BARBWIRE by ANDREW BARBANO Pirate Laureate of the High Desert Outback of the American Dream

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After last week's column, I foolishly thought I was done with the latest debunking of Nevada's miraculous high school graduation rates.

Then came last Sunday's Reno Gazette-Journal and a Tuesday editorial whereby the Korporate Kinkoids of Kuenzli Street filed for divorce from reality.

In April of 2012, while the Reno paper was busy validating Dr. Heath Morrison's unbelievable graduation rate increases, I was printing the truth.

The superintendent's miracle was largely a shell game that soon spread statewide.

One former RGJ reporter congratulated me on a great piece of investigative journalism.

I had merely acted on a tip from Reno-Sparks NAACP President Lonnie Feemster who advised comparing Morrison's PR stats with what he was actually reporting to the state department of education.

Morrison massaged his mirage into a national superintendent of the year award and scored similar gold stars for local school board members.

Then the traveling salesman blew town before it all blew up.

Better late than never, the Las Vegas Review-Journal figured it out a full year after the Barbwire and on March 9 published a followup which apparently shamed the Reno paper into finally doing something.

On March 16, the Kazoo-Journal published a long article followed by a March 18 editorial, both written as though this is a brand new story.

They ignored what I headlined as The Mythological Morrison Miracle two years ago. (See the We Don't Need No Education archive at Barbwire.US/)

Siobahn McAndrew's Sunday piece was techie/wonky without context, so bland that almost two days after publication, it had generated zero online comments.

They treated a scandal as a "so what?"

They ignored Morrison's falsehoods, his schmoozing the school board into suckers and even failed to mention his name.

No commercial medium is exempt from outside pressure.

Last year, the RGJ editorially opposed school repair taxes by order of local auto dealers.

As I noted on Feb. 20, the local big business hierarchy is implementing a strategy selling Reno-Sparks-Washoe as one of the best education systems in the country with thus no need for the teachers' union's tax increase proposal on the November ballot.

The RGJ has been giving that point of view maximum ink. (I'm sure they would print the teachers' side if and when the teachers get active.)

But local students and RGJ readers deserve much better than this week's chamber-of-commercy booster fluff.

RENDER UNTO CESAR: Next week brings three prelims to César Chávez Day. Washoe County Commissioners will issue a proclamation on Tuesday. UNR students host an event on March 27. The next day, a major motion picture biography of Chávez rolls out locally and nationally.

THE MAIN EVENT. Nevada César Chávez Celebration XII happens Monday evening, March 31, at Circus Circus-Reno on what would have been the legendary labor leader's 87th birthday.

Details on all of the above at CesarChavezNevada.com/

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

WEB EXTRAS...

TOAST ALERT. Teachers' union tax petition supporters and opponents would do well to review the Barbwire of Feb. 28, 2013.

Passage of the tax initiative could easily lead to a successful court challenge that would blow out not only the revenue hike, but also term limits and the state's worst anti-union laws.

Beware the Ides of March and the demons of good intentions.

RENDER UNTO CESAR: Northern Nevada César Chávez Celebration XII happens on the great labor leader's birthday, March 31, 2014.

Before prices go up, I strongly suggest reserving tickets and tables now at CesarChavezNevada.com.

I'm planning a TV special about César Chávez's days in Nevada including never-revealed history of his activities in these parts.

Stay tuned.

ANTE INTO THE GAME: Support the new season of Barbwire.TV by putting your money where my mouth is.

PayPal monthly subscription software is now operational at the website.

A thousand thanks to those who already responded.

Keep sending show suggestions.

Current frontrunners include (pardon the pun) wild mustangs as canned goods, education and  i-Guns with César Chávez in Nevada recently surging.

Now come queries about ballot questions. After the Jan. 30 column came a surge of questions about the Nevada State Education Association corporate tax petition on this November's ballot.

Stay tuned.

  Please forward additional ideas or vote on the above.

  I encourage you to donate to the cause at Barbwire.TV/

The medium that shapes public opinion needs at least one refuge where it is not filtered through the distorted green eye shades of prissy corporate accountants for whom profit is the only priority; where self-censorship is the journalist's normal work environment and where all sins of omission are tacitly encouraged and forgiven with the wave of a balance sheet.

This is important.

We've got work to do.

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 the Tribune and most probably every newspaper in Nevada.

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 in 2012.

Let's double down.

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

____________
Andrew Barbano is a 45-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 and DoctorLawyerWatch.com/ 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 Sparks Tribune since 1988.

Smoking Guns... BREAKING NEWS: State illegally uses tax money vs. teacher tax vote By Dennis Myers / Reno News & Review / 3-13-2014 Nevada State Legislative Counsel Bureau Education Publications 2013 Nevada Education Data Book Study of a New Method of Funding for Public Schools in Nevada [1] "In the five most regressive states (North Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Nevada), the poorest districts receive at least 20% less funding than higher wealth districts." —> http://www.schoolfundingfairness.org/ (January 2014) Looks like Dr. Heath Morrison moved to a place well-suited to his vaunted talents. [2] The potential for success of an educational adequacy lawsuit against the State of Nevada From then-Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Jim Rogers Suing for Schools: The 20-year shuck Expanded from the 2-21-2010 Daily Sparks Tribune Updated 2-24-2010, 2-27-2010, 3-4-2010, 3-8-2010, 8-30-2011 Education funding lawsuit gains support Daily Sparks Tribune/ AP 3-18-2011 Guilty as charged Barbwire / 1-30-2014 We Don't Need No Education The continuing Barbwire series ...and more ammo.. 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 Barbano on the Barbwire plots new TV season Barbwire Special Web Edition / 10-21-2013 Barbwire: Nevada not really a state No, we were not Battle Born in Kenya Top 10 reasons Nevada lives in the 19th Century Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-17-2013 Sparks Tribune Low-income penalty: Nevada socks it to the working poor BARBANO: Nevada is one big company town Dennis Myers / Reno News & Review 10-10-2013 State of Health National health care comes up against a very sick state. WHAT'S IN IT FOR US? Dennis Myers / Reno News & Review 10-10-2013 USA at crossroads: New Deal or new Confederacy? Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-10-2013 Sparks Tribune UPDATE—>Bill Moyers: Shutdown is simply secession by other means ...and more ammo yet 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 The life and times of Travus T. Hipp The best who ever was

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Copyright © 1982-2014 Andrew Barbano

Andrew Barbano is a 45-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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