Taking the politics out of political districts

As Steve Selelius points out, when somebody proposes a change that neither Democrats nor Republicans like, you might want to take a closer look.  That "somebody" might be on to something.

In this case, the League of Women Voters of Nevada have proposed a ballot initiative to take the redrawing of electoral district boundaries away from the Nevada legislature and put it in the hands of an independent commission charged with redrawing electoral boundaries according to independent criteria.  Neither side likes it but the Democrats, after decades out of power, are particularly choked with losing their chance to tilt the playing field back their way.

At the Federal level, Nevada isn't the worst offender when it comes to gerrymandering.  By virtue of its small population (few districts), the location of major cities and the shape of the state it doesn't come off as bad as Maryland or North Carolina..   Christopher Ingraham has catalogued some of the worst offenders, several of which are shown below.

    

Interestingly, he points out that the aim of gerrymandering isn't to build bullet-proof constituencies for the incumbents. 

Contrary to one popular misconception about the practice, the point of gerrymandering isn't to draw yourself a collection of overwhelmingly safe seats. Rather, it's to give your opponents a small number of safe seats, while drawing yourself a larger number of seats that are not quite as safe, but that you can expect to win comfortably.

The Alliance Party of Nevada wholeheartedly supports the ballot initiative to place redistricting in the hands of an independent commission.   Gerrymandering is undemocratic and self-serving, cheapening the vote of citizens in affected districts.  If you'd like to do something about this, why not help the League of Women Voters of Nevada get this question on next fall's ballot

by signing up as a supporter. 

-- Mike Power

Light a candle - don't curse the darkness

If you've followed this blog from time to time, perhaps you too have felt a sense of hopeless frustration with the current state of American political affairs.  Our politics and social discourse have become completely polarized with each side talking past the other.  Behind the scenes however the pattern is the same - our political parties are puppets for their very well heeled financial backers.  While we might argue about social matters, government programs and the like, the essential interests of the ruling financial class are protected by both major parties.  Meanwhile on TV and social media, we're subjected to rancorous political battles that might make Jerry Springer blush.

I think I'm a pretty much average guy, just trying to make a living and look after my family.  Either major party might classify me as a moderate member of the other party.  During the 2016 election, I couldn't stomach nor vote for either of the presidential candidates with a clean conscience.  In the aftermath I decided I had to look around for a new political home.  

I stumbled onto the American Whig Party, now deceased.  I liked the fact that it was founded by veterans; I'd served in the infantry.   I liked the fact that it had a definite, moderate and pragmatic platform but that it was a big tent.  I decided to send them a few bucks.  Big mistake.

Shortly thereafter, the head of the American Whig Party contacted me and issued the call to service.  At the time there was no one in Nevada willing to set up much less run a state affiliate party.  I'm not a rabid political animal and get no joy from party mechanics.  Nonetheless I said I would do it on the understanding that I would just be a caretaker until a more capable and motivated person stepped forward.  I was happy to serve as a corporal but didn't want to be the general.  I've got enough experience with business and community groups to set something up and get it running.  After that I wanted to turn it over to more capable hands.  That was August 2018.  I want to thank Nathan Cunningham and John Barker for being willing to put their names forward and give me a hand during this phase.  Brent Drayton also lent a hand later, for which I'm grateful.   They've had to move on but their support is appreciated.

When the American Whig Party was folded into The Alliance Party I was initially enthusiastic.  That waned a bit when the launch had a couple of false starts.  As 2019 unfolded, the lack of financial backing at the national level also took its toll. 

On a more basic level, the direction of The Alliance Party initially left me a little cold.  I felt the national platform was so broad as to be insipid and less than inspiring.  I love Mom and Apple Pie but I was looking for something a little more solid here in the way of policy & platforms.   I attended the virtual town halls and listened to the "rally the troops" message but I didn't get too fired up.  Despite all this, I decided that I had to keep at this because I felt there was something worthwhile going on here - even if I didn't get it yet.  By this time, the Alliance Party of Nevada was definitely a one man band and I began to joke with the national leadership that I was their lighthouse keeper in Nevada.

 

Now however, I've started to see things in a different light.  The Alliance Party platform is pretty simple with only two really firm guard rails:  term limits and full financial disclosure.  Their guiding vision is the one who, like Washington and Cincinnatus, step forward to serve their fellow citizens.   The very loose position platform makes this a big political tent where people with different views can meet and hammer out a way forward that works best for most of us.  The lack of a hard and fast political platform is a blessing not a curse.  You won't find a smorgasbord of political platform planks nicely tuned to meet your political preferences here.  It will have to be hammered out  among people who don't exactly agree but are dedicated to working together for the common good.   The fact that the Alliance Party is an "anti-party party" really does provide an alternative to America.   The challenge is to build this into a movement where dedication to our country and the welfare of all is the guiding principal and where the platform meets these needs at a local level.   

There really is no other way.   Things change and time doesn't flow backward.  We will not be soon returning to an Era of Good Feelings nor the relatively bucolic politics of the 1950's any time soon.  Social media and changing times are working to make us more fragmented, polarized and insistent on getting our own way.  Our party politics reflect this.  The only way out is to confront set-in-stone positions with compromise guided by principle; and to confront a thirst for power and influence with humble service and a devotion to our country.  The Alliance Party doesn't look like another party because it isn't.  Now I get it. 

So now I'm more determined than ever to follow this through.   You'll see political commentary from a hopefully moderate and practical perspective on our blog and Twitter feed.  You'll get the regular newsletters reminding you what the Alliance Party of Nevada is up to.  We'll support worthwhile non-partisan campaigns to make our democracy better and we'll throw our support behind moderate citizen candidates intent on serving rather than being served.  We don't have to win to do good; it would be enough if some of our more useful and practical positions were adopted by the major parties and enacted.   We'll also give them credit where credit is due when they act to improve things for all Nevadans.   Even if the Alliance Party of Nevada remains a party of one for a while longer.

-- Mike Power           

Vulture Capitalism

After decades of ordering stuff from Cabela's by mail, my wife & I paid a visit to one of their stores near Reno.  We don't follow business news too much and didn't realize that Bass Pro had bought the company.  We asked some of the employees about the change in ownership and we got averted glances and non-committal responses about the whole deal.  This week, I found out why.

If you have any doubts that some of the heavy hitters in our financial class don't have America's best interests at heart, watch Tucker Carlson's piece on the takeover of Cabela's and the destruction of Sydney Nebraska.

Our economy must serve Americans - providing jobs, salaries, profits, taxes and supporting healthy stable communities.  Some in our financial class have lost their moral moorings, putting profits ahead of people, communities and their country.  Small town America is paying a very high price for this.   This is an abuse of the economic freedom our plutocrats are so lucky to enjoy.  To make matters worse, they appear to have bought our politicians and created a system that provides cover for their predatory business practices.  

President Trump's 2016 election was in part a repudiation of this system which appears to have trampled on people on the bottom - blue collar, rural people in flyover country in particular.   We need to build an American economy that works for everyone,  putting our neighbors, communities and country ahead of an unbridled thirst for profit. 

While this isn't a plank in The Alliance Party platform, it should be.

-- Mike Power

Ambulance chasing

A mine worker from Silver Peak blew a tire and rolled his truck on Highway 95.  He woke up in the ditch on his back looking at his heels.  Emergency crews arrived and the choice was a long drive to Reno - which he might not have survived - or an air ambulance trip.  He opted for the latter.  Word is that two hour medivac cost $50K. 

Ambulance service used to be mostly public.  No longer.  After 2008, private equity moved in.  The Great Recession made life difficult for the folks charged with generating 10%+ returns for the super rich.  Interest rates were down and equity prices were rebounding slowly as companies rebuilt their balance sheets.  What's a well paid fund manager to do?

The old business saying is if you want something, you can have it good, fast or cheap - pick any two out of three.  When you need an ambulance however there really isn't any choice.  You need it good and fast.  This is an ideal business for private equity: guaranteed high profits.

And in they came.   As detailed by Olivia Webb at Prospect.org, since 2009, two private equity firms alone (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. & Enhanced Equity Funds) have purchased 67% of America's ambulance services.  Others moved in for the scraps.

Private equity is famous for squeezing cash out of take over targets by ruthless cost-cutting and, where possible, price increases.   Having achieved a dominant position in the ambulance business, it's not surprising to see this happening now.   Median medivac cost have risen from $10K in 2010 to $36K in 2017.  Along side of this has been deterioration in services as less experienced staff replace higher priced experienced staff and equipment is run longer (an example of which is documented here).   The private equity owned firms have been aggressively seeking business, providing perks to emergency room staff and installing "hot buttons" at  911 providers to make it easy and simple to just give them a call.

The public is not well served by this.   There really is no limit to what might be charged for monopoly ambulance services and the insurance companies know this.  They are refusing to cover some charges. and an ambulance ride can generate"trap door" charges could bankrupt some patients.  Even here, private equity firms are there to help; for a hefty fee, they'll sell you parallel insurance just to cover the ambulance ride.  

The Alliance Party holds that healthcare must be made affordable and accessible to all Americans.  When private equity controls your ambulance services, you get exactly the opposite outcome.

-- Mike Power