merritt said the practice is increasing because their brand drugs are coming off patent, opening them up to competition from generic drugs.

The coupons may be seen as a value by consumers, but the co-pay does not reflect the real cost of the brand drug, he said.

“Health insurance, two-thirds of it is paid by the companies, by the unions, in the case of public workers, by the taxpayers; and so people need to understand there is a cost to this,” Merritt said. “And I think most people don’t know that. They see the coupon and they think, ‘hey great, I’m saving money and no one gets hurt.’ But the reality is ultimately this will lead to higher premiums for consumers.”

-

Audio clips:

PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt says the first step is to educate consumers:

111711Merritt1 :31 around the country.”

Merritt says the practice will lead to higher health insurance premiums for consumers:

111711Merritt2 :23 premiums for consumers.”

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

September Gaming Win Down 5.9 Percent Statewide, Baccarat To Blame

By Sean Whaley | 1:13 pm November 9th, 2011

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s gaming win declined 5.9 percent statewide in September over the same month in 2010, with casinos bringing in nearly $54 million less from gamblers, the state Gaming Control Board reported today.

Nevada casinos won nearly $864 million, but nearly every market was down compared to September 2010. Las Vegas Strip casinos brought in $491 million, down 5.7 percent over the same month in the prior year.

One exception was Washoe County, which posted a modest 0.23 percent gain over September 2010.

The report was a disappointment because there were special events in Las Vegas that lured visitors, including a major fight, and the reporting period also had an extra Friday compared to September 2010, said Gaming Control Board analyst Michael Lawton.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. won the Sept. 17 fight against Victor Ortiz at the MGM Grand.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority today reported visitor volume increased 5.5 percent in September to 3.29 million. It was the 19th consecutive month of visitor increases.

As usual, baccarat, the card game played by high rollers on the Las Vegas Strip, played a major role in the monthly gaming revenue report.

Despite being the third best September ever for baccarat win at $81.9 million, revenues were down 36.2 percent over September 2010.

“Historically that is a very strong September,” Lawton said of the baccarat win.

Without baccarat factored in, the state win was down only 0.95 percent in September, he said.

Another hit on the monthly revenues came in the sports books, which brought in $20.1 million, down 44.2 percent from September 2010.

For the first three months of the 2011-2012 fiscal year that began July 1, gaming revenues statewide total $2.6 billion, 3.1 percent below the same period in the previous fiscal year.

Gaming tax collections total $199.5 million so far this year, 5.5 percent below the $211 million collected in the same period last fiscal year.

-

Audio clips:

Nevada gaming analyst Michael Lawton says baccarat was down 36.2 percent:

110911Lawton1 :09 or $46.4 million.”

Lawton says baccarat played a role in the disappointing September revenue report:

110911Lawton2 :11 down $53.8 million.”

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

New Federal Report Shows Broader Unemployment Measure High But Holding Steady In Nevada

By Sean Whaley | 12:04 pm October 28th, 2011

CARSON CITY – A broader measure of Nevada’s unemployment picture, including those who have given up looking for work, showed no change through the third quarter of 2011, holding at 23.3 percent, a federal report released today shows.

The quarterly report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, showing data through Sept. 30, mirrors the status of Nevada’s official jobless rate for September, which also remained steady at 13.4 percent from August.

The report shows a state-by-state unemployment measure that encompasses discouraged workers and those who are working part time even though they would like full-time employment. When these individuals are counted, the unemployment rate is much higher than the official rate released each month nationally and by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Nevada again ranked worst among the states at 23.3 percent in the report, which covers 12 months of data. Nevada also has the highest official unemployment rate among the states.

Occupy Wall Street protestor. / Photo: David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons.

The national rate in the quarterly report improved slightly to 16.2 percent from 16.3 percent through June 30, 2011.

California was again in second place in the report at 21.6 percent, also a slight improvement from the 21.8 percent reported through June 30.

Nevada and California are the only two states in the nation with a rate above 20 percent.

The “Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization for States, Fourth Quarter of 2010 through Third Quarter of 2011 Averages,” shows six different jobless rates using different measures. The broadest definition, U-6, includes “discouraged workers,” defined as people who want work but who had not searched for work in the previous four weeks because they believed no jobs were available to them. It also includes “marginally attached” workers, defined as those who had not looked for work in the previous four weeks for any reason.

Finally the measure includes those employed part-time for economic reasons, defined as those working less than 35 hours per week who want to work full time, are available to do so, and gave an economic reason – their hours had been cut back or they were unable to find a full-time job – for working part time. These individuals are sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that this broader definition of unemployment is based on relatively small sample sizes at the state level.

While Nevada’s official jobless rate held steady in September, Bill Anderson, chief economist for the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, noted some modest signs of improvement in the monthly report released Oct. 21.

While still in the double digits, the 13.4 percent official jobless rate is below the 14.9 percent reported for Nevada in September 2010.

Nevada’s battered economy was a focus of the visit by President Obama to Las Vegas on Monday. Nevada’s high jobless and home foreclosure rates are expected to be major issues in the 2012 general election.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Obama to Talk Home Refinancing in Las Vegas Following Romney’s Controversial Foreclosure Remarks

By Elizabeth Crum | 11:46 am October 24th, 2011

LAS VEGAS – President Obama will today announce he is expanding a federal aid program to allow more homeowners to refinance their mortgages at today’s low interest rates, said White House officials this morning.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s announcement on changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) includes enabling borrowers who are current on payments to refinance their mortgages regardless of the value of their homes, said  HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and Director of the National Economic Council Gene B. Sperling on a White House conference call.

Under the previous program’s guidelines mortgage restructuring was available only to homeowners owing no more than 125 percent of their property’s present appraised value, a restriction that prevented homeowners in hard hit states such as Nevada and California from getting relief.

The revised federal program would also reduce the number of homeowner-paid appraisals during the refinance process, reduce the cost of title insurance and lien processing, and even possibly reduce closing costs in states hardest hit by the mortgage crisis, including Nevada.

The economic and political impact of the new housing initiative is iffy in light of the high foreclosure rate and 13.4 percent unemployment rate in Nevada.

The state continues to lead the country in distressed property rates, according to RealtyTrac’s most recent U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. Additionally, Las Vegas has five times the foreclosure rate of the national average in metropolitan areas with populations of at least 200,000.

The housing issue will likely be an oft-used political football in Nevada between now and the November elections.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney caused a stir last week when he suggested home foreclosures should be allowed to “hit the bottom” to help the housing industry recover.

In an interview published Tuesday ahead of the CNN presidential debate, Romney told Las Vegas Review Journal‘s editorial board he thinks the foreclosure crisis can best be ended by allowing banks to proceed against homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages. New investors could then buy and rent out those homes until the market adjusted, he said.

“As to what to do for the housing industry specifically and are there things that you can do to encourage housing: One is, don’t try to stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom,” Romney said.

Democrats are criticizing Romney as being callous and out of touch with middle class Americans.

“Mitt Romney’s message to Nevada homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage bills is simple: You’re on your own, so step aside,” President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign spokesman, Ben LaBolt, said in a statement last week.

Sen. Harry Reid also chimed in. “Nevada has the highest foreclosure rate in America, and it has for almost three years. And here’s what Mitt Romney said: He would just let them hit rock bottom,” Reid said during a press conference in Washington D.C. “I don’t know what’s more graphic than that, in how we have different views of what the world should be like than our Republican friends.”

Obama is also expected to talk about his jobs initiatives when he speaks to a struggling East Las Vegas neighborhood this afternoon.

The president has been urging Congress to pass portions of the American Jobs Act, a $477 billion package of tax cuts and new federal spending aimed primarily at creating or saving public sector jobs.

Obama is also today holding a campaign fundraiser at Bellagio.

White House officials said Obama this week will be announcing a number of executive actions on the economy during a Western states tour that includes southern California and Colorado.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

GOP Rejects Same-Day Registration for Caucuses

By Elizabeth Crum | 11:48 am October 22nd, 2011

As first reported by me (Thursday on Twitter), the embattled state GOP caved to pressure and scuttled the “same-day registration” discussion panel it had planned for Saturday’s central committee meeting at the Venetian Hotel.

Numerous party execs and elected officials (who declined to be named lest their voice mailboxes be bombarded with further protests) lamented the situation but said they were unable to convince concerned members that ineligible voters, Democrats and/or union members would not show up en masse and use on-site registration to interfere with the Republican caucuses.

Despite removal of the controversial topic from the agenda and the fervent prayers of state party officials that it would not come up, a motion was still made from the floor to never, ever, EVER talk about same-day registration again. Ever. For reals.

Sen. Dean Heller said Friday he was disappointed, believing same-day registration could have boosted GOP voter rolls by tens of thousands, as it did for Democrats in 2008.

Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian and other state and county GOP leaders will now be left to register voters the good old-fashioned way.

One Clark County Republican Party leader with whom I spoke wondered whether the same whipped-up activists who vehemently opposed same-day registration will “get off their duffs and assist” with registration efforts.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in E!!Politics | 1 Comment »

Yes, Really: Nevada Republicans Poised to Move Caucus Date

By Elizabeth Crum | 8:58 am October 20th, 2011

Hey, guys:

If the ruby-slippered girl from Kansas had capitulated to the demands of the wicked witch (“SURRENDER DOROTHY“) and her flying monkeys, poor Toto might still be stuck in Oz.

But:

As reported by Ralston last night and confirmed by numerous sources inside the state party, Nevada Republican leaders are going wobbly and reconsidering their Jan. 14 caucus date.

Many forces are at play here:

– The ire of New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner who has been threatening to move the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary to December if Nevada does not move its date back

– Firm but friendly pressure from the Iowa GOP

– Pressure and promises of future benefits from the Republican National Committee

– The threat of a boycott of Nevada’s caucuses by a number of presidential candidates who heart New Hampshire and have no chance in Nevada

– The worry about perceptions amid accusations from some party members that Team Romney influenced the executive board’s decision to move the caucus date into January (the earlier date did help Romney and put other candidates at a disadvantage because his campaign has the greatest amount of existing infrastructure)

– Concern with a whipped-up faction of the central committee who were already unhappy with an attempt by the executive board to adopt same-day voter registration rules for the Republican caucus

– Anger among party members that these decisions were made by the executive board behind closed doors and without consulting the general membership of the party

– The worry about an expected challenge to newly elected GOP chair Amy Tarkanian at this Saturday’s central committee meeting in Las Vegas

It remains to be seen whether party leaders will just go ahead and pick a new date before Saturday, or whether they will wait until this weekend when more than 200 Republicans are presently expected to vote on the matter.

Amy Tarkanian has repeatedly said Nevada will not hold the caucuses on a Tuesday, which means the most likely new date is Feb. 4.

As one embattled and audibly exhausted state party official told me in a phone conversation, Nevada “will still be first in the west” and will “still matter” — but with Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida all preceding the Silver State, it sure won’t matter as much as if the the Jan. 14 date had stood.

The Nevada Dems yesterday hassled the GOP about their reconsideration via a scathing press release (and an appearance by their memorable chicken mascot). Here’s their statement:

“Nevada Democrats moved our caucus date to bolster Nevada Republicans’ courage to stand up to Florida, who has violated rules agreed upon by both national Parties and is jeopardizing our hard-fought status as a presidential early-voting state. We are disappointed Nevada Republicans are now willing to risk Nevada’s status as an early voting state because they are afraid to stand up to the Republican National Committee’s empty threats and hollow promises. And since their threats against Florida proved toothless, the Beltway-minded RNC isn’t in the best position to honor promises like the ones they have reportedly made to the Nevada Republican Party. No matter what they have told in-state Republicans about securing Nevada’s third-in-the-nation status in future elections, Florida demonstrated the RNC is powerless to stop such actions. Since it would be a deep embarrassment to the state if Nevada Republicans wave the white flag on keeping our early voting status, we therefore strongly urge Gov. Sandoval and state Republicans not to retreat in this fight.”

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in E!!Politics | 1 Comment »

Challenges With Unemployment Insurance Funds Could Lead To Reforms, Tax Foundation Report Says

By Sean Whaley | 3:54 pm October 17th, 2011

CARSON CITY – A report from the Tax Foundation on unemployment insurance taxes says 34 states have had to borrow $37 billion from the federal government to pay jobless benefits, and employers around the country face the prospect of higher tax rates as a result.

“Businesses are in danger of facing higher UI (unemployment insurance) taxes at a time when private sector hiring is already at a low level,” says the background paper by Joseph Henchman titled “Unemployment Insurance Taxes: Options for Program Design and Insolvent Trust Funds” released this month.

Henchman, vice president of legal and state projects at the Tax Foundation, said the adverse conditions currently existing within the unemployment insurance programs could be an impetus for reforms, such as experimenting with individual accounts to encourage saving.

“These changes can enhance the program’s ultimate goal of ensuring a viable safety net for transition periods between employment,” he said.

Nevada is one of those states borrowing from the federal government to pay benefits, an amount that totals $773 million so far. Even so, the Nevada Employment Security Council voted earlier this month to recommend against raising the tax next year from its current 2 percent average rate. The taxes are assessed on the first $26,400 of an employees’ wages.

The rate was raised in Nevada for this calendar year to 2 percent from 1.33 percent. Concerns over stifling job creation led to the recommendation to maintain the 2 percent tax rate into next year, even though it means the federal loans won’t be paid off until 2018. The rate will be formally set later this year by the state Employment Security Division.

The Tax Foundation report shows that Nevada was one of nearly 20 states with a healthy trust fund when the national recession began in December 2007. But Nevada’s highest-in-the-nation jobless rate depleted the fund and required the state to borrow from the federal government beginning in October 2009.

Of the 34 states that have borrowed to pay benefits, seven have repaid the loans, either by dipping into general funds or by borrowing instead from the private sector, Henchman said in his report.

Joseph Henchman of the Tax Foundation.

The idea of having Nevada borrow money on its own to pay benefits instead of relying on loans from the federal government was considered by the Nevada Legislature but was not pursued.

States that have repaid their federal loans are Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Texas.

States have to pay interest on the borrowed federal funds starting this year. Nevada was the only state to get an extension on its $22.5 million interest payment until June 30, 2012, due to the state’s high unemployment rate. Other states had to make their interest payments by Oct. 1 of this year.

In addition to raising taxes on employers, several states have opted to reduce unemployment benefits.

Nevada pays benefits for 26 weeks as do most states, although federal funding has allowed payments to be extended for up to 99 weeks during the recession.

States reducing the number of weeks of benefits are Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and South Carolina. Three states, Florida, Rhode Island and South Carolina, also implemented reforms to their unemployment insurance programs.

The Tax Foundation reports that in Florida, reforms include an expansion of what constitutes misconduct that would make someone ineligible for benefits, and making laid-off employees who get severance pay ineligible for benefits.

“Lawmakers have an opportunity to take a new look at benefit levels, program requirements, and whether such programs should be expected to accomplish additional fiscal and social policy goals,” Henchman said.

Nevada has not thus far considered reforms to its unemployment insurance program.

The Tax Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan tax research organization based in Washington, DC.

 

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Halloween Spending Trend Should Help Nevada Retailers

By Nevada News Bureau Staff | 6:45 am October 17th, 2011

Two trends could make Halloween a treat for Nevada retailers this year.

Halloween vintage postcard (circa 1920)

The National Retail Federation (“NRF”) estimates 68.6 percent of Americans 18 years and older will celebrate Halloween this year, the most in the NRF’s survey history.  Additionally, those celebrating are expected to spend approximately $72.31 on decorations, costumes, candy and other holiday items, up $6.03 from the $66.28 reported last year.

Assuming national trends aren’t playing tricks on Nevada, 1.4 million residents 18 years and older will spend money on the spooky holiday this year. If each Nevadan celebrating the holiday spends the expected average of $72.31, total spending in the state will reach $99 million.

The current year estimate represents an increase of 17.3 percent compared to last year when an estimated 63.8 percent of the population celebrated the holiday, spending $66.28 on average.

According to the NRF’s survey, 43.9 percent of Americans plan to dress up in a costume this year, up 3.8 percentage points from last year. And dressing up is not limited to humans. The concept of dressing pets continues to rise in popularity, and 14.7 percent say they will dress up their pet in a costume, up 3.2 percentage points from the 11.5 percent reported last year.

In addition, the survey reported that 22.9 percent of Americans will visit a haunted house, 73.5 percent will hand out candy, 47.8 percent will carve a pumpkin and 32.9 percent will take their children trick-or-treating, all up more than 1.0 percentage point from 2010.

However, the state of the U.S. economy continues to have a negative impact on the holiday for some, with 32.1 percent of Americans saying it will affect their Halloween plans, up 2.0 percentage points from last year.

The NRF noted that as a non-gift holiday, people can do more to celebrate Halloween without having to tighten their budgets too much.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Horsford Announces Congressional Run, Says He Has “Very Effective” Campaign Team

By Elizabeth Crum | 8:49 pm October 12th, 2011

As expected and as reported a couple of hours ago by the AP, state Sen. and Democratic majority leader Steven Horsford (SD-4) will tomorrow formally announced he is running for Congress in CD-1, Rep. Shelley Berkley’s seat.

The public announcement will come at the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas, inside the Westside Bistro, tomorrow, October 13, at 2 p.m. (The address is 710 West Lake Mead Blvd in North Las Vegas.)

I chatted with Horsford this afternoon about his candidacy. A few snippets:

Horsford said he has so far tapped the following pros for his team:

– Campaign manager Geoff Mackler who last cycle worked at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Independent Expenditure office. He was in charge of strategy (polling, mail, media, radio, field coordination) for ten congressional campaigns, including challengers Jim Himes, who beat Christopher Shays in Connecticut, and Mike McMahon, who won a Republican open seat in New York.  Prior to that Mackler spent six years at MSHC, a direct mail firm, and has also worked on campaigns in Massachusetts, Michigan and Texas.

– Cornell Belcher to do media strategy and polling (same firm that did Obama polling in Nevada in 2008)

– GMMB for media research and strategy (note the President’s smiling photo, top left)

– Chadderdon Group as his direct mail house

State Sen. Steven Horsford

When listing his reasons for running, Horsford mentioned his commitment to his constituency — including his residency in that community for 38 years — and said he sees people there as “family” and feels an obligation to go to Washington for those who are “frustrated with how broken D.C. is.”

Horsford said that Nevada and its gaming industry “can’t recover and grow until the national economy recovers” so he believes he can do his best work inside the Beltway to help the country get on track.

When asked about district lines and a possible primary challenge, Horsford said:

“Right now there is no primary in this district. No other candidate has announced. My state senate district is contained within this congressional district and covers one-third of its area. I have served this community; people here know me; and I care about them.”

Bio

Horsford, now 38, was elected in his North Las Vegas district in 2004 and became senate majority leader in 2008.

He has served in six special sessions and four regular sessions of the Nevada Legislature. In the most recent session, he served as chair of the Senate Finance Committee and also served on the Senate Committee on Revenue and the Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections.

Horsford serves as a national Democratic committee member and co-chaired the campaign for Obama in 2008. He is also a member of the DNC’s Rules & Bylaws Committee.

Horsford is the CEO of the Culinary Training Academy, a joint management and labor partnership between participating gaming companies and the Culinary and Bartenders Unions.

If elected to Congress, Horsford plans to step down as CEO.

He is married to Dr. Sonya Horsford, a professor of educational leadership at UNLV. They have three children, Benjamin, Bryson and Ella.

Possible campaign issues

Horsford’s tenure as an elected official has not been without controversy.

In November 2009, KTNV Channel 13 observed Horsford illegally parked, his SUV with his senate license plate visible in a handicapped parking space at a park for a number of hours. He quickly apologized for the “inconvenience.”

In August 2010, in an attempt to raise money, Horsford sent out an email to potential contributors offering access to himself and other Senate leadership in exchange for contributions of between $1,000 and $25,000 to a Democratic victory fund. The day after Nevada News Bureau broke the story, Horsford said it was a “poor action” and told KRNV he was pulling the plug on the program.

Also, this past April, web poker giant PokerStars treated Horsford to a paid “junket” to the Bahamas immediately prior to the introduction of internet poker legislation in Carson City. Horsford said the company asked him to attend a Nassau conference and that he “went to learn more about Internet gaming policy before federal and state governments.” However, Horsford later reimbursed the poker lobby group for the cost of the trip.

(In the original version of this post, I did not not mention that Sen. Horsford later paid Poker Stars for the trip because I was not aware of it. I regret the error.)

Subsequently, it was reported that Horsford had received $37,500 in campaign contributions from the then-federally indicted PokerStars. Forty-eight Nevada legislators in total took some amount of PokerStars money, including some PAC cash. Horsford (and others) later returned the money.

Recent Legislative work

During the 2011 Legislative session, Horsford was a vocal advocate for closing mining tax loopholes. He also requested emergency legislation to conduct a performance audit of the revenue collection functions of the Department of Taxation following questions about the thoroughness of that agency’s review of mining tax payments.

Despite being an outspoken education advocate, Horsford also at one point during the session pressed Nevada System of HIgher Education Chancellor Dan Klaich as he spoke in support of considering higher education campus closures as part of necessary budget reductions.

Horsford was part of the final-days dealmaking between Gov. Brian Sandoval and legislative leaders from both parties in which a budget agreement was announced that included tax extensions and restorations of funding to public and higher education in exchange for significant policy reforms in education and collective bargaining.

 

 

 

 

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in E!!Politics | No Comments »

In Case You Missed It: The Week in Nevada Politics

By Elizabeth Crum | 1:36 pm October 8th, 2011

And what a week it was! You’re sure to have missed at least one or two of the following items. And if I forgot something, feel free to post it below in Comments, along with your…comments.

Redistricting

I’m working on a blog post including links to the latest that I’ll get up by Monday, Dear Readers. Documents are flying and quite a bit has happened since Sept. 21 when a Carson City judge ordered public hearings on the matter.

If you want to attend the public hearing still scheduled for Las Vegas, it’s Monday, Oct. 10, at 9:30 a.m. in the Grant Sawyer building, 555 E. Washington Ave., Room 4401.

In Carson City, the public hearing will be Tuesday, Oct. 11, in room 4100 of the Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson Street.

Or you can find links to live broadcasts here.

Caucuses/Primaries

After Florida jumped ahead to Jan. 31, South Carolina scheduled on Saturday, Jan. 21, and Nevada settled on Saturday, Jan. 14. Then, Iowa yesterday set their caucus date for Tuesday, Jan. 3. This creates a problem for New Hampshire which has a statute saying their primary has to be at least seven days before the next primary/caucus. If New Hampshire schedules on Tuesday, Jan. 10, Nevada’s caucus will fall just four days later.

Presidential Race and Related Matters

George and Jeb were in town. The former gave a speech and then went to see his old pal Sheldon Adelson at the Venetian; the latter mostly hung out with Gov. Sandoval including headlining a big ($600,000) fundraiser, also at the Venetian. (Ralston wrote up some of Jeb’s remarks after his tour of Agassi Prep.)

Team Ron Paul is up with their first TV ad. No word (yet) on the size of the buy in Nevada.

Herman Cain is on the rise.

Immigration matters. Romney v. Perry.

Stuart Rothenberg says he thinks the electoral vote advantage goes to Romney in a match-up against Obama.

A Tea Party Express spin-off group (numerous TPX staffers migrated) called Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama put out a YouTube ad called “Liberal Mitt’s Greatest Hits.” Safe to say, they aren’t Romney fans.

SuperPACs galore.

U.S. Senate

“Senate in chaos” says Politico. Procedurally speaking, that is. By a 51-48 vote, the Senate voted (along party lines) to change the precedent and limit how amendments can be considered once a filibuster is defeated. This after the GOP tried to tie up the Chinese currency bill by tacking on unrelated amendments. (Both parties have done plenty of this kind of thing at various times over the years.)

CSM wrote about it, too.

Is prayer the Senate’s only hope?

China’s currency meddling and related legislation was a topic in the Berkley-Heller Senate race this week.

Berkley out-raised Heller by nearly double in Q3. She now has $3.2 million cash on hand. Heller has $2.8 million. And let’s not forget all the money that will be spent here by the NRSC, DCSC, and various IEs and SuperPACs.

House

Amodei: Got Committees?

The Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, on which Rep. Joe Heck sits, this week held a hearing to explore ways to modernize the nation’s job-training system. Here’s video of Heck questioning witnesses.

Miscellaneous

Clark County is moving forward, making NBC and ABC (no, not the TV networks) happy in their PLA/union fight. Interesting stuff.

Our thanks to the LVRJ for running Sean Whaley’s story on Medicare fraud.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in E!!Politics | No Comments »

Governor Asks Council to Review Education Data Systems

By Nevada News Bureau Staff | 7:51 am October 8th, 2011

Gov. Brian Sandoval yesterday signed an executive order directing the P-16 Advisory Council to review education data systems in Nevada.

The Council, created by state statute, is intended to help coordinate education efforts in Nevada from the preschool through postsecondary levels and has the authority to address the data information system for public school students.

Esther Bennett Elementary School, Sun Valley, Nevada

“The effective use of high-quality education date is integral to the success of these reforms and establishing an effective education data system requires the cooperation of the executive and legislative branches of government, local school districts, Nevada’s System of Higher Education, educators in classrooms and early childhood care providers,” Sandoval said in a press release.

The Council, consisting of eleven members, includes Bret Whipple, Erin Cranor, Caryn Swobe, Stacy Woodbury, John LaGatta, Senator Joe Hardy, Assemblywoman Lucy Flores, Cedric Crear, Sue Daellenbach, Linda Johnson and Senator Barbara Cegavske.

According to the executive order, the Council’s recommendations will address the following:

– Establishing a cross-agency governance structure with representatives who have decision-making authority

– Identifying resource needs in the areas of staffing, technology and funding

– Developing policies that outline what data are shared and how; where they will be stored; how often they will be updated; who will conduct analyses; how privacy will be protected

– Creating a vision for the state’s longitudinal data system to ensure it will support the state’s education and workforce development needs

– Necessary legislation to carry out the Council’s recommendations.

The executive order requires quarterly reports on February 1, May 1, and August 1 of 2012 and for all work to be completed by August 1, 2012.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Rural Nevada Community Gets Needed Help from Low-Interest USDA Loan

By Elizabeth Crum | 5:05 am October 8th, 2011

A federal effort to pump affordable loan money into rural communities across the nation is bringing the city of Caliente a pumper truck and a rescue vehicle with a mini-pumper, and not a moment too soon.

Photo of Caliente Historic Railroad Station from settlerscabin.com

Due to a $120,000 loan and $15,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the city’s all-volunteer fire department will soon have reliable working vehicles for the 60-odd medical and fire calls they make each month.

Caliente volunteer fire chief George Rowe said the timing of the loan was welcome because the city’s existing gas-powered fire truck is more than 30 years old and on its last leg.

On a recent fire call, the vehicle had mechanical difficulties and could not make it to the site.

“Had we not gotten the loan, it probably would have been another five to six years before we’d have had enough money to purchase the vehicles,” said Rowe. “The large pumper truck would not have held out.”

Rowe said he first got wind of the possible availability of federal funds this past July when he ran into a USDA representative who was visiting Caliente Mayor Keith Larson’s office to discuss and evaluate local needs.

“The mayor was great to work with, and I just can’t thank the USDA enough,” said Rowe, who is also a certified EMT along with many of the 35 fire department volunteers who together protect and serve the community.

The population of Caliente, located in east Lincoln County, is around 1,250 within the city limits, but the city’s fire fighters respond to calls in unincorporated areas as far as 30 miles away.

The money to purchase two used vehicles is being lent to the city at a 4.25 interest rate over a period of 12 years. Typically, such a low-interest loan with a longer term would be unavailable for the purchase of used equipment. This can be prohibitive for many rural fire and police departments that cannot afford expensive new vehicles.

“This community could not get this kind of loan in the regular marketplace,” said Kelly Clark, Special Projects and Public Affairs Specialist for the USDA. “The loan amount would typically be at a higher rate, and a three to five year loan would be standard.”

The program goal is to provide affordable loans for necessary equipment in struggling rural communities. One way this is done is by tying the repayment period to the estimated useful life of equipment.

Clark added that the goal of Community Facilities Program is to “help these rural communities help themselves by maintaining public safety and responsiveness, but not go broke doing it.”

The program is one of many at the USDA designed to help rural communities provide affordable housing, support local business and industry, and purchase or build essential infrastructure. Grants and loans are typically approved for the purchase of  equipment or vehicles related to child care centers, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted-living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings and transportation.

Rural development across the nation

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week announced loans and investments in 33 states and one territory that his agency claims will create jobs and improve the quality of life in rural communities across the nation.

Photo entitled "Rural America" from pomonapost.wordpress.com

“The projects announced today will help strengthen facilities and amenities in rural towns and small cities,” Vilsack said in a press release.

Other cities and states fared far better than Nevada.

For example, the city of Blockton, Iowa, was selected to receive a $50,000 grant that will be used to purchase a fire truck. Currently, the fire department has just one pumper truck to cover a 70 square mile area. Also in Iowa, the city of Akron was selected to receive a $4 million direct loan that will be used to help build a 45-bed nursing home.

In Gray, Ky., KCEOC Community Action Partnership, Inc. was selected to receive a $50,000 grant to replace a roof on a child development and community center in Harland County, a persistent poverty county. The center has 88 children enrolled in its programs and community groups use the center for community, educational and recreational activities.

Great Plains Health Alliance Inc, in Phillipsburg, Kan.,was selected to receive a $3 million loan and a $2.2 million loan guarantee to purchase health records equipment and software for rural hospitals. When completed, the project will offer clinical telemedicine services, including real-time virtual consultations, diagnostic examinations, digital diagnostic imaging, remote monitoring and other specialty services.

The $46.8 million announced this week is being funded through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Program. Funding of individual recipients is said to be contingent upon meeting the terms of the loan or grant agreement.

USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program is intended to finance essential community facilities for public use in rural areas.

This week’s announcement is part of a series of rural infrastructure investments expected by Secretary Vilsack during the next two weeks. Vilsack said it supports the goal of the American Jobs Act as presented by President Obama to Congress on Sept. 8.

Since taking office, President Obama’s Administration has set goals of modernizing rural infrastructure by providing broadband access, expanding educational opportunities for students who live in rural areas, and providing affordable health care to rural communities.

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

American Jobs Act May Create Unfunded Burden on State

By Nevada News Bureau Staff | 4:09 pm October 5th, 2011

When he visits Las Vegas on Oct. 24, President Barack Obama will continue his nationwide tour urging Congress to pass the Americans Jobs Act, his $450 billion plan to create jobs and stimulate the economy.

“Pass this jobs bill, and there will be funding to save the jobs of up to 13,000 North Carolina teachers, cops, and firefighters,” Obama said earlier this month to thousands of supporters at North Carolina State University.

The president has not, however, shared with voters that his jobs bill as presented would fund many of the proposed jobs for only one year, nor has he explained his plan for how the jobs would be paid for once federal funds run out.

A recent White House press release on the impact of the American Jobs Act in Nevada said the measure would help Nevada localities avoid and reverse layoffs, through an influx of $258.3 million to support up to 3,600 educator and first responder (police and firefighter) jobs.

Dividing the $258.3 million in federal funding proposed for Nevada by 3,600 jobs yields $71,750 to cover salary, benefits, and other costs associated with providing each position. Based on average teacher or first responder pay and benefits in the state, it is likely that funding from the jobs bill would, on average, cover no more than one year of total compensation.

For example, teacher salaries before benefits in Clark County School District range from $34,688 to $69,272. After benefits are added in, teacher pay packages range from $50,267 to $93,785, the median being $72,026.

Sections 204-209 of the bill as proposed include provisions requiring states to “meet the requirements” of the measure for an additional two years.

A White House spokeswoman has said the bill includes no unfunded mandates but unless Nevada picks up the funding for these positions after the first year or so, it is unclear how the teachers and first responders supported by it would be paid going forward.

Gov. Brian Sandoval has not taken a position on the proposed federal legislation but a spokesperson in his office said he “would encourage members of Nevada’s Congressional delegation to avoid any ‘maintenance of effort’ provisions that place a long-term burden on state resources, even in exchange for short-term relief.”

Should the state’s economy improve significantly, revenue would flow into the state coffers and enable a continuation of funding. However, recent economic reports and projections make the prospect of significantly increased state funds seem unlikely at present.

Another issue is that the traditional school year has begun, local school districts have hired teachers, and classes are under way. Even if the bill became law quickly, it is unclear how Nevada government agencies could accept and process the federal money and achieve the president’s job goals during the current school year.

The nation

Obama’s American Jobs Act includes $35 billion for state and local government employees: $30 billion to hire or preserve the jobs of public school teachers, and $5 billion for police officers, firefighters, and other first responders.

In the White House analysis for each state, the categories are combined. One-seventh, or 14 percent, of the money covers first responders.

An analysis of the planned allotment and estimated jobs from each state yields a nationwide average cost per job of $74,757.

Background information provided by the White House on the American Jobs Act bases the distribution of funds to each state primarily on population. The job estimates rely on public sector labor costs obtained from each state.

(Story continues after graphic generously provided by Carolina Journal.)

 

.

(For an Excel spreadsheet with the state-by-state breakdown, click here.)

An analysis places Nevada 22nd among the states in cost per job.

At the extreme ends of the rankings, South Dakota would receive the least money per job and New York the most.

South Dakota would get $77.6 million for an estimated 1,600 jobs, or $48,500 per job. New York, by contrast, would receive $1.77 billion for an estimated 18,000 jobs, or $98,322 per job.

California ranks second to New York with $3.6 billion for an estimated 37,300 jobs, $97,086 per job.

 

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in News | 1 Comment »

Law Restricting Cellphone Use While Driving Goes Into Effect

By Nevada News Bureau Staff | 1:02 pm October 2nd, 2011

Governor Brian Sandoval and the Nevada Department of Public Safety and Transportation are this weekend reminding Nevada drivers that handheld cellphone use while driving is now prohibited in the state.

For the time being, law enforcement officers plan to give motorists a warning for driving while talking, typing or reading on a handheld cellphone or similar device. Beginning Jan. 1, 2012, fines of up to $250 will be imposed for any driver using a handheld phone or device to talk, type or read.
“There are approximately 3,400 distraction-related crashes in Nevada every year, and more than 50 deaths in the past five years,” Governor Sandoval said in a press release. “These distracted driving crashes include drivers using a cellphone while behind the wheel. Because someone was driving distracted or didn’t put their phone away, there is a family member who is not coming home. I remind all Nevadans to put their phone away while driving, and let’s keep us all safe on Nevada roads.”

Nevada Department of Public Safety Director Chris Perry says drivers are four times more likely to crash when driving while talking on a cellphone.

“Driving while talking or texting can delay reaction time as much as driving legally drunk,” said Perry.

Across the nation in 2009, nearly 5,500 people died and half a million were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.

The number is believed to represent only the tip of the iceberg because police reports cannot always document whether distraction was a factor in vehicle crashes.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »