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

Barbwire Archives

Who was that lady I saw you with last night? (But can she cook?)

Republican Assemblymember Michele Fiore's candidacy for a Gomorrah South congressional seat was submitted for endorsement by the Southern Nevada Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO. Bizarro.

I'm sure that the convention supported Democrat Jacky Rosen, Sen. Harry Reid's anointed pick to replace incumbent Republican Joe Heck, now running for U.S. Senate. But Machine Gun Michele never ceases to amaze.

For proper perspective and a lotta laughs, go to the Barbwire archive and read my best work of recent years, the censored Michele Fiore, the Italian girl mama wanted for me?

What a woman.

DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN DEPT. Last week's proposal for a $1.4 billion tax-supported redevelopment for downtown Reno brought growth gamesmanship full circle.
When I came here in 1971, the region was up in arms over McCulloch Oil's design for Palomino Valley north of Sparks.

People sharpened pitchforks, lit torches and cooked tar and feathers upon hearing "a new city of 20,000 people." McCulloch folded what would have been a well-planned community built out over 20 years.

Meadowood Mall's developers thus never announced their grand design for the former Smith Ranch until all shopping centers, apartments and office buildings were finished. The Smiths of Harolds Club fame and other downtown Reno overlords purchased large swaths of south Reno to prevent Las Vegas Strip-style competition.

The result was today's stunted downtown which Susan and Don Clark of Cathexes Architecture hope to remedy.

The valleys of the mucky Truckee have gone from anti-growth to anything goes to the Clarks' elegant middle-groundsmanship, anticipating the usual questions upfront.

Game on.

DÉJÀ VU, PART DEUX. Reno just re-instituted certification for electricians and plumbers, requirements repealed by Sparks last December upon demand by a downtown developer desiring discounted work.

Licensing had been used to get unqualified workers off the job but now city inspectors have no hammer. It's time for Councilcritters Julia Ratti and Ed Lawson to follow through on their announced intentions to produce what they termed a "more modern" ordinance.

ADIOS, KENNY. More than 200 gave up their Sunday afternoon on April 24 to mourn the loss of longtime labor leader Kenny Groves, 51, who died April 11. The former chef and veteran letter carrier was elected by his union as a delegate to the Sparks-based Northern Nevada Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO. He was elevated to the post of recording secretary. (I mis-stated his position last week.) He leaves his wife, Cindy, also a letter carrier, three children and five grandchildren.

HALL OF FAME former Nevada Assemblymember Bob Price, D-North Las Vegas, just came thru successful surgery to mitigate maladies contracted as an inpatient. He's at Tahoe Pacific South Meadows in the same complex as Renown South Meadows, 10101 Double-R Blvd. (89521) Send well-wishes and flowers or call (775) 326-6148. Nancy Price encourages visits to cheer up the old warrior.

Bob Price served almost three decades in the lower house. Bob and Nancy retired to Sparks years ago. He has been a member of Las Vegas IBEW Local 357/AFL-CIO for more than half a century. He helped build the showroom at the Las Vegas Hilton which was opened by Elvis Presley in 1969 and has the King's autograph on his old lunchbox to prove it. He chaired the Assembly Taxation Committee for many sessions and became legendary for his advocacy on behalf of the little guys.

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 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?

Smoking guns: Rooftop solar assassination — NevadaLabor.com Energy War Room

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.

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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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