Sunday, February 08, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Divide over tax increases has loyal Republicans at odds

Rogich promoting rival for state Senate seat held by O'Connell

CORRECTION ON 2/13/04
A Political Notebook item on Feb. 8 erroneously stated that Assemblyman Chad Christensen violated a provision of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law by donating $1,000 to Bush-Cheney Õ04 from his state account. Campaign finance laws permit a state campaign that draws funding through "soft money" sources to donate up to $1,000 to a federal campaign. Any subsequent donation by Christensen to any federal candidate would be in violation.

Sig Rogich Ann O'Connell Chad Christensen President Bush John Edwards

Sig Rogich has been a good Republican for a long time. In addition to being the man behind the famous "Dukakis in a tank" ad that helped sink the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988, he served in the Reagan administration and is a loyal supporter of the Bush family.

Now he's working against another loyal Republican, state Sen. Ann O'Connell, who has served in the Legislature for 20 years.

It was Rogich's consulting firm that announced that fellow Republican Dr. Joseph Heck was taking on O'Connell in Senate District 5.

O'Connell was one of the Senate's staunchest opponents of tax increases during last year's legislative session, though she abstained from the final vote because it contained a bank tax and her husband serves on the board of a bank.

Heck, a doctor of osteopathy, provides medical oversight to the county's emergency medical services as a consultant for the Clark County Health District. He also works as a consultant to the Metropolitan Police Department's SWAT team and volunteers with its Search and Rescue Team.

Rogich said he thought Heck was "a good alternative to ..." then catching himself, finished the thought with, "I think he'd be a good state senator."

Rogich, who chairs the Clark County Education Foundation, said it is his prime responsibility to see that schools and teachers get "ample support."

"I don't think that's anti-Republican in any way," Rogich said. "I don't think Republicans should shy away from necessary tax increases.

"Republicans used to be steadfast in asking for more tax revenue for ample support of educational resources," Rogich added. "Those who stand in the way are nothing more than obstructionists."

O'Connell was unavailable for comment.

More education funding

Democrat Cathylee James, a Storey County School Board member, announced a bid for the state Assembly last week, hoping to take out Tom Grady, a first-term Republican who voted against the $833 million tax increase last year.

"I think education funding is a consideration with voters," said James, a Virginia City resident and the sister of Clark County Commissioner Mark James. "I think that people are going to feel very strongly about it."

Grady, the former mayor of Yerington, said the residents of Assembly District 38, which covers two counties and portions of two others, made it clear to him they did not want that big of a tax increase.

"That message came through very loud and clear to me," Grady said. "If she's hearing a different message, I don't know who she's talking to."

Election refinance

Assemblyman Chad Christensen is becoming something of the hanging chad of local Republican politics.

Not only did he pay himself $16,000 in cash from his campaign fund with no disclosure of how he spent it, he also violated the new federal campaign finance law with a contribution to Bush-Cheney '04.

Christensen's campaign report shows a $1,000 payment on Nov. 14, 2003, to the local Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. Under the new McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, a national campaign cannot accept money from a state political campaign. State political campaign funds could include money prohibited under the federal campaign reforms, said campaign finance watchdog Paul Brown, the executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada.

Brown said Bush-Cheney would have to return the money.

Christensen did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Edwards vs. Bush

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards says he dreams every day of debating President Bush as the Democratic nominee.

So who would win that hypothetical showdown if a Nevada voter could ask a Yucca Mountain question?

Nevada Democrats are split about Edwards: They like his message, they like his Southern roots and they like his smile. But there's that little "yes" vote for the Yucca Mountain nuclear repository that doesn't bode well for their attacks against Bush.

Democratic National Committeewoman Dina Titus, a state senator, thinks Edwards can be trained.

"It's a long way from him being on the ticket," she noted. "John Kerry has a good strong record about Yucca and John Edwards has been a trial attorney and he knows what it's like to represent the little guy."

Peggy Maze Johnson, an anti-Yucca activist with Citizen Alert, listened to Titus' answer and added: "Except he voted for it."

Contact political reporter Erin Neff at 387-2906 or eneff@reviewjournal.com.