Nevada would be a very different place without Bill Raggio!!!

Republican State Sen. Bill Raggio's day job has been with an extremely influential law and lobbying firm that represents some of the most powerful economic interests in Nevada. In the Legislature, Raggio has been a clever -- the most clever, by most accounts -- tactician, often several steps ahead of competing political interests.

In other words, Raggio is the consummate juiced-up establishment insider who knows how to play the game.

No combination is more revered by the inhabitants of Nevada's political-media-industrial complex. And so in a public display of affection for Raggio and his mastery of those qualities they most admire in a statesman for a failed state, Nevada's political class rose as one on the news of Raggio's retirement from the Senate to proclaim him "the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life." Or words to that effect.

Raggio, to be sure, is intelligent, sane and civil -- traits that help constitute competence in most lines of work but that in the contemporary political climate probably translate to greatness.

And in an electoral arena jam-packed with puerile opportunists, teatards and spineless hacks, Raggio is less than a full-on wingnut (and suffered politically for it), so his absence from the upcoming doomed legislative session is a marginally sad thing -- though that says more about Nevada than it does about Raggio.

But during Raggio's nearly four decades of legislative service Nevada bitterly refused to govern responsibly. Instead, the state dug in its heels to protect its backwardness, celebrated callous unenlightenment as a point of pride and increasingly saddled the working poor with one of the most regressive tax structures in the nation.

The most that can be said is that things might have been even worse if not for Raggio -- though given the oft-touted power and influence of "Sir Bill," maybe a non-insidery Nevadan could be excused for wondering if in fact Nevada sucks in spite of Raggio, or because of him.

A bit of both, perhaps?

Comments

[dave404]

Gleaner;

That was as well done a political obituary as I've ever read.

[Goldy]

Accurate and well-written. Not mentioned: Nevada's balance of power between the 3 branches of government--Judicial, Executive, and Legislative (or Moe, Larry, and Curly)-- is as disproportionately weighted in favor of the Executive branch as any State in the Union. Between the biennial nature, 2/3rds, 120 days, term limits, Constitutional mandates, etc., the Legislative branch has a virtual vaginoplasty.

So if you believe in Constitutional balance of powers, like Raggio or not--if you were from Southern Nevada, he did you no favors--at least he brought some weight to the Legislative branch.

[Observer]

I liked the photo of Mt. Rushmore, Gleaner. One minor issue is that Raggio is actually much older than the other people on Mt. Rushmore, in fact almost as old as the rocks themselves..

[RussBBinVegas@aol.com]

Well Observer, Bob Dole may have gone on to bigger & better things after his political career as the poster boy for Viagra, and now Bill Raggio can dedicate himself full-time to his new modeling career for Lady Clairol.

[Scorpiogal]

@ Observer,
I'd say Bill is a damn sight more attractive intellectually and physically than most men his age with or without Clairol. Can anyone say Dignity? Has anyone taken a gander at Hef? Yikes! Gives me the skeeves just thinkin' about that walking corpse of a petri dish.

[Observer]

@Scorpiogal

Yes, Hefner is getting on in years. But somehow he's still a chick magnet. He's just oozing $$$, that's all. Like Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angles Lakers, who is always accompanied by a bevy of young beauties.

Hefner ought to go out with women his own age. But there ARE no women HIS age!!! (old George Burns joke)

[Scorpiogal]

@ Observer,
Chick magnet? LOL....wait...what? Great Grandpa Pimp Daddy maybe but not a (normal)chick magnet. It's kinda pathetic and sad really. Hef's "impact" on our culture goes without saying however please refrain from using the word "oozing" when speaking of Hef.;)

Re: Buss, he's got a PhD in Physical Chem. Hey,intellect is sexy! Beats an 85 y/o with warts that's jumped the shark.

[NotNedDay]

"... Not mentioned: Nevada's balance of power between the 3 branches of government--Judicial, Executive, and Legislative..."

Isn't it actually the Judicial branch, Executive branch and Gaming industry branch...I mean look how they have kept tax rates (well, for casinos anyway) unchanged since the 1980's.

On another note, what's the Teabagger take on the "Second Amendment remedy" that happened in Arizona yesterday?

[dave404]

@notnedday;

Tax rates of casino have not changed since 1980's BUT their contribution of total general fund revenue has shrunk from 1990's 35% to now 15%!

.....stay out of the HI surf!