Belated Wednesday News Roundup

I'm quite busy this week so nothing is really going as planned. So what you'll get right now is a little belated Wednesday News Roundup. Hope I'll be able to post the Thursday News Roundup later today.

• Andrew Whyman has a post mortem on the Harry Reid boxing tickets broohaha in the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza. He closes with these words: "You not only explained why there were really no violations in spite of potential appearances to the contrary, but you were willing to change your position based on such appearances and declared that you would not accept free tickets of this kind in the future. Now, if we could just get the president to face unpleasant truths head on we'd really be making progress." Harry did an Oprah. W doesn't seem to understand how that works, unfortunately. (Link)
• The decision has been made. Kingsbury Middle School will close in two years. The Tahoe Daily Tribune has the story. (Link)
• Another school story in the Tribune. This time a positive one. South Tahoe High School has gotten some national press. (Link)
• The Record Courier wishes High School graduates good luck stating they'll really need it in today's world. (Link)
• Nevada's millionaires are the ones who would profit if anti-tax measures by Republicans Bob Beers and Sharon Angle would win a majority says the Nevada Appeal. It also advises Nevadans to travel to California to see first hand what these anti-tax measures mean. If you're lucky your car will still be working on your way back. Best piece of the day. (Link)
• A former legislator and Speaker Pro Tempore of the Nevada Assembly is implicated in a major illegal bookmaking operation in Carson City. While you might still be surprised that your representatives are capable of becoming crooks (are you, really?) you might be even more surprised by the fact that Cy Ryan at the Las Vegas Sun left out the party affiliation in his piece (Link) while Geoff Dornan at the Nevada Appeal somehow manages to slip that tidbit of information in his story. (Link) You might wanna ask Cy why that is: cy@lasvegassun.com
• Tessa Hafen is running for Senate. Against John Ensign. Apperantly she must have abandoned her bid to run against Jon Porter in CD-03. That is if you believe the caption under the photo in a piece in the Las Vegas Review-Journal which reads: "Tessa Hafen Democrat who is challenging John Ensign for his seat in the U.S. Senate" Now I wonder what Jack Carter has to say about that... (Link) Besides that it's interesting to note that Republican Jon Porter owns millions in rental properties while his Democratic opponent Tessa Hafen has been working as a substitute teacher for the Clark County School district since she quit her job as press secretary to Senator Reid in order to run against Porter.
• Joe Calabrese shoots back at Congressman John Doolittle who wants to eliminate the Estate Tax saying "That is, Mr. Doolittle, if you serve the interests of money, the voter has reason to suspect your judgment and efforts on “our” behalf. How many of us in your district are subject to the estate tax? Remember, sir, the tax exempts estates valued under $2 million." (Link)
• I've never given blood. Now, you think that makes me an ignorant, egotistical person? You might be right, except that I'm not allowed to. That is unless I would lie. It might be hard to believe but my blood is just not accepted at blood drives. The reason for that? I'm gay. The LA Times calls for an end to this ban: "Let gay men donate blood". Apparently the blood banks are thinking the same thing but there is a catch: "The blood banks have recommended that gay men who haven't had sex in a year be allowed to donate." See, we can be gay but we better not practise it. In short: it's unlikely I'll ever donate blood. Same goes for thousands upon thousands of others who would otherwise be willing to. Next time you hear of shortages in blood supplies think of that. (Link)