The “progressive” Las Vegas Sun and its publisher, Brian Greenspun, are always bemoaning Nevada’s unwillingness to embrace excessive taxation and bloated government. Column after column, the limousine liberal constantly takes delight (from his cool, comfortable California perch) in bashing the “evil” Las Vegas Review-Journal, which under a joint operating agreement, stuffs his daily inserts into their papers.
Frankly, I find Greenspun’s columns to be condescending, and his overall “smarter than thou” attitude insulting. Of course, whenever the son of Hank Greenspun (whom he couldn’t hold a candle to) gets off on attacking the R-J for its libertarian stances, the R-J’s Sherman Frederick rightfully rebuts.
This week’s rebuttal from Frederick pulls no punches.
The idea that Nevadans are somehow escaping taxation is baloney. According to the Tax Foundation, Nevada ranks fifth in the percentage of individual income confiscated by local, state and federal taxes, trailing only the big-government paradises of Connecticut, New York, the District of Columbia and New Jersey.
If my esteemed colleague spent more time in Las Vegas and less time at his house in Malibu, Calif., he might remember this.
As for casting the Review-Journal as the chief advocate of efficient government and lower taxes, Brian unwittingly pays this newspaper a high compliment.
But the real point, which apparently will come to Brian like a news flash, is this: For some two years, the Sun has been distributed with the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Every day for the past 630 days, he’s enjoyed the opportunity to expound his world view to the readership of the largest newspaper in the state. In literally hundreds of editorials and columns, he’s had an equal chance to sell his soap.
And guess what?
Nobody’s buying.
That’s not because the Review-Journal hypnotizes people. Readers know what they are doing. They benefit from reading two newspapers with two different views each morning. And when they see the patronizing “I am smart, you are stupid” editorials in the Sun, they reject them.
That will preach.
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