ASININE ASSERTIONS
Tax-happiest Republican is upset many don�t support his hike proposals

If party leaders want to know why the Republican �brand� isn�t worth the proverbial warm bucket of spit these days, they have only to look at the example being set by Reno Mayor Bob Cashell. 

Cashell, a Democrat-turned-Republican, believes the Washoe County School District needs more money rather than more choices for parents and kids. As such, he�s now taken on the role of lead cheerleader for what is shaping up to be a very disingenuous media political campaign to pass a tax-hike ballot measure to pump even more money into the Soviet-style school system. 

But a funny thing happened on the way to the August press conference to announce the new media campaign. A poll came out showing that a whopping 79 percent of Republicans oppose the ballot measure. Go figure. When asked about the fact that nearly eight out of 10 Republicans oppose this tax grab, Cashell had a veritable cow. 

�I am very disappointed to see that Republicans are not supporting our educational system,� the Tax Man told the Reno Gazette-Journal. �I know, they feel like they�ve paid enough. But we are the second-lowest taxed state in the country. So when you get all of the people on the far-right � not wanting to do things, it�s wrong, and I hope they will straighten out.� 

Let me go out on a limb here and officially nominate Bob Cashell as RINO of the Year (RINO being �Republican In Name Only�). Cashell�s scolding is both outrageous and insulting. If anybody needs to be straightened out, it�s Bob Cashell. 

First, Republican taxpayers already generously support our educational system. They pour a ton of hard-earned money into public education in this state. But taxpayers aren�t bottomless pits of cash. And just because Republicans � seeing how little bang for the buck they�re getting with the dough they already send to the public schools � have decided not to support throwing more good money after bad, that doesn�t mean they don�t support education. It simply means they don�t support this unwarranted tax hike. 

Secondly, Nevada is not the second-lowest taxed state in the country. Period. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Nevada is the 19th highest-taxed state per capita. The second lowest-taxed state per capita in the country is Texas. 

Thirdly, it�s simply asinine to suggest that 79 percent of Republicans in Washoe County are on the �far-right.� The fact is, opposing this tax hike couldn�t be more mainstream. Indeed, the same poll found that 53 percent of all Washoe County residents, regardless of party affiliation, oppose this tax grab. That means most Republicans are squarely in the middle of public opinion on this one. 

Indeed, if anyone is situated out on the fringe somewhere, it�s Bob Cashell � who is firmly positioned on the extreme left of the Republican Party. When it comes to taxes, the Reno mayor is the extremist.

Nevada Republicans better beware. Cashell is already rumored to be laying plans to challenge Gov. Jim Gibbons in the 2010 primary. If you think you all have problems with your �brand� now (and you do), wait until he becomes the titular head of the party.