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

Barbwire Archives

Breaking Bad 3: Ira, the guv and the dragonslayers
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-2-2014 Sparks Tribune / Updated 12-22-2014

Nevada Lawmaker Ira Hansen Is Forced From Leadership Post Over Remarks on Minorities
By KIMBERLEY McGEE and ADAM NAGOURNEY / The New York Times / 11-24-2014
BREAKING BAD 11-23-2014—>Hansen resigns as Nevada State Assembly Speaker

The Ira Hansen international embarrassment, which premiered in this column Nov. 18, reached a zenith of sorts by scoring a quarter-page in the Nov. 25 New York Times. (Nov. 24 online.)

BREAKING BAD Walter White and some other white guy

Who's,,, ...Who?

It ironically appeared below a Times followup of Rolling Stone's exposé of the college rape epidemic and coverup.

Making the two fit nicely, the Times quoted some of Ira's retrogressive views on sexual harassment along with his bigotry and racism.

Ira has fumbled for excuses, first saying he was quoted out of context, then charging that the Tribune, like the devil, made him do it.

He finally decided to become a victim of the governor and his rabid tax-hikers.

Ira the fiction writer. Who knew?

After taking it statewide on Sam Shad's Nevada Newsmakers TV show and pouring on kerosene when Tribune alumnus Dennis Myers' magnum opus hit the Reno News & Review, it was only a matter of time before I got a cold shower.

The icy feeling began when Gov. Veto El Obtúsè took credit for asking Ira to step down as speaker of the 2015 Nevada State Assembly — only after Ira announced he would do so.

Gov. Sandoval and U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-17th Century, cried crocodile tears over Ira's Duck Dynasty-worthy views, but did not demand that Ira walk away.

The guv reminded me of the 1981 movie Dragonslayer.

After two wizards slay the beast, the chicken king rides out in a carriage and sticks a sword in the dead critter's carcass as his lackey announces "all hail his majesty, dragonslayer."

Lazy commenters both online and in the Reno Kazoo-Journal asked why critics waited "until now."

The fact is that the NAACP and us poor apprentice wizards complained long and loudly.

Few listened save the audience of KKKOH Radio, which hired Ira to propagate his hate.

The Tribune published letters responding to Ira's bigotry.

I have uploaded several to my ever-expanding Ira website. Former NAACP President Lonnie Feemster publicly debated Ira. Both Myers and I hit back hard.

In this newspaper on 25 February 1996, I asked Ira for a meeting which has yet to happen.

The voters of Assembly District 32 and the Nevada Republican Party either knew or should have known what they had and did nothing but elect and re-elect him.

On the day this column hits the streets, the moonhowler caucus meets in Gomorrah South and may damn well give Nevada the finger by re-electing Ira as speaker, notwithstanding his self-serving, sanctimonious auto-defrocking and rending of his percale garments and hood.

Sadly, looking at some of his potential replacements, a chastised Ira might not be the worst that can happen.

Be careful what you wish for.

You just might get it.

Stay tuned.

NEWS TIP: Keep an eye on local TV and the online Barbwire for a scandal involving a vermin infested apartment complex.

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

ONLINE EXTRAS...

I hope you will do all you can to get the Republican Party to repudiate this bigoted legislator. He is a disgrace to Nevada and a disgrace to democracy. The onus here needs to be placed on the Republican Party. Are they going to continue to harbor this man and treat him as a responsible human being or expose him as the scoundrel he really is? Can he continue in this position of responsibility or should he be made to step down? Make them choose! — Julian Bond, NAACP Chairman Emeritus, 11-20-2014

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)

[UPDATE: THE NEVADA FIRE MARSHALL'S INVESTIGATION concluded "don't worry, be happy." I'm still worried and will continue fondling NVE's precious equipment.]

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.

  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 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 Breaking Bad Part Deux: Ira blames the Tribune Barbwire by Barbano / Submitted for publication 11-21-2014 / Expanded from the 11-25-2014 Daily Sparks Tribune On 11-24-1874, barbed wire was patented. Follytix '15: From Topless Campaign to Breaking Bad Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-28 and 11-18-2014 Sparks Tribune BREAKING BAD 11-23-2014—>Hansen resigns as Nevada State Assembly Speaker Voting, gloating, loathing and scapegoating Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 11-11-2014 Sparks Tribune If you voted early, this will make you regret it Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 11-4-2014 Sparks Tribune Virginia City's next scary sexy Hollywood movie Virginia City 911: Sexy Sheriffing in Old ConforteLand Barbwire by Barbano / Special Nevada Day Edition 10-31-2014, Updated 11-1 and 11-3-2014 Follytix '14: Year of the Topless Campaign Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-28-2014 Sparks Tribune, Updated 10-31-2014 Words from God on Nevada ballots and Ebola Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-21-2014 Sparks Tribune Happy 150th Birthday, Ms. Nevada Nevada Day Required Reading The Lady in the Red Dress The Barbwire's classic Nevada Day column written in 1983 The compleat history of the Silver State in 500 words SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Sparks Tribune 10-31-2013 and previously The Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln on display in Reno thru Nov. 2 GAO Study: Voter ID laws cut turnout by blacks, young By Alan Fram / Associated Press 10-8-2014 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 Cheap thrills: Sex banned in Gomorrah South Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-14-2014 Sparks Tribune / Updated 10-15-2014 True confessions from the back of the bus Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-7-2014 Sparks Tribune We don't need no education: Leaks R Us Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-30-2014 Sparks Tribune Taxpayers taken for Teslacide demo ride Heavy demands for services & infrastructure but no money for them: Los Angeles Times debunks booster claims Can megaresorts scam Tesla-style freebies? Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-23-2014 Sparks Tribune St. Elon, Lord Pedro and Gov. Veto El Obtúsè Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-16-2014 Sparks Tribune 9-23 CRYSTAL BALL UPDATE: The above column accurately predicted Martinez's departure one week in advance Tinkle-down economics: testing Tesla's testes Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-9-2014 Sparks Tribune Labor Day 2014: Red, white and screwed Silver State Lining: Nevada union membership 10th-highest in the nation Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Sparks Tribune / 8-28-2014 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... The hardest and fairest questions yet asked of proponents of the teachers gross profits tax initiative Dennis Myers / Reno News & Review 7-10-2014 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 © 1982-2014 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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