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INTERVIEW WITH KENNY GUINN By Barbara J. Nosek 
Kenny Guinn first came to Nevada in 1964, when he accepted a job as planning specialist for the Clark County school district. This in time led to his selection as the county's Superintendent of Schools. He went on to become President and Chairman of the Board of Primerit Bank, President and Chairman of the Board of Southwest Gas, and Interim President of UNLV. Guinn holds a Doctorate in Education from Utah State University. He has also chaired a number of state level committees, commissions, and boards under both Republican and Democratic governors. These include the Governor's Commission on Government Reorganization, and the Metropolitan Police Fiscal Affairs Committee. Guinn has been active in civic and charitable work with such organizations as Boys and Girls Club, Pop Warner Football, and We Can. I spoke with him recently about his bid for the governorship. Q: What was the most significant factor in your decision to enter the governor's race? A: I think it would be just my own desire to do this, based on my past 34 years in this state and this community, where I have been actively involved in public agencies and private businesses. I thought the state was kind of reaching a point where it needed a great deal more long range planning - more vision. What has happened to us historically was not all bad, but it is changing rapidly because of tremendous growth, and the diversity of our people. With all my experience running the state's largest school district, largest university, largest utility company, and a very profitable bank, and all the other things that I have done on a statewide basis, I thought that people like me should get involved. We must not sit on the sidelines and grouse about other people's inactions or their inability to do something. We need to get involved. So when you really get down to it, I just thought it was time for me as a leader to take this experience and put myself in the forefront and get myself on the ballot, and really present myself to the people. Dema and I have been doing just that, traveling all over the state for the last 25 months. Q: What components of your experience will best serve you, and us, as governor? A: I have had tremendous experience in terms of leadership, and I think that is what is needed now. We need leadership to pull together and see where the state can be viable in providing what people need in various communities Education is one of the major issues. I have a solid background in education - as a school teacher, and as school superintendent right here in Clark County during a great growth period. President of the University. I have attended a lot of schools working to get my degree, so I have been associated with education all my life. I mentioned that the state needs long range planning, and that is certainly a big part of my experience. When I was at the school district, we had a long range plan; when I was at the bank, we developed a long range plan; when I went to the gas company we restructured the entire company. Competent handling of the state budget is certainly on everyone's mind. I believe my skills fit right into that area with a financial background that includes running several large organizations, plus all the other things I have done in terms of state studies. And those studies gave me a great deal of experience at the state level. I have probably been the chairman of at least five or six major studies under the past five governors of the state, some Republicans and some Democrats. So, long range planning is one of my strengths, as is financial responsibility. And restructuring and reorganizing has also been a part of my background, and I think I have proven that over a period of time. Q: What do you see as the top three issues facing Nevadans currently, and over the next several years? A: In my travels around the state, I met with farmers, school teachers, gaming people, and ranchers. They validated that the three major issues are these: education, which I have already mentioned; government accountability on how taxpayer dollars are being spent; and the various concerns of the senior citizen population. Q: How would you address each as governor? A: For education, it comes down to what is the proper per-student allocation per county. Where do you get the money in the first place? Are you spending it in the right direction? And that leads into governmental accountability. What is the right structure? Where will the money come from? How will it be allocated? If you have more than one payroll system, as we do in Nevada, that is not efficient. So, you have got to go there and say we are going to have one payroll system as we have in the school district here and in the county. For senior citizens, we have already developed this property tax rebate, which is not a "hand-out" by any stretch of the imagination. As an example, if you are in a home or a mobile home or an apartment and if your taxes are $1000 and you are at (an income level of) $8000 or under you would get back 90%. There is a sliding scale that goes up to $21,500 and the maximum (rebate) you can get if you are at $21,500 is 50% of your tax. Q: Looking at the solutions you have posed, to what extent are they within your control as governor? A: Let us take Clark County as an example. The educational system in Clark County is in my opinion more advanced and progressive than the State Department of Education. So I would say to that (State) Department, you can not come here (to Clark County) and tell them what to do. You have to work with them. And I would say, similarly, that no governor can come here and tell Clark County about its transportation (problems). But every governor should be concerned about transportation here, about growth, and what the schools are like. Because the income stream that is produced in Clark County determines how well the state can help other areas. Q: How would you work to bring about those aspects that are not within the governor's control? A: The governor should look at all areas and say, "I am available, I am here, and the way I can help you most is if you will bring a plan of what you think is best for your community. Then I will join hands with you to try to get it funded, to try to work with the legislative body, to try to bring all of the state resources to bear as best I can." More specifically, for affordable senior housing, what we would like to do is have a joint relationship, a partnership, with the various counties, the cities, the state, private enterprise, and the Bureau of Land Management. Bring free land to the table. Bring the bankers there for low cost income. Bring in contractors who will work at cost. And bring in the city and the county to run it through the housing divisions. I am sure hotels and other people would be willing to come in and say we have furniture; we will furnish this particular one. They do not have to be the fanciest place in the world but they need to be neat and clean and safe and secure and homey. And I think those are the kinds of things we can do to bring people together. Q. What would you say is the most important advantage you would bring to the governor's role that your opponents do not or cannot? A: I do not know the skills of all my opponents. I just know that my track record speaks for itself. I bring leadership. I bring knowledge. I have been the chairman of just about every organization you want to think of here in this town. What I can bring is my relationship to people. I think the governor that is elected in this state must be willing to take on the responsibility to be its CEO. I think we have to have someone who is going to set a priority system in the budget. There is not enough money of taxpayers' dollars in the State of Nevada or any place I know to give everybody everything they want. Anybody can build a budget. It is not hard. The hard thing, the difficult thing to do, the virtually impossible thing to do, is to set the priorities. I am ready to debate the issues with all these other candidates, but I do not know where their skills are. I know where I am. I know what my track record has been. I know what I have voted on here. I know where I stand. But we ought to debate the issues of the state and not the issues of the federal government. Q: What are your greatest areas of support throughout the state? A: Most recently, 12 mayors from around the state have signed on as supporters. That relates to 25 months of listening to people who say they have not had people listening to them before. We have really tried to travel the state and listen to people, and I think that is a part of them hearing us saying we want to be the governor for all of Nevada. So there are the mayors, Metro, and a number of others we have not yet announced. I can tell you there is tremendous grassroots support. Look at the polls, which were exceptionally good for us given there was no television and only about a week's worth of radio at the time. And for a person who has never run for statewide office or held office, those figures look good. Personally, though, I work as if I am one point behind every day, no matter what anybody's polls say. Q: What would be the most difficult aspect of this job for you? A: I think it would have to do with meeting the expectations of what the people want you to be able to achieve. Part of that is to do more for the people that really need to be helped in the state in terms of institutions like our schools, universities, seniors, and those who are down and out on their luck. I think it is also a matter of people at the other end of the spectrum wanting you to do more with as little as you can, and I think those are the expectations that you have to work so hard to achieve because the people who are paying are also people who are working very hard. Many of them are also struggling every day - they, too, do without things. And so I think the most important thing you have to do is to show the people that you are guarding the taxpayers' dollars with every ounce of strength that you can get out of every fiber of your body. It is their money and it is OK with them to spend, but they want to be sure that you can show them how you are spending the money. I have found that if you do that the people will support you overwhelmingly because the people are good at heart. They just want to be sure nobody is taking advantage of them. Q: In 10 words or less, why are you the best person for this job? A: The people at the ballot box will decide who is best. Closing statement: I think that the State of Nevada is at a critical point. We have grown up dynamically and we have this great diversity of our people in the urban areas and in the rural areas, north to south and east to west. Overall, I would hope that one thing happens: Even if people do not want to vote for me, I would hope that they would still go to the polls and vote. I think it is so important that people vote and not give up their right to govern, and every vote does count. I have seen some major elections lost by 40 and 50 votes. And so we work very, very hard in our campaign to get out the vote and to get out the Republicans in the primary, but you never know how people are going to vote. I may be getting out some votes of somebody who is going to vote for somebody else. But I still think that is important, because without a say in what is happening, people lose faith in the system that has been so good to all of us. |
MAYOR JAN LAVERTY JONES By Barbara J. Nosek 
Jan Laverty Jones has been Mayor of the City of Las Vegas since 1991, the first female elected to office in the city. She was formerly President of Fletcher Jones Management Group, a multi car dealership company. Jones has been CEO of Jan-Mar Corporation, and an officer of several other corporations. She has also served on a number of Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards of private and public organizations in the Las Vegas area. A 14-year resident of Las Vegas, Jones is a graduate of Stanford University. Jones was honored as "Woman of the Year" by the National Conference of "Christians and Jews in 1992 and by Nevada Dance Theatre in 1995. She was recognized by the Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs for her community service, and by Nate Mack B'nai B'rith Lodge as "Distinguished Citizen of the Year." Jones spoke with us recently about her views on state issues and her plans for Nevada if elected governor. Q. What was the most significant factor in your decision to enter the governor's race? A. I thought I had the leadership, the vision, and probably most importantly, the experience, when I looked at all the candidates who had announced they were running, to take Nevada into the 21st century. I have spent the last seven years running the fastest-growing city in the United States, and I think that I have the knowledge to be a both a visionary and a practitioner, to make those visions a reality. Q. What components of your experience will best serve you, and us, as governor? A. There are actually a number of components. I have a business background, and I learned in running the city that although government does not act like a business, you can bring business principles to bear. We have made it far more responsive in the last seven years. Although we are the fastest growing per capita, we have reduced the number of employees per thousand residents from 1.9 to 1.2. At the same time we have given the single largest property tax reduction, nine percent, that has ever been given in the state. We have also increased services. For example, in planning we now can have 24-hour turnarounds. In neighborhood response, we can send teams into a neighborhood with a telephone call, whether it is cleanup, code enforcement, problems with police, or graffiti. What we have done is show that we can be fiscally responsible without taking away from the customer service component. So I think that with my knowledge of business and how to look at a bottom line, and knowing that government is about bringing services to people, I have the balance - I know how to supply the services, but within budget. Q. What do you see as the top three issues facing Nevadans, currently and over the next several years? A. Far and away the most important issue that is key to the future of Nevada is education. What we do with our educational system will determine whether we are a great state or we are just a state where people come and work. Second is economic diversification. The gaming industry has been very good for Nevada. But, it is time that we progressively diversify the economy, looking for higher paying professional and technical employment opportunities, and coordinating that strategic plan with the educational system - from elementary school through college - so that we have the work force to meet the needs of the companies we are bringing in. And the third issue that I think is critically important is one of regionalism, particularly where we are dealing with growth issues. People can take a lesson from northern Nevada, which has taken a far more regional approach to government, standardizing policies and procedures and consolidating functions, so there is coordination rather than duplication. One of the things that frustrates the public in southern Nevada is a road that begins in the county and ends in the city, and may go from four lanes to two lanes to one lane just because it crosses jurisdictional boundaries. So, in managing our growth we need a regional approach where all of the jurisdictional entities are working together and understand that they have one purpose - to meet the needs of the public, and not to compete with each other over political turf. That will help us to better plan our roads, mass transit, and other aspects of growth, so that we do not lose quality of life in the process. Q. How would you address each as governor? A. I think with education, the most important thing is first creating a dialog with the teachers, with the school employees, and with the parents on exactly what we need to do. I see five key elements to education. The first is class size reduction, making sure that you actually have a 20:1 ratio. In the classroom you need to look at what the teachers need to best educate the children - I am talking about things that they can see and touch, that inspire them. Another thing we need is safe classrooms. I think you need to have safe schools that are not falling down, and that ties directly to the bond issue I proposed three years ago. And then, accountability on the part of the teachers, the students, and the parents. You have to bring parents back in to the whole process of education. Our state has shown a strong entrepreneurial spirit and met every challenge presented: whether it was metamorphosing from a place to gamble, to the number one resort destination in the country; or progressing from attracting convention business just to augment room rate, to number one convention city in the country; or becoming the nation's fastest growing community. The thought that we cannot all sit down at a table and fix education, being funded 42nd and 43rd in the nation, is appalling. If we as a government and a society are not going to make children our number one priority, then what are we going to do? Economic diversity is really a strategic planning process and I think it needs to be coordinated statewide, rather than all the different jurisdictional entities having their own economic diversification plan. First, we have to target the right kind of companies that will improve our economic foundation, ones that will provide technical/professional employment opportunities. When we closed the test site, we lost a lot of those kinds of jobs. We need jobs paying $15, $20 an hour. I do not think we need any more $7-$8 an hour jobs. Then we need to make sure that our educational system is teaching the skills so that companies have an educated workforce available - because that is what they will look for. When, for example, Utah wanted to diversify their economy, they made the funding of education a priority, and now they are number one in the nation in successful education, and number one in the nation in successful economies. You have got to tie both of those together, and there needs to be clear goals and time frames in which to achieve those goals in order to measure your success. Regionalism is a function of a lot of the work that has been done by Jon Porter's committee, the Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Alliance. I think that we need to move forward with that process and it will come with the legislation. The legislature controls far more of the decisions at the local level than I think the average voter recognizes. It needs to take the strong stand that we need a regional government, that the government needs to be held accountable, and that our purpose is not to compete with each other over turf but to provide fair, effective services for the public. Q. Looking at the solutions you have posed, to what extent are they within your direct control as governor? A. All of it. And you know what's really interesting - I have been a very vocal supporter of education as mayor, where really as mayor I cannot impact the process of education hardly at all other than as an advocate. The same thing with economic diversification. Even though I sit on Nevada Development Authority, to seriously pursue economic diversification, working to coordinate the entire state plan, and bringing in the college and university system. As governor I can take a far more aggressive role in opening that dialog and making sure that we have the time frames and the accountability so that we recognize this is not a 20-year plan; it is a 5-year plan. And then the same thing with regionalism. So much asking local governments, or forcing local governments, when appropriate, to work together can best be delivered from the state. And I would hope they would do it voluntarily, but if they do not then we can take other measures. Q. How would you work to bring about those aspects that are not within the governor's control? A. You know, as mayor people think that you control everything, when in reality you control very little. But if you use your voice, if you work with the public and move their collective voice, it is amazing what you can accomplish just by building a consensus. Making it a public issue, making the public aware of what is happening and what could happen, and then working within the political structure to bring the votes necessary to put it into law. And I think that is one advantage I certainly have over, well, two of the Republican candidates. They have no experience in government. I used to say, when I first came out of the private sector, that you just go in there and it runs like a business. Well, it does not run like a business. It is not designed like a business. It does not have a bottom line like a business. It is a continual process where you not only have to be willing to listen, but know how to move that process to closure, which is something government does not always do very well. Q. What would you say is the most important advantage you would bring to the governor's role that your opponents do not or cannot? A. That I have the combination of business experience, government experience, and motherhood experience. I understand the importance of childcare, particularly in a state like Nevada, where you have a lot of single working mothers. If we do not provide affordable, safe childcare for our working parents, we are going to be at a real disadvantage when it comes to productivity. And having raised three children of my own, and even for a portion of the time as a single parent, I think I am much more sensitive to those needs. Once you have dealt with education as a parent, once you have worked in government as an elected official and then worked in the private sector as the CEO of a company, it gives you a very broad cross section of knowledge that you can apply practically. Q. What are your greatest areas of support throughout the state? A. I believe fervently when I say that I have the ability to inspire people to take part in the process of their government. People have become so disenfranchised from politics. When you have primaries and 20% of the voters show up, that is frightening to me - and it should frighten anyone who believes in the democratic process. And I believe that I can inspire people to recognize that in the end they choose who represents them. They do not do it by staying home. They do it by understanding the issues, by understanding the differences among the candidates, and by using their voice to exert their will. Q. What would be the most difficult aspect of this job for you? A. What you really have in the position as governor is the ability to move from concept to implementation, so people rightfully hold you accountable. You know, people say about public servants, you never get credit, you are living in a fish bowl, and you are unfairly criticized. I see politics like a game of chess, and you spend the majority of your time in checkmate. But accountability of elected officials is such an important part of our community and our government - what makes both Nevada and the whole country great - it is a small price to pay. People need to be involved. Q. In 10 words or less, why are you the best person for this job? A. "I have the vision, experience, leadership, commitment, and the fire." And I will use all of that to take Nevada into the 21st century. Closing statement: Thank you very much. |
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LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR LONNIE
HAMMARGREN, M.D. By Mary Baldasano 
Lt. Governor Lonnie Hammargren, MD has an impressive public and private list of credentials. He holds the degrees of BS, MS, BA, MA, and MD, and is Board Certified in Neurological Surgery. He was a flight surgeon and paratrooper in Viet Nam, with over 100 combat missions, five Air Medals for Valor, and one Bronze Star. He has also served as flight surgeon for the Apollo Space Program with NASA in Houston, TX. Hammargren's public accomplishments are no less impressive. He has served as a member of the Nevada State Board of Regents, the Nevada State Board of Education, and the Nevada State Board of Transportation. He has been Chairman of the Nevada Tourism Commission, and the Nevada Economic Development Commission. Hammargren has also served as President of the Nevada State Senate and is currently Lieutenant Governor of the State of Nevada. Hammargren told us about his plans for Nevada if he is elected governor. Q: What was the most significant factor in your decision to enter the governor's race? A: I was petitioned, or you could even say drafted, by a large part of the Nevada Republican Party to run for governor after they determined Mr. Russo to be too far to the right, and Mr. Guinn too far to the left of the party standing. Q: What components of your experience will best serve you, and us, as governor? A: I have one thing the others do not - 14 years of experience holding elected state offices, beginning with the State Board of Education and Board of Regents, as well as Lieutenant Governor. Q: What do you see as the top three issues facing Nevadans currently, and over the next several years? A: 1. Education: Nevada has one of the highest school dropout rates and one of the lowest rates for children who move on to higher education. We need to increase the availability of alternatives in education as well as add high tech vocational opportunities. Control over educational issues needs to be returned to the local level overall, with the state monitoring three areas; verbal communication, math and computers, and comprehension, including the ability to combine all three for a well rounded knowledge base. Each (school) district would determine the rest of the curriculum through a building process managed by teachers, administrators and parents, a real PTA. 2. Healthcare: With the highest number of uninsured residents of any state, we need to work on ensuring health care accessibility and insurance portability. I believe society is responsible for taking care of children and seniors through proper use of Medicaid, as well as providing help for the handicapped. One issue of Medicare reform that will seriously affect Nevada is the reduction of maximum home care visits. Our population has a high percentage of seniors who will be significantly impacted if this change takes place. 3. Economic Diversification: Nevada ranks in the bottom five states for international trade, but the top five for tourism. We need to take the necessary steps to convert tourism to trade, by encouraging business CEOs to establish either main or branch offices in the state. Right now, Nevada is a tax haven for individuals and corporations. This needs to be tempered or even eliminated by showing businessmen the advantages of doing business in Nevada. The Committee on Economic Development which I chair, is currently dependent on the state general fund. I am suggesting that we use the money from the Business Activity Tax to fund economic development overall, with emphasis on international trade. If the business tax does not benefit business, then it should be abolished. Q: How would you address each as governor? A: I would return control of education to the local level with emphasis on accountability. For health care, we need to make use of our eligibility requirements, which we have not, especially regarding federal funding. I would encourage better coordination between state and county health care systems as well as the medical school - cooperation, not competition. On the economic side, I would work with the legislature to ensure the business tax is used efficiently and effectively. Q: Looking at the solutions you have posed, to what extent are they within your direct control as governor? A: All are absolutely within the control of the governor, though close and cooperative coordination with the legislature is essential. I would only propose "feasible solutions" which would help to ensure a cooperative atmosphere. Recently, I was able to get federal level issues that normally take three weeks to accomplish, completed in three days as a result of cooperative efforts. Q: How would you work to bring about those aspects that are not within the governor's control? A: Leadership! Persuasion and cooperation with the state legislature, and direct communication with the people of Nevada, so they can lobby their legislative members as well as local government officials and county commissioners. Q: What would you say is the most important advantage you would bring to the governor's role that your opponents do not or can not? A: Experience - I have been doing this for 14 years. It is part of my slogan, "Experience money can't buy." Q: What are your greatest areas of support throughout the state? A: I have huge rural support because I have visited all the communities for economic development and tourism. That is not as obvious in the big cities, but I have been an activist in tourism, promoting tourism, going to foreign countries at private expense much like what the governor is doing now at public expense. So, I think the communities, business and economic, give a lot of support. Q: What would be the most difficult aspect of this job for you? A: Giving up medicine (neurosurgery); being called upon to make instant decisions to save lives or body function. I would hold clinic on Wednesdays for children suffering from neurological impairments, because this would be much more worthwhile and rewarding to me than playing golf. Q: In 10 words or less, why are you the best person for this job? A: Experience and motivation; a better life for the average Nevadan, not special interest groups. I am not owned by anybody except my wife. Closing Comments: The campaigning process is a lot of fun, and you get to meet many people. One of the main reasons I won the last time is because I enjoyed the process. I plan to spend about one tenth as much as my opponents for this job, showing fiscal responsibility while they are throwing away other people's money. |
AARON RUSSO By Samanthaa T. Sheldan 
Aaron Russo has spent the last 30 years in show business, as a very successful producer of motion pictures and as an equally successful executive in the music recording industry. Russo produced some of the most successful musical groups of the sixties, including "The Who" and "Jefferson Airplane." His musical productions resulted in a number of gold and platinum records. As a film producer, Russo's credits include "Trading Places", "The Rose," "Teachers", and "Wise Guys", which earned him five Academy Award nominations, one Tony, one Emmy, and two Golden Globe nominations. Russo also produced the very successful Broadway review "Clams on the Half Shell." Russo has been awarded the NAACP Image Award for production Russo recently moved to Nevada and, in the first political campaign of his career, is running for Governor. He was recently asked about his reasons for running, his positions on key issues affecting Nevadans, and what he would do for our state if elected. Q: What was the most significant factor in your decision to enter the governor's race? A: I am running for governor because I was asked to run by many people that I have been listening to and talking with throughout the state. They want representative government, and not the political machine which has run the state. People have serious concerns about the changing quality of life here for themselves and for their families. I have made Nevada my home; I have serious concerns as well. Politicians have lost sight of the fact that government's function is to be the servant of the people. The best government is small government. People are beginning to realize that we are losing our freedoms to big government, at both the federal and the state levels. These are just some of the concerns that have been expressed to me by the people of this state. People who wish to return to a small government have asked me to run. Q: What components of your experience will best serve you, and us, as governor? A: When I was a motion picture producer, I excelled at cutting budgets. I am a businessman. My experience as a film producer will be invaluable to the taxpayers of Nevada because the state will now be run like a business, not as a country club for fat cats. I understand how money works. I have looked at the budget of the state and there is a tremendous amount of waste. Q: What do you see as the top three issues facing Nevadans currently, and over the next several years? A: Education is one of the most critical. We have one of the worst educational systems in America. We rank right at the bottom of the list. 53% of our state budget goes to education, so our poor rating is not for lack of money. We do not have a shortage of teachers. Our teachers are as well qualified here as they are in any other state. The problem lies in the fact that in Nevada, children are put into a huge system in which the child serves the needs of the system as opposed to the system serving the needs of the child. Crime is a critical issue, as are nuclear waste and the quality of our air and water, senior citizen issues, lowering taxes, accountability of taxpayer money, loss of privacy. That is more than three. All these are vital issues to the quality of life in our state. Q: How would you address each as governor? A: As governor my focus on education would be to eliminate the massive school system and have each school stand alone. Each one would be run by the principals, teachers, and parents, just like private schools. In regard to crime, I believe that the big problem with gangs today is economic. There are no longer parents at home raising children. We have to adjust taxes so that one parent earns enough money to support the family and the other can stay home to raise their children. Parents need to be allowed to lovingly discipline their children. We also need to make sure that violent criminals spend their full sentence in jail and not be paroled and that bargains are not made to send these people back out into society. I propose to eliminate the privilege tax on motor vehicles and make the cost of car registration a flat $35. The fact is that it is a right to own a car, not a privilege to be granted by the state. The state is your servant. It works for you. The servant does not grant privilege to the master. The cost of government needs to be cut. For example, the Las Vegas Convention Center is subsidized by the state for one hundred million dollars a year. This is totally unnecessary. Las Vegas has more conventions than almost any other city in the world. It can run profitably on its own as others do. There is a hundred million-dollar tax cut right there. There are many other places to cut. The elimination of nuclear contamination from Nevada is one of the reasons that I am running for governor. The governor of the state has the authority to go to the Supreme Court when there is a dispute between the state and the federal government. The Supreme Court becomes the court of original jurisdiction. No governor has brought the issue to the Supreme Court. I believe that if you want to stop nuclear waste from being dumped in our state, going to the Supreme Court is the only way to do it. It is the only body of law that has the power to stop Congress from forcing it on us. I believe it is the governor's job to do it. Q: Looking at the solutions you have posed, to what extent are they within your direct control as governor? A: Going to the Supreme Court is within the governor's authority. There are other issues which we have discussed that will take working with the legislature to accomplish. As governor, I am in a very strong negotiating position to accomplish these goals. Q: How would you work to bring about those aspects that are not within the governor's control? A: I would do this by getting the people of Nevada to express their views and work with the legislature. I would also bring about these aspects by being a leader and speaking on behalf of the people; the legislature will have to cooperate, otherwise they will not be re-elected. People working together will bring about much needed change to preserve our rights and freedoms. Q: What would you say is the most important advantage you would bring to the governor's role that your opponents do not or cannot? A: Common sense and my business acumen. I am a successful businessman in many different areas of business. I understand how business works. I am going to run the state like a business. I am going to bring many movie productions into Nevada. I believe in alternative health care and I intend to make Nevada the alternative health care haven of the world. This will bring in much needed business and allow the people of Nevada their freedom of choice in health care. I have a track record of successes. If you examine my opponent's track record at Southwest Gas, in the four years he served as CEO, their dividends were cut by approximately fifty percent, from $1.34 to .70. The stock fell in half and many seniors lost their life savings. Q: What are your greatest areas of support throughout the state? A: The ordinary people on the street. I am the man of the streets. I believe I have a sense of what the common person on the street is feeling. Q: What would be the most difficult aspect of this job for you? A: The most difficult part of this job is being away from my family because I have to work hard to serve the people of Nevada. Q: In 10 words or less, why are you the best person for this job? A: I have integrity, honor, courage and my commitment to freedom. Closing statement: I think that the most important issue to understand is the fact that a political machine runs Nevada and it must be stopped. I am not a good-old boy that has been around for years that has been anointed and appointed by the political machine to protect its own self-interests. I have worked my way to the top. We need leaders who are really representing the people and not just the money powers of the state. I am a candidate who is a new breed of Nevadan with some traditional values who has a commitment to the freedom and quality of life of people of this state. I am a self-made successful businessman who has a deep commitment to freedom and quality of life in our state and in our country. Lower taxes and small government are the cornerstone of my philosophy. This article is written in loving memory of Carol Hedges, to whom Aaron Russo has dedicated his campaign. |
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NEAL INTERVIEW
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