Of states of state, senators, gamblers and gamers

By Jon Ralston

Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

As I fight off “State of the State” fever and get ready to play the “No new taxes” drinking game Monday, I need to empty out the political notebook from a busy week of activities crying out for insight and commentary. Much to cover:

The alternative universe: There is at least one when it comes to the state budget. The Nevada Values Coalition, which now combines the essence of the state’s fairly small progressive movement, has produced its own State of the State, with longtime liberal gadfly Bob Fulkerson doing the honors.

Among the lines in the brief speech: “ ‘No new taxes’ is just another way of saying ‘no solutions.’ It makes rich and powerful interests very happy, but it’s bad for Nevada and very bad for ordinary working folks.”

Yes, it’s boilerplate, which makes it similar to most gubernatorial addresses this time of year. But unlike some of the elected folks who have been quietly criticizing Gov. Brian Sandoval’s echo of Jim Gibbons, Fulkerson has concrete ideas: eliminate mining deductions, impose a luxury services tax and pass a net profits tax.

The chances of all of those happening are about the same as the Nevada Policy Research Institute calling for a state income tax. But anything that adds to the Carson City caldron of ideas can’t be bad, and don’t forget that NPRI has proposed a new sales tax on services.

So as Session ’11 looms, anything is possible.

God made me do it: The John Ensign Redemption Tour continued Thursday as he made an appearance (taped Wednesday) on “Nevada Newsmakers,” a Northern Nevada program, in which he repeated his mantra about being a chastened man who wants to earn back the trust of voters.

But this line, as reported by the Reno Gazette-Journal’s Ray Hagar, struck me as noteworthy:

“Humility is something that is very good for a person,” Ensign said. “Scripture actually says that if you don’t humble yourself, God will humble you. In this case, I had become very arrogant and this humility I have experienced has been a very, very positive thing for me, I think, in all aspects of my life.”

At least that’s a shift from Mr. Personal Responsibility, who has been acting as if he believes: “Doug Hampton did it.”

So instead of blaming his ex-best friend whose wife he slept with and who was bankrupted (in every way) by going to Washington with the not-so-good senator, Ensign now is essentially saying that it was the Lord’s hand that smote him. As opposed to Hampton’s relentless attempts to expose Ensign and seek redress for many grievances, I suppose.

So God humbled Ensign? So God guided Hampton’s actions? And God helped those of us who are his earthly agents pen our screeds?

I’m still puzzled, though: If Ensign has been taught humility by God, why would he be shameless enough to put the state, his family and his Senate colleagues through a re-election bid? Why not quietly go do good works, save his party and Nevada a national spectacle and announce he is quitting?

That would be generous and humble. Seeking re-election might seem to some — maybe even God — as the height of arrogance.

Accidental confession: After the kid gloves treatment gambler/developer Billy Walters received on Sunday from “60 Minutes,” there has been some commentary about how the smooth-talking Kentuckian charmed another victim. It was a puff piece. But what jumped out at me was this exchange with Lara Logan:

LL: “Are you a hustler?”

BW: “What’s the definition of ‘hustler’?”

LL: “I take that as a yes.”

BW: “To me in life you are one of two, you are either a hustler, or you are being hustled.”

So after all these years of “Aw, shucks, this deal is good for the public,” Walters finally acknowledged on national television that he has hustled local governments on all those controversial transactions. If only “60 Minutes” had asked about them …

Really, we’re broke: On the eve of the session in which the gaming industry may be quietly joining a coalition looking for a tax solution to the budget problems, how inconvenient for me to reveal that MGM Resorts International, Boyd Gaming and Caesars Entertainment (Harrah’s) spent a combined $1.5 million on that arena petition last year. Caesars spent about $1 million trying to qualify the petition while MGM/Boyd spent half of that in an attempt to quash it.

I also revealed this week that MGM gave Sandoval $100,000 after the election. Now I wonder: If you were trying to convince the public that you shouldn’t be taxed but others should, how will voters react knowing you had that kind of money to throw around on an arena initiative and on gubernatorial access-buying?