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¡Viva Chávez!
César Chávez Celebration XVI / Celebración de César Chávez XVI
Saturday 31 March 2018 / Sabado 31 de Marzo 2018
Highlights from the record-breaking 2017 event at Circus Circus Reno

Halls of Fame and Glory
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-4-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 8-3 and 8-8-2017 / Expansions in blue

HELP WANTED. Enterprising attorneys can score big money and national repute by tackling some very obvious cases that their learned colleagues have apparently overlooked.

STILL PLAYING COWBOYS. Nevada's accidental attorney general and wannabe governor Adam Laxalt refuses to enforce the firearm background check law passed by voters last November. The feds refuse the work, especially without extra funding.

Now, very slowly read and re-read the following. Under Nevada law, all private party gun transfers, including those at shooter shows, require a federal background check. No such background checks are available. Therefore, all such gun transactions in Nevada are illegal and cannot take place until the feds relent. Slam dunk. Non-feasance in office charges to follow.

STILL STEALING MONEY: 182,000 Silver State workers labor under union contracts. Because a 1952 law (mislabeled "right to work") makes union dues optional, about 36,000, one in five, take a free ride. Nevada's unions must do a good job because other states with "right to work for less" statutes can have up to four in ten ripping off dues-paying union members.

Unions are legally required to expend member money and resources representing freeloaders. This is an unconstitutional taking of private property. Self-respecting conservatives should be appalled, especially as Tsar Donaldov Vladimirovitch has a national version in the pipeline (HR 785). Slam dunk, too.

LAXALT AS JIM THE DIM, PART DEUX? No one noticed, but defrocked Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons had a law degree. Like Bush Dynasty ancestor and one-term President Franklin Pierce, Gibbons remains the only incumbent denied re-nomination by his party. Nevada has a long history of attorneys general who were lightweight lawyers. Robert List, the worst guv since WW2 until Gibbons came along, previously served as AG. Laxalt sings similar symphonic mediocrity.

Democrats don't have a strong bench and fear emergence of another Rory Reid who was creamed by Gov. Veto El Obtúsè in 2010. Help is on the way. Stay tuned.

ADIOS, ALBERTA. Longtime Reno-Sparks NAACP activist Alberta Rederford passed away at Renown Med last Friday. Private visitation begins at 9:30 a.m. with services at 10:30 this Wednesday, April 5, at Immaculate Conception Church, 2900 N. McCarran, Sparks. The story of a life well-lived and heartfelt remembrances will be posted at RenoSparksNAACP.org/

May graceful, beautiful Alberta rest in power and peace.

THE ENVELOPES, PLEASE. Former Sen. Joe Neal, D- North Las Vegas, inducted retired Nevada State AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer Danny Thompson into the César Chávez NevadaLabor.com Hall of Fame last Wednesday.

That got me thinking about the Barbwire Molly Ivins Memorial Columniator Hall of Flames which has only two requirements: Impactful writing and deceased status. Only six Nevadans stand immoralized therein. It's time to waive the rules for a lucky seventh, my longtime Sparks Tribune colleague in columny Jake Highton.

His widely published and prolific writings pale in comparison to his impact on generations of UNR journalism students. Every one I've met or labored alongside remarked upon Jake's awesome influence.

So welcome aboard, old son. You're Lucky No. 7 while still around to enjoy it. We'll work on the Nevada Press Association HOF right after Don Dondero gets voted in.

UPDATE 8-8-2017 —> Requiescat in pace
University of Nevada Journalism Prof. Emeritus and longtime Sparks Tribune columnist Jake Highton passed away of a heart attack on 7 Aug. 2017. More information as it develops. May the great teacher rest in peace from work well done and a life well-lived.

BACK TO THE FUTURE DEPT. As an analog man in a digital world, I occasionally find myself so far behind the times that I'm ahead of them. I've long used two fax machines, one for receiving documented fax, the other for alternative fax.

Gotta prevent cross-contamination in the age of Trump.

Be well. Raise hell. / Esté bien. Haga infierno. (Pardon my Spanglish.)
______________
Andrew Barbano is a 48-year Nevadan, editor of NevadaLabor.com and first vice-president of the Reno-Sparks NAACP. As always, his comments are his own. E-mail <barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us> Barbwire by Barbano has originated in the Sparks Tribune since 1988.

ONLINE EXTRAS —>

END OF TIMES SURVIVAL KIT. Defend yourself with humorous or humorless but always-peerless predictions for 2017 by subscribing to the Barbwire Confidential News Service.

Last year's dark foreshadowings unfortunately became reality. I thus suggest inoculation by signing onto the HushHush! list at BallotBoxing.US/ It's cheap as well as enlightening entertainment

Subscribe today to get the exclusive End of Times Retrogression, a Procession for Progression, an Obsession to relieve Depression, Proselytizing Prayer for Divine Intercession at the Legislative Session. Don't wait— procrastination is the devil's dislocation. Hie thee hence to BallotBoxing.US/

THE GOOD DON. Nominations are afoot for the Nevada Press Association Hall of Fame. Time to ramp up for world-famous Tribune photographer Don Dondero. Here's the compelling case for his induction.