Muth’s Truths PLUS: September 20, 2024

* More info on Beth Smith, president of the Washoe County School Board, who recently wrote an op-ed slamming Gov. Lombardo for vetoing a bill giving rich kids – like hers – “free” lunches.

* She’s also the only member of the board who lists her pronouns: “she/her/hers.”

* She may be “woke” – but she’s also clueless.   Which is kinda redundant.

* Now THIS is an interesting development…

* Jaime Black, who’s white, has filed a “racial discrimination lawsuit” against Brittnie Watkins, who’s black.  Both worked for the Gaming Control Board.

* Black headed up the Administration Division and Watkins was the Board member tapped to oversee that division.

* Now, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal story, Watkins pressured Black “to engage in discriminatory hiring practices, then fostered a hostile work environment when she resisted.”

* According to the lawsuit, Watkins “commenced advocating explicitly and/or implicitly a preference for disregarding the board’s focus of hiring the most qualified applicant.”

* The lawsuit alleges that Watkins “intended to hire applicants who lived in the Las Vegas and Henderson areas – because those areas have more black residents.”  But Black resisted such discriminatory DEI-type hiring.

* The RJ reports: “Black said that when she refused to abide by those directions, the work environment became increasingly hostile. She eventually was directed to take an extensive administrative leave which she believed was in retaliation for her resistance.”

* Black is now seeking “an injunction to compel (Watkins) to author, publish and properly enforce a reasonable policy against race-related discrimination, race-related harassment and/or retaliation.”

* Hope she wins.

* The racial divide in this country – constantly exasperated by race-hustlers – will never be healed until we stop judging people by their race instead of judging them by their abilities.

* Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

* NFIB – purportedly a pro-business organization – has its tights in a twist over pending legislation in Congress, with Nevada State Director Tray Abney issuing a panicked press release this week which read…

“Nevada’s small business owners are hanging on by a thread.  Congress needs to keep the 20% Small Business Deduction from expiring.”

* Now here’s the thing…

* I could be wrong here, but I’m guessing its Republicans who want to keep the deduction and Democrats who want to kill it.  And three out of Nevada’s four members of Congress are Democrats.

* And as a reminder, it’s Democrats who are constantly waging war on businesses.

* It’s Democrats who keep trying to force businesses to raise the minimum wage (which inevitably results in higher prices).

* It’s Democrats who keep trying to force businesses to provide various mandatory benefits (such as paid family leave).

* It’s Democrats who keep trying to force businesses to hire employees rather than independent contractors (such as Uber drivers).

* It’s Democrats who are hostile to businesses…period.

* And yet, two weeks ago NFIB endorsed a slew of anti-business Democrat legislators – including Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager and Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui – who are running against Republicans who Gov. Lombardo has endorsed.

* I guess now would be a good time to note that three of the four current members of Congress also all served in the Nevada Legislature before being elected to Congress.

* In other words, the Legislature is a stepping-stone to higher office.  And through its short-sighted endorsements of legislative Democrat such as Yeager and Jauregui, NFIB is helping position those Democrats for higher offices.

* Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.  They are what Soviets used to call “useful idiots.”

* At the very least, business organizations such as NFIB should just stay neutral in races where the Democrat is likely to come back and bite them in the arse, rather than providing aid and comfort for their future ambitions.

* But I guess you can’t fix stupid.

Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, publisher of Nevada News & Views and blogs at MuthsTruths.com.  His views are his own.