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

Barbwire Archives

The Dec. 14 Sparks City Council action to wipe out licensing standards for plumbers and electricians must be agendized for reconsideration.

Councilmember Ed Lawson failed to disclose a glaring conflict of interest and voted with the 4-0 majority to allow just about anybody with a pulse to plumb and wire buildings.

Councilmember Charlene Bybee did the right thing by abstaining, so advised by legal counsel because her nephew is executive director of the Associated Builders and Contractors.

The city website lists Mr. Lawson as vice-president of business development of Sierra Builders of Nevada which has 60 building permits on file, some involving plumbing and electrical work. Cutting labor costs certainly develops a business.

Mr. Lawson's actions appear to violate Nevada Revised Statutes 281A.420(1) barring participation by an official with "a significant pecuniary interest."

Mayor Geno Martini opened the Dec. 14 hearing with a legendary quote from The Godfather: "It's not personal, it's business."

He could not have been more correct.

FYI: I consulted on campaigns against City Attorney Chester Adams in 2008 and Mr. Lawson in 2010.

THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE. Procurer Dennis Hof has declared his Libertarian Party candidacy for the western Washoe state senate seat being vacated by Republican Greg Brower. Former Assemblymembe Heidi Gansert has announced for the GOP. The brothel boss thus splits the moonhowler vote and paves the way for a Democrat.

DUST DEVIL DUSTUP. Dayton High School history teacher Elizabeth Clausen has been suspended after redneck pressure on Lyon County bureaucrats. Fortunately, she has a strong union representing her in the kind of case that usually costs school districts a couple of hundred grand.

She asked students their opinions of a painting which artist Michael D'Antuono illustrated after the 2012 execution of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.

"A Tale of Two Hoodies" shows a uniformed officer wearing a KKK hood pointing his .45 at the head of little black boy pointing a package of Skittles. The kid wears a hooded sweatshirt like Martin wore the night he was exterminated.

Clausen's students are supporting her online.

You will find TV stories, the painting and the artist's response linked to the web edition of this column at NevadaLabor.com/

FADING INTEREST. The Reno Gazette-Journal ignored the Dec. 14 Sparks result. They did publish a contributed guest column on Jan. 3 but there has been no news coverage of the decision. The Reno newspaper likewise has printed nothing about the Dayton travesty — disappointing, given that the RGJ owns Lyon County's venerable Mason Valley News. (They did post a very brief Associated Press pickup from a TV station on their website).

Meanwhile, the penny-pinching carnage continues. The RGJ ousted 22-year reporter Guy Clifton last week, which pretty well erases the outfit's institutional memory.

AFFAIRS OF THE HEART. Heading a National Alliance for Retired Americans affiliate apparently constitutes hazardous duty. Former state president Scott Watts just went home after bypass surgery. Women of Washoe President Wendy Boszak just had a short hospital stay for arterial blockage.

Can they apply for combat pay in an election year?

LIP SERVICE. Somebody finally came up with an appropriate remedy for football season chapped lips: Beer-flavored lip balm with "natural paraben-free beeswax, aloe and Vitamin E."

I'm licking my chops.

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

The Underbelly of the News—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

BARBWIRE WEB 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, 2014) 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, whom can you trust?

DIDN'T THEY MAKE A MOVIE CALLED "THE INCREDIBLES"? On 2-6-2015, the RGJ reported that the Public Utilities Commission has ordered NVE to hire an independent laboratory to review the material. UPDATE: The report said all is well. I still recommend feeling up your fire meter on a regular basis.

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 keep sending show suggestions.

  Stay tuned.

  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 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 47-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.

Peruse the Underbelly of the News —> Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

Smoking Guns... Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential Democrats for Trump If you can't trust Dear Abby, whom can you trust? Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 1-5-2016 Sparks Tribune Open season on law-breaking dangerous drones Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-29-2015 Sparks Tribune, Updated 12-30-2015 Faraday's fair name befouled in fallow fields of Vegas Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-22-2015 Sparks Tribune This is not the America anyone's God blessed Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-15-2015 Sparks Tribune And we didn't even get kissed afterward Barbwire by Barbano / Sparks City Council Special Online Report 12-14-2015 Dirty deeds done dirt cheap — again and again Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-8-2015 Sparks Tribune Turf and training: Dirty deeds done dirt cheap Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-1-2015 Sparks Tribune / Updated 12-2-2015 On artificial turf, don't breathe unless necessary Toxic turf all over town Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-24-2015 Sparks Tribune Sorcerer's apprentices work cheap in Nevada Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-17-2015 Sparks Tribune / Updated 11-20 and 11-24-2015 Weekend at Bernie's with Eugene McCarthy's grandchildren Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-10-2015 Sparks Tribune / Updated 11-12-2015 Last of the dinosaurs: Grease for corporate gears Reno Gazette-Journal "retires" most experienced journalists Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-3-2015 Sparks Tribune The Donald and The Church Lady run among us Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 10-27-2015 Sparks Tribune / Updated with a merry 'toon 10-27-2015 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 ...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 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

SITE NAVIGATION TIPS: When all else fails, read the instructions

NevadaLabor.com | U-News | Bulletins + Almanac Casinos Out of Politics (COP) | Sen. Joe Neal Guinn Watch | Deciding Factors | BallotBoxing.US DoctorLawyerWatch.com | Barbwire Oilogopoly Archive Barbwire Nevada Corporate Welfare Archive Annual César Chávez Celebration War Rooms: Banks, Cabbies, Cabela's/cabellyup, Cable TV, Cancer Kids/Mining, Energy, Food, Health Care, Resurge.TV/consumers, Starbucks, Wal-Mart We Don't Need No Education Search this site | In Search Of...

Barbwire Archives

Copyright © 1982-2016 Andrew Barbano

Andrew Barbano is a 47-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.

Site composed and maintained by Deciding Factors, CWA 9413 signatory

Comments and suggestions appreciated. Sign up for news and bulletins