DEMOCRACY IN PERIL

Thursday, August 07, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Democracy in Peril

By Steve Sebelius

MONEY LAUNDERING?: It appears university presidents are so very, very poor in Nevada that some want to pass the hat to at least allow them to eat Fancy Feast cat food instead of that dry Purina stuff. The only problem: a law that says state employees (which, by the way, university presidents are) cannot receive outside salaries. But the University and Community College System apparently has found a way around that: launder private sector donations through the universities themselves via directed donations, thus eliminating the problem of the "outside source" of extra cash.

They're not even trying anymore, are they?

If university presidents are not being paid enough--and that's doubtful, since they are among the most highly compensated state employees in Nevada--then raise their pay the traditional way: by a public vote after a public debate, funded by the public through tax dollars. The absolute worst way to do things is to allow private businesses and individuals to underwrite university presidents' salaries, even if the money is laundered through the schools. Not only are there questions of divided loyalty, but the fact of the matter is, it doesn't even come close to passing any kind of ethical smell test. This idea should be discarded as quickly as possible.

THE RIGHT THING: Secretary of State Dean Heller's decision to ask the Nevada Division of Investigations Monday to probe allegations of campaign law violations in this year's election between Councilwoman Janet Moncrief and now ex-Councilman Michael McDonald in Las Vegas' Ward 1 is the only real choice Heller had. The allegations, which include charges that Moncrief paid for fliers sent out by other candidates and that she counterfeited McDonald fliers, are serious enough to warrant close scrutiny, and Moncrief's nondenial denials thus far have been thoroughly unconvincing.

Then again, the people making allegations against Moncrief are not exactly choirboys. Former Las Vegas Councilman Steve Miller, who says he helped Moncrief's campaign and worked on one counterfeit flier, admitted he initially lied when asked about the matter. (Moncrief flatly denies the allegations.)

"It's conflicting evidence. You've got two different people writing two different letters," says Steve George, Heller's spokesman. The NDI, with the power to interview witnesses and subpoena documents, serves as the legal and investigative arm of Heller's office, which lacks those powers, George says.

Moncrief issued a written statement Monday afternoon in which she referred reporters to her attorney, Anthony Cabot. But she did say she is "not aware of any illegal activity involving my campaign" and she intends to "fully cooperate with [the secretary of state's office] during this process."

Steve Sebelius writes a daily e-mail newsletter, the E-Briefing, from which "Democracy in Peril" is excerpted. Reach him at 383-0283 or by e-mail at ssebelius@reviewjournal.com. To subscribe to the E-Briefing at a Mercury reader special price of $20 per year, go to www.lasvegasmercury.com/ebriefing.