(Chuck Muth) – It was a foolproof plan. What could possibly go wrong? Instead of paying money directly to rice farmers to subsidize rice production, Thailand’s new government stumbled upon a “get rich quick” scheme it must have thought had never been thought of before. It decided to buy every grain of...

By Andrew Langer The axiom that nature abhors a vacuum applies well-beyond the physics of the universe. Economics is an organic sphere in its own right—where the tinkering of states can have severe consequences. And when the US fails to act to protect its own interests, you can take it to the...

(Jim Clark) – Columnist Jeff Quinn, CPA, did a good job of summarizing the tax effects of Congress’ American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 in the last issue of the Bonanza (“some good, some bad”).  Jeff closes his column by pointing out with annoyance that politicians knew of the deadline for 17...

(Fred Weinberg/The Penny Press) – Last week, Sergeant William Wilson of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said that he was investigating a report of a shot fired in a downtown Las Vegas neighborhood. He said that he was investigating a disturbance call in the 200 block of Earl Street at 1:49...

(Fred Weinberg/The Penny Press) – The biggest oil company that the average Nevada taxpayer has never heard of has leased 330,000 net acres in Northeastern Nevada and is looking for reserves of half a billion barrels with an exploratory drilling program beginning in 2013. Noble Energy, which calls Houston home these days,...

(Thomas Mitchell/4TH ST8) After the Los Angeles City Council this week approved a 25-year contract between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and K Road Moapa Solar, which is building solar panels on Moapa Band of Paiute Indians tribal land north of Las Vegas, Sen. Harry Reid issued a gushing press release about the...

(Chuck Muth) – In my last column I noted how wrong it is to use taxpayer dollars to “bribe” companies in other states with tax breaks to move to Nevada; tax breaks companies already here aren’t getting. And look, if reducing taxes is what it takes to lure companies to move here...

(Brian Wachter) – Nevada expected to add more than 4,000 seasonal retail positions Retailers across the nation have begun announcing seasonal job opportunities, with hiring expected to be ongoing through Black Friday in November. Nationally, holiday hiring is expected to reach 700,000 in 2012, an increase of 6 percent compared to the...

(NN&V Staff) – In “Union Hypocrisy: Organized Labors Double Standard in Business and Politics” (ISBN 1478275162), author...

(Jim Clark) – Nevada is a “right to work” state.  Another 22 states have enacted “right to work laws”–statutes that prohibit both employers and unions from entering into any contract that makes either union membership, or for that matter, prohibits union membership, as a condition of new or continued employment.  Essentially these...

(Reno, NV) – A dozen business owners shared their frustration with Congressman Mark Amodei (R-NV) this week about this economy and how the actions of the Obama Administration are impacting their business. Then Congressman Amodei expressed his frustration that Congress, and specifically the Senate, is not taking action to fix this economy...

(Thomas Mitchell/4TH ST8) While putting Barack Obama’s name into nomination at the Democratic convention last night, former President Bill Clinton said: “I want to nominate a man whose own life has known its fair share of adversity and uncertainty. A man who ran for President to change the course of an already...

  (Thomas Mitchell/4TH ST8) Not only is Harry Reid determined to kill jobs in Nevada by replacing them with overpriced, underperforming “green” energy power plants, he is now willing to block the creation of well-paying mining jobs in order to demand a pound of flesh for his enviro buddies. According to the...