Did You Say The “New Democratic Majority” Wally Edge?

Okay, I’m a few days late on this, but a hipster tipster pointed out Wally Edge’s December 14th column (that would be Nevada’s Wally Edge as opposed to the New Jersey, Maine, Colorado, Vermont, Maryland, or Oregon Wally Edge). Isn’t the Nevada Wally Edge supposed to be a Nevada political insider? If so, he or she has got a little explaining to do. From the blog post:

Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley (D) has been relatively quiet in my view about Gibbons’ across-the-board budget cuts and continuing pledge to not raise taxes. Given the recent political capital that comes with capturing the majority in the Assembly, Democrats until now have remained quiet. Sure, they’ve expressed their views somewhat, but finally Buckley and Assembly Democrats jump in and join the RGJ in a lawsuit to force Gibbons to open his budget cutting process.

Good or bad, don’t we expect our assembly leaders to question the Governor. That’s our system of checks and balances. We’re all better off for the debate. Whether or not you agree with Gibbons (and not many of you do), it’s about time the new Democrat majority in Carson City steps up to the plate.

First, its probably important to note that the Democrats have been in the majority in the Nevada State Assembly for over a decade, so they hardly constitute a “new Democratic majority.” Second, Gibbons first announced possible budget cuts of 5% on October 15th. Perhaps Wally Edge doesn’t realize that the Nevada State Assembly has been out of session since June? What exactly can the part-time Assembly Democrats do besides work from within their interim committees, make it clear through the media that they want to work with the governor on the budget, make cautionary press statements, meet and negotiate with the appropriate state officials, and join the Reno Gazette Journal’s lawsuit requesting that the governor’s budget cut proposals be made public? It’s not like Speaker Buckley has been sitting around in a rocking chair darning socks. She’s made it very clear that the Democrats in the Assembly are unhappy with the governor’s decision making, and she’s also been working with Senator Reid on ways to help citizens navigate Nevada’s mortgage crisis and scrutinizing the proposed merger of Sierra Health Services and UnitedHealth Services–issues not at all unimportant to Nevada citizens.

And seriously, what on earth are legislators supposed to do about a governor that thinks its an appropriate decision to force budget cut proposals and then keep them a secret from the people he works for? To protect those who might lose their jobs we are told. Yeah, I’m sure having LESS time to prepare for your new life as an unemployed state employee will make people feel a lot better about the whole situation. Anyway, look what Speaker Buckley and Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio did accomplish once Governor Gibbons finally agreed to meet with them and get some advice from experienced legislators.

Oh, and there’s no apostrophe in “Reno and Its Discontents” as listed on your blogroll, because it’s the possessive form of “its.”

Similar Posts:

• State Republicans MIA
• The Buckley Proposal: Nevada State Democrats Showing Leadership
• You Know What They Say about Hubris

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