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Clinging to the ledge and paying for our sins
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-24-2013 Daily Sparks Tribune

It's time to pay for our sins in that biennial confessional called the Nevada Legislature.

First up to do penance, our fearless leader hisself.

GOV. SUNNY'S DARK SIDE. Liberals have made much of Gov. Brian Sandoval's seemingly un-Republican decisions to cooperate with President Obama.

Treading where other Republicans have feared to schlepp, the guv signed a 2011 bill to establish a health insurance exchange website where consumers can shop prices and packages.

At least it will create some Nevada jobs.

Last Tuesday (22 Jan. 2013), Sandoval, Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto and Secretary of State Ross Miller (both Democrats), signed off on a $6 million contract with Reno-based KPS 3 Inc. to "brand" (ouch!) and market the exchange.

Another $72 million in federal money will pay for setting up the website which will charge fees to purchasers. 

"Sandoval opposed (Obamacare), arguing that the mandate was unconstitutional. But he signed legislation in 2011 creating Nevada's insurance exchange. He said the state should have control over the program instead of ceding that power to the federal government," the Las Vegas Sun reported.

That ain't the whole story. Insiders have told the Barbwire that Sandoval was ordered to do so by a major campaign contributor, United Healthcare, the predators who enjoy monopolistic control over the Nevada health insurance business.

Consumer advocates howled when United was able to take over Sierra Health in 2008 and thus acquire monopolistic control.

Isn't that supposed to be illegal?

Yep, unless you run a major league baseball team or an insurance company. The latter is Nevada's fault.

Sen. Patrick McCarran, D-Nev., co-authored the 1945 McCarran-Ferguson Act which to this day exempts insurance companies from pesky little things like monopoly dominance and conspiracy to fix prices.

Repeal was surgically removed from the original Obamacare legislation.

So what does United hope to score if they already have most of the marbles?

The exchange will help them cut-throat compete against the only major segments they do not now control: union and large-corporation "self-funded" health care plans.

Once the big fish has gobbled up the remaining small fry, United can charge whatever it damn well pleases.

Mean old John D. Rockefeller would be proud.

As for Sandoval's Medicaid expansion to cover low-income people, it will bring a huge amount of federal money into the state for the first three years but all will not be rosy.

The Medicaid rates Nevada pays to providers have been frozen since 2007 and Sandoval won't raise them.

Advocates fear that many providers will turn away the expected influx of about 150,000 new insureds.

Sandoval thus shoos away not only doctors but also patients with his cruel demand that the poor foot part of the bill in the form of co-pays for health services.

But the campaign contributions have been paid in full.

WEB EXTRAS

VOTE FOR THE LUCKY 13, the most powerful Nevadans of 2013. Send nominations to <barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us>

Last year's rogues gallery will be linked to the expanded web edition of this column at NevadaLabor.com/

SUPPORT THE DONALD. Kudos for the kind words about Don Dondero (1920-2003) as we ramp up the campaign to install the photographic superstar in the Nevada Press Association Hall of Fame.

His life's work appeared worldwide, including this newspaper.

Enlist in the campaign to install Big Don.

Please send me your memories and endorsements via e-mail or to P.O. Box 10034, Reno NV 89510.

HELP REVIVE RENO-SPARKS COMMUNITY TV.

If last year's elections didn't convince you, the 2013 legislature certainly will.

Join up.

You may donate at ReSurge.TV or contact me.

This is important.

Thank you.

LET'S GET IT ON. E-me to get on the Barbwire News bulletin list for information not filtered through corporate lenses.

I broke a bushel of major stories last year.

More soon.

Feliz año nuevo.

Be well. Raise hell.

____________

Andrew Barbano is a 44-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... John F. Kennedy's 2013 inaugural address Excerpted from the original full text from 12-29-1991 (.pdf) Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 11-22-2012 Daily Sparks Tribune JFK, Jr.: Hope dies hard and yet springs eternal Barbwire by Barbano / Daily Sparks Tribune / 7-25-1999 Your better life today had President Kennedy lived Barbwire by Barbano / Daily Sparks Tribune / 12-28-1997 We Don't Need No Education The continuing series ...and more ammo... The Post-Dated Recession: Pay me now or pay me later Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-6-2012 Daily Sparks Tribune The Post-dated Recession By Joshua H. Silavent / Daily Sparks Tribune / 5-3-2011 Union decline and rising inequality in two charts by Colin Gordon Economic Policy Institute / 6-5-2012 Used in journalist Mark Robison's extensive Hard Labor: Nevada unions tout role in helping workers, firms, economy (Sunday 2 Sept. 2012 Reno Gazette-Journal, page one, Reno Rebirth section of the print edition). Union men Jim Burrell, Paul McKenzie and Guy Louis Rocha did the movement proud. Not included in the RGJ online edition. WOMEN AND UNIONS — ORPHAN MAJORITIES The Barbwire Labor Day column Reno Gazette-Journal / 9-3-2012 Nevada Press Assn. Better Newspaper Contest 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 Barbwire Corporate Welfare Archive Barbwire Corporate Propaganda Archive Cabellyup.com

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Copyright © 1982-2013 Andrew Barbano

Andrew Barbano is a 44-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 moved to the Daily Sparks (Nev.) Tribune on Aug. 12, 1988, and has originated in them parts ever since.
How a hall-of-famer's hunch birthed the Barbwire in August of 1987
Tempus fugit.

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