5 minute read
oPiNioN/strEEtAlk
from March 14, 2019
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Honest graft
The sudden and startling resignation of Nevada Senate Democratic floor leader Kevin Atkinson was surprising only in its out-of-nowhere nature. Usually there is some warning that an investigation is underway.
Otherwise, it’s more of the same. Politics has become so permeated with dirty money that it wearies the public.
In news that brought Nevada unwanted publicity from coast to coast, Atkinson told the Senate he was resigning because he had misused campaign funds for personal use. He later pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge.
Atkinson deserves credit for his confession, his contrition, and for the fact that he did not attack prosecutors, Trumplike. He spoke instead of shame and asked forgiveness, a refreshing tone in these cases.
But that is little consolation to a public that has difficulty putting faith in a system that fails the nation time after time after time, and Nevada Republicans did the state no favors by immediately trying to exploit the case.
The sense of entitlement of officeholders is appalling. Atkinson’s sin was taking care of himself. More common is candidates and officeholders taking money and favors.
Why didn’t Harry Reid just refuse prizefight tickets offered by the Nevada Athletic Commission? Instead, he defended his acceptance of them, saying they would not influence his vote on federal legislation the Commission opposed. The public shouldn’t have had to take his word for that. He should never have let the issue arise.
When Hillary Clinton was offered the kind of money some people make only in a lifetime to do nothing more than give a few speeches, why didn’t she say no?
When Dean Heller and Mark Amodei accepted money from MGM and then later lobbied the U.S. Interior Secretary to kill a tribal casino in another state that would compete with MGM, they offered the same claim Reid did—they were trying to help a home state industry. But money creates conflicts of interest. If a candidate accepts it, that candidate then needs to abstain from helping the giver. If that hurts the home state, that is the price the candidate pays for becoming beholden. S/he can’t have it both ways.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, a New York machine politician named George Washington Plunkitt gave a name to this sort of thing—honest graft, because it offers a patina of legality.
When Dean Heller opposes Trump on the Affordable Care Act, incurring the wrath of the billionaire Koch Brothers, then switches sides and the Kochs start running ads for him, no one is fooled.
In courtrooms, it causes problems as jurors try to sort out what is a bribe and what is a campaign contribution.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson of Alabama presided over a vote-selling case, and the confusion between the two was so pronounced that he wrote, “The Supreme Court needs to address this issue and provide guidance to the lower courts, prosecutors, politicians, donors and the general public. … Much ink has been spilled over the contours of campaign finance law. Far less attention has been paid to what actually constitutes a ‘bribe.’”
It would be even better if candidates stayed clean in the first place. Ω
How did the time change affect you?
aSKed at the mayer CloCK, 10 n. virginia St.
Craig SmyreS
Artist It doesn’t affect me at all. I’m happy with it. It’s so the children don’t go to school in the dark. It’s not a big deal.
Bri Sage
Security guard It always messes me up. It always seems like the day goes by way faster than it should when it changes. I don’t mind the falling back, it’s the spring forward. But I love the sunshine. I love having more time with the sun out.
riChard dormoiS
Cashier It never does. … I got off at 8 instead of 7 the other morning. People think it’s a big deal, that they lose something or gain something, but all they’ve really done is move the clock. If they didn’t do it, it would start getting light at 4 o’clock in the morning in the middle of summer.
Kyle WilliamS
Singer/songwriter Not too much. I have young kids, so we’re up at all hours of the morning anyway. We’re used to being tired. I’ve never had regular enough sleep to kind of count on it like that.
yvette Waterman
Retiree It hasn’t affected us. We just came from Tucson, and they don’t change the time there. ... I think [daylight saving time] needs to change. I just saw an article about how many more accidents happen with people only getting one hour less sleep.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE PRESENTS
A BODY IN THE O
On April 4, join the department for a free “performance, lecture and rant” entitled A Body in the O by special guest Tim Miller, an award-winning and internationally acclaimed performance artist and writer whose work centers around the artistic, spiritual and political landscape of his identity as a gay man, including issues such as marriage equality and immigration rights.
PERFORMANCE/BODY/SELF
Students will showcase their theater and dance training in Performance/ Body/Self, a student- developed work for which admission is also free.
A Body In The O
Performance/Body/Self
775-784-4444 | unr.edu/theatre-dance
