BARBWIRE by ANDREW BARBANO

Barbwire Archives

I can screw up twice as bad for half the price
Expanded from the 4-1-2012 Daily Sparks Tribune
Updated 4-7-2012
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Everybody knows the dice are loaded. Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed.    Everybody knows the war is over. Everybody knows the good guys lost.    Everybody knows the fight was fixed. The poor stay poor, the rich get rich.    That's how it goes. Everybody knows. Everybody knows the scene is dead    But there's gonna be a meter on your bed That will disclose    What everybody knows.

— Leonard Cohen

HAT TRICK: Barbwire wins 3rd straight Nevada Press Association First-Place Award Barbwire.TV Watch NevadaLabor.com for show times. Help us get the word out. Support the project at http://resurge.tv#donate SUING FOR SCHOOLS Updated 8-30-2011 Now rerunning on Carson-Dayton 226 Additional programs on Boulder City cable. Go to bcnv.org and then go to the BCTV link. If Reform Fails: Health Care, Jobs and Unions — new power to the people on the public airwaves The program premiers were available to every television set in the region because of a high-mileage media hybrid. The shows appeared on both commercial and community stations. The non-corporate entity produced the events, commercial TV greatly expanded distribution. Thus began an ongoing series of sane public interest programs which generate both entertaining heat and more than a little light. Please spread the word and consider contributing to the cause online at ReSurge.TV. You may also take the public option known as the U.S. Postal Service and send a check or money order to ReSurge.TV, P.O. Box 10034, Reno NV 89510. Your contribution will help fund the distribution as well as ongoing efforts at developing new media, including a regional, non-corporate community radio station and the return of community television to Reno-Sparks-Washoe. You are present at the creation of what I hope can become a new media model where the programming accurately reflects what's happening on the ground and the media impact is powerful enough to forcefully pass the message upward. Thanks. Be well. Raise hell. Andrew Click here for selected on-demand re-runs from the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Barbwire.TV archives Barbwire.TV: 15-year overnight success Daily Sparks Tribune 2-10-2008 The Barbwire's Greatest Hits Highlights from radio days mp3 file HAT TRICK: Barbwire wins 3rd straight Nevada Press Association First-Place Award

Last Friday's Reno Kazoo-Journal carried a screaming frontpage headline about Washoe District Judge Brent Adams stepping aside in another major case.

The story quoted a San Francisco lawyer who said he personally discovered campaign contributions to Judge Adams from defendants.

However, he admitted in a sworn affidavit that he was tipped by a non-involved Renoite.

I got the story first. A longer version of the following was uploaded to my websites and targeted mailing lists (including the RGJ) the morning before the Reno paper hit the streets:

Late yesterday (Wednesday, March 28), attorneys filed a thick motion in Washoe District Court demanding the disqualification of Judge Brent Adams in decade-old litigation between warring U-Haul millionaire heirs.

The plaintiffs allege that because Adams received substantial amounts of campaign cash from the defendants and their interests while the case was before him, he cannot effectively handle the case.

"In 2008, Judge Adams received $36,000 in campaign contributions from several of the Defendants (including $10,000 from non-party U-Haul International, Inc., a subsidiary of one of the Defendants). Despite Plaintiff's previous request for reassignment to another judge, neither Defendants nor Judge Adams disclosed these campaign donations to Plaintiffs," the motion reads.

Plaintiff lawyers stand to be very embarrassed for not having noticed publicly available campaign expense reports for almost four years.

Judge Adams recently recused himself from a case involving lawyer-developer Harvey Whittemore after noting that in 2008 he received $10,400 from Whittemore business interests and family members.

Lawyers and judges have been dancing the recusal rhumba in the high-stakes Whittemore vs. Seeno Brothers litigation. Judge Steve Elliott (former Sparks city attorney) was randomly selected to replace Adams but defendants' lawyers used a peremptory challenge to disqualify him. The case was then randomly assigned to Judge Jerry Polaha who received $3,000 from Whittemore in his 2000 election campaign. Polaha has not announced whether or not he will step aside.

If Washoe County runs out of jurists, might the long-missing Judge Crater come out of a long retirement to save the day?

I know several of the guys involved in the above screwed-up mess and hereby serve notice that if any of the parties are looking to cut costs, I'd be glad to screw up at least as badly for just half the price or less.

How hard can it be?

All lucky 13 documents are exclusively available for viewing at DoctorLawyerWatch.com/

EL DÍA DE CÉSAR CHÁVEZ. NEVADA'S 10th CÉSAR CHÁVEZ DAY will be over by the time you read this. Last month brought two events at UNR and my March 31 extravaganza. See CesarChavezNevada.com/

GOV. EL BRÚTE OBTÚSE seems to be emulating his predecessor, Jim the Dim. Both forgot their legally mandated duty to proclaim March 31 as César Chávez Day. To save them embarrassment, I reminded Gov. Gibbons in 2010 and Gov. Sandoval last year and last month.

As I write this at 2:11 a.m. PDT on March 31, the governor's website shows no proclamations issued since Jan. 20. [UPDATE: Nothing has changed as of 1:15 a.m. PDT / 08:15 ZULU/GMT/SUT/CUT April 4 or 4:41 p.m. PDT / 11:41 ZULU April 6.]

Democratic Washoe County Commissioner Kitty Jung got a unanimous resolution from her four Republican colleagues and Assemblymember Olivia Diaz, D-N. Las Vegas, did the same from the Nevada Hispanic Legislative Caucus.

Proclamations may only be ceremonial gestures, but they mean a lot to people and there's no downside — especially given Republican weakness among Latino voters.

Gov. Sandoval declined two invitations to speak at my event.

TOLJASO DEPT. Last summer, I broke the news that St. Mary's Hospital was on the market. The final buyers, Prime Healthcare (Google 'em), are apparently a bunch of law-breaking, union-busting, profit-gouging sleazoids. In an interview with KRNV TV-4, their PR guy blamed his workers.

"Unions control the Democratic Party in California," he groused. Maybe he doesn't know that nurses at St. Mary's are represented by the California Nurses Assn. and other staff by my union, Communications Workers of America Local 9413/AFL-CIO.

Lord, please bring back sainted Sister Seraphine.

ON APRIL FOOL'S DAY 1976, Andrew Barbano met his only wife. Betty Joyce Donlevy (1941-2005) was Carson City manager for Sparks-based Pauline's Sportswear. Barbano was emcee of a Pauline's fashion show at Pastor Thunder's (his real name) church. That April Fool's Day lasted 30 years. Betty rests with her firstborn, Debra Joyce Donlevy (1959-1978) in the capital city.

SOMETIMES, CARS FIGHT BACK. George "Battling" Nelson, boxing guru of United Auto Workers Local 2162/AFL-CIO, is recovering from painful ribs after overdoing macho stuff, namely moving snow tires.

I resemble that remark. I was down for more than two weeks last month. I sprained my back lifting a heavy 16-ounce jar of Paul Newman's Own Spaghetti Sauce.

I thought about suing the charitable company started by the great actor, race driver and humanitarian. Then it occurred to me that the package bore a proper warning: "Industrial Strength."

If Tribune subscriber Nelson wants to sue the tire manufacturer, I know some local lawyers greatly more capable and far less expensive than the suedeshoe California yahoos noted above.

SUPPORT THE NEVADA CITIZEN TV PROJECT to re-establish a people's channel hereabouts. You may donate at donate at ReSurge.TV or contact me, especially if you think great issues like the above demand extensive and rational discussion.

The Barbwire TV show is still in reruns. Check the expanded web edition of this column at NevadaLabor.com.

Help give the gift of non-corporate TV to your community. We are making progress toward returning a citizens station to these parts. Your support is both needed and appreciated.

Thank you.

Be well. Raise hell.
____________

Andrew Barbano is a 43-year Nevadan, chair of the Nevada César Chávez Committee, producer of Nevada's annual César Chávez Day celebration, first vice-president and political action chair of the Reno-Sparks NAACP, labor/consumer/civil rights advocate, member of Communications Workers of America Local 9413/AFL-CIO and editor of NevadaLabor.com and JoeNeal.org. As always, his opinions are strictly his own. Check local listings for other Nevada cable systems. E-mail barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us. Barbwire by Barbano has originated in the Daily Sparks Tribune since 1988.

Smoking Guns... POWERFUL PUNDITORY PANJANDRUMS: Compelling guest commentary ...and more ammo... Economist: This is a true depression Elliott Parker Guest Editorial / Las Vegas Sun / 11-27-2011 Nevada Press Assn. annual award winners announced. HAT TRICK: Barbwire takes first place three years in a row. The winning entries: Suing for Schools: The 20-year shuck Expanded from the 2-21-2010 Daily Sparks Tribune Click here to view the show on your desktop RED flags flying low over Sparks Expanded from the 1-10-2010 Daily Sparks Tribune The wrath of self-righteous racism Expanded from the 11-8-2009 Daily Sparks Tribune Government contacts Nev. congressional delegation Nevada Legislature State of Nevada Secretary of State Carson City Clark County City of Las Vegas Douglas County Reno City Council Sparks City Council Washoe County Commission Washoe Registrar of Voters The campaign against forcibly-paid newspaper obituaries And they wonder why the newspaper business is dying?   The Dean's List    The Dean of Reno Bloggers could very well be Andrew Barbano, self-described "fighter of public demons," who started putting his "Barbwire" columns online in 1996 and now runs 10 sites. RENO NEWS & REVIEW, 11-9-2006 The 2009 first-place Nevada Press Association award winners Tony the Tiger & the flaky NFL Barbwire / 11-30-2008 Deregulation is never having to say you're sorry Barbwire / 8-3-2008 Nevada: A good place to visit, but do you want to live here? Barbwire / 6-15-2008 The 2008 first-place Nevada Press Association award winners The price of a piece / 6-17-2007 Boxing Pandora /9-23-2007 The Lady in the Red Dress 10-28-2007 1997 Pulitzer Prize entries ...and more ammo yet The plight of the paper pushers The great recession made bashing public workers a national sport Dennis Myers / Reno News & Review / 11-23-2011 Bury the Bad News with Rose-colored Reporting How urgent can economic troubles be if leaders say things are getting better? Dennis Myers / Reno News & Review / 11-23-2011 Fact-free nation: Inside the lie machine Mother Jones Magazine May-June 2011 / Cover story and in-depth analysis Bill Moyers: Welcome to the Plutocracy Money fights hard and it fights dirty Speech delivered at Boston University on 29 Oct. 2010 Part of the Howard Zinn Lecture Series Barbwire Corporate Welfare Archive Cabellyup.com From clear-cut forests to dirty Gulfstream waters, this land belongs to old BP TOLJASO LONG TIME AGO BP/ARCO: The greasy root of our evils Barbwire / Daily Sparks Tribune 9-10-2006 The awful truth — Read it and weep, fellow suckers Labor Day 2009: Rise of the Vampire Corpobots Expanded from the 9-6-2009 Daily Sparks Tribune Angry Americans and Freudian fraud Using war to market cigarettes Expanded from the 8-23-2009 Daily Sparks Tribune BARBWIRE Nevada Corporate Welfare Archive Propaganda fuels gasoline price fixing Barbwire 8-14-2005 Donate to the cable ratepayer legal defense fund at our PayPal-enabled ReSurge.TV Consumer War Room Phillips, Kevin; Numbers Racket: Why the economy is worse than we know Harper's Magazine; May 2008; page 43 Phillips has authored numerous books on history and politics over the past 40 years. His most recent, Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism, was published by Viking on April 15, 2008. NAOMI WOLF: Fascist America in 10 Easy Steps There are some things common to every state that's made the transition to fascism. Author Naomi Wolf argues that all of them are present in America today. Alternet 5-20-2007 Johnson, Chalmers; REPUBLIC OR EMPIRE? A National Intelligence Estimate on the United States; Harper's magazine; January, 2007. I love it when heavy hitters validate what I've been saying for years in the tiny Sparks Tribune. Barlett, Donald L. and Steele, James B.; America: What Went Wrong? (1992); America: Who Really Pays the Taxes? (1994); America: Who Stole the Dream? (1996) ; Andrews & McMeel/Universal Press Syndicate. Review of Alex Carey's Taking the Risk Out of Democracy: Propaganda in the US and Australia The Orwell Diversion by Alex Carey Excerpted from the book available below ORDER Taking the Risk Out of Democracy Corporate Propaganda versus Freedom and Liberty By Alex Carey Edited by Andrew Lohrey Foreword by Noam Chomsky University of Illinois Press      SEE ALSO: Lapham, Lewis H.; Tentacles of Rage: The Republican Propaganda Mill, A Brief History; Harper's Magazine cover article; September, 2004, page 32.      By one conservative estimate, the corporate right has spent about $3 billion over the past three decades manufacturing public opinion to suit big business goals. Lapham's number covered the early 1970's to the present day. Alex Carey noted that by 1948, anti- New Deal corporate propaganda expenditures had already reached $100 million per year, not adjusted for inflation, for advertising alone. (Carey, ibid; page 79)      Adjusted for inflation, that 1948 $100 million becomes $801,659,751.04 in 2005 dollars. Conservatives Help Wal-Mart, and Vice Versa As Wal-Mart struggles to rebut growing criticism, it has discovered a reliable ally: conservative research groups. New York Times 9-8-2006; Free registration may be required.       BARBWIRE: Labor Day '94: People vs. corporate con job, 9-4-94 Chilling forecasts from Alex Carey       BARBWIRE: The Nevada Republican Party Becomes Communist, 3-30-97 A prescient Plato on the dangers of oligarchy The sands of time do not cloud the long memories of the sheiks of Araby Barbwire 9-10-2006       Rinfret, Pierre A.; Peace is Bullish; Look magazine, 5-31-1966

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Copyright © 1982-2012 Andrew Barbano

Andrew Barbano is a 43-year Nevadan, editor of NevadaLabor.com and JoeNeal.org; and former chair of the City of Reno's Citizens Cable Compliance Committee, He is producer of Nevada's annual César Chávez Day celebration and serves as first vice-president, political action chair and webmaster of the Reno-Sparks NAACP. As always, his opinions are strictly his own. E-mail barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us.

Barbwire by Barbano premiered in the Daily Sparks (Nev.) Tribune on Aug. 12, 1988, and has originated in those parts ever since. Tempus fugit.

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