Jodi Stephens, a former staffer in Gov. Jim Gibbons’ administration, has thrown her hat in the ring for the state Assembly seat in District 32 being vacated by conservative Republican Assemblyman Don Gustavson, who is expected to soon announce his campaign for the state senate seat being vacated by GOP Sen. Maurice Washington.
Now, I’ve met Jodi on a number of occasions and found her to be an extremely pleasant and intelligent individual; however, her press release announcing her candidacy a few days ago didn’t really tell us where Jodi’s coming from on any issues. Indeed, the language was pretty much standard-issue political mush.
Stephens promises to support keeping “taxes low and spending in check,” but doesn’t say whether or not she’ll vote against making this year’s ginormous Raggio Tax Hikes permanent, whether or not she’ll sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge (as her former boss and the man she wants to replace have both done), or whether or not she’ll vote against any future general fund budget which increases spending by a factor greater than the combined rates of population growth plus inflation.
In addition, Stephens rightfully says our government-run education system is “broken” – not broke, broken – but fails to say whether or not she supports school vouchers so that low-income folks can afford to send their kids to a high-performing private school – you know, like the way many of our public school teachers do.
Jodi also noted that she supports the concept of “empowerment schools,” promising to “fight to see that this program is expanded and funded properly.”
In this economy? Where’s the money going to come from? Tax hikes or spending cuts? If tax hikes, on whom? If spending cuts, where? Jodi didn’t say. Worrisome.
But what really ought to concern the voters of District 32 is the list of endorsements Stephens proudly included in her release. With few exceptions, most are card-carrying tax hikers. They include:
Sen. Bill Raggio (serial tax hiker)
Sen. Randolph Townsend (serial tax hiker)
Sen. Dean Rhoads (serial tax hiker)
Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea (tax hiker)
Assemblywoman Melissa Woodbury (tax hiker)
Assemblyman Tom Grady (tax hiker)
Assemblyman John Carpenter (serial tax hiker)
Assemblyman Lynn Stewart (tax hiker)
Assemblyman John Hambrick (refuses to sign tax pledge)
Washoe County Commissioner Bob Larkin (tax hike addict)
But what really, really, really concerns me is that the conservative legislator Jodi hopes to replace, Assemblyman Don Gustavson, is not on her list of endorsements. Why not?
Does Don know something about Jodi’s true philosophical belief system the rest of us don’t? Or is Jodi afraid of losing the support and adulation of the tax-hiking GOP establishment Republicans if she associates herself with a true conservative like Don Gustavson? I mean, if she’s “playing the game” and kissing up to the RINOs now, what’s she gonna do when the heat is on?
I like Jodi. She’s a very intelligent and impressive young lady. I hope my concerns about her prove to be unfounded. But for now:
Conservatives, ye be warned!
