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

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What do Sparks and Flint, Michigan, have in common? Lead in kids' brains.

Last Saturday, Oscar-winning director Michael Moore pleaded with President Obama to come to Flint after attending the nearby Detroit Auto Show.

In his 1979 breakthrough documentary "Roger & Me," Moore unsuccessfully tried to get another president, then-General Motors CEO Roger Smith, to visit Flint and explain the devastation caused by GM moving production to Mexico.

Eminent film critics Siskel & Ebert named "Roger & Me" best picture of the year — not best documentary, but best picture.

Big Mike has called for the arrest of Michigan's Republican Governor Rick Snyder and assorted bureaucrats who polluted Flint's water supply, gave the entire town lead poisoning with a dash of Legionnaires' disease (10 dead), then tried to cover it up.

The disaster could have been avoided by an expenditure of less than 10 grand. Chalk one up for fiscal conservatism which will now cost an estimated $1.5 billion to fix.

"This is a city full of poor black people, a city where half the population (including myself) found a way to escape the misery and the madness," Moore wrote, adding "the crime rate is so bad, we've led the country in murders for most years."

Go to MichaelMoore.com to sign a petition asking the president to meet the movie Mahatma in beleaguered Flint.

LEADING QUESTIONS. Sparks City Hall can get the lead out when replacing the aging artificial turf at Golden Eagle Park.

The contaminated carpet is made of "crumb rubber," a PR label for ground-up old tires. It's so toxic that it can't be dumped in a landfill but kids are playing on it. In addition to lead, crumb rubber also contains cancer-causing benzene and dozens of other questionable chemicals.

As I disclosed in November and December, the same contaminants suffuse UNR's Wolf Pack Park, its Peccole baseball diamond and Mackay Stadium football field. Ditto the gridirons of McQueen, Damonte Ranch, Carson and Douglas high schools.

Most NFL and many college games are played on the stuff. Have you ever noticed the black dust kicked up by players' cleats? That's crumb rubber flying through the air with the greatest of ease.

Parents and candidates must push to get the lead out of Golden Eagle Park and all Nevada locations before children lose any more IQ points.

CONFLICTED AFFLICTIONS. Last week's Barbwire resulted in Sparks Councilman Ed Lawson [1] denying conflict of interest in the current Reno News & Review.

Tribune alumnus Dennis Myers drew a parallel between Lawson's conduct and former Councilman Mike Carrigan's unsuccessful attempts to reverse Nevada Ethics Commission findings, which he took all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

On Dec. 14, construction company executive Lawson voted to repeal all training and certification standards for plumbers and electricians.

EBONI NICOLE FEEMSTER, 1982-2016. The pretty little girl's Monday, Jan. 25, memorial service has been moved to 11:00 a.m. at Reno's Second Baptist Church, 1265 Montello. Updates at RenoSparksNAACP.org/

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

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BARBWIRE WEB EXTRAS... TOMORROW'S NEWS TODAY: FEEL UP YOUR FIRE METER. The Reno Gazette-Journal did big spreads on threeconsecutive 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.

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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.

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Smoking Guns... Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential Democrats for Trump FYI: I consulted on campaigns against City Attorney Chester Adams in 2008 and Mr. Lawson in 2010. In Sparks, politics isn't personal, just business Conflict of interest means never having to say you're sorry Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 1-12-2016 Sparks Tribune / Updated 12-14-2016 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

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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.

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