* What’s the difference between “gun violence” and “violence committed with a gun”? If you don’t know, YOU’RE the problem.
* The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce today issued 7 state senate endorsements – five anti-business Democrats and two pro-business Republicans.
* If you’re a dues-paying member of the Chamber…why? You should be joining Keystone or the Nevada Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) or the LATIN Chamber of Commerce instead.
* CarsonNOW reports that Keyli Escalante-Enamorado and Rudy Socop-Domingo “were arrested Monday for possession of stolen personal and business checks amounting to more than $555,000.”
* They were nabbed during a traffic stop in Douglas County and were found with “over 300 pieces of opened and un-opened mail,” the majority of which were stolen checks written to the IRS. Now here’s the kicker…
“According to their criminal histories, both Escalante-Enamorado and Socop-Domingo are apparently in the U.S. illegally and were deported from the United States in 2019…”
* Meanwhile, Mark Robison of the Reno Gazette-Journal reported yesterday that “The 18-year-old arrested in connection with the death of an adviser to U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto was in the country illegally.” According to the Department of Homeland Security…
“(Elmer Rueda-Linares) entered the United States March 12, 2021, at or near the Rio Grande City, Texas, Port of Entry without inspection by an immigration official. United States Customs and Border Protection arrested him, and he was later released on his own recognizance June 22, 2021.”
* Caught…and released. Another victim of Biden’s border bloodbath.
* We have enough problems with our own home-grown criminals, we sure as shootin’ don’t need to be importing more!
* In a recent Las Vegas Sun article about new licensing for street vendors, Virginia Valentine of the Nevada Resort Association “said street vendors caused congestion on sidewalks” and supports “strong enforcement measures.”
* If only she and the resort industry applied the same standard to homeless people camping on sidewalks, pooping in the street, and sleeping in doorways of businesses.
* Using the powers of government to protect public health is one thing. But using it to protect businesses from competition is wrong. Republicans should be siding with these street vendors on this issue.
* Something to keep in mind when reading stories about various candidates and their fundraising reports: It’s the net that counts, not the gross. If it costs you, say, $500 to rent a room for an event and only ten people buy $25 tickets, you’ve LOST $250.
* With that in mind, it’s been reported that Republican Sam Brown has raised $5.4 million for his U.S. Senate campaign.
* And at first glance, it appears he’s swamped the field – even considering that one of his GOP challengers, Jeff Gunter, has reportedly put $2.7 million of his own money into his campaign.
* But fundraising costs money for list rentals, printing, postage, etc. And the bottom line is that Brown reportedly has about $2.3 million cash-on-hand left to spend on his race.
* So when it comes to having actual money to spend in the final weeks before the June primary, Sam and Jeff are really about even – with Gunter, who has no fundraising expenses, enjoying a slight edge.
* On the other hand, showing a significant amount of money raised from donors, as opposed to self-funding, demonstrates a widespread level of support. In that department, Brown clearly has the edge.
* On the other other hand, you have candidates in this race such as Stephanie Phillips, who has reportedly raised less than $64,000 total – including some $10,000 of which she’s loaned to her campaign. And her cash-on-hand is less than $5,000.
* Clearly, she has virtually no support and never should have been in this race in the first place - as I've told her over and over again for months. I suspect some political consultant or egg-head/puppy-love activist posing as a "strategist" talked her into it.
* Meanwhile, incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen reportedly has $13.2 million cash-on-hand.
* Same dynamic is playing out in the 3rd Congressional District GOP primary race.
* Elizabeth Halseth-Helgelien has raised only $36,000. Ditto for her opponent Drew Johnson – though Drew reportedly loaned his campaign an additional $200,000. A third candidate, Dan Schwartz, only raised $18,000 – but augmented it with $800,000 of his own money.
* The three of them TOGETHER – including their loans – haven’t come close to the $2.2 million cash-on-hand the Democrat incumbent, Susie Lee, reportedly has in her treasure chest.
* Just having money isn’t enough. It’s what you DO with that money that counts. It’s the message you’re communicating with that money that counts. And it’s how that message is resonating with the voters you’re targeting that counts.
* Money alone can’t buy you love – except at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch brothel!
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
“The leftists are constantly whining and moaning about all the money in politics. They want campaign finance reform, right? They want to get all the money out of politics. They want government money governing campaigns. They want all the money out, they say. But then you look at their coffers, and it's overflowing with hundreds of millions of dollars.” - Rush Limbaugh
Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, publisher of Nevada News & Views, and founder of CampaignDoctor.com. You can sign up for his conservative, Nevada-focused e-newsletter at MuthsTruths.com. His views are his own.