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BREAKING NEWS AND THEN SOME—>
Updated 9-28-2016

Democrats for Trump

Trump running mate exposed

Wolf Pack defeat foreshadowed Trump debate win
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-27-2016 Sparks Tribune

Poor Denny's Almanac — Saturday, 24 Sept. 2016 10:38:31 PDT

On this date in 1864, mine owner and Nevada governor James Nye requested and received two companies of U.S. Army cavalry troops from Fort Churchill to break a miners’ labor union in Virginia City. (Courtesy of veteran Nevadian journalist/historian Dennis Myers' daily Poor Denny's Almanac © 2016)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-20-2016 Sparks Tribune

ON THIS DAY — On Sept. 15, 1963, four black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, in the deadliest act of the civil rights era. — New York Times Addie Mae Collins 14, Carol Denise McNair 11 Carole Robertson 14, Cynthia Wesley 14

Poor Denny's Almanac — Wednesday, 14 Sept. 2016 08:46:23 PDT
On this date in 1918, Eugene Debs was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for violating the Espionage Act by making a speech critical of the Espionage Act; in 1988, labor leader Dolores Huerta was beaten by police in front of Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco.
(Courtesy of veteran Nevada journalist Dennis Myers of the Reno News & Review © 2016 Dennis Myers)

Justice delayed: Blackguards, gypsy cops and police poltroons
Bret Black charged with murder
Barbwire by Barbano / Sparks Tribune 9-13-2016
The sordid history of the case

None of the Above looking good in 2016
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Sparks Tribune 9-6-2016

Have a happy and non-laborious Labor Day weekend.
Be safe. Be well. Raise hell. / Esté bien. Haga infierno.

The more things change, the more they remain the same "More than one-half the national income, according to the census of 1890, was being enjoyed by one-eighth of the nation's families.The richest 1 per cent received a larger total income than the poorest 50 per cent. Of the 12,000,000 families in the country, 5,500,000 families had no property at all. It was such facts as these that forced President (Grover) Cleveland to declare in his annual message to Congress that 'trusts, combinations and monopolies' were trampling the citizen 'to death beneath an iron heel.' " (Boyer and Morais, "Labor's Untold Story," 1956, published by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America [UE], page 80)

Remembering a pair of Nevadian Battling Nelsons

On Sept. 3, 1906, four years before the “great white hope” fight in Reno, African-American Joe Gans triumphed over Oscar “Battling” Nelson in a brutally hot fight (Gans entered the ring carrying an umbrella) in Goldfield. (Courtesy of veteran Nevadian journalist/historian Dennis Myers' daily Poor Denny's Almanac © 2016)

Virginia City Labor Day Parade 9-5-2016
Parade forms at 11:00 a.m. at the 4th Ward School, 528 South "C" Street. Marching starts at noon.
To participate, call Liz Sorenson at CWA Local 9413, (775) 322-9413.

LABORING FOR LABOR DAY (6 Sept. 2010) — Union members prepare for the 2010 Virginia City Labor Day Parade, the only such soirée in Nevada. Labor Day Parade Grand Marshal George "Battling" Nelson (1932-2016), President of the Reno United Auto Workers Retirees, is seated in the 1957 Chevrolet behind driver Mike Murray of UAW 2162. Left to right are Penny Bueno (holding the yellow UAW banner) and Bob Bueno, current president of UAW 2162/AFL-CIO (with the American flag). Holding the white banner behind the Chevy are Glenda Gravelyn, left, and Rudy Viola, right, in the Indiana Jones hat. Rudy is immediate past-president of the local. Doing his best impression of Uncle Sam on steroids is Robert "Tuna" Townsend, a member of the Industrial Workers of the World union (aka "The Wobblies"). UNO MAS, 2013 — Brother Nelson reported that the UAW entered three General Motors products in the Monday 2 September 2013 Labor Day event: a 2014 Chevrolet Impala, a 2013 GMC Acadia Denali and a 2013 Cadillac XTS. In July 2013, the Impala received surprising rave reviews from Consumer Reports, a legendarily tough crowd. (UAW 2162 photo) ADIOS, AMIGOS Sam Lumpe, Lee Chávez From daughter Lora Lumpe 8-25-2016, the day after Sam's death: "We want you to know that even yesterday — when it was clear that he was declining rapidly — he still really wanted to attend the Labor Day fest in VC!"

HONORING LABOR AT THE 2016 LABOR DAY PARADE
Area workers again march through historic Virginia City to celebrate the value of work on Labor Day
Northern Nevada Central Labor Council: Labor Day stands for much more than selling sofas

Labor Day weekend union election for culinary workers & bartenders at anti-union LV Boulder Station Hotel-Casino
Richard N. Velotta / Las Vegas Review-Journal 9-1-2016

Be well. Raise hell.

NevadaLabor.com Labor Day Treasury

Prescience, premonition or predilection of election?
Labor Day 2016: Nevada Workers' last stand
Barbwire Exclusives: Gansert will run to replace Brower in Nevada Senate
Better late than never dept.: The Reno Gazette-Journal confirmed the above on Sept. 9, 2015
Complaint filed against welfare-bashing illegal GOP front petition
Barbwire by Barbano / Uploaded 8-30-2015/ Expanded from the Tuesday 9-1-2015 Sparks Tribune

Labor Day 2014: Red, white and screwed
Silver State Lining: Nevada union membership 10th-highest in the nation
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Sparks Tribune / 8-28-2014

Union sisters and brothers participate in the Sept. 7, 2013 Virginia City Labor Day Parade.
Major Reno Gazette-Journal news roundup

Labor Day Weekend Almanac

On 9-3-1937, in his powerful “Labor, like Israel” radio address now included in many collections of U.S. rhetoric, labor leader John L. Lewis denounced politicians who were aided by labor in elections but then supported management in industrial disputes, mentioning Chicago Mayor Edward Kelly, Ohio Governor Martin Davey, and President Franklin Roosevelt (who during the bloody “Little Steel Strike” had said “A curse on both your houses” to employers and the workers who had been brutalized and murdered by management goons). [Courtesy of longtime Nevada reporter Dennis Myers' daily Poor Denny's Almanac]

On Sept. 1, 1907, labor leader Walter Reuther, named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. (More Labor Day Poor Denny's Almanac)

On Sept. 3, 1906, four years before the “great white hope” fight in Reno, African American Joe Gans triumphed over Oscar “Battling” Nelson in a brutally hot fight (Gans entered the ring carrying an umbrella) in Goldfield. (Courtesy of veteran Nevadian journalist/historian Dennis Myers' daily Poor Denny's Almanac © 2016)

The Storey County Miner's Union marching in the Virginia City Labor Day parade, September 7, 1908. (Nevada Historical Society)

Nevada Labor History

UPDATED 22 AUGUST 2014 01:07 a.m. PDT, 08:07 ZULU/GMT/SUT/CUT —> On this date in 1966, the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee, now the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), was formed from a merger of the National Farm Workers Association and the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee and became a powerful tool for the advancement of Latinos under the leadership of César Chávez and Dolores Huerta. (Courtesy Dennis Myers' daily Poor Denny's Almanac © 2014)

OCTOBER, 1969 — César Chávez, right, and Walter Reuther, center, at the dedication of the United Farm Workers' new headquarters in Delano, Calif. The buildings were dedicated to Reuther's late younger brother, Roy. The Reuther-led United Auto Workers were instrumental in acquiring the land and funding for "The 40 Acres," as the site was known. The man at left walked a picket line for five years and may or may not be a Chávez relative. Anyone who can identify him, please contact me. A character resembling him appeared in many scenes of the 2014 major motion picture César Chávez. (Photo courtesy of George "Battling" Nelson, UAW Local 2162 Retirees.)

When César Chávez came to Reno

Obama pays tribute to late Reno labor leader

THE WAY WE WERE — The above is a recently discovered photo from July 15, 1986. Left to right are Kathy Brown, Culinary Union Local 86 office manager; Miguel Contreras, Local 86 Secretary-Treasurer; Local 86 President Bill Uehlein; a lady named Natalie (anyone who knows her last name, please write), and César Chávez. This item was first published in Ahora, northern Nevada's Spanish-English weekly, on March 26, 2008. (On 3-19-2009, President Obama paid tribute to Brother Contreras as he spoke in the L.A. building named after the late labor leader. See the 1986 Chávez Reno archive, below.) (Photo courtesy of Dan Rusnak, retired business manager of Laborers' Union Local 169.) More stories and photos from César Chávez's 1986 Reno visit

Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential
The Underbelly of the News—>TOP SECRET, HUSH HUSH!

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them. — Paul Valery, French critic & poet (1871-1945) Thank you for NOT voting—> SUBSCRIBE TO BARBWIRE CONFIDENTIAL: TOP SECRET, Hush-Hush! "If voting mattered, they wouldn't let us do it." — Travus T. Hipp, 1982 EVIDENCE IN POINT: The GOP's Stealth War Against Voters Will an anti-voter-fraud program designed by one of Trump's advisers deny tens of thousands their right to vote in November? The Crosscheck program is a response to the imaginary menace of mass voter fraud. By Greg Palast / Rolling Stone 9-8-2016 Barbwire exposes Trump running mate

Labor Day weekend union election for culinary workers & bartenders at anti-union LV Boulder Station Hotel-Casino
Richard N. Velotta / Las Vegas Review-Journal 9-1-2016

Walk a mile in Colin Kaepernick's cleats
"In this country, American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate."—Toni Morrison
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 8-30-2016 Sparks Tribune / Updated 8-31-2016

Adios: Sam Lumpe, 1940-2016
The César Chávez Nevada Labor Hall of Famer and retired member of Sheet Metal Workers Local 26/AFL-CIO passed away in Reno on Aug. 24. All testimonials will be most welcome for inclusion in a complete remembrance of our brother Sam which will be posted here soon. At his request, there will be no memorial service. He is the second hall-of-famer (with the United Auto Workers' George "Battling" Nelson) to pass this summer. Requiescant in pace.

Adios: Librado Chávez muerto
Librado "Lee" Chávez, brother of César Chávez and frequent participant in Nevada César Chávez Day activities, has passed away in California. This comes two months after the passing of Mrs. César Chávez, Helen. Details as they arrive. Requiescant in pace.

Tivoli Village construction worker dies in fall after scaffolding collapse in Summerlin/West Las Vegas Valley
Ricardo Nicolas Bautista, 30, of North Las Vegas was on the scaffolding with two other workers when it collapsed about 2 p.m. at the construction site, 302 S. Rampart Blvd. Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said the other two workers were able to jump to safety. Bautista died at the scene. [More workplace safety news]
Las Vegas Review-Journal 8-22 and 23, 2016

Happy Anniversary Barbwire Fencers
On 8-12-1988, Barbwire by Barbano found a permanent home in the newly-Daily Sparks Tribune. Quaff a beer of good cheer against softshoe fascistista fear.

All the news you never knew you needed to know—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential
The Underbelly of the News—>TOP SECRET, HUSH HUSH!

Mark Twain declares presidential candidacy

Latest Barbwire Columns

Adios: George "Battling" Nelson, 1932-2016 Labor Day Parade 6 September 2010 Virginia City, Nev. Latest updates from the Sparks Tribune George's obituary Reno Gazette-Journal 7-9-2016 SPARKS, NEV. (16 JUNE 2016) — Our brother and César Chávez Nevada Labor Hall of Famer George "Battling" Nelson, 83, passed away this morning at his home. He was diagnosed with leukemia a few weeks ago and faded a couple of months faster than doctors predicted. We were able to get his second-to-last wish fulfilled in his lifetime. (The last, a posthumous pardon for former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, may happen before President Obama leaves office. Please contact your senators, congressmembers and the White House.) I got George on tape one week before his death and asked him to say "be well, raise hell" one last time. He did it his way: "Be well. Raise hell. Have fun." That's my man, George. Rest in peace, great warrior, we are richer for your having passed this way. See you in the next round, champ. With love and laughter, in eternal solidarity and forever your friend, Andrew "Bruiser" Barbano —>Condolences to his family. Details here as they become available. George's Adiós Union Meeting (he wanted it run like one) took place at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 9, at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 350 Training Center, 1150 Greg Street, Sparks NV 89431. STAY TUNED for photos and details. It was tremendous. NEW—> THE BATTLING NELSON HALL OF FAME GALLERY SEND YOUR REMEMBRANCES OF GEORGE FOR PERMANENT POSTING Latest updates from the Sparks Tribune Reno News & Review remembers George Nelson's battles By Dennis Myers 6-23-2016 BLAST FROM THE PAST — 1969: George "Battling" Nelson stood with UAW President Walter Reuther and César Chávez at the dedication of the United Farm Workers headquarters in Delano, California In case you wondered: The original Battling Nelson was world lightweight champion

Grand Marshal George Nelson, 2010 Virginia City Labor Day Parade LABORING FOR LABOR DAY (6 Sept. 2010) — Union members prepare for the 2010 Virginia City Labor Day Parade, the only such soirée in Nevada. Left to right are Penny Bueno (holding the yellow UAW banner) and Bob Bueno, current president of UAW 2162/AFL-CIO (with the American flag). Holding the white banner behind the Chevy are Glenda Gravelyn, left, and Rudy Viola, right, in the Indiana Jones hat. Rudy is immediate past-president of the local. Doing his best impression of Uncle Sam on steroids is Robert "Tuna" Townsend, a member of the Industrial Workers of the World union (aka "The Wobblies"). Labor Day Parade Grand Marshal George "Battling" Nelson, President of the Reno United Auto Workers Retirees, is seated in the 1957 Chevrolet behind driver Mike Murray of UAW 2162. UNO MAS, 2013 — Brother Nelson reported that the UAW entered three General Motors products in the Monday 2 September 2013 Labor Day event: a 2014 Chevrolet Impala, a 2013 GMC Acadia Denali and a 2013 Cadillac XTS. In July 2013, the Impala received surprising rave reviews from Consumer Reports, a legendarily tough crowd. (UAW 2162 photo) Latest updates from the Sparks Tribune

Psychographic testing biases police application exams
By Patricia Gallimore and Andrew Barbano / RGJ.com 7-14-2016 / Reno Gazette-Journal 7-17-2016

Top 10 cures for what ails us: Better late than never
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 7-12-2016 Sparks Tribune

When public interest is secondary to public relations
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 7-5-2016 Sparks Tribune

Who owns Nevada's PBS TV 5-and-10-cent store?
Who shot JR? Ralston show axed without notice.
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-28-2016 Sparks Tribune

Donald Trump, Charles Manson and Mother Theresa
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-21-2016 Sparks Tribune

Rent control, damage control and butt control
Donald Trump's VP running mate exposed
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-14-2016 Sparks Tribune

Democrats for Trump

FINAL OFFER VOTED DOWN, CEMENT STRIKE LOOMS

Requiescata in pace
Helen Chávez, widow of César Chávez, dies at 88
Elena Chávez muerta
Associated Press 6-7-2016

All the news you never knew you needed to know—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential
The Underbelly of the News—>TOP SECRET, HUSH HUSH!

Muhammad Ali, 1942-2016

Sahara Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada (21 November 1972) — In what would be his only northern Nevada match, Muhammad Ali squares off against world Light-Heavyweight Champion Bob Foster for the North American Boxing Federation heavyweight title. The referee is future Washoe County DA and District Judge Mills Bee Lane in his first championship fight. Former Golden-Glover Lane (20-1) achieved his own world fame, officiating at dozens more championship bouts. He starred in his own nationally-syndicated television show, Judge Mills Lane, for three years. Ali knocked out Foster in the eighth round but not before Foster became the first opponent to open a cut on the prettiest one's face. For many years thereafter, Lane gave away copies of TV reporter and now-retired attorney David Kladney's above photo.

Irony Alert: Muhammad Ali's funeral on 6-10-2016 was held 70 years to the day of Jack Johnson's death in a 1946 North Carolina car crash

Nevada was a co-conspirator in blacklisting Muhammad Ali
Dennis Myers / Reno News & Review 6-9-2016
Muhammad Ali: Winning against earthquakes
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-7-2016 Sparks Tribune
The day Muhammad Ali & Sir David Frost faced off here
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-5-2013 Sparks Tribune

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LAST CHANCE TO SEE IT AND WEEP
From Amy Roby 6-3-2016: For its final showing, Always Lost will be displayed in the Main Gallery of Western Nevada College-Carson City from June 3-July 29, 2016. Gallery hours are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The gallery will be closed in honor of Independence Day on July 4, 2016.
2014 Nevada Press Association Award Winner
Hopelessly trying to win an earthquake
I publicly wept when they looked at me.
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 4-18-2013 Daily Sparks Tribune

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Nevada utilities continually consume consumers
POOR COMMUNICATION: Construction worker dies for his cel-phone
ALSO: THE BIG 8-0 — Bedridden Hall of Fame former Nevada Assemblymember Bob Price, D-North Las Vegas/IBEW 357, turns 80
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 5-31-2016 Sparks Tribune

Dirty words for dirty deeds done dirt cheap
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 5-24-2016 Sparks Tribune

Karmic fowl, fox paws and other freakin' f-words
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 5-17-2016 Sparks Tribune

Be careful what you wish for: Justice is a game
State Senate Republican Majority Leader: Funding at 1992 levels
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 5-10-2016 Sparks Tribune

Quick fixes & old hexes in the month of yes, you May
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 5-3-2016 Sparks Tribune

It's OK, that's the way we've always done it, right?
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 4-26-2016 Sparks Tribune

When taking the cure is worse than the disease
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 4-19-2016 Sparks Tribune

ON THE AIR — Reno-Sparks NAACP President Patricia Gallimore and First Vice-President Andrew Barbano will guest on The Crisis Magazine Radio Program, Tuesday, 19 April 2016 at 10:10 a.m. PDT. The hostess will be Crisis Publisher Laura Blackburne. The call-in number is (516) 877-9843. Established in 1910, The Crisis is the official publication of the NAACP. The program will air live on WTHE 1520-am in the New York City/New Jersey/Connecticut metropolitan area. A recording of the show will be available in a day or two at the station's website. Turn on, tune in and tell a friend.

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Barbwire Confidential: Hush-Hush!
[4-8-2016/U-News Exclusive ] —> On Thursday, April 14 at 1:45 p.m. PDT in Washoe District Court Dept. 7, 75 Court St. in Reno, Judge Patrick Flanagan will consider disqualification of Republican Jason Guinasso's candidacy in Assembly Dist. 26 (southwest Reno/Incline Village). Stay Tuned.

Deconstruction, carpetbaggers and hall-of-famers
District attorney's court filings in the Guinasso case available with the above column
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 4-12-2016 Sparks Tribune

For all the news you never knew you needed to know —> Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential —> Top Secret —> Hush Hush!

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April Foolishness: How to stop a world at war
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 4-5-2016 Sparks Tribune

On April 4, 1968, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 39, was shot and killed in Memphis, Tenn. (NY Times); last words of Dr. King, to Ben Branch/April 4, 1968: "Ben, make sure you play Precious Lord, Take My Hand in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty." (From veteran Nevada reporter Dennis Myers' daily Poor Denny's Almanac/PDA)

¡Viva Chávez!

César Chávez Celebration XIV / Celebración de César Chávez XIV
Wednesday 30 March 2016 / Miércoles 30 de Marzo 2016
Circus Circus Reno /HIGHLIGHTS WITH MORE TO COME

50th Anniversary of The César Chávez Long March remembered

Fighting for human rights on César Chávez Day
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-29-2016 Sparks Tribune and Reno Gazette-Journal

3-17-2016 — Happy St. Patrick's Day!

EDITOR'S NOTE: It's rarely remembered but always worth mentioning that St. Patrick was a slave who later returned to minister to Ireland.

Poor Denny's Almanac — On March 17, 1876, in a search for Crazy Horse, the U.S. Army claimed to have accidentally attacked the wrong Lakota village in South Dakota and on the same day in Montana, General George Crook and his force attacked a Native American village on the Powder River, wiping out many inhabitants and destroying the village; in 1942, General John DeWitt, architect of the concentration camps for U.S. citizens in the west, issued an order making Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Utah a second military zone from which “enemy aliens” were barred (the coastal states plus Arizona had already been designated the first prohibited zone); in 1960, President Eisenhower approved a covert paramilitary plan, illegal under international law, to overthrow the government of Cuba; in 1966, farm workers led by César Chávez began a march from Delano to Sacramento. (From Nevada reporter Dennis Myers' daily Poor Denny's Almanac/PDA)

The César Chávez Long March by Reno artist Erik Holland The original watercolor was displayed for several years in the Nevada Legislature offices of Sen. Ruben Kihuen, D-Las Vegas, prime sponsor of the 2009 César Chávez Day bill. Copyright © 2009 Erik Holland. All rights reserved.

The Ides of March 2016: Washoe County Commission proclaims ¡Hail César!

Turnabout is Airplay Dept. DON: Hey, Ted. Got any pictures of your wife naked? TED: No! DON: Wanna buy some? Copyright © 2016 Andrew Barbano BallotBoxing.US/ Use with attribution granted.

Those with crystal balls shouldn't throw stones
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 3-15-2016 Sparks Tribune

Listening in: Teamsters Union and Regional Transportation Commission fight over audio recorders
Poor Denny's Almanac: Racists defeated at the Alamo; worst U.S. Supreme Court decision in history marked

One Thousand Expected to Picket Las Vegas Strip Palms Resort March 18
Culinary Union Local 226 / 3-14-2016

In Union Case, Feds Charge Trump Las Vegas with More Illegal Unfair Labor Practices
Culinary Union Local 226 / 3-9-2016

Remembering the first female U.S. presidents
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 3-8-2016 Sparks Tribune

2-29-2016: A mighty leap on Leap Day
Tesla Commits Teslacide
Nevada workers strike megabucks battery plant
2-29-2016 / Updated 3-1, 3-2 and 3-3-2016

TV or not TV — Oscar blackouts and PBS blacklists
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 3-1-2016 Sparks Tribune

Screw the courts and screw the dealers: Wynn continues to rip off tips
Las Vegas Review-Journal 2-24-2016

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The Underbelly of the News—>TOP SECRET, HUSH HUSH!

Thanks to all Nevada Caucusians

ATTRACTIVELY ACTIVE CAMPAIGN — Laws of Attraction and Titanic star Frances Fisher campaigning for Bernie in Nevada with her chauffeur and chaperone, Annalise Gardella of Reno. (Frances Fisher photo)

Nevada caucuses: Star-studded or star-crossed?
Interview with Titanic star Frances Fisher campaigning for Bernie in Nevada
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 2-23-2016 Sparks Tribune

History foreshadows a GOP November win
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 2-16-2016 Sparks Tribune / Updated 2-19-2016

Psycho-spying the presidential pretenders
Psychological profiles of candidates and presidents
Previous analyses of Justice Clarence Thomas and President Obama proven correct
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 2-9-2016 Sparks Tribune

Donald Trump: from ivory tower to Hightower
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 2-2-2016 Sparks Tribune

If only Shakespeare had written the Constitution
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 1-26-2016 Sparks Tribune

Leading questions and lead-headed leaders
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 1-19-2016 Sparks Tribune

Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend traditional event schedule

¡Feliz año nuevo!

Hunka Hunka Bernie Love

SOLIDARITY — Communications Workers of America members and their families from throughout northern Nevada pose with Sen. Sanders after his speech. NevadaLabor.com editor Andrew Barbano, far right, holds up his copy of the Dec. 3 edition of Rolling Stone with Sen. Sanders on the cover. The senator signed it immediately after the photo-op. Primo.

Sanders promises penalties for state corporate welfare Sparks, Nev. (U-News) [Copyright © 2015 NevadaLabor.com] 4:55 p.m. PST 12-27-2015, 00:55 GMT 12-28-2015 — Campaigning in northwestern Nevada, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, told a standing-room-only crowd at the Northern Nevada Labor Temple that he would work to inhibit state vs. state corporate welfare. Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 26/AFL-CIO Business Development Director Rob Benner asked "Senator, I assume you've noticed the 'Fix Tesla First' sign on the wall. Another electric car company, China-owned Faraday, has just received $334 million in tax breaks to come to Nevada. This came almost exactly a year after state government granted Tesla $1.4 billion. What can you do to fix this?" Sanders understood the problem, stating that "it's not as simple as I will say it, but I would work to see that states lose some portion of federal benefits when they grant huge tax incentives such as you are describing which hurt needed services." Sanders also said that he would support automatic union recognition if 50 percent plus one worker sign cards saying they want a union. President Obama promised to support such legislation when he ran in 2008, but the White House never got behind the now long-dead Employee Free Choice Act. Sanders also opposed a recent proposal to enact a national "right-to-work-for-less" law, adding that if workers get the benefits of a union contract, "they should contribute." He noted his longtime opposition to treaties such as the Clinton administration's North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the current Trans Pacific Partnership, both of which allow shipping U.S. jobs to low-wage countries. He added that he knows some Republican senators who have problems with the TPP and it may not pass in this session of Congress. Sanders advocated for a $15 per hour minimum wage, noting that a working male today makes $700 per year less than he did in 1973, adjusted for inflation. Sanders added that women have also lost ground, especially over the past decade. NevadaLabor.com Editor Andrew Barbano asked Sen. Sanders if he would support a fix to Obamacare which has put union health plans in jeopardy and is forcing union workers to pay a tax for which they receive nothing. "Absolutely," Sanders replied. Sanders answered every question from the audience which ranged from moppets to retirees. One young man noted that since he will be 18 by the general election next year, he will be allowed to participate in Nevada's February caucus. Sen. Sanders noted that Iowa likewise allows youth participation. He added that he's running ahead in New Hampshire, is getting closer in Iowa and if he also does well in Nevada and S. Carolina, victory will be possible. In the Dec. 3 edition of Rolling Stone, he stated that "Nobody denies, Hillary Clinton least of all, that she is an establishment candidate." Sanders signed Barbano's Dec. 3 Rolling Stone cover. Weekend at Bernie's with Eugene McCarthy's grandchildren Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-10-2015 Sparks Tribune / Updated 11-12-2015

Betty J. Barbano 2-7-1941 / 12-27-2005

Faraday's fair name befouled in fallow fields of North Vegas
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-22-2015 Sparks Tribune

FIX TESLA FIRST — Unions protest Faraday giveaway Las Vegas Sun 12-16-2015 "Democrats are pushing for a workforce diversity requirement in the legislation, looking at the way that Faraday’s workforce can represent and benefit the diverse population in North Las Vegas," the Sun reports. BREAKING NEWS 3:00 p.m. PST 12-17-2015: Republicans have introduced an amendment to Assembly Bill 1, not yet posted online, to prohibit unions from taking part in the workforce training program included in the measure. (The Sparks City Council must be advising them.) Stay tuned. UPDATE: 2:49 a.m. PST 12-18: STILL NO AMENDMENT POSTED. Skullduggery be afoot. Beware.

Another corporate welfare special legislative session begins
Building trades unions demonstrate: "Fix Tesla First"
Union workers protest no accountability for promised local jobs at Tesla corporate welfare site. Same old story, different players.
Officials again chant the old used car salesman's mantra: Get 'em in, mislead 'em & get 'em outta here

Outside of the capitol, a handful of protestors from the Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada urged lawmakers to “Fix Tesla First.” “During the Tesla deal, we only got 50% local hire requirement. There was no protection for local business and contractors,” says Rob Benner. The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (is) also urging lawmakers to be cautious in drafting provisions for Faraday Future. (A letter stated) in part: "For a non-Nevadan company whose product remains unseen and performance and skills (are) unproven, it is only just and responsible that they adhere to protections to put our people and planet first," PLAN Executive Director Bob Fulkerson wrote. —Information from KRNV TV-4 12-16-2015   Text of handbill distributed by workers at the legislative building — FIX TESLA FIRST What did the citizens in Northern Nevada get for $1.4 billion? 50% local hire requirement. 100% Nevada taxpayer money. Lack of enforcement for required reports A strain on our aging infrastructure More overcrowding in our schools No requirements for local businesses and local contractors No reporting requirements for percentage of local businesses Washoe County taxpayers are faced with raising $819 million to pay for school overcrowding and repair needs. In September 2014 the State of Nevada entered into the biggest tax giveaway in its history, giving away 1.4 billion dollars to Tesla. Even though we were promised there would be transparency and oversight, Tesla has been slow to file all of the reports that were required. Storey County has not filed all of the reports required by Senate Bill 1. Before Nevada enters into another huge tax give away with another electric car manufacturer, tell Governor Sandoval to FIX TESLA FIRST! This message brought to you by the Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada FIX TESLA FIRST — Unions protest Faraday giveaway Las Vegas Sun 12-16-2015 Baa Baa Black Sheep, have you any wool? "Shear me in cold winter, a corporate welfare fool." Nevada legislators flock to special session for Faraday Las Vegas Review-Journal 12-16-2015 Sometimes, even the moonhowlers get one right Tesla numbers cast doubt on rosy Faraday projections Audit shows Tesla project falling far short of 2015 forecasts Victor Joecks / Nevada Policy Research Institute 12-17-2015 Is the moon full? Blast from the past Taxpayers taken for Teslacide demo ride Barbwire Nevada Corporate Welfare Archive

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In Sparks, politics isn't personal, just business Conflict of interest means never having to say you're sorry Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 1-12-2016 Sparks Tribune / Updated 1-14-2016 We didn't even get kissed afterward Barbwire by Barbano / Sparks City Council special online report 12-14-2015 12-14-2015: Sparks unanimously allows unlicensed plumbers & electricians Contact Mayor Martini, City Manager Driscoll and five councilmembers <gmartini@cityofsparks.us> <elawson@cityofsparks.us> <rsmith@cityofsparks.us> <cbybee@cityofsparks.us> <rschmitt@cityofsparks.us> <jratti@cityofsparks.us> <sdriscoll@cityofsparks.us> Highlight, capture and import the above into your e-mail window. Thanks to all who showed up SRO. Proceedings were broadcast via Charter Cable 191 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99. Call your Sparks councilcritters at (775) 353-2311. Find ward maps and e-mail addresses at http://cityofsparks.us/city-services/mayorcouncil-and-manager/ Don't diminish value of technical education SAFETY WARNING: Sparks City Council votes Dec. 14 to allow unlicensed plumbers & electricians Guest editorial from Stan Jones and Andrew Barbano Reno Gazette-Journal online 12-10-2015 / Print edition 12-14-2015 Listen to radio campaign rallying Sparks workers & citizens Featuring the voices of Jim McClain, Donna Lewis and Andrew Barbano NAACP unanimously opposes removal of licensing standards      WHEREAS the NAACP has always supported the need for an educated workforce,      AND WHEREAS the City of Sparks is proposing to remove licensing qualification requirements for plumbers and electricians,      BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Reno-Sparks NAACP opposes passage of Sparks City Council Agenda Item No. 10.2 on its 14 December 2015 agenda, which would remove all such licensing qualification standards. — Passed unanimously at the 12-10-2015 Reno-Sparks NAACP general membership meeting Dirty deeds done dirt cheap—again and again Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-8-2015 Sparks Tribune Turf and training: Dirty deeds done dirt cheap Contractors oppose education with a twist of bigotry and racism before the Sparks City Council Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-1-2015 Sparks Tribune / Updated 12-2-2015 On artificial turf, don't breathe unless necessary Toxic turf all over town Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-24-2015 Sparks Tribune Sorcerer's apprentices work cheap in Nevada Want minimum-wage plumbers and electricians building your house? Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-17-2015 Sparks Tribune

Just a few of the Barbwire's Greatest Hits

Democrats for Trump Ideal Running Mate ID'd

Moving the needle and needling the weasels
Education funding hike non-existent / Confederate flags fly in Sparks
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 7-21-2015 Sparks Tribune

Michele Fiore: the Italian girl mama wanted for me?
Barbwire by Barbano / Excised from the 3-10-2015 Sparks Tribune as "not suitable" / Continually updated

Who was that lady I saw you with last night? (But can she cook?)

Machine Gun Michele Fiore wants to shoot Syrian refugees
Barbwire by Barbano / Excised from the 3-10-2015 Sparks Tribune as "not suitable" / Updated 12-8-2015

SMOKING GUNS: The Ira Hansen Files

BREAKING BAD Walter White and some other white guy

Who's,,, ...Who?

The documented racism and bigotry of incoming Nevada State Assembly Speaker Ira Hansen
Barbwire by Barbano / Sparks Tribune / 11-18-2014

Corporate welfare unites me with the moonhowlers
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 5-19-2015 Sparks Tribune

If you voted early, this will make you regret it
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 11-4-2014 Daily Sparks Tribune

Virginia City's next scary sexy Hollywood movie
Virginia City 911: Sexy Sheriffing in Old ConforteLand
Barbwire by Barbano / Special Nevada Day Edition 10-31-2014
Updated 11-1 and 11-3-2014 / 2-10, 3-3 , 6-23 and 7-2-2015

Happy 150th Birthday, Ms. Nevada
Nevada Day Required Reading
The Lady in the Red Dress
The Barbwire's classic Nevada Day column written in 1983
The compleat history of the Silver State in 500 words
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Sparks Tribune 10-31-2013 and previously

Travus T. Hipp Feb. 20, 1937 — May 18, 2012 BREAKING NEWS 10-24-2014: Travus and Lynne Hughes' longtime home, the old church in Silver City, has burned to the ground with the loss of one life. Say a prayer and treasure the memories. Sean Laughlin promises to rebuild. Victims were Travus' first wife, Sandra, and her dog. The Bullfrog Times-Picayune Sticky Stones: Last blast from the past Love ain't free: Evelyn Kerr's remembrances of the life and times of Travus T. Hipp from the pages of TimeMazine (CD available)

LA Times 9-28-14: Nevada overstating economic benefits of Tesla factory

–>9/23 Washoe School Superintendent Pedro Martinez out as The Barbwire exclusively predicted last week

FIRE METERS FUEL A LONG, HOT SUMMER
As with the bright, shining lies of the Washoe and Clark County School Districts' graduation rates, the Reno Gazette-Journal is again two years behind the Barbwire (11 October 2012) regarding NVEnergy's combustible "smart meters." It ain't news unless the legit media find it first, right?

The latest shrift & shred on Tesla fever
Taxpayers taken for Teslacide demo ride
Elon Musk: Pseudo-green plantation overlord and union buster

Can megaresorts scam Tesla-style freebies?
EXTRA—>READ ALL ABOUT IT: Barbwire scoops Reno Gazette-Journal by 2 years on flammable NVEnergy fire meters
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-23-2014 Sparks Tribune

Education Dysfunction Part XLVIII—>
St. Elon, Lord Pedro and Gov. Veto El Obtúsè
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-16-2014 Sparks Tribune
9-23-2014 CRYSTAL BALL UPDATE: The above column accurately predicted Supt. Martinez's departure one week in advance

Tinkle-down economics: testing Tesla's testes
Tesla and the hospital thieves:
Theft of Washoe Med/Renown provides cautionary tale
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-9-2014 Sparks Tribune

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: Largest Nevada newspaper confirms Barbwire investigative series about Clark and Washoe County school districts' phony graduation rates. CLICK HERE FOR THE AWFUL TRUTH UNO MAS.

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The Underbelly of the News—>TOP SECRET, HUSH HUSH!

Navigating the flagship—>Making quick work of NevadaLabor.com WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS DEPT.—> A year pr sp back, I got my first criticism in twp decades that this site is a bit confusing to navigate. I take that as a compliment. Confusing people is one of my few talents.     I thought I had anticipated any such problems years ago by liberally sprinkling links to the front page site map. (These days, am I supposed to say that I sprinkled progressively rather than liberally?)     The front page of NevadaLabor.com acts as a chronological listing of recent workplace news with the latest at the top. I archive annually to create a continuous permanent record fully accessible via the site map or any garden-variety websearch.     "We Don't Need No Education" is now approaching its 50th installment and thus merits its own section inside. Say hi to Don Quixote.     Current Barbwires plus more than 20 years of columaniacal archives, the Statewide News Roundup and Breaking News/Bull'tins/Almanac are all available via the site map—>as well as the usual general or specific ongoing madness and historical inflammation. (Once something's posted here or to any of my other sites, it's up forever.)     While the front page is chronological, the Statewide News Roundup is categorical, e.g., construction, hospitality, legislation, health care and many others. Breaking News/Bull'tins/Almanac often publishes original U-News as well as links to items at other sites that are not hot enough for the front page chronology. The NevadaLabor.com search engine acts as a short-cut to everything, depending on what you seek. So simply seek and ye shall find.     As my old friend Wise John the Lake Havasu Cropduster Pilot often says, "when all else fails, read the instructions." So when all else fails, re-read the above, then go to the nearest site map link and/or "search." The NevadaLabor.com search engine is really amazing. It's also union-signatory and thus quite efficient.     Thanks for your inputs and support over lo, these many years. Keep up the good work and the good fight.     Esté bien. Haga infierno. / Be well. Raise hell. —> Andrew the Barbwire Man

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them. — Paul Valery, French critic & poet (1871-1945) Thank you for NOT voting—> SUBSCRIBE TO BARBWIRE CONFIDENTIAL: TOP SECRET, Hush-Hush! "If voting mattered, they wouldn't let us do it." — Travus T. Hipp, 1982 EVIDENCE IN POINT: The GOP's Stealth War Against Voters Will an anti-voter-fraud program designed by one of Trump's advisers deny tens of thousands their right to vote in November? The Crosscheck program is a response to the imaginary menace of mass voter fraud. By Greg Palast / Rolling Stone 9-8-2016 Barbwire exposes Trump running mate

SITE MAP

Travus T. Hipp Feb. 20, 1937 — May 18, 2012 BREAKING NEWS 10-24-2014: Travus and Lynne Hughes' longtime home, the old church in Silver City, has burned to the ground with the loss of one life. Say a prayer and treasure the memories. Sean Laughlin promises to rebuild. Victims were Travus' first wife, Sandra, and her dog. The Bullfrog Times-Picayune Sticky Stones: Last blast from the past Love ain't free: Evelyn Kerr's remembrances of the life and times of Travus T. Hipp from the pages of TimeMazine (CD available)

Site Map
SITE NAVIGATION TIPS: When all else fails, read the instructions

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