Write on Nevada

What are they trying to hide?

2012-05-25T11:07:00.001-07:00

Every week, NPRI President Andy Matthews writes a column for NPRI's week-in-review email. If you are not getting our emails, which contain our latest commentaries and news stories, you can sign up...

Thursday's appearance on "The Agenda"

2012-05-24T16:35:00.001-07:00

Earlier today, I went on "The Agenda" with Elizabeth Crum and Hugh Jackson to discuss the results of the transparency survey released this week by NPRI and the Nevada Press Association:

Brookings scholar: Principal reductions the wrong approach

2012-05-24T16:33:00.004-07:00

Conservatives and libertarians have long understood that a government-mandated principal reduction for underwater homeowners is the wrong approach to solving the nation's and Nevada's housing...

Jonah Goldberg goes Face to Face with Jon Ralston

2012-05-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

And it leads to a really interesting interview and discussion of political philosophy and Goldberg's new book, The Tyranny of Clichés. Enjoy. In case, Piers Morgan is looking for interview...

Candidate survey on transparency released by Nevada Press Association and NPRI

2012-05-23T13:14:00.001-07:00

Ever wondered where legislative candidates and current elected officials stand on transparency issues ranging from open meetings to open records? We've got answers for you. LAS VEGAS — The Nevada...

Teachers acting like children

2012-05-21T10:59:00.001-07:00

Every week, NPRI President Andy Matthews writes a column for NPRI's week-in-review email. If you are not getting our emails, which contain our latest commentaries and news stories, you can sign up...

Is it possible to get fired in Clark County?

2012-05-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

(***Not applicable in Clark County***) After an unelected, unaccountable arbitrator from California reinstated a fire fighter who had bragged about using sick leave to take the whole summer off,...

CCSD layoffs no reason to increase education spending

2012-05-17T14:49:00.005-07:00

Five years into the worst recession since at least the Great Depression, the union bosses at the Clark County Education Association had a choice. Accept a pay freeze for two years, which actually...

Thank a union boss: Using seniority, CCSD to lay off 1,015 teachers

2012-05-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

CCSD Superintendent Dwight Jones warned that an unelected, unaccountable arbitrator from California rewarding the Clark County Education Association's stall tactics would lead to 1,000 pink slips,...

Seven outstanding rookie CCSD teachers honored with pink slips

2012-05-14T13:17:00.002-07:00

Six of CCSD's seven New Teachers of the Year. Thanks to CCEA union bosses perserving seniority-based layoffs, these seven teachers are about to receive pink slips. Photo from Las Vegas...

Teacher with bad logic doesn't mean all teachers have bad logic

2012-05-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of attention focused recently on the need to fire bad teachers. That this is a controversial statement is pretty amazing, but such is the power of the union bosses of the...

Ignoring 50 years of spending history, Sebelius wants to throw money at public schools

2012-05-08T13:01:00.001-07:00

Fact: Nevada's nearly tripled inflation-adjusted, per-pupil spending on education in the last 50 years. But according to liberal columnist Steve Sebelius, Nevada has yet to throw money...

Paul v. Paul

2012-05-04T13:59:00.001-07:00

It's the battle of the great Pauls! Okay...perhaps one great Paul and one evil Paul (I'll let you decide which is which)... My take on Krugman here is that he must be...

Sandoval joins three other governors to discuss Western lands

2012-05-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

The meeting happened last week, and let's hope it moves from meetings to actions in the near future. Seeking a unified front on common concerns, the governors of four Western states held...

Important context on CCSD's capital improvement campaign and forthcoming spin

2012-05-02T14:13:00.001-07:00

Earlier today, CCSD trustees approved a proposal to raise taxes by $669 million over the next six years. The plan must clear a couple of more hoops and then it goes to the voters in November. ...

Facts a 'disturbing' thing for teachers union member

2012-05-01T14:04:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal published my column, Children lose when unions fight to keep poor performers in the classroom, and a blog post by Nevada Superintendent Dr. James W. Guthrie,...

NV 12th graders struggling to pass high school exit exam which covers ... 9th grade material

2012-04-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

How do you make Nevada's stunningly low graduation rate, which Ed Week put at 44.3 percent in 2008, even worse? Nevada's high school exit exam, which many seniors have to retake multiple...

Woe is California

2012-04-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

This story about state financial and land-use planning from our neighbors to the west should underscore how imperative it is that Nevadans address their growing public employee pension problem with...

Teacher on Face to Face blissfully unaware of his own level of compensation

2012-04-26T16:58:00.001-07:00

Here's the perfect example of why the government salary information on TransparentNevada is so vital. Last night on Face to Face, Jon Ralston had as guests, two teachers from the Clark County...

The government-induced student loan bubble is the next housing bubble

2012-04-26T11:20:00.002-07:00

With news coming out earlier this week that presumed-Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is supporting, along with President Obama, an extension of low interest rates for...

Union boss: Attempts to remove ineffective teachers an attack on 'human rights'

2012-04-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Lynn Warne is the president of the Nevada State Education Association, and she appeared on Anjeanette Damon's “To the Point” show over the weekend, where she made the following comment about AB 225...

Sandoval's deal with Amazon is NOT a tax increase

2012-04-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Gov. Brian Sandoval announced that he had reached an agreement with Amazon that would allow the State of Nevada to begin collecting sales tax revenue on purchases made through the online...

Compensation of average CCSD employee has increased by nearly 20 percent in last four years

2012-04-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

And here's the perfect end cap to a week of detailing how teachers making over $82,000, $93,000 and $193,000 (where the husband and wife are both teachers) in total compensation complained about not...

The misunderstanding of economic development

2012-04-18T14:36:00.008-07:00

After listening to Gov. Brian Sandoval's speech today about his team's strategy for economic development, I was struck by several components and extremely disappointed that he declined to take...

Husband and wife teachers making over $192K 'care more about' $6K than 'improving' teaching skills

2012-04-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Don't shoot the messenger; teacher Vicki Steffenhagen is the one who wrote that. Vicki Steffenhagen is an English teacher who earned $88,432.90 in 2011. Her husband, a high school counselor,...