BARBWIRE by ANDREW BARBANO

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You just bought the best investment advice in the world, for which Warren Buffett will make you pay for the rest of your life.

Last week came word that the legendary billionaire investor is buying NVEnergy for about $10 billion.

Thanks to last-minute legislative skulduggery, he will get the closest thing to a deregulated monopoly outside of major league baseball and insurance.

NVE's hit men did a braggy half-hour with TV commentator Jon Ralston.

Lobbyist Peter "Snidely Whiplash" Ernaut asserted that lawmakers and voters are too stupid to understand the nuances of utility legislation.

"Utility issues are very complex," Ernaut said, adding that it takes many years to become expert.

Having served an apprenticeship under Dr. David Schwartz, the best utility economist in the United States, I know first-hand that he's wrong.

Which is not to say that Senate Bill 123 doesn't require serious reading between the lines.

My biggest objection lies in its whoring of green energy.

Abusing the name of alternative fuels, these lowlifes not only engineered a huge transfer of money from ratepayers, but also took a giant leap down the slippery slope of deregulation.

Call it Enron, Part Deux.

Before SB123, the Public Utilities Commission had two often-conflicting roles: Regulating the industry and balancing stockholder profit against ratepayer fairness.

In the name of green energy, SB123 has added new competing interests: Nevada jobs and general state economic benefit. Seems reasonable but in reality it means ratepayers are now one-quarter instead of half the equation.

Divide and conquer.

Worse, environmental issues will be mostly removed from PUC purview. Nevada's never much cared about pollution anyway. Look at all the abandoned mines and our two nuclear test sites.

The principal criticism of SB123 came from Assembly Republicans, notably my former Tribune colleague in columny Ira Hansen, R-Sparks.

We have always disagreed on most issues with the notable exception of corporate welfare.

The uberconservative Nevada Policy Research Institute issued a couple of detailed criticisms of the measure.

Dr. Schwartz would have given them an A.

The Nevada State AFL-CIO, representing workers desperate for jobs, supported the bill.

But the union representing NVE employees did not.

"IBEW Local 1245’s initial reaction to this news is negative. We know the great damage that MidAmerican (Buffett's company) has inflicted on the workers and utility customers of Iowa, Utah, Illinois and Oregon," the union stated.

Warren Buffet has done us one favor: He served notice that the U.S. economy will be in a sideways slide at best for the next decade.

One of the first things you learn in college investment class is that when times get tough, put your money in basics that people must buy: food, gasoline, electricity.

Look where Mr. Dairy Queen of Omaha is placing his bets.

Go to Smoking Guns, below,  to see what other commentators are saying.

Much more at the NevadaLabor.com Energy War Room.

From last week's Barbwire —> Underfunded and undereducated student answers to the 2013 legislative civics quiz...

WARREN BUFFETT: All you can eat for $4.99 at the Cal-Neva. [PSYCHIC PREMONITION HANGOVER ALLERGY ALERT: The latter Warren Buffet line was submitted to the Tribune editor prior to the announcement that the rich guy from Dairy Queen Land is taking over NVEnergy, formerly Nevada Power/Sierra Pacific Powerful. Ratepayer rape and pillage now has a new grandfatherly face. BFD]

WARREN BUFFETT: Isn't he the drunk who sang "Margaritaville"?

For a lotta laughs at legislator expense, go to the 2013 looney tunes legislative lexicon.

Be well. Raise hell. / Esté bien. Haga infierno.

WEB EXTRAS...

HONOR YOUR DON. Keep sending comments supporting legendary Nevada photographer Don Dondero (1920-2003) for 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.

The Barbwire got the late Reno Gazette-Journal columnist Guy Richardson elected last year.

Let's go for a repeat.

BARBWIRE.TV. Support the return of community TV to these parts.

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

Join up. You may donate at ReSurge.TV or contact me.

This is important.

Thank you.

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/

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 which the above lead item will very probably top.

Turn on, tune in and tell a friend.

Be well. Raise hell. / Esté bien. Haga infierno. (Pardon my Spanglish.)

____________

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... More fat pickings from the Buffett buffet Will electric rates soar when MidAmerican takes over NV Energy? Las Vegas Review-Journal / 5-30-2013 The union answers "yes" and it will be even worse for workers IBEW Local 1245/AFL-CIO 5-30-2013 NV Energy, gambling still rule the roost Steve Sebelius / Las Vegas Review-Journal 5-31-2013 Bad News & Worse News Dept. Former Nevada Consumer Advocate Jon Wellinghoff to leave FERC chairmanship Las Vegas Review-Journal / 5-29-2013 Mega-investor Warren Buffet to acquire NVEnergy Las Vegas Review-Journal / 5-29-2013 Public shut out of utility legislation, putting ratepayers at risk Dennis Myers / Reno News & Review / 5-23-2013 NevadaLabor.com Energy War Room Bon appetít Barbwire Corporate Welfare Archive Barbwire Corporate Propaganda Archive Cabellyup.com Longing for the wisdom of the grateful dead Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 5-23-2013 Sparks Tribune Star-stuck: Dirty deals for dirty movies Ghostrider Nicolas Cage sticks it to school kids Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 5-16-2013 Daily Sparks Tribune Mr. Wynnderful waxes wealthier whilst we wither Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 5-9-2013 Daily Sparks Tribune FROM HUGH JACKSON THE LAS VEGAS MEANER GLEANER The best Nevada political commentator alive Policy with the stars Of Wynn service, lip service and Cage fighting Las Vegas CityLife / 5-15-2013 Rules of Disengagement Gov. Veto El Obtúse struck dumb, but with a smile Las Vegas CityLife / 4-17-2013   ...and more ammo... We Don't Need No Education The continuing Barbwire series 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 The life and times of Travus T. Hipp The best who ever was

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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 Nevada's Daily Sparks Tribune on Aug. 12, 1988, and has originated in them parts ever since.
Whom to blame: How a hall-of-famer's hunch birthed the Barbwire in August of 1987
Tempus fugit.

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