Other issues
The Federal DUI Mandate: A Step BAC
President Clinton recently endorsed a national blood alcohol content (BAC) standard for drunk driving. The new standard, .08 percent, is being pushed by advocacy organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving. If approved by the House of Representatives—it passed the Senate March 4 by a wide margin—Nevada and 34 other states will face a choice between lowering their present .10 percent limits or potentially losing federal highway funds. A broad coalition of opponents, from civil libertarians to lobbyists for the restaurant and beverage industries, have coalesced to fight this latest proposed federal mandate. Herewith, an examination of the BAC debate.
The Facts on Free Trade
The debate over granting President Clinton’s fast-track authority to negotiate international trade and investment agreements (postponed until next year) has given rise to a larger debate on expansionism vs. protectionism of U.S. trade policy. Protectionists, who are against fast-track authority, claim that expanding trade has a negative impact on the U.S economy. Supporters of trade expansion realize that free trade policies actually increase jobs and improve the economy. NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) has been used by both sides in support of their claims that free trade is harmful or beneficial, respectively. Following are general facts about free trade along with a closer look at the results of NAFTA in the U.S. and Nevada during its first three years, 1994 to 1996.
Radiation to the Rescue
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, with the support of so-called consumer activists and some in Congress, has requested greater recall power over meat and poultry products. Glickman and his allies have seized upon recent outbreaks of E. coli bacteria in beef as justifications for greater federal authority over the nation’s food industry. But the current food safety debate all but ignores two critical facts: America already has a safer food supply than any other country, and a measure to make beef even safer—irradiation—is being blocked by the federal government.
Spiked "Donargate" Stories
Newspaper reporters continue to discover major revelations about the fundraising scandal swirling around the Clinton administration. Journalists at papers such as the Wall Street Journal and Boston Globe have uncovered many facts about "donorgate," but print reporters’ colleagues in television news have displayed a disturbing unwillingness to relay such information to their audiences. This lack of coverage of significant donorgate developments is particularly troubling in Nevada, a state where access to major newspapers is limited. The Media Research Center (MRC), a Washington-based media analysis organization, conducted studies in March and May that document the lack of television coverage granted to fundraising stories. Herewith, a list of items relevant to the fundraising scandal, but completely overlooked by network news programs.
Jumping on the Anti-Tobacco Bandwagon
Nevada Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa has joined 32 state attorneys general in filing suit against the tobacco industry. On May 21, Del Papa announced her lawsuit at a news conference in Las Vegas. But a new study by the Heartland Institute’s Michael E. DeBow exposes the shaky legal ground upon which such legal actions stand. DeBow’s analysis of the attorneys generals’ lawsuits is summarized below.
Official English for Nevada
A bill recently introduced in the Nevada Legislature would make English the state’s official language. Assembly Bill 441, sponsored by 12 members, designates English as the official language of the state and contains a number of related provisions.
A Needed Addition to Campaign Finance Reform
Campaign finance reform has been needed in Nevada for a long time. Instead of waiting to see if legislators would kill reform measures again this session, voters mandated, for the second time, that current campaign finance laws be changed by passing ballot question Number 10. This amends the Nevada Constitution and requires legislators to change current statutes. The reporting threshold will be lowered. (How low remains to be seen). Party caucuses and political action committees (PACs) will be limited in the amounts they can contribute and also will have to disclose who donated money and how much. Reporting dates will be moved closer to election day and contributions made in the name of another person will be made illegal. Various bills have been introduced, named and renamed, in hopes of putting an end to this longstanding debate. The proposed reform is fairly comprehensive, covering the areas where abuses run rampant. However, some loopholes will still exist, especially in labor union political activity. Some unions spend over 90 percent of total dues on political activities and union members should have the right to know which candidates they are supporting.
Crime in Nevada: Will Our Lawmakers Do What It Takes?
While crime across the U.S. and Nevada has increased dramatically over the last thirty years, the risk of imprisonment has actually decreased. For example, in 1960 there were 90 people in prison per 1,000 serious crimes, but in 1990 there were only 30. In addition, the odds of being a victim are far greater today than a generation ago. In 1963 the FBI crime index tabulated 2,180 reported crimes per 100,000 people; in 1993, this index counted 5,483 crimes per 100,000 people.
Crime: Strategies for Nevada’s Growing Urban Centers
Unfortunately, the factors that most directly influence criminal behavior–moral decay, loss of family structure and denial of personal accountability–are difficult to change and not easily legislated. Furthermore, those factors that government can control–our laws, police, criminal justice strategies and public assistance programs–have an indirect effect on criminal behavior at best. Nevada, albeit a wonderful place to live, has unique problems with crime due to our tourist-driven economy and 24-hour culture. Traditional attempts at legislating this criminal behavior have consistently failed in every measurable way—except perhaps to encourage more crime. For all our sakes, our cities need to take a new approach to safeguarding our streets.
Hardrock Mining Royalty Issues
As the U.S. Senate contemplates an 8% royalty on mining (bills proposed by Senator Dale Bumpers of West Virginia), Dr. John Dobra, Senior Research Fellow for Nevada Policy Research Institute, was called to testify before the Senate Committee on Mineral Resources Development and Production.
