[Kevin M]

Question 1: Either some politician was trying to score brownie poitns for getting the kiddies better learnin' or there was a genuine need for early education funding to be improved. Either way I'm okay with it.

Question 2: Earlier in the year, the US Supreme Court ruled that state and local governments can use Eminent domain to take land from private parties, and then give it to other private parties for the purpose of development. Supposedly, the "greater good" of boosting the local economy via increased business and sales tax revenue overshadows the fact that private companies can now get politicians in their pocket to take your apartment building away so they can build a strip mall. This Question is intended to make that MUCH harder for Nevada and local governments to do; basically, if Nevada wants to force someone to give up land for private development use, they have to pay a LOT more money than they would for "public use" projects, plus if the project isn't started in 5 years (I think) the original owner can have the land back by refunding what they were paid for it less expenses. I wholeheartedly agree; the government, be it state or local, should only be able to exercise Eminent Domain when it needs to. If they need more tax revenue, don't be a bitch, just raise taxes, so we can vote your ass out next term if we don't like it. I do believe it's okay for E.D. to be exercised for things like freeway right-of-way, street widenings, flood control, etc. I also think it's okay to re-zone property, which means that everything stays how it is until it's sold, then the existing land has to be used for what the new zoning says it needs to be. That's how you see businesses in buildings that clearly used to be homes- usually the city won't kick anybody out, they just say "by the way, if you sell this house, it can't be a residence, it has to be a business." Which is hunky-dory, because business-use land is worth more.

Question 6: I think minimum wage needs to be raised at regular intervals. $6.18 is still chump change. Nevada is one of the last states to be sitting still at the Federal Minimum Wage.

Question 7: The government can't stop people from being stupid, and that's all pot smoking is. It's not really dangerous in and of itself, the war on drugs is a waste of billions (I've said before, I don't mind the current level of taxaition, I just wish the money was spent better in a lot of ways) and marijuana has no more business being prohibited than cigarettes or alcohol. I don't condone or approve of drug use of any kind, but I also don't think pot should be prohibited, only regulated like other similar controlled substances.