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Wesley Jim 1922-2013

In the summer of 2001, a young white girl named Jody Olsen spent several days at a Christian conference on the Pyramid Lake tribal reservation. When her parents came to take her home, they stopped at the home of one of the tribal leaders. When he came to the door, she greeted him in Paiute. Pleased, the elder commented that even young members of the tribe were unlikely to know the language.

The preservation of tribal languages is an ongoing battle fought every day by a few dedicated Native Americans. On Sept. 27, one warrior in that battle, Wesley Jim, died at South Lyon Medical Center in Yerington. He was known as a Paiute language keeper.

Born in Nixon, he was educated at Stewart Indian School and eventually settled in Schurz. He served in the Navy in World War II, receiving the Asiatic Pacific ribbon with 3 stars, the Philippine liberation ribbon with 2 stars, a Victory ribbon and the Purple Heart. He worked at the Walker River Indian Hospital for three decades.

In an email message to friends, Patrick Wilkes of Sutcliffe wrote, “He was an amazing man who worked tirelessly to preserve Paiute language, stories and songs with help from his wife Bea.”

One admirer, Marlin Thompson, said, “Wesley was a fluent speaker of the Northern Paiute language, the Pyramid Lake dialect. He sang in the Paiute language and spoke the language excellently. He spoke whenever asked and prayed. He had an excellent knowledge of the old ways he learned from his grandfather. He also recorded songs in the Paiute language.”

There are YouTube videos in which Wesley Jim performs.

Nevada seeks Israeli answers

Israel experts in getting more out of little water are ready for a Nevada mission to their territory.

Gov. Brian Sandoval is leading a group of Nevadans to Israel’s Negev, a desert and semidesert region in the south, to learn more about indoor farming.

“One of the prominent areas of mutual interest is water management,” Uri Resnick, deputy consul general of Israel to the Southwest United States, told Jspace.com.

Nevada imports billions of dollars of food every year to feed tourists and has been in touch with the Israeli national water company, Mekorot, seeking assistance.

Poll makes questions easy

In an opinion survey by Moore Information of Portland, commissioned by the Retail Association of Nevada, the following questions were asked: • “ Do you think that the Nevada school system needs significant reforms in order to improve results?” • “ Do you think that the Nevada school system can be improved through increased spending?”

By gosh, respondents voted 70 percent for “reforms” to 18 percent for “increased spending.”

“Reforms” were never defined in pollster questions. It may have meant a return of corporal punishment or switching from 20th to 21st century textbooks—who knows? Respondents had no idea what it meant.

Nor was the purpose of “increased spending” ever explained. Maybe it was for repairing leaking ceilings or for free cola in the cafeteria. That information was never given to respondents. They were just responding to buzzwords.

The poll also tilted questions on the new national health care program by using the loaded and colloquial term “Obamacare” in its language instead of “Affordable Care Act” or some generic term like “new federal health care program.” The questions began, “Do you believe that the Obamacare law will …”

Obamacare has been used as a pejorative term by Republicans. Some Democrats, including Obama, have also used the term, not always comfortably.

Nevada State & Local Taxes

Shares of family income for non-elderly taxpayers

8% 9.0%

6%

4% 7.0% 6.8%

6.0%

2% 4.9%

3.8%

2.4%

Lowest 20% Second 20% Middle 20% Fourth 20% Next 15% Next 4% Top 1%

Low-income penalty

Nevada socks it to the working poor

There is a 6.6 percent difference in the amount paid in state and local taxes by by families at the top of Nevada’s Dennis Myers economy when compared to those at the bottom, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a Washington, D.C., research organization. The 20 percent lowest income Nevada families pay 9 percent of their income in local taxes. The top 1 percent pay 2.4 percent.

“The ones who do vote make sure the system stays the same.”

Fred Lokken Political analyst

The study is the latest to characterize Nevada’s tax structure as regressive—that is, as hitting lower income Nevadans the hardest. Or to put it another way, the richer you are, the less you pay.

But no matter how often it is described that way, the issue never seems to get traction in the state’s politics.

“Well, because those who suffer the most from regressiveness don’t vote,” said political analyst Fred Lokken. “They have the lowest turnout in the country.”

Jeri, a working mother in Sparks, stops at the Rainbow Market on Rock Boulevard on the Friday her paycheck comes out to fill her tank.

“I always hope that one tank lasts for the two weeks of my pay period,” she said.

She shops at the cheapest places she can find for retail goods, uses no air conditioning in summer and keeps the heat shut off as often as her children’s health allows it in winter, and actually uses something that is increasingly rare—a clothesline.

“I know about that [sales tax regressiveness]. I heard about it in government class in high school. I always figured it would get fixed when people realized it. I gave up on that a long time ago.”

“Yes, I vote,” she said. “But I would expect them to represent my needs even if I didn’t.”

She may be expecting too much.

“We’ve embraced the notion of dropping property taxes and making them as low as possible,” Lokken said.

That puts more and more pressure on sales taxes.

“We know the sales tax is regressive, and it’s highly sensitive to recession,” he said. “Pragmatism creeps in. If you’re going to put a bond issue on the ballot, good luck. For whatever reason, sales tax seems to be the tax that they can get away with. And some legislators are proud—‘We protected the wealthy people.’”

It’s not always the lobbyists for the rich and powerful who saddle low-income people with higher sales taxes. When the first sales tax was created in Nevada in the 1950s, it was done under pressure from teachers’ lobbyists, whose own constituency would be hit hard by the tax.

The same thing happened in 1997 when labor union leaders joined businesspeople to support a sales tax hike to pay for a Colorado River pipeline in southern Nevada and floor control and a railroad trench in northern Nevada.

And Democrats were part of the support for a Republican neardoubling of the sales tax in 1981, the largest sales tax hike in state history.

“In essence you’ve got a small group of people turning out,” Lokken said. “The ones who do vote make sure the system stays the same.”

In some narrow situations, that’s particularly true. “Sparks, especially,” one activist said. That’s surprising because at one time Sparks, as a union stronghold, was very suspicious of sales taxes. These days, it is known as the Mecca of STAR bonds, which allow some businesses to, in effect, keep most of the sales taxes they generate, thus putting greater pressure on the taxes paid by residents who pay their full share.

Columnist and editor of NevadaLabor.com Andrew Barbano said Nevada is like a big company town.

“Nevadans have a bad case of political co-dependency,” he said. “We seem to enjoy being hurt by the ones who say they love us ... the casino owner who gladly cashes miners’ paychecks, then buys them a few drinks on Friday night. ... Nevadans have seen their governments pass out corporate welfare like candy and condoms. Why clutter your mind considering a tax increase, or a shift toward tax equity, or any tax-tinkering if you have hard evidence that the money will just be handed to some billionaire or corporate predator that doesn’t need it?”

Other people’s money

The state also has a tradition of trying to fund government with tourism dollars.

“Our philosophy here in Nevada is always to have our taxes paid by tourists,” Lokken said, pointing out that this makes the state highly vulnerable when hard times come.

In recessions, which have occurred approximately every 10 years for the past four decades, the state has endured four major budget crises. When the revenue from sales taxes take a dive, services that working people have paid for in good times are not always available because of shortfalls. And it’s not the wealthy

who get slammed with the financial impact when services are rebuilt as good times return.

Barbano said the sales tax also has trouble getting into the mainstream media because it’s not telegenic.

“Wild horses, gun control, potholes and abortion are easy, either/ or issues, suitable for television,” he said. “Taxes mean talking heads often speaking unintelligibly. Flip over to Wheel of Fortune.”

Democrats in other states have often pushed sales taxes as an issue of economic populism. But in Nevada, if they are interested in it at all, they want the press to go first. “I never see stories about the high sales tax anymore,” one member of the Washoe County Democratic Central Committee said.

Democrats are not likely to champion low-income voters in part because of their incessant “middle class” mantra and in part because the party is now so heavily corporate-funded.

“I once thought that an independently wealthy and liberal white knight could take on the system as an advocate of the weak and the small,” Barbano said. “I have been disappointed for more than 40 years because, to paraphrase Jefferson Airplane, the White Knight somehow always ends up talking backwards.”

For many years in the Nevada Legislature, no sales tax increase could get through because North Las Vegas Assemblymember Robert Price chaired the Assembly Taxation Committee and would stop any such hike. Price was one of the few Democrats who took an anti-sales tax stance. But then Assembly Speaker Joe Dini dumped Price as chair in favor of David Goldwater in order to clear the way for the train trench/water pipeline sales tax hike.

The ITEP survey excluded elderly taxpayers. ITEP spokesperson Matt Gardner said that was “because many states treat seniors very differently from non-seniors for tax purposes. For example, Illinois taxes most income at a 5 percent rate, but completely excludes retirement income such as pensions and Social Security, which, of course, are enjoyed primarily by seniors. So if we included seniors in our analysis, that would make the overall effective income tax rate in Illinois appear lower than it really is for most families. In situations like this, we think including seniors would muddy the waters more than anything else.” Ω

“Nevadanshaveabadcase ofpoliticalco-dependency.”

Andrew Barbano Columnist

Playing nice

Pianist Kenn Pettiford played while guests checked out silent auction items at the annual fundraising dinner in Reno last week of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. NorthstarCalifornia.com 1800.GoNorth

It’ s happening in

EVENTS

TREK BREAST CANCER AWARENESS BIKE RIDE

Join Scheels and Trek for a casual, family-friendly bike ride. Proceeds benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Register online at http://www.scheels.com/events. Su, 10/13, 8AM, $30 individual; $25 family. Scheels, 1200 Scheels Dr. (775) 331-2700

PUMPKINPALOOZA

Downtown Sparks will celebrate all things pumpkin when the Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living kicks off PumpkinPalooza 2013! Sa, 10/19, 6-10PM and Su, 10/20, 11AM-4PM. Free. Victorian Square, 1555 Victorian Ave.

ACTIVITIES

WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE TACTICS

Designed to build confidence through the knowledge gained by training in such techniques as Jeet Kune Do and Judo. Tu, 7-8:30PM through 12/31, $25 a month. Osk Training, 636 Greenbrae Dr. (775) 343-2526

CONVERSATION CORNER

Washoe County Library presents a series of English language learning sessions. The group will practice speaking English around various scenarios that the average person encounters. W, 4:30-6PM. Free. Sparks Library, 1125 12th St. (775) 352-3200

THINK PINK!

Girl Power!: Ladies Night at Scheels! Take a break from your hectic life, and come enjoy Ladies Night at Scheels. Th, 10/10, 6-8PM. Free. Scheels, 1200 Scheels Dr. (775) 331-2700

FALL PLANTING

Presented by Roxanne Martin. Fall is a great time to plant. Cooler temperatures mean less watering and less stress on plants. Sa, 10/12, 11AM. Free - donation of a can of food for the food bank is appreciated. Rail City Garden Center, 1720 Brierley Way (775) 355-1551

BUILDING GOURD BIRDHOUSES

Presented by Jack Fulton. Learn techniques for building gourd birdhouses and making them look fabulous for your feathered friends. Su, 10/13, 11AM, $15 per gourd. Rail City Garden Center, 1720 Brierley Way (775) 355-1551

PUMPKIN PLANTING

Paint a creepy, scary or funny pumpkin for your Halloween decoration. Fun for the whole family. Sa, 10/19, 10AM-2PM and Su, 10/20, 10AM-2PM, $7 per pumpkin. Rail City Garden Center, 1720 Brierley Way (775) 355-1551

FAIRY GOURD HOUSES

Presented by Jack Fulton. Fairy gardening is all the rage! Make your very own fairy gourd house for all of your garden fairies. Please RSVP. Su, 10/20, 1PM, $15 per gourd; all other supplies included. Rail City Garden Center, 1720 Brierley Way (775) 3551551

Follow me to Sparks - where it’s happening now!

PERFORMANCE AND MUSIC

ROSENDO

In the Orozko Lounge. Th, 10/10, 5:30PM, F, 10/11, 6PM and Sa, 10/12, 6PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

GROOVE CITY

Th, 10/10, 7PM, F, 10/11, 8PM, Sa, 10/12, 8PM and Su, 10/13, 7PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

ELAN TROTMAN

W, 10/16, 6PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

PAUL COVARELLI

At the Orozko Lounge. Th, 10/17, 5:30PM, F, 10/18, 6PM and Sa, 10/19, 6PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

JUST US

Th, 10/17, 7PM, F, 10/18, 8PM and Sa, 10/19, 8PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

MAGIC TO DIE FOR

Magic, comedy, talking dogs and showgirls will all grace the stage of the Celebrity Showroom during this classic magic show with a modern twist. Th, 10/17, 8PM and F, 10/18, 8PM, $17. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

PHILLIP DENNY

W, 10/23, 6PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

TYLER STAFFORD

In the Orozko Lounge, no cover. Free parking. Th, 10/24, 5:30PM, F, 10/25, 6PM and Sa, 10/26, 6PM. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

FAST LANE

Th, 10/24, 7PM, F, 10/25, 8PM and Sa, 10/26, 8PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

LEBRON

W, 10/30, 6PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

THE SCOTTS

Th, 10/31, 5:30PM, F, 11/1, 6PM and Sa, 11/2, 6PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

REBEKAH CHASE

Th, 10/31, 7PM, F, 11/1, 8PM and Sa, 11/2, 8PM, no cover.John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

ERIKA PAUL SINGS

Enjoy Louisiana-style food and the soulful, breathtaking jazz sounds of Erika Paul on keyboards and vocals. No cover. Th, 6PM, no cover. Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen, 1180 Scheels Dr. (775) 657-8659

LIVE MONDAYS WITH TANY JANE

Open Mic Night every Mon night at 8PM, hosted by Tany Jane. M, 8PM through 9/30, no cover. Sidelines Bar & Nightclub, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 355-1030

BLACK AND BLUES JAM

Tu, 8:30PM, no cover. Sidelines Bar & Nightclub, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 355-1030

COUNTRY AT THE CABARET

The Casino Cabaret comes alive with the best in country music and dancing for “Country at the Cabaret” featuring DJ Jamie G. W, 7PM and Sa, 9PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave.(775) 356-3300

LIVE JAZZ

Vocal and instrumental jazz from “The Great American Songbook”, performed by First Take featuring Rick (SAX) Metz. Fridays, 6PM through 12/27, no cover. Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen, 1180 Scheels Dr., Sparks, NV 89441 (775) 657-8659

LADIES 80S WITH DJ LARRY WILLIAMS

Ladies ’ with DJ Larry Williams, every Thursday! Th, 7PM through 10/4, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

COLORLESS BLUE

Colorless Blue performs live jazz for your dining pleasure. Su, 1PM through 12/2, no cover. Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen, 1180 Scheels Dr. (775) 657-8659

OPEN MIC

GREAT BASIN BREWING Open mic comedy. Th, 9PM, no cover, 846 Victorian Ave. (775) 355-7711

THis secTion is pRoViDeD as a pUBlic seRVice BY THe Reno neWs & ReVieW anD is noT FUnDeD oR aFFiliaTeD WiTH THe ciTY oF spaRKs