 BARBWIREby ANDREW BARBANO
From the 11-16-97 Daily Sparks Tribune  The None of the Above for Governor Political Action Committee will
fly like the Phoenix in 1998. After last week's call to arms, past and
potential NAGPAC conspirators responded from throughout the country.Many transplants may not be aware of the Silver State's status as
the only place in the nation where "none of these candidates" actually
appears on the ballot.The provision was placed into law in 1975 by former Assemblyman Don
Mello (D-Sparks) and current Assembly Speaker Joe Dini (D-Yerington), who
is currently testing the gubernatorial waters himself. It was not the most
forthright bill the Dondini clique ever worked on. Legislative and other
non-statewide races were pointedly excluded.At the time, many felt that Mello pushed it just to push his weight
around as assembly ways and means chairman. Personal pique probably played
a part as well. During the '75 session, Mello raked Nevada Supreme Court
Chief Justice Al Gunderson over the coals to the point of personal insult.
The judge happened to be up for re-election the following year.The weird new law put even unopposed candidates in the position of
raising and spending money to keep the "None" vote to
less-than-embarrassing proportions. Not surprisingly, Gunderson was its
first victim. He drew no opponent, but "None" scored 21.5% in the November
'76 election."None" had actually claimed its first victory in the September
primary, winning the Republican congressional nomination. (Back then,
Nevada had only one statewide seat.)By the time I chaired NAGPAC in 1982, many people felt that a loss
to the mythical "None" should disqualify all flesh-and-blood losers and
force an election re-run. I disagreed. I still think that the seat in
question should be declared vacant with the next officeholder appointed by
random drawing of all eligible citizens, not just voters, within the
affected district.One of the 1982 NAGPAC planks advocated just such a lottery system
of election. (I didn't think of it. My wife did.) We asked could we do
worse than what we've got now? That question is today more appropriate than
ever.NAGPAC caught the public's imagination in '82 because the average
Nevadan knew he/she was royally screwed no matter who won. The lot of the
average Nevadan has not gotten any better in the intervening years.Workers have acquired no rights, only more obligation and
discrimination under our punitive, medieval state laws. We continue to
fracture families with the active help of government as pawned by heavy
payments from the gambling-industrial complex and its cronies. We
continually top the charts in suicide and teen pregnancy while promoting
ourselves as a tax free workers paradise. In reality, we are not lowly
taxed, just selectively whacked. In Nevada, the less you make the more you
pay in hidden levies and user fees.Here, then, I present a personal populist platform, the key
questions you should ask any candidate who seeks to switch your vote from
zilch.(1) REPEAL FIRE-AT-WILL and make Nevada workers fireable only for
just cause.(2) REPEAL THE BLACKBALL BILL spawned by the gambling-industrial
complex this year. Blacklisting made easy, it allows gambling companies to
trade information about workers with no fear of getting sued.(3) REPEAL TAILHOOK I AND TAILHOOK II, laws passed after the
infamous 1991 Tailhook Association sexual molestation incident at the Las
Vegas Hilton. In 1995, the gamblers cashed in campaign contributions to
make themselves pretty much immune from lawsuits arising from similar
incidents. This year, the corporate dons expanded the law to include other
types of business, making it open season for sexual and other predators.
This presents dangers to both employees and customers, as businesses have
far less incentive to maintain a safe environment.(4) DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE covering all Nevadans.(5) CHANGE UNFAIR
UNEMPLOYMENT LAW. Right now, if a worker is terminated for union
activity, he/she cannot collect Nevada unemployment compensation although
such firing violates federal law. Carlene O'Neil and
Jessica Gomes were bounced by Bently Nevada Corp. for requesting
that other workers sign for UPS deliveries during the Hot August Strike.
Teamsters Union attorneys successfully appealed their state unemployment
rejections, which the Minden company is still fighting.ELECTROSHOCK: NAGPAC '98 will fully utilize the Internet. If
anti-land mine activists could win the Nobel Peace Prize by mobilizing
people worldwide through electronic mail, we should be able to plant a few
political land mines of our own. There will soon be a NAGPAC section at
www.nevadalabor.com. Send me your e-mail address to be included on the
NAGPAC nagging list.As before, NAGPAC will operate as an anarchistic democracy. We
accept anyone for membership, especially the underaged or otherwise
disfavored. Illegal aliens, extra-terrestrial or not, are cool as long as
you buy an occasional round.FINALLY, A FOND FAREWELL to the recently deceased Steve Maytan,
Reno's Music Man who graciously rented the Maytan Music Center rehearsal
hall to us for our '82 election night party. Steve and I talked politics
well into the night, one of the most enjoyable of my life. I herewith name
him honorary NAGPACker emeritus. Adios.Be well. Raise hell.
Andrew
Barbano, a Reno-based syndicated columnist and 29-year Nevadan,
is editor of U-News. Send an
E-mail if you want to
join the inaction with NAGPAC '98.Barbwire by Barbano
has originated in the Daily Sparks Tribune since 1988. |
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