SHOW YOUR ROOTS
Nevada continues to grow new and dynamic conservative movements
BY GEORGE HARRIS

George Harris is publisher of Liberty Watch: The Magazine. He is also a political activist and successful Southern Nevadan businessman. Reach Harris at [email protected]  Other stories by George Harris

Our cover story this month is devoted to the kind of individual who can make a real difference whether or not he runs for the office of President of the United States. Newt Gingrich was in Las Vegas recently to discuss American Solutions, a new grassroots movement he has launched in a bid for conservatives to recapture the soul of the Republican Party and, with any luck, the White House. 

The premise behind American Solutions is that our government has failed to make the changes necessary for our country to transcend the challenges of the 21st Century. If anyone can help Americans re-engage with the political process and fashion a better system, it�s the co-author of the Contract with America, a pledge so powerful that it forced House Republicans and then-President Clinton to the bargaining table instead of simply letting our government write a blank check with the taxpayer�s signature on it. Now that we think about it, the Contract with America in many ways served as a blueprint for Bob Beers� own TASC (Tax & Spending Control Initiative). Sadly, union boss Danny Thompson and his liberal buddies in the Nevada Supreme Court fearfully nixed it from the 2006 ballot, but its impact lingers in the minds of people like Gov. Jim Gibbons and continues to strike fear in the hearts of tax-happy Democrats in the state legislature.

In the last year alone, we�ve featured profiles of a range of Republican candidates for the Oval Office on the cover of our magazine � from Ron Paul (twice) to Rudy Giuliani to this month�s exclusive interview with former House Speaker Gingrich. While Liberty Watch hasn�t announced an official endorsement for the Republican nomination, we certainly back any effort on the part of conservatives to create a dialogue between people and public policy. After all, by offering a new and fundamental replacement of the Left�s structure and policies, conservatives can implement successful change.

That structure and those policies are being installed right here in Nevada. Look around: It�s obvious the Silver State has its own conservative grassroots movements springing up.

Consider, for instance, last month�s cover story on Take Back Nevada, a group of Nevada citizens fighting to curtail the ever-expanding appetite, size and scope of state government. Whether using initiatives, referendums or judicial and legislative processes, Take Back Nevada fights to promote individual liberties, free markets and the principles of the Nevada and U.S. Constitutions with a web presence at TakeBackNevada.org.

And then there�s Budget Watch Nevada, a taxpayer watchdog group. In response to Nevada citizens� call for tax and spending control by the state legislature, BWN conducted a study and analysis of Gov. Gibbons� proposed budget and individual spending bills. The group also made recommendations for trimming fat from the state�s bloated budget. And it�s all available online for your perusal at BudgetWatchNevada.com.

As if that�s not enough information for you, there�s Joe Enge�s EdWatch Nevada, where you�ll encounter a real voice for taxpayers, parents, students and teachers alike who demand accountability, transparency and results from the public educational system instead of (bad) business as usual. Check out this Liberty Watch educational columnist�s postings and updates at conservablogs.com/joeenge.

Last but not least, there�s the Nevada Policy Research Institute, which is bringing Gingrich back to Las Vegas on Sept. 27. NPRI educates public officials, the media and citizens about free-market solutions to public problems with more than 1,000 e-mail subscribers to the institute�s weekly opinion pieces and editorials. Sign up to receive these yourself at NPRI.org.

Now is the time to reach out to some or all of these groups and help enact a profound transformation within the conservative movement.