Whatsamatta with Woodhouse? – Part II
Here’s the second installment in what I’m now expecting to be a series of posts about the one Democrat state senator, Joyce Woodhouse of Henderson, who is most likely and the most deserving of getting her butt canned by voters on November 2nd.
Back in June EMILY’s List – the nation’s most notorious pro-abortion anywhere, anytime for anyone for any reason PAC – threw its support behind Woodhouse.
In a June 16 press release announcing its endorsement, EMILY’s List noted that Sen. Woodhouse was “a former teacher and principal (who) established herself as a powerful advocate for Nevada’s schools and children” and who has fought to provide students “with early childhood education.”
Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, you cannot escape the bitter irony and outright hypocrisy at play here. If there was truth-in-labeling required for political campaign rhetoric, here’s how the EMILY’s List release should have read:
“Sen. Woodhouse is a former teacher and principal who established herself as a powerful advocate for Nevada’s children….at least for those whose mothers didn’t terminate their pregnancies. She has fought to provide those students who actually made it through birth with early childhood education that those who didn’t make it need not worry about.”
That may sound harsh – but the harsh reality is that someone taking such a strong pro-choice position really has no moral authority to be talking about being such a “powerful advocate” for children. Please spare us the hypocrisy.
Meanwhile, according to a July 8th story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Woodhouse said legislators should begin looking at state spending now rather than wait until the next legislative session next year, pointing to an anticipated “revenue shortfall of $3 billion by the time the 2011 session begins.”
“Like Nevada families, we must do more with less,” she told the paper. “The days are over when state agencies can expect automatic increases from this Legislature.”
Two points:
1.) That often-used $3 billion budget deficit number is disputed by Geoffrey Lawrence of the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI), who estimates the hole is probably closer to $1.7 billion. Still a large number, but not as bad as people pining for higher taxes would have you believe.
2.) Fiscally responsible Republicans have been advocating for less government for years; it’s nice to see Sen. Woodhouse finally come to the same conclusion.
However, the fact remains that Nevada’s budget deficit is so large today because legislators such as Sen. Woodhouse have irresponsibly continued to grow government over the years instead of setting spending priorities and putting a hard cap on spending increases.
In fact, last year – in the middle of this Great Recession – Sen. Woodhouse voted for almost a billion dollars in additional spending over and above what Gov. Gibbons’ budget called for, along with over a billion dollars worth of higher taxes to pay for it.
And she’s being supported this year for re-election by Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, who only yesterday proposed a new $1.5 billion tax hike!
Nevada absolutely has a spending problem – and Sen. Woodhouse has been part and parcel of the problem, not the solution. For those looking for an alternative, you might just want to take a look at her GOP opponent in the general election, Mike Roberson.
