"The world is in an uproar. The danger zone is everywhere." — Ray Charles 1960

 

Together, you can redeem the soul of our nation
"Answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you believe."
Rep. John Lewis' final words published at his request on the day of his funeral
New York Times Guest Editorial / July 30, 2020

For some unfathomable reason, in recent decades, August has been the most predictable month for strikes and street demonstrations in the northwestern quadrant of the High Desert Outback of the American Dream. August '20 is starting out as usual. Get out your picket signs and walking shoes just about anywhere on the Reno-Sparks-Eagle Valley-Carson Valley Strip.

Here's a summary of who's doing what, with which, to whom, where and when.

BRING MOTHER HUG HOME. The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees had four votes firm last November to rename the re-purposed Hug High School for former Reno-Sparks NAACP president and 37-year Hug counselor Dolores Feemster (1929-2018). After conducting a poll of its seven members, the board did not vote but bounced the issue back to its naming committee. (Hmmm...who else is in the news these days talking about postponing voting in order to manipulate a desired outcome?)

Six months later, votes had magically flipped and the new trade school was named for State Sen. Debbie Smith, D-Sparks (1956-2016).

"Sen. Smith had an admirable career and we support having another school named for her. But Hug was central to my grandmother's life's work in the northeast Reno neighborhood where she was born, resided and worked for nine decades," stated Adrienne Feemster who is organizing a march from UNR to the nearby school district administration building today.

"Mrs. Smith always regretted her support of the corporate welfare STAR Bonds law which continues to drain millions from Nevada school budgets and will do so for decades to come," Feemster says.

"The school board vote was an inequitable illusion of inclusion," Feemster added.

Two Nevada legends: Dolores and Debbie Rest in power

In May, the board flipped from 4-3 Feemster to 4-3 Smith.

"To hold a virtual meeting in the middle of a pandemic, without the adequate functioning for proper public participation and comments is inexcusable, especially in a highly-charged school naming competition involving a historical community that is already marginalized and at a disadvantage to participate virtually," she asserted.

WHERE: UNR Manzanita Bowl, N. Virginia at E. 9th Street; WHEN: SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, crosswalk protest forms at 12noon; 1:00p.m. march to the WCSD Administration building, 425 E. 9th St., Reno 89512. SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Black Lives Matter Reno-Sparks.

"The school board needs to reconsider this unfortunate decision to demonstrate that, contrary to its Mississippi West background, Black Lives finally Matter," Feemster said.
Contact: Adrienne Feemster (702) 860-4964.

MEDIA COVERAGE: Saturday August 1, all afternoon, early evening, prime time and 11:00p.m. newscasts —> KRNV TV-4 / KOLO TV-8 / KTVN TV-2
Sunday August 2, Reno Gazette-Journal, quarter-page with color photo. + Newslocker.com

Open meeting law complaint filed against Washoe County School District and Board of Trustees
KRNV TV-4 / KRXI TV-11 / February 24, 2020

---

The first-ever summertime MLK Caravan will wind up just in time for participants to join the march to the school district.

WHAT: Dr. MLK Jr. Caravan, driving the portion of US 395/Interstate 580 which was named for Dr. King in 1998 after a multi-year campaign by the late Reno-Sparks NAACP President Rev. Onie Cooper.
WHEN: Saturday, August 1, 2020
10:00a.m. media availability; 11:00a.m. caravan begins
WHERE: Washoe County employee parking lot, 75 Court Street across from the Pioneer Center downtown.
Attendees are encouraged to stay in their vehicles, wear a face covering and adhere to COVID-19 social-distancing measures.

Contact: KaPreace Young (775) 685-4113

MEDIA COVERAGE: August 1, two of the TV stations noted above // August 3, Monday Reno Gazette-Journal, half-page photo feature.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 1, a Black Lives Matter demonstration was held at the Reno City Hall Believe Plaza. We received no advance information and thus could not include it in this bulletin which was widely distributed. Somebody please include me on an e-list. Information is power. Grab it.

CLINGING TO THE LEDGE. As with the lugubrious US Senate, Nevada big biz is demanding that "Governor Steve Sisolak and legislators gamble with their workers’ lives by getting immunity from COVID liability. We can’t allow that to happen here in Nevada," says the venerable Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada.

"Join us in Carson City to tell #nvleg and Gov. Sisolak to say NO to liability immunity!" When: Saturday, 11:00a.m. PDT. Where: 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, NV 89701.

Lawmakers are also processing legislation banning police chokeholds and mandating other law enforcement reforms; making major changes to election laws (Assembly Bill 4); extending a moratorium on evictions and addressing landlord-tenant mediation.

It also appears that they are making another try at making a dent in Nevada's long-freeloading and max-polluting mining industry which has enjoyed protected status since 1864 and 1872. A measure to limit deductions against mining's net proceeds tax failed by one Republican vote in the state senate during the first special session a week ago. (Major casinos are taxed on the gross while mining pays on the net. With many outfits, there is never a net profit. But the boss gets a new Ferrari every year. Deductible business expense, of course.)

The above doofus Republican exhumed the ancient zombie rationalization that foreign-owned major mining companies would just move somewhere else if their taxes increased. I want the film rights to document the first-ever occurrence on planet Earth when somebody picks up an entire mine to move it somewhere else. (Mr. Spielberg, please lemme know when you wanna see my screenplay.)

DOGGING THE TAXMAN: A caller to New York's 311 line asked if a dog can be claimed against income taxes.* Dunno about New York or the feds, but if you run a Nevada mine, go for it.

FURTHER SOUTHWARD TO THE CARSON VALLEY CONFEDERACY: Black Lives Matter Carson City will demonstrate at the HQ of Douglas County Sheriff Bull Connor. (That's not a compliment. Google at will.) Saturday, August 8, 11:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. ! Masks mandatory, sunscreen strongly suggested.

UPDATE from Barbwire by Barbano, Sparks Tribune, 8-5-2020 — The sheriff's office is located at 1038 Buckeye Road, Minden NV 89423-4153. Black Lives Matter Carson City will protest local Sheriff Bull Connor's notice to the Douglas County Library that his office will no longer answer 911 calls at that location because the library director placed support of Black Lives Matter on the library board agenda. The response was so virulent, the meeting was cancelled. The lawman violated his oath of office, but we are well past the age of the rule of law. Douglas County is the richest and whitest county in the High Desert Outback of the American Dream, an archaic alabaster bastion. Will Nevada deliver her best, or regress toward Mississippi West? Local news reports that a "free speech zone" has been cordoned off in the parking lot. (Ala Chicago, 1968?) Post mortem and smoking-gun evidence at NevadaLabor.com/ 8-19-2020 — THE BEAT GOES ON: DIRTY RATS AND DIRTY WORDS

HOT AUGUST STRIKES? American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has authorized her members to strike at will rather than risk a death sentence for plying their trade. One poll showed that one in five US teachers may not return to classrooms this fall.

Nevada's major school districts appear intent to bring little children back for some serious Corona keggers, and I don't mean beer under a palm tree. Washoe Chief Health Officer Kevin Dick warned school trustees to keep instruction online but was ignored.

This comes as international research broke this week that despite the PR spin, children can carry as much of the virus as adults and the youngest may harbor "up to 100 times as much of the virus in the upper respiratory tract as adults." (New York Times 7-30 and 7-31-2020) So even tiny Typhoid Marys can bring it into the house as dark homework. Achoo. Hide grandma!

WE'VE GOT OURS, YOU ARE DISMISSED. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that "as thousands of furloughed or laid off Caesars workers worry about making ends meet, five company executives are set to get pay raises."

I can't wait to see how the Carano kids, Caesars' new potentates, try to bust the Gomorrah South unions like they are trying to do in El Norte Nevada and elsewhere in their empire.

HELP WANTED. A caller to New York's 311 line asked if knowing how to swim is a prerequisite for becoming a lifeguard.* Local news item: The City of Reno is advertising for lifeguards at its Northwest Pool.

HEADS BARELY ABOVE WATER DEPT. Reno-Sparks area service workers in several disciplines are grumbling and rumbling about Hot August Strikes, wildcat or otherwise.

As the great union singer (and former Pennsylvania Musicians Union president) Anne Feeney recorded for the Smithsonian Institution, "We just come to work here, we don't come to die."

SOMEBODY CUE WEIRD AL'S "Another One Rides the Bus." The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County continues to spend a substantial television ad budget while lying to news media that its bus lines are safe when in actuality, drivers cannot refuse maskless passengers without risking firing. See NevadaLabor.com/

DOES GARFIELD KNOW ABOUT THIS? A caller to New York's 311 line asked "if Medicaid could be used to pay for a cat's surgery.* Why not? Foreign corporations are enjoying a free ride by looting the federal treasury's stimulus/relief money.**

ENDING WHERE WE BEGAN. "The Danger Zone" was the B-side of a more famous Ray Charles smash "Hit the Road Jack," both written by Percy Mayfield.

Now, hit the streets. Please.

Be well. Raise hell. / Esté bien. Haga infierno. And be careful out there.
________
*Harper's Index, April 2020
**The New York Times, 7-31-2020

Together, you can redeem the soul of our nation
"Answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you believe."
Rep. John Lewis' final words published at his request on the day of his funeral
New York Times Guest Editorial / July 30, 2020

Sparks City Hall strikes a blow for white guys
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-22-2020 Sparks Tribune

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___________________
Andrew Barbano is a 51-year Nevadan, editor of NevadaLabor.com, BallotBoxing.US and first vice-president of the Reno-Sparks NAACP. As always, his comments are strictly his own. E-mail barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us. Barbwire by Barbano has originated in the Sparks Tribune since 1988.