Silver dollars & Wooden nickels: Rep. Franks gets a nickel for not doing his homework

The Nevada Appeal's Silver Dollar and Wooden Nickel feature recognizes positive achievements from the Capital region and, when warranted, points out others that missed the mark.

Silver dollar: Nevada's no longer No. 1 at something, and we find cause to celebrate.

Even though Nevada has seen an increase in numbers of criminals locked up in prisons and jails, the state that once had the nation's highest incarceration rate has dropped to 14th place in its percentage of adults behind bars, according to the Associated Press.

Nevada Corrections Director Howard Skolnik said policies the state has put into place to reduce the inmate population are working. In addition to efforts to release more inmates, Skolnik said the economic downturn has resulted in fewer people on the street and that has cut into opportunities for criminals.

"It's harder to become a victim if you're locked in your house watching TV," Skolnik told AP.

Wooden nickel: Not all the news last week about state rankings was positive.

During a budget hearing for the Welfare Division, legislators expressed frustration that Nevada has the nation's worst record for finding and collecting child support payments.

Nevada's efforts in this area rank 54th in the nation " behind not only the other states but Washington, D.C., and the territories of Guam, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Wooden nickel: U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., surprised Mound House residents this week when, on a national Fox News program, he vilified a proposed "Red Light Express" rail line from Disneyland to the Moonlite Bunny Ranch.

It seems Mr. Franks confused two of U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's proposals. The Nevada senator wants $475,000 in Congress' 2009 spending bill for the V&T Railway tourist train, which will run 18 miles from Carson City to Virginia City when finished. Reid has also said some of the $8 billion for high-speed trains approved in the economic stimulus package should go to a train from Southern California to Las Vegas.

- Editor's note: Do you have a suggestion for a Silver Dollar or Wooden Nickel award? Send your idea to editor@nevadaappeal.com.