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

Barbwire Archives

"Foxcatcher" may be up for five Academy Awards but actually premiered here 27 years ago.

The 1988 U.S. Open Wrestling Championships were held at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center just ahead of the Olympic trials.

Sparks and Reno dripped with past and future Olympic champions, including 1984 gold medalists Mark and Dave Schultz, part of wealthy John I. duPont's Pennsylvania-based Team Foxcatcher.

Comic actor Steve Carell ("The 40 Year-Old Virgin", "The Daily Show", "The Office") applied a prosthetic nose and a seriously demented demeanor to portray duPont and score a best-actor nomination.

Mark Ruffalo is competing for best supporting actor for his portrayal of the doomed Dave Schultz. His acting credits dwarf Carell's: "Just Like Heaven," "The Kids are All Right", "The Normal Heart", "You Can Count on Me", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and many others.

A high school wrestler himself, his father "was city high school wrestling champion three times," Ruffalo told Parade Magazine in 2004.

Sparks-Reno had a chance to become a regular host of the U.S. Open.

Unfortunately, former Sparks City Manager Jay Milligan had become the convention authority's boss and refused to support the event, even spurning the opportunity for same-day prime time specials on mighty HBO.

It was thus child's play for duPont to hand U.S.A. Wrestling a $400,000 annual sponsorship and thus control the event.

It never returned.

Milligan was eventually ousted in disgrace over far worse transgressions, including ordering his own private wine cellar built in the convention center basement.

I still have my Arizona State Sunkist Kids team lapel pin which I scored in a swap with legendary coach Bobby Douglas.

DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN. Last week came word of the passing of former Reno Gazette-Journal publisher Sue Clark-Johnson, who maintained a part-time Incline Village residence after departing for Phoenix.

I have always believed we should be generous at death and thus usually refrain from reminding the public about past peccadilloes. Alas, sometimes, sins of omission demand that the record be concurrently corrected. This is such a moment.

Mrs. Clark-Johnson's RGJ obituary (1-29-2015) included an item stating that her conduct resulted in the newspaper being picketed in 2000 "in protest of her seat on the Harrah's board of directors." (See left.)

Her response was worthy of Fox News: "We will continue to report the news, as we always have, with fairness and balance."

There was a bit more to it.

Along with the late State Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, Mrs. Clark-Johnson bears a huge part of the blame for the City of Reno's current insolvency and near-bankruptcy.

The new council took office hamstrung with over $600 million in debt largely for the construction of the downtown railroad trench.

Harrah's was a principal pusher and the paper played cheerleader.

Raggio and now-Sen. Greg Brower, R-Reno, rammed through legislation facilitating new taxes.

Their law firm's client, Union Pacific, needed the trench freebie to complete its lucrative merger with Southern Pacific.

Former Reagan Secretary of Transportation Drew Lewis and another UP exec were placed on RGJ parent Gannett's board of directors.

RGJ executive editor Ward Bushee told me on TV that his readers didn't need to know of the UP connection.

So when Reno auto dealers ordered the newspaper to oppose taxes for school repairs a year ago, it was nothing new.

Shilling for fatcats is business as usual.

May Mrs. Clark-Johnson rest in peace.

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

The Underbelly of the News—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

ONLINE EXTRAS...

TOMORROW'S NEWS TODAY: FEEL UP YOUR FIRE METER. The Reno Gazette-Journal did big spreads on three consecutive Sundays (Sept. 14, Sept. 21 and Sept. 28) on NV Energy smart meter fires. Welcome aboard. Barbwire readers were two years ahead on the fire meter issue. (Touch a Smart Meter, Go to Jail — 11 October 2012)

FIRE METER UPDATES: THE NEVADA FIRE MARSHALL'S INVESTIGATION concluded "don't worry, be happy." I'm still worried and will continue fondling NVE's precious equipment —> If your smart meter feels very hot, not just from sunshine, call 911. In its Sunday 21 Dec. 2014 front page headline major story, the Reno Gazette-Journal published results of the NVEnergy-commissioned "don't worry, be happy" echo study.

On 1-27-2015, the RGJ published an analysis based on veteran reporter Anjeanette Damon's review of more than 1,000 pages of documents. Barbwire bottom line: NVE handles this like auto manufacturers handle defects —> It's cheaper to pay legal settlements after people are injured or killed than to fix the problem.

Don'tcha worry 'bout a thing! If you can't trust your power company, who can you trust?

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

A thousand thanks to those who already responded and keep sending show suggestions

  Stay tuned.

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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 a lot of work to do.

Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential.

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

Andrew Barbano is a 46-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.

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Smoking Guns... Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential Machine Gun Michele and cheap Ma Bell Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-27-2015 Sparks Tribune Education Dysfunction Part LIII—> Gov. Veto El Obtusè talks some trash Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-20-2015 Sparks Tribune Good grief: Je suis Charlie Brown Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-13-2015 Sparks Tribune Corporate media: Thou shalt censor thyself Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-6-2015 Sparks Tribune The ever-expanding Ira Hansen Archive of an anachronism BREAKING BAD Walter White and some other white guy Who's,,, ...Who? Breaking Bad 5: Machine Gun Michele and the good ole boys Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-16-2014 Sparks Tribune Breaking Bad 4: Ira and his ammosexuals flip us the finger Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-9-2014 Sparks Tribune / Updated 12-11-2014   Union decline and rising inequality in two charts by Colin Gordon Economic Policy Institute / 6-5-2012 Labor Day: State of the Unions By Mark Robison / Reno Gazette-Journal / Sunday 9-1-2013 The above graph was 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. WOMEN AND UNIONS — ORPHAN MAJORITIES The Barbwire Labor Day column Reno Gazette-Journal / 9-3-2012 ...and more ammo... We Don't Need No Education The continuing Barbwire series 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 ...and more ammo yet IMF Head Says Inequality Threatens Democracy. Here Are 7 Charts Proving She’s Right. By Erika Eichelberger / Mother Jones/BillMoyers.com 5-30-2014 “The behavior of the financial sector has not changed fundamentally…since the crisis. The industry still prizes short-term profit.” 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 Nevada Press Assn. Better Newspaper Contest 2013-14: BARBWIRE SCORES SIXTH NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION AWARD BRONZE 2014 Hopelessly trying to win an earthquake / 4-18-2013 The 2013 Loony Tunes Legislative Lexicon / 5-30-2013 The politics of media ga-ga boosterism / 3-20-2014 2012: WE WON —> BIG NEWS FROM THE NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION GOMORRAH SOUTH CONFAB—> BARBWIRE NOMINEE GUY RICHARDSON INDUCTED INTO NPA HALL OF FAME ON FIRST BALLOT Support legendary photographer Don Dondero next 2010 GOLD 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 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   Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

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Copyright © 1982-2015 Andrew Barbano

Andrew Barbano is a 46-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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