Penny Press 24, 2017 · presidential campaign, serving as a strategist. Benenson also is not the first political strategist in the Zuckerberg bullpen. Zuckerberg has drafted the former

Penny PressNevada, USA Volume 14 Number 51 AUGUST 24, 2017

PennyPressLogotype Pointedlymad licensed from: Rich Gast

Credits:Publisher and Editor: Contributing Editors:Fred Weinberg Floyd Brown Al Thomas Doug French Robert Ringer John Getter Pat Choate Ron Knecht Byron Bergeron

The Penny Press is published weekly by Far West Radio LLC All Contents © Penny Press 2017

Letters to the Editor are encouraged. They should be emailed to: [email protected] No unsigned or unverifiable letters will be printed.

775-461-1515 eFax: 201-304-0355

www.pennypressnv.com

THE PENNY PRESS,AUGUST 24, 2017 PAGE 2

By FLOYD BROWNContributing Editor

As the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg is fabulously rich. By some accounts he is already worth $70 billion and in the last

few weeks of the bull market his net worth has been increasing by four billion a day.

What more could a 33-year-old billionaire want than to sit on top of one of America’s most dynamic tech companies? Does he really covet sitting at the top of a dysfunctional national government?

Speculation about Zuckerberg’s political ambitions boiled

over this month when he hired Barack Obama’s former pollster, Joel Benenson. Benenson also had a front-row position on the just-completed Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, serving as a strategist.

Benenson also is not the first political strategist in the Zuckerberg bullpen. Zuckerberg has drafted the former manager of Barack Obama’s campaign, David Plouffe, and the former manager of the George W. Bush campaign, Ken Mehlman.

Zuckerberg by all accounts is a computer programming genius. He was taking graduate courses in computer science at Mercy College, near his parents’ home in Westchester County, New York, while he was still in high school.

In college at Harvard University he became so involved in the

creation of Facebook, he dropped out by his sophomore year. His record at Harvard was so muddled, he joked while giving the Harvard commencement address: “If I get through this speech, it’ll be the first time I actually finish something at Harvard.”

Despite being at the center of growing America’s largest social network, Zuckerberg has been circumspect about sharing his politics. You would expect him to be a liberal Democrat, having grown up in a Jewish family, but he is actually registered in Santa Clara County as “no preference” in political party selection.

He has been outspoken on several issues that merit disclosure. He is a big supporter of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement. In June 2013 he actually

climbed aboard a float in the annual parade the movement hosts in San Francisco.

Immigrant rights are also a primary area of Zuckerberg’s focus. In 2013 he formed a non-profit lobby group called FWD.us, the primary purpose of which has been to reform the immigration process. Currently the website front page asks you to call your congressman to protect the rights of “dreamers.” Dreamers are illegal immigrants brought here as children by their illegal-immigrant parents. He has also repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump’s policies toward illegal immigration.

Zuckerberg has been pilloried by critics of illegal immigration because they believe he wants to bring more low-wage programmers from India to the United States

Penny PressNEVADA USA 16 PAGES VOLUME 14 NUMBER 51 AUGUST 24, 2017

Penny WisdomI'm 54 years old. I've never thought about those statues a day in my life. I think if you ask most black people, to be honest, they ain't thought a day in their life about those stupid statues. —Charles Barkley

The Conservative Weekly Voice Of NevadaInside:Trump One Of Us,NOT One Of Them

See Editorial Page 6

RON KNECHT PAGE 5FRED WEINBERG PAGE 6ROBERT RINGER PAGE 7DOUG FRENCH PAGE 9SEIU LOBBIES PAGE 10ROBERT ROMANO PAGE 11CHUCK MUTH PAGE 14

President Zuckerberg???

Commentary

Continued on page4


to lower Facebook’s cost of labor. Zuckerberg counters that he cannot find enough qualified Americans to fill the high-income, high-tech jobs Facebook needs to fill.

Finally, Zuckerberg has been a big supporter of Islamic communities in the United States. After recent terror attacks by jihadist warriors, he has made public statements in support of Islam. On December 9, 2015 he wrote on Facebook that he wanted “to add my voice in support of

Muslims in our community and around the world.” He also wrote that Muslims are “always welcome” on Facebook. He clarified by saying that “as a Jew, my parents taught me that we must stand up against attacks on all communities.”

Visits to Iowa and other early primary states may not be significant. Hiring a basketful of political consultants may not be important either, but if I were a betting man, my money would be on a Zuckerberg candidacy in the years ahead.

Can A Supporter of Islam Be President?Continued from page 3

Homelessness in Our Cities

Recently, James went to Portland, Oregon for a concert and to celebrate his 17th wedding anniversary with his lovely wife, Vicki.

One of the first things he noticed driving around the area was the traffic nightmare. After one miserable attempt to drive eight miles in an hour, it was time to put the car away and rely on public transportation. It was clean, on schedule, and very reasonable at five dollars per person for unlimited rides.

The passenger mix was roughly what he expected: millennials who use public transportation every day

to get everywhere, coupled with professionals commuting between the city and suburbs. And a few tourists who probably found driving in the city as frustrating as he did.

However, public transit also showed him another side of Portland: the homelessness problem there that is pervasive in so many of our cities, including Las Vegas and Reno.

At nearly every station and on the hillsides along the train tracks were vivid signs of it. People sleeping on sidewalks near the rail stations surrounded by all their possessions. Tents on the hillsides and in parks. Several folks living under one bridge that could be seen from the train.

This is an ongoing and still growing issue, according to a KGW television station investigation by

Sara Roth dated April 26, 2016 found at kgw.com.

According to the article, “The state of homelessness in Portland is one of the most visible issues in the city. It’s hard to hide – more than 1,800 people sleep outside in tents or on the streets every night. This includes children, families, seniors and people with disabilities.”

The story said the mayor declared and the city council unanimously approved a State of Emergency for housing and homelessness on October 7, 2015. As a consequence, Portland added 283 beds and opened 290 more beds to year-round status from winter only. Shelters are still at capacity every night, and there are still more than 1,800 on the street or living in their vehicles.

Roth also writes about the crime rate near homeless camps alarming residents, plus the dangers not only to other citizens but also the homeless people themselves. These camps have taken over some sections of the city, even causing neighbors to file suits against Portland.

In another article, Roth notes some people are homeless even though they are employed, because rents are rising faster some places than working class paychecks. One woman living in her car in Woodland, Washington even had degrees and certifications, plus a job and small savings.

Travel Portland, an area marketing organization, has seen a spike in complaints from visitors. Jeff Miller, its CEO, said “They’re frightened by some of what they see … drug use, blatantly on the streets, the very aggressive street behavior.”

Roth’s first article concludes this problem will likely get worse,

not better. She adds that in the summer more transients visit the area and many will choose to sleep outside instead of a shelter due to the nice summer weather.

There have been numerous attempts in major cities to address the homelessness problem. In the Oregon legislature, there is even a bill that would decriminalize homeless camping in public spaces like city parks.

Cities like Portland continue trying innovative ideas to address the issue. However, the Great Recession and the continuing tepid recovery exacerbated the problem. The rebound in housing and rental prices the past several years has made things worse.

Perhaps Nevada and Oregon should keep an eye on Aurora, Colorado. According to a Sara Weber story in the Deseret News of July 2, 2016, Colorado has allocated $1.5-million in marijuana tax revenue to combat the homeless problems there. This money has been distributed to non-profit organizations that specialize in helping homeless people find permanent housing, no strings attached.

Weber reports Aurora will evaluate how the groups spend these monies prior to deciding if funding will continue for the next year, incentivizing the nonprofit groups to use the money wisely, yet allowing them to be innovative at the same time.

It will be interesting to see whether practices and lessons emerge from Aurora’s experience that can be applied in cities like Portland, Las Vegas and Reno.


The Penny Press Tips Its Cap To:

Jerry Lewis, who truly left it all on the stage at age 91, when he passed from this Earth on August 20, at his home in Las Vegas. It was a fitting end to a magnificent life well lived. We should all be so lucky.

President Donald Trump, who took the advice of his military leaders and changed his mind on the war in Afghanistan. While not writing a blank check he has decided not to cut and run like President Obama did. He also called out Pakistan for providing a safe haven for terror group. We have, at last, a Commander in Chief who has the cojones to do what needs to be done.

The Penny Press Sends A Bronx Cheer And A Bouquet of Weeds To:MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren who sent a letter to employees that denounced equality-threatening violence and bigotry, and said the casino company would match employees’ donations to a collection of civil rights groups. In the letter, Murren said the Aug. 12 violence dur-ing a white supremacists rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that led to three deaths could “cause us to feel overcome by hatred and gutted by violence, leaving open questions about our future — as a nation, a global society and even a human race.” Really sincere, coming from a guy who sup-ported Harry Reid when Reid called Cliven Bundy’s supporters “domestic terrorists”.


Tips Of Our Capand

Bronx Cheers

Commentary: Ron Knecht & James Smack

RON KNECHT and JAMES SMACK

I watched a movie on Netflix the other day which, if you think about it carefully, explains why Donald Trump is the President today and also is virtually a Teflon man where the media and the Democrat Party are concerned.

The movie is The Founder, the story of Ray Kroc, the man who founded what we know today as the McDonald’s Corporation.

The movie tells the story, accurately but a little loosely, of how a man who was selling five spindle milkshake mixers discovered the McDonald brothers in San Bernardino who had developed a system for making and selling burgers and fries fast.

But what the movie really tells is the story of persistence.

Which, if you think about it, is the story of most really big successes. My late father taught us by example that ordinary people can do extraordinary things by simply putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward.

And that is exactly why Donald Trump is President today.

Which is also why a relatively small group of people in this country—the media and his opposition—hates him. Just viscerally hates him. And, by extension, the rest of us.

The truth is that Trump represents the average guy who, finally given the choice, opted not for a member of the political establishment but a fellow average guy. And people who have been lusting after that job and people who have made a pretty good living pimping for those who are lusting after that job are seeing their whole world fall apart.

America is made up of average guys and gals who, given an opportunity, can lead, invent, run things, become instant heroes and many if not most of those people didn’t go to Ivy League schools, weren’t groomed for those positions and are not considered—by the elite—part of the elite.

Imagine that.

Well, few, if any, of those in the mainstream media and those who traditionally have occupied those positions in the past have enough imagination to do that.

So, instead, the Adam Schiffs and the Steven Colberts of the world try and destroy him. And, by extension, us.

It’s their right. This is, after all, America.

And if Schiff wants to call Trump too “unstable” to be President, he can. And if Colbert can get away with suggesting that Trump would perform a homosexual act with Vladimir Putin, well, we can’t fire him. Only CBS can. We can only hope its Board will come to its senses.

But don’t think for a minute that the average guy and gal in America who made Ray Kroc’s McDonalds a huge success is buying it. They started by buying hamburgers for 15¢, cheeseburgers for 19¢, fries for a dime…

I know that because I’m old enough to remember one of those original stores on University Avenue in Peoria, Illinois.

In the warped world of those who feel that, somehow, you and I and President Trump have committed the cardinal sin of not knowing our place, we are always wrong, fascist, racist, homophobic, uneducated, clinging to our guns, religion and we want to destroy the planet.

The truth is that while this is the greatest nation on the face of the earth, we have had points in our history of which we should not be proud. Our founding fathers were not perfect. We’re not perfect. We have made mistakes.

But you cannot erase history. You can only learn from it. And President Trump was perfectly correct when he said about the violence in Charlottesville which started over the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, “So this week, it is Robert E. Lee. I noticed that Stonewall Jackson is coming down. I wonder, is it George Washington next week? And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? You know, you really do have to ask yourself, where does it stop?”

What happens when the elite foodies decide that McDonald’s burgers and fries are bad for you. Will they start tearing down the Golden Arches? Will we have riots in Des Plaines, Illinois?

The average folks in this country—you and me—should not be afraid to stand up and stop this nonsense in its tracks.

Ray Kroc showed us the way. President Trump is our start.

FRED WEINBERG


OPINIONFrom The Publisher...

Trump, Ray Kroc: Average Guys Who Persisted


The Charlottesville Big LieTo my surprise, on Fox News’ “Outnumbered,” the usually thoughtful

Kennedy said about President Trump’s reaction to the Charlottesville violence, “If he had said the right words, we wouldn’t be talking about this.” Sorry, Kennedy, but you’re wrong. No matter what Trump would have said, the left, as well as the FNM and establishment sewer rats in the Republican Party, would have found fault with it.

That said, what most people have missed in this ugly story is that while hysteriacs in the FNM scream relentlessly that “there is only one side to this” (i.e., that white supremacists were the only ones resorting to violence in Charlottesville), the actual facts tell a much different story.

Let’s get this out on the table once and for all without fear of ugly backlash: White supremacists are hateful and potentially dangerous, to be sure, but, fortunately, they are relatively few in number. Consider that out of a population of 330 million, the white supremacists in Charlottesville attracted only about 500 like-minded people.

The other major fact that the FNM is totally ignoring is that it’s the Radical Left, not the right, that resorts to violence on a regular basis, as seen in Ferguson, Baltimore, Berkeley, and elsewhere throughout the United States. It’s not surprising then that they were more than happy to engage in battle the right-wing protesters in Charlottesville.

Numerous pundits have pounced on the FNM talking point that putting the Radical Left on the same moral plane as white supremacists is outrageous. In the words of fearless truth-teller David Webb, such a contention is intellectual cowardice at its worst.

The whole thing is an attempt to do what the Radical Left does best — intimidate those people with opposing views into silence. Of course the Radical Left is just as bad as white supremacists. Why are so many people afraid to admit something that is so clearly supported by the raw facts? Doing so doesn’t mean that you support white supremacists, only that you are being honest.

As I have repeatedly stated, violence is the most prominent trademark of the Radical Left, not only in the United States, but throughout the world. The one thing that makes these angry folks worse than white supremacists, if that’s possible, is that they put their hatred on display 365 days a year.

By contrast, white supremacists, despicable as they may be, are so pathetic and so small in numbers that, as much as the FNM would like us to believe otherwise, right-wing violence is, thankfully, exceedingly rare in America.

So I guess you could say that the one good thing that came out of the Charlottesville melee is that it reminded thinking people — repeat, thinking people — that white supremacists are not a serious threat to Americans. If they were, this single event would not have received such over-the-top coverage. It’s precisely because we don’t hear much from this loathsome group of losers that the Charlottesville brawl was such big news.

The truth be known, the Radical Left has been hoping for a showdown like Charlottesville for a long time. The tragic Oklahoma City bombing of a federal building more than two decades ago, as horrific as it was, has grown stale, and the Radical Left has desperately needed a violent event

instigated by right-wing extremists.I should point out here the obvious fact that white supremacist

groups do not represent conservative values. True conservatives stand unequivocally against violence, regardless of who perpetrates it, and believe in free speech for everyone. By contrast, the Radical Left openly advocates violence and actively tries to shut down speakers with whom it disagrees.

As to Donald Trump, he’s been in the public spotlight for more than four decades, and during that time there has never been a hint of bigotry attributed to him — i.e., not until he did the unthinkable and became a president intent on draining the swamp in Washington. For committing such an unforgivable sin, he is now compared to Adolf Hitler and Kim Jong-un.

All this is once again a reminder of the overarching problem when it comes to racism —identity politics, which is a cowardly tool the Radical Left never tires of using. It’s also important to understand that the key to the success of the Radical Left when it comes to identity politics is the support it receives from Republican toadies like Marco Rubio, John McCain, Mitch McConnell, and Paul Ryan. If Republicans had the moral courage to hang together like the Democrats do, identity politics would be overwhelmed and buried under the facts.

Disgusting is the only way I can describe the total disregard for the facts surrounding Charlottesville by the FNM, toady Republicans, and, of course, all liberals. The FNM has reached yet another new low in its false portrayal of the Charlottesville rioting and Donald Trump’s response to it, and it is yet another example of The Big Lie that Joseph Goebbels so openly spoke about:

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

Goebbels would have loved the big lie that is being perpetuated about Charlottesville. David Webb had it right when he used the term “intellectual cowardice,” because it perfectly describes the immoral folks who are pushing a false narrative about the violence in Charlottesville — the same folks who gave us that never-to-be-forgotten whopper, “Hands up, don’t shoot.” ROBERT RINGERRobert Ringer (© 2017)is a New York Times #1 bestselling author who has appeared on numerous national radio and television shows, including The Tonight Show, Today, The Dennis Miller Show, Good Morning America, ABC Nightline, The Charlie Rose Show, as well as Fox News and Fox Business. To sign up for a free subscription to his mind-expanding daily insights, visit www.robertringer.com.


Commentary: Robert Ringer


Preposterous Bubble Predictions and the Madness of Crowds

Think the DJIA and Bitcoin are getting a little toppy? If you require inspiration check out Ric Edelman, author of The Truth About Your Future: The Money Guide You Need Now, Later and Much Later, who claims the Dow is headed to 100,000 by 2030.

“If I’m wrong, it’ll be 150,000,” he said. “We’re going to see incredible profits in the United States, as well as globally.”

Just to really scare you, he says, “If you think you’re going to retire at age 65 and die at 85, forget it. You’re going to live to 110 or 120.” Oh please, no. That means I’m only halfway done.

He’s probably right claiming “retirement” won’t exist in the 21st century. “That means you’re going to work a lot longer and you’re going to save a lot longer,” he says.

Mr. Edelman is a prolific financial book writer and seller. Before the housing crash he advised people to never pay down their mortgages. I wrote in “Walk Away”

Edelman the hot-shot financial advisor claimed we should all stay in hock up to our necks and invest whatever money we might use to pay down the mortgage just in case home prices actually fell. While Edelman advised this, the stock market crashed, commodity markets crashed and interest rates on Treasuries and bank CDs went to virtually zero. During no time period could a person earn a risk-free rate of return higher than even the tax-advantaged rate of a 30-year mortgage.

While Edelman pitches a 150,000 Dow, Tom Lee says a single Bitcoin will go for $55,000 by 2022.

“We believe one of the drivers [of bitcoin] is cryptocurrencies are cannibalizing demand for gold,” Lee said in the report. “Based on this

premise, we take a stab at establishing valuation framework for bitcoin. Based on our model, we estimate that bitcoin’s value per unit could be $20,000 to $55,000 by 2022.”

Evelyn Cheng writes for CNBC, “Gold’s market value of $7.5 trillion is exponentially greater than bitcoin’s $41 billion. But Lee pointed out the precious metal’s supply ‘is surging as mining soars to all-time highs,’ while the number of available bitcoins is rapidly approaching its inherent 21 million-coin limit.

Gold production surging? Not hardly. “Growth in mine output is at its lowest point since the financial crisis, with risks only getting greater,” wrote ANZ’s senior commodity strategist, Daniel Hynes.

“With investment conditions remaining subdued, it’s unlikely we’ll see any rebound in mine supply in the foreseeable future,” Hynes added.

Tom Lee told CNBC he expects central banks will consider buying the digital currencies if the total market value tops $500 billion. Including bitcoin and its rival ethereum, the value of all cryptocurrencies hovers around $100 billion (it’s higher now), according to CoinMarketCap.

Central banks creating government money out of nowhere to buy cryptocurrency created by computer calculation. That would be some monetary policy: CRYPTOQE.

Bill Bonner wrote recently, “Cryptocurrencies are not an investment. And not yet a convenient or reliable form of money. They are still just an experiment. A work in progress. Early adopters could get rich… or get wiped out.

We’re as curious as anyone; we want to see how it turns out. In the meantime, we’ll hold on to our gold…”

While I have friends claiming to be made wealthy in the cryptocurrency boom, it all sounds like the same old mania chatter, whether it be tulips, stocks, bonds, houses or Beanie Babies.

I won’t be trading any krugerrands for bitcoin.

DOUG FRENCH


Commentary: Doug French


The California legislature is currently considering legislation which would make it nearly impossible for most county governments to hire companies and nonprofits to deliver public services. The bill, AB 1250, was introduced by a former Service Employees International Union (SEIU) boss, and SEIU is one of its chief proponents.

Why does SEIU care about the manner in which local governments deliver services to their residents? Because it has thousands of members who work for county governments, and SEIU would like to keep them and their dues money.

The bill would require that contracts save money, which sounds reasonable enough. But then the bill stacks the deck against contractors by adding unnecessary costs to contracts. County governments would be required to perform cost-benefit analyses, conduct environmental reviews, provide orientation to the employees of contractors, and perform annual audits. The legislation would also mandate that contracts must not displace any current government employees or even cause them to lose hours; and it would make counties liable for contractors’ labor law violations. So you see why it would be so difficult for counties to contract out – and these are just some of the bill’s provisions.

SEIU ridiculously claims that AB 1250 is “common sense” and will protect taxpayers and county services while increasing accountability and transparency. It further claims that “counties are protesting basic, commonsense standards of good governance that the State of California… abide[s] by already.” But this is not the case; the bill’s requirements for counties and their contractors are more burdensome than those currently imposed on the state and its contractors.

To help make its case for the bill, SEIU warns of the dangers of contracting out: “Bribery, corruption, sweetheart contracts, and hidden costs are an inevitable risk when governments contract out.” Of course, the union fails to note that those same risks are present every time

politicians negotiate with powerful public employee unions.In addition to the SEIU, the bill has the support of other unions, but

that’s about it. This legislation has been blasted by various newspapers, including USA Today and two of the largest newspapers in California, the Orange County Register and the San Jose Mercury News. The Mercury News called the bill “onerous” and “an ambiguous mess.” USA Today called it “an audacious, self-serving bill” and recommended the state legislature “bury” it. The Fresno Bee heaped scorn on the bill calling it a “bucket of horse slop” and a “turkey.” The California Chamber of Commerce, a wide range of nonprofits and professional and business associations, and scores of local governments also oppose the bill.

What these opponents of AB 1250 recognize is that companies and nonprofits can often provide cheaper and/or better services than government bureaucracies can. And with many localities already having difficulty with meeting the needs of their residents and meeting their pension obligations, now is not the time for this legislation.

In addition to taxpayers, some of the most disadvantaged – those living in poverty, the elderly, the homeless, domestic abuse victims, etc. – could be negatively impacted by this legislation. After all, if struggling localities can’t save money by offering services through efficient private sector contractors, then some of those services might have to be curtailed.

Furthermore, because this legislation would likely increase costs, or at least reduce savings which might otherwise be realized, it could eventually result in localities not meeting their pension obligations and many SEIU members not receiving the pensions they’ve been promised. That should be a chief concern of the union, but it isn’t for some reason.

At long last, it’s time for SEIU to recognize that local governments exist to serve the needs of residents, not to provide cushy jobs to government workers. State leaders should help teach SEIU this vital lesson by rejecting this junk legislation.

SEIU Lobbies For Lousy Legislation

Obama Didn’t Tear Down Robert E. Lee Memorial

The Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, has been a part of the National Park Service as a national monument since 1955, when Congress designated it. The building was the household of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, built in 1803. It was never torn down and has remained for more than 200 years.

Notably, the Robert E. Lee Memorial kept its designation as a national monument all throughout the Obama administration from 2009 to 2016. Former President Barack Obama never proposed removing it.

So, why honor Lee with a national memorial? Why wasn’t it torn down during the last administration? In reality, this is not as controversial as the current post-Charlottesville, Va. national climate would have you believe. At the time, in 1955, Congress resolved that “after Appomattox [Lee] fervently devoted himself to peace, to the reuniting of the Nation.”

Today, the National Park Service website on the Arlington House states its reason for being a national monument: “Arlington House is the nation’s memorial to Robert E. Lee. It honors him for specific reasons, including his role in promoting peace and reunion after the Civil War. In a larger sense, it exists as a place of study and contemplation of the meaning of some of the most difficult aspects of American History: military service; sacrifice; citizenship; duty; loyalty; slavery and freedom.”

After the horrors of the Civil War, Lee was honored precisely because of the 1865 surrender at Appomattox, which both symbolized and realized the restoration of the Union. Famously, the Union and Confederate soldiers saluted each other at the ceremony, affirming the restoration of national brotherhood as well.

This was no easy project, and Lee’s role was pivotal to bringing a close to this dark chapter of American history. He could have gone out in a blaze, or refused terms even in defeat, potentially making national reconciliation more difficult. Instead, Lee ended the rebellion and surrendered. He was never arrested for treason and later went on to serve as President of Washington College.

The issue of former Confederate soldiers was resolved with mass amnesties and limited pardons by President Abraham Lincoln and later full pardons by President Andrew Johnson in 1868.

The leniency toward Lee was obviously bigger than the general. Ultimately, the Civil War was resolved by allowing the rebelling states to reenter the Union and participate in the political process, with representation in Congress and the Electoral College.

One of the first states was Louisiana, which had a new constitution and had committed to ratifying the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. But some critics wanted Louisiana to go further, extending the franchise of voting rights to blacks. However, President Lincoln intervened, in his final public address on April 11, 1865, saying, “Grant that he desires the elective franchise, will he not attain it sooner by saving the already advanced steps toward it, than by running backward over them?… [I]f we reject Louisiana, we also reject one vote in favor the proposed amendment

to the national Constitution… Can Louisiana be brought into proper practical relation with the Union sooner by sustaining or discarding her new State Government?”

In short, states were brought back into the Union under the agreement to abolish slavery, with forgiveness to confederate soldiers, and with an understanding that other changes, such as citizenship and voting rights would come later. And they did in the 14th and 15th Amendments. After a brutal war, this was the national reconciliation that could be achieved at the time. State sanctioned-segregation came later, sadly affirmed by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), almost thirty years after Lee died, and set progress back decades.

But, in its totality, the contribution made by Lee at the end of the war was notable to such an extent that Congress saw fit to honor him with a national memorial, despite his pivotal role in the rebellion, which stands to date. Now, Congress might see fit to revisit that issue. As a part of that debate, we might consider how much more difficult ending the Civil War and achieving national reconciliation would have been without the nobility of Lee.

We must also consider that by rejecting Lee, we risk reopening national wounds by rejecting the delicate terms that ended the war. Do we no longer honor the end of the Civil War and Lee’s surrender? Do we wish to fight it again? Really? Has history taught us nothing?

This is a moment to pause and reflect on that history and learn from it — not erase it.

President Donald Trump is doing the right thing by continuing the Obama policy of keeping the Confederate war memorials on national parks open. You should visit them and learn about this time in American history.

Overall, the national Lee Memorial reminds the nation of the legacy of leniency pursued by Lincoln and later Johnson that helped heal the nation by reducing violence on all sides — leadership we sorely need today in the aftermath of the tragedy at Charlottesville, Va. ROBERT ROMANORobert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy of Americans for Limited Government.


Commentary: Robert Romano



Watching Outfor Our Country, County and CityLIKE A HAWK!

KELY 1230AM

Ely’s Radio Station293-1875 Georgetown Ranch

How About Never HellerEmbattled Nevada U.S. Sen. Dean “Never Trump” Heller went on

our friendKevin Wall’s radio show this week and tried slamming his opponent, Danny Tarkanian, for barely losing the 3rd Congressional District race last year…

“First of all, it was a Republican year, and he couldn’t win in a Republican year.”

A Republican year??? Somebody’s been dipping into my friend State Sen. Tick Segerblom’s stash!

Let’s review that “Republican year” in Nevada in 2016, shall we…Republican Donald Trump lost the stateRepublican Joe Heck lost the U.S. Senate raceRepublican Rep. Cresent Hardy lost his congressional seatRepublicans lost their majority in the state SenateRepublicans lost their majority in the state AssemblyYeah, that’s a helluva “Republican year,” Senator. Is this the kind of

“fake news” we can expect from your campaign for the next year?No matter how Sen. Heller tries to spin it, he won’t be able to

overcome this pure, simple fact: He voted to repeal ObamaCare in 2015 when he knew President

Obama would veto the bill, and then voted AGAINST the exact same bill in 2017 when he knew President Trump would sign it.

You can fool a lot of people some of the time, but good luck trying to fool Nevada GOP primary voters on that one next June!

BTW, Heller isn’t the only moderate “Never Trump” Republican who has earned himself a conservative GOP primary challenge. It’s actually a movement spreading coast-to-coast. CHUCK MUTH


Commentary: Chuck Muth Every week in Nevada, someone is trying to screw us.

Most of the time, we elected that someone.

That's why we conserva-tives NEED a WEEKLY voice.

That's why the Penny Press has made sticking up for us little guys a whole new Nevada tradition.

Penny Press775-461-1515

[email protected]


SparksReno

Carson City

KNNR 1400AM


Protect your home & family from anywherewith Vivint Smart Home Security

GET UP TO

$1500

Limited Time! Call Now!

worth of

FREE EQUIPMENT*

Touchscreen Panel24/7 Domestic MonitoringWireless ConnectivityRemote AccessTwo-Way CommunicationSmartphone AppsAutomatic door locks & MORE!

Whether you’re away or at home, you can still rest easy and feel secure. Your smartphone will tell you if anything changes around the house, and you’ve got a whole army of monitoring professionals looking out for you.

Get a smart home system that’s customized to suit your lifestyle.

Call Now For Your No Obligation Rate Quote 800.940.2187

Vivint Home Security. Simply smarter.

*60 month monitoring agreement (48 months in AR, WI, or CA total fees from $3,359.52) at $69.99/month for Full Home Automation Package required. Up to $99 activation fee after discount, home ownership, and satisfactory credit history required. Taxes and permit fees may apply services not available in all areas. Offer valid for new customers only. Package includes 7” touchscreen Vivint Sky panel, 7 points of security equipment, smart thermostat, 1 small appliance module, 1 door lock, and 1 camera. Additional equipment may be added for a fee. Speak to a representative for complete equipment details and pricing.

MS #: 15010729 / Alabama #: 980, 12082, 1321 / Alaska #: 952694, 36012, 10-052 / Arizona #: ROC218272, ROC272138, 18335 / Arkansas #: E 07-009, 1440150 / California #: ACO6286, LCO5368, 874794 / Connecticut #: ELC - 0192591-L5, ELC.0191352-L5, HIC.0634529 / Delaware #: 06-116, 2006209146, FAL-0328 / Florida #: EF20001030 / Georgia #: LVU406189 / Hawaii #: CT31374 / Idaho #: 011630, 012673 / Illinois #: 127-001290 / Iowa #: AC-0011, 04643-06 / Maine #: LM50017112 / Maryland #: 107-1302, IR-2525 / Massachusetts #: 1471 C, 1351 / Michigan #: 3601206218, 7109296 / Minnesota #: TS01618, MB648213 / Montana #: 216 / Nebraska #: FA12465 / Nevada #: 62684 / New Jersey BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARM #: 34BF00000100 / New Mexico #: 93695 / New York #: 12000301658, 68VI1000200, D BY THE N.Y.S DEPARTMENT OF STATE / North Carolina #: 25514-SP-LV, 1811-CSA, NC: 2370-CSA / North Dakota #: TM-00227 / Ohio #: 53891547 / Oklahoma #: 1026, 143819 / Oregon #: 173349, CLE216, 37646 / Pennsylvania #: PA017248 / Rhode Island #: 3734, 34456 / South Carolina #: BAC5569, FAC3437, 1256 / Tennessee #: 1253, 333, 1524 / Texas #: TACLA00043940E, B13684, ACR-2854, 2854A / Utah #: 6093322-6501 / Virginia #: 11 4822, 2705 138422 / Washington #: VIVINI*894BZ / Washington D.C. #: ECS901552, 71101930 / West Virginia #: WV040401 / Wisconsin #: 1209627 / Wyoming #: LV-G-16005

Documents

Penny Press 24, 2017 · presidential campaign, serving as a strategist. Benenson also is not the first political strategist in the Zuckerberg bullpen. Zuckerberg has drafted the former