Column: Silly Season means it's time to make some choices

Because the Silly Season is upon us again, let's play the endorsements game. Everyone is endorsing candidates and I don't want to miss out on the fun. So here goes!

You may have gathered from last Sunday's column that I support Texas Gov. George W. Bush for president. True enough, but I thought long and hard about my decision because I have some lingering doubts about whether "Dubya" is up to the job. Nevertheless, compared to the only real alternative - Vice President Al Gore - Bush is an easy choice because he's surrounded by good people and he'll restore honor and dignity to a White House that has been badly tarnished by the Clinton/Gore crowd over the past eight years.

During the Clinton/Gore years, we've watched the nation's chief law enforcement officer lie under oath and obstruct justice even as he turned the White House into a high-priced B&B and wealthy campaign contributors bought their way onto overseas trade missions and into state dinners. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton continues to spend our tax money in her egocentric run for the U.S. Senate from New York. These people have betrayed the public trust and played fast and loose with the law and the truth. To paraphrase what we heard endlessly during the 1998 impeachment proceedings, Let's put this administration behind us and move on.

As for Vice President Gore, he raised campaign funds from impoverished Buddhist nuns and Chinese Communist officials and dialed for dollars from his White House office, but can't remember the details because he overdosed on iced tea. Give me a break! And less than two weeks before the election, the increasingly desperate Democratic candidate is still trying to define himself in a strident, oddly inappropriate way. Enough already! At least George W. Bush is a real person, warts and all.

And if you can't stand either major candidate, vote for ultra-liberal Ralph Nader, ultra-conservative Pat Buchanan or Libertarian Harry Browne. There are plenty of choices this year. Now, on to the Nevada races:

U.S. Senate: The Democratic candidate, Las Vegas TV lawyer Ed Bernstein, has failed to mount a convincing campaign against Republican John Ensign, who served two terms in the House in the 1990s. Although Ensign is a bit too conservative for my taste, he was an effective congressman and knows the ropes in Washington. Bernstein's campaign gimmicks haven't worked so I'm casting a reluctant vote for Ensign.

State Assembly: Schoolteacher Bonnie Parnell was an outstanding freshman during the 1999 legislative session, demonstrating her intelligence and analytical approach to the issues. For example, she opposes the Nevada State Education Association's ill-advised business tax petition. Her opponent, Republican Jeanne Simons, doesn't measure up to Ms. Parnell's accomplishments and qualifications. In the other local Assembly race, incumbent Greg Brower is a clear choice against token opposition.

Carson City Mayor: Why should we trade a conscientious, full-time mayor for a part-time mayor with a full-time state job? We shouldn't and that's why I'm voting to re-elect Mayor Ray Masayko, who has proven his independence on issues like Costco and the municipal communications complex. Challenger Tom Tatro is a bright young fellow from a respected Carson City family, but I question the motives of some of his supporters.

Supervisor: Richard Staub is an attorney and a real estate developer, two groups that already have enough influence in city government. Therefore, I'm supporting Verne Horton, who paid his political dues over many years by volunteering on civic advisory commissions. His unpaid efforts have earned him a seat on the Board of Supervisors.

Board of Education: Candidate Barbara Myers is a transplanted Californian who thinks she knows what's good for Nevada schools while incumbent Dave Cook is a solid if unspectacular board member. If I ever had any doubts about this race, they were resolved when Ms. Myers accused my Appeal colleague, Bob Thomas, of being anti-Semitic after he quoted Hitler in a column. Although he may be a curmudgeon, Thomas most certainly isn't a Nazi. Rather, Ms. Myers is an immature hothead.

Ballot Questions: As I've written Question 9, the "medical marijuana" initiative, is really a drug legalization measure, which I oppose. So I'm voting "No." And I fail to see the need for Question 2, the "protection of marriage" initiative, since Nevada law already defines marriage as a civil union between a man and a woman. So I'm voting "No" on that one too. But I'm voting for the Carson City school bond issue.

And if they were on the ballot, I'd vote against the tax petitions proposed by State Sen. Joe Neal and the State Education Association. Sen. Neal would single out major casinos for much higher taxes while the NSEA measure would punish businesses and create a new state tax bureaucracy. I'm hopeful that the 2001 Legislature will engage in a serious discussion of gross gambling taxes within the context of budgetary needs as determined by Gov.r Guinn and the Legislature between now and January.

Happy Nevada Day! And please vote.

(Guy W. Farmer, a semi-retired journalist and former U.S. diplomat, resides in Carson City.)