Michael Mishak

Story Archive

Union pitches county plan to raise $54 million at UMC: Union wants to be viewed as county's ally as it prepares to sit down at bargaining table; Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010; As Clark County and the Service Employees International Union prepare to sit down at the bargaining table to negotiate a new contract, the labor organization is positioning itself as more of an ally than an adversary.
Union helping open doors to homeownership in Las Vegas: Monday, Feb. 1, 2010; Three years ago, as the Culinary Union sat down with Las Vegas casino companies for a new round of contract talks, labor leaders sought to preserve the city’s identity as a worker’s paradise, the place where a housekeeper owns a home.
Bill Clinton to speak at Caesars Palace next month: Friday, Jan. 29, 2010; Former President Bill Clinton will visit Las Vegas next month to deliver a lecture at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The speech is sponsored by Caesars Palace and concert promoter AEG Live and open to the general public.
Oops! Illegal bucks for Montandon: Sun examination of foreign donations to gubernatorial campaign uncovers one that was against the law; Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010; Republican gubernatorial hopeful Mike Montandon accepted a $10,000 donation from a foreign company last year, a violation of federal campaign finance law. The former North Las Vegas mayor said Tuesday that he will return it.
With Oscar Goodman out, officially a ‘boring’ race for governor: Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman seemed impatient Monday, sitting on his City Hall throne as technicians clipped four microphones to his suit jacket. He had called the press to his kitsch-filled 10th-floor office to make official what the assembled media already knew.
Oscar Goodman decides not to run for governor: Las Vegas Mayor makes announcement at press conference at City Hall; Monday, Jan. 25, 2010; Ending months of speculation, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman announced today that he will not run for governor and will instead focus on promoting the city and improving its economy. “It has been a great ride and I have 15 more months on this ride,” he said of the time left in his third and final term as mayor. “I’m going to keep myself busy for the next 15 months.”
For donors, no clear choice for governor: Nevada’s political ‘establishment’ spreading the wealth; Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010; For the first time in decades, Nevada’s political establishment seems unable to settle on a candidate for governor, funneling large campaign contributions to both Democrat Rory Reid and Republican Brian Sandoval while abandoning incumbent Gov. Jim Gibbons, according to a review of campaign finance reports by the Las Vegas Sun.
Krolicki eyes Senate prize: Lieutenant governor says John McCain, others prodding him to join pack seeking to unseat Reid; Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010; Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki is strongly considering a run for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Harry Reid, he told the Sun on Wednesday, a move that would shake up a crowded Republican primary.
John McCain urges Krolicki to battle for Harry Reid's Senate seat: Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010; Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki is now strongly considering a run for the U.S. Senate this year against Sen. Harry Reid, he told the Sun today. "There are serious people making compelling arguments to me both in the state and out of the state to reconsider the Harry Reid race," Krolicki said. Republicans in Washington are displeased with the current crop of candidates taking on Reid, which includes former state Sen. Sue Lowden, former UNLV basketball star Danny Tarkanian and former state Assemblywoman Sharron Angle.
GOP candidates' feud could imperil race against Reid: Sniping between Lowden and Tarkanian before primary could turn off independents come general election time; Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010; Despite pledging to run positive campaigns, the two leading Republicans fighting for the chance to take on Sen. Harry Reid in November have turned their guns on each other, taking shots in a back-and-forth that portends an ugly primary season.
Tight Massachusetts race threatens Obama's agenda, Harry Reid's political future: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010; Democrats were trying to remain calm as they awaited the outcome of today’s special election in Massachusetts, recognizing that losing the seat held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy would deal a setback to President Barack Obama’s agenda and, closer to home, the re-election campaigns of Nevada Democrats who have supported it.
Prominent black Democrat defends Reid: Donna Brazile argues the recession, connecting with independents will be senator's obstacle; Friday, Jan. 15, 2010; Donna Brazile, one of the Democratic Party’s leading black strategists, did her part Thursday to turn the page on what she called “the apology business,” delivering an impassioned speech to about 400 of Sen. Harry Reid’s black supporters in which she highlighted his long history of civil rights work, his legislation and his pivotal role in shepherding Obama’s agenda though Congress.
Strategist Donna Brazile rallies black support for Harry Reid after Obama remarks: Democrats hope to move past controversy that's followed senator; Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010; After being dogged for a week by racially tinged comments he made about President Barack Obama, Sen. Harry Reid and his campaign brought one of the Democratic Party's leading black strategists to Nevada Thursday.
‘Tea Party’ set turns out in Las Vegas at its anti-Harry Reid finest: GOP candidates hope to monopolize support of the passionately conservative; Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010; Dispirited by President Obama’s decisive victory in Nevada two years ago, conservatives are rallying behind the anti-government Tea Party brand, turning out to events and becoming politically active in campaigns. Five of Harry Reid’s would-be Republican challengers eagerly waited nearby for their turn to court the conservative group’s vote.
Recession-stung governments target public employee unions: Strapped by lost revenue, officials look to cut into generous labor deals; Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010; When Gov. Jim Gibbons suggested eliminating collective bargaining rights as part of an ambitious education reform proposal last week, he launched the latest attack on a group that’s shaping up to be this year’s political target: public employee unions.
Harry Reid’s latest gaffe revealed when it could really hurt: As Republicans pounce, vulnerable majority leader receives support from Obama, prominent black leaders; Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010; The substance and tone was more Joe Biden than Trent Lott, but that did not make Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s comments about Barack Obama being “light-skinned” and speaking with “no Negro dialect” any better for the embattled Nevadan.
Reid says reform bill will make health care a right, not privilege: Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010; Sen. Harry Reid told a capacity crowd at his health care forum at UNLV Thursday evening that when reform legislation is signed into law “no state will have a better deal than the state of Nevada.” Reid made the case that health legislation would provide insurance to those who don’t have coverage, make insurance more affordable for those who do and help small businesses with the rising premium costs.
K-12 cuts proposal could help — or hinder — Gibbons: Conservative base will be keen on the proposed savings; Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010; Gov. Jim Gibbons' ambitious education proposals floated Wednesday appear aimed at exciting the conservative Republican base, while offering a way to cut the state budget, and has put his political opponents on the defensive.
Rory Reid’s county rescue plan serves to deflect political opponents’ jabs: Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010; Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid opened the year in politics Monday with a five-point plan to solve Clark County’s fiscal troubles and put government and public services on a path to long-term stability.
A lot riding on midterm elections: Winning party will color Nevada’s future for next 10 years; Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010; Whether Nevada emerges as a red or blue state in the coming decade — or remains swing-state purple — could be determined this year. The 2010 midterm elections will either cement recent Democratic gains, taking the state further to the political left, or restore the state’s partisan balance by returning Republicans to prominence after two cycles of significant defeat.
Great timing or it’s about time?: Reid’s ethics proposals come after many years of scandals; Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009; When Rory Reid proposed a series of ethics reforms last week, his timing seemed impeccable.
Just days before, Dario Herrera, a former Clark County commissioner who was convicted of accepting bribes from a strip club owner in 2006, had been released from federal custody — an event noted by the local media.
Hurting, but hopeful: Culinary members hit hard, so union is helping; Friday, Dec. 25, 2009; Thousands of unemployed and underemployed Las Vegans lined up outside in the brisk cold, waiting on Christmas hams, instant potatoes and canned goods. The venue wasn’t Catholic Charities or a city food bank. It was the Culinary Training Academy.
Not a cure-all, but stimulus money helped Nevada: Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009; The federal stimulus may not have created many jobs in Nevada, but it did keep tens of thousands of people from sliding into poverty, according to a new study.
Decision-making publicity suits Goodman just fine: Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and his wife, Carolyn, strode through the doors of the City Clerk’s office Tuesday to sign a voter-registration form. Goodman was changing his party affiliation from Democrat to nonpartisan, a necessary step if he decides to run as an independent candidate for governor next year — something he’s been hinting at for months.
Brian Sandoval's campaign for governor stumbles out of the gate: Republican front-runner blows off teachers union, runs ‘anointment strategy’; Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009; When the state teachers union gathered to endorse a candidate for governor last month, board members had a short list: Democrat Rory Reid or Republican Mike Montandon. GOP front-runner Brian Sandoval didn’t make the cut.
Tattered paper signs of the time: Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009; In the apartment complex’s mail room, hanging above the rows of metal mailboxes, the large, cork bulletin boards prove an unexpected window into the economy. For residents of Camden Fairways Apartments in Henderson, the notices speak more clearly and loudly about the recession than the latest employment figures from the government.
Nevada Dems aim to build on 2008 momentum, give Horsford help: Monday, Dec. 7, 2009; As a rough political season approaches, Nevada Democrats long for the days of 2008.
Metallica at Mandalay: Band back as a rock heavyweight: Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009; Sweat, spit, fire and lasers. Metallica brought heavy metal's four key elements to Las Vegas Saturday night in an ear-splitting shredfest that left the sold-out crowd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center deaf and hoarse. Their two-hour performance made one thing perfectly clear: Metallica is back -- and they know how to bring the heavy. The band's set list seemed to acknowledge a hard truth: The metal giants have been in an artistic rut since 1991's "Black" album. Metallica torched through epics, old and new, playing just one song from that bygone era.
Nirvana: Live at Reading, Bleach; Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009; Nirvana was the most important band in the world in 1992.
Culinary Union sides with Station Casino’s creditors: Union’s report, seen as organizing tool, harshly critical of management; Monday, Nov. 23, 2009; The Culinary Union heightened the drama in its fight with Station Casinos last week, blaming a management-led buyout for the company’s bankruptcy filing and aligning itself with the company’s creditors.
Union leader says ‘card check’ is on Senate’s back burner: Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009; As unions continue to push for legislation that would make it easier for workers to organize, one of the labor movement’s most progressive leaders is sending a message to his colleagues: Don’t hold your breath.
Joe Biden visit signals hard race for Dina Titus: Democrats see her reelection as key to retaining House; Monday, Nov. 16, 2009; Bracing for a tough election cycle in 2010, the White House sent Vice President Joe Biden to Las Vegas Sunday to boost the campaign coffers of Democratic Rep. Dina Titus.
GOP Senate candidates playing it safe on health care: Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009; As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid prepares to bring landmark health care legislation to the Senate floor this week, the Nevada Republicans seeking to replace him next year are on the same page, parroting their party’s talking points on the issue.
Vice president to be in Las Vegas for Dina Titus fundraiser: Friday, Nov. 13, 2009; Vice President Joe Biden will visit Las Vegas this weekend to give a
financial boost to the campaign of Rep. Dina Titus.
Leonard Cohen calls down angels in the palace of Caesar: Friday, Nov. 13, 2009; If heaven has a house band, you can be sure Leonard Cohen will lead it. But heaven will have to wait.
Debate over merits of health care reform has distinct campaign flavor: Advocacy groups investing heavily to influence Nevada voters, lawmakers; Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009; Nevada has become a key battleground for one of the most expensive — and consequential — public policy debates in history: health care reform. Seven advocacy groups on both sides have spent more than $1.1 million here over the past month on ads.
What’s at stake in House hearing on OSHA: Panel to review documented problems in state agency, hear emotional testimony on deaths; Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009; When the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee holds a hearing Thursday to examine the failings of Nevada’s workplace-safety program, representatives will try to answer two overarching questions:
U2 mixes theatrics, politics and songs it wants heard: Monday, Oct. 26, 2009; When U2’s 360 Tour touched down in Las Vegas last week, the biggest band in the world tried some sleight of hand, using the largest stage in rock history, a four-pronged claw with moving ramps, smoke, lights and swirling video screens, to achieve what frontman Bono has described as “intimacy on a grand scale.”
Caution guides Titus on health care: She’s for public option, but against taxes that would hit some in district; Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009; The sign outside Rep. Dina Titus’ town hall last week said it all: No weapons, video recording equipment, signs, posters or props. It was a startling reminder of a summer of national discontent, punctuated by a series of town-hall meetings where angry constituents, armed with copies of health care legislation and sometimes guns, pilloried their representatives for, as they often put it, setting out to destroy the republic.
Two top law firms have stake in governor’s race: Reid, Sandoval work for pillars of Nevada’s power structure; Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009; If the leading candidates for governor win their parties’ nominations next year, the race will be more than a contest between a Republican and a Democrat — it would also pit a lawyer at one of the state’s most influential law firms versus another lawyer at another of the state’s most influential law firms.
U2 puts on inspirational show for Dre, Clinton, everyone: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009; You know there's a party going on when Bill Clinton shows up. Yes, the 42nd President of the United States was in attendance at U2's starship spectacular at Sam Boyd Stadium Friday night. And so was Dr. Dre.
Feds’ appraisal of Nevada OSHA practices damning: Probe of agency’s response to worker deaths turns up serious problems; Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009; The U.S. Labor Department issued a scathing indictment of Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday, painting the state agency charged with keeping workers safe on the job as incompetent.
Bob Dylan soars 'in full croak' with Las Vegas show: Aging rock 'n' roll poet laureate's lyrics prove lasting and relevant; Monday, Oct. 19, 2009; Bob Dylan smiled. There he was, the self-styled cowboy drifter, poet laureate of rock 'n' roll, fronting a five-piece band at the Joint Sunday night, playing some down-home rockabilly blues and breathing new life into classics that got the middle-aged-office-job crowd swinging their hips and shaking some serious tail.
Rory Reid emphasizes need to remix economy: In announcement day sit-down, candidate for governor critiques incumbent; Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009; Rory Reid officially entered the governor’s race Wednesday, pledging to create jobs and diversify Nevada’s narrow economy after decades of heavy reliance on gaming and tourism.
Rory Reid outlines plan for Nevada if elected to run it: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009; Rory Reid released a 30-page blueprint for Nevada timed to his announcement today that he is running for governor, and in the process he told a hard truth, wrapped in a pleasant myth. The hard truth, which Reid doesn’t shy from: The good old days of a recession-proof, ever-growing Nevada where jobs are easy to come by are not coming back.
Democrats resurrect nasty attacks against Joe Heck: Targeting a medical issue, foes hope to blunt doctor’s strength; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009; When Republican Joe Heck announced last week that he was dropping out of the governor’s race to challenge Rep. Dina Titus in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, it took the state Democratic Party a matter of hours to revive the brutal campaign it waged to oust the emergency room physician from the state Senate last year.
No front-runner among the five who would challenge Harry Reid: A look at the field that could unite the Republican base — and squander resources — with a competitive primary; Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009; National Republicans, having so far failed to recruit a blue-chip challenger to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid next year, face the prospect of a long — and potentially divisive — primary in which any one of a handful of candidates could clinch the nomination. Partisan strategists and operatives say that degree of uncertainty is highly unusual for such a high-profile race, costing the party valuable time it could otherwise use to groom a candidate for what promises to be the most expensive, hard-fought campaign in the country.
A different view outside AFL-CIO’s big tent: Carpenters union detests a company the federation admires, highlighting old rift; Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009; Is Pete King Corp. an abusive contractor or a pillar of the region’s construction industry?
From the right, a new source of news: Activist says service will be objective in how it writes, not in what it writes about; Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009; When former state Sen. Joe Heck said last week he was “seriously considering” leaving the governor’s race to challenge Rep. Dina Titus, word came from an unlikely reporter: Chuck Muth. The conservative activist and onetime executive director of the Nevada Republican Party broke the news through something called the Nevada News Bureau.
Clinton campaign schooled, inspired Rory Reid: Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009; Last year, with Nevada’s first early presidential caucus fast approaching, the Nevada State Education Association dropped a bomb. The union filed a lawsuit to shut down nine at-large caucus sites designed for Las Vegas Strip shift workers. It had Rory Reid’s fingerprints all over it.