Election 2014: State Assembly District 40

Philip “PK” O’Neill

Residence: Carson City

Occupation: Retired state law enforcement officer and division chief

Age: 63

Party: Republican

Record of service: 40 years in law enforcement; eight years with the City of Miami Florida Police Department; 30 years with the Nevada Department of Public Safety; 25 years in the Investigation Division; five years as Division Chief in the Records and Technology Division; two years as a consultant with the FBI and International Chiefs of Police Association.

Education: Sierra Nevada College BS in Business Management; FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Training.

Platform: My intention is to serve all of the people of the 40th Assembly District in the best tradition of the Assembly members who have served this district, working together for a better community. My legislative goals include the following: Creating an environment conducive to economic growth. That means support for the inducements supported by Gov. Sandoval to bring Tesla to Northern Nevada. I also oppose the Margin Tax. Improving our K-12 and Community College resources I recognize the tremendous potential they represent, and the integral part they can play in economic development to grow our state. And I believe that an equitable and dependable funding source must be developed for our educational resources. It really should be considered an investment. Supporting the interests of our veterans, our senior citizens and our state employees. These groups have made their unique contributions toward protecting and building our society. Our veterans deserve the resources of the state for vocational and educational opportunities. Our seniors deserve protection from victimization. And state employees deserve to be made whole again in terms of salary and benefits.

Contact: pk@nvsig.com, pkoneill4nv.com.

John Wagner

Residence: Carson City

Occupation: Retired

Age: 79

Party: Independent American

Record of service: US Army 1957 – 1958.

Education: BS Electrical Engineering, California State University, Sacramento.

Platform: I am endorsed by Veterans in Politics. I signed the “No new tax pledge.” I will not support extending the “temporary taxes” that two governors and the Legislature keep extending. This is a promise made and not kept. Shame on the governors and the Legislature. I have been a non-paid lobbyist for the last 10 years fighting for the rights of Nevada’s citizens. I have fought for the right of Nevadans’ Second Amendment rights under the US and State Constitutions. I have fought against tax increases including AB46, which every senator in Committee voted for. I was one of only four persons to speak against the gay marriage bill in the Senate. I am the vice-chairman of the “Nevada Committee for Full Statehood.” The BLM claims 87 percent of Nevada lands which makes Nevada 13 percent of a state. I want all of Nevada’s land under the control of Nevadans. We can manage the land better than the BLM. We need to repeal Common Core. Our schools can be better managed at the local level, we do not need for Washington to tell what to do. My promise to you is the IAP platform found at www.iapn.org.

Contact: 775-883-2752, johnwagner2000@charter.net.

Dave Cook

Residence: Carson City/south Washoe County

Occupation: Retired emeritus awarded college professor of business and economics from Western Nevada College, where I taught for almost 30 years here in Carson City. I’m a Nevada licensed high school math teacher and I’ve specialized in working with at-risk math students at Nevada state chartered high schools and post-secondary private vocational schools.

Age: 64

Party: Democrat

Record of service: I am a fourth generation Nevadan. I have lived in Carson City for 35 years, where I raised my two daughters. Both are now college graduates. I have been in almost continuous public service to Carson City since 1988. I was most recently elected for a third term to the State Board of Education in 2012 representing all the area within Congressional District 2 (Education District 2). Also, I currently serve on the “Private Post-Secondary Education Commission” (as the governor’s appointee) which regulates private vocational schools. This work is in addition to my duties as a currently elected member of the Nevada State Board of Education, District 2. Previously, I was elected for a second term to the State Board of Education in 2008 representing Carson City, Douglas County, and South and East Washoe County. And I served our city government as a member on the Carson City Charter Review Committee for a few years in the early 2000s. Farther back, I was first elected to public office in 1988 as a member of the Carson City School District Board of Trustees. I served there for eight years, including as its president in 1993. In 1996, I was elected to the Nevada State Board of Education where I served initially for four years.

Education: I graduated from UNLV with bachelor degrees in Accounting and Political Science, and an MBA in Business and Economics.

Honors: I’m proud to be endorsed by the following groups: Nevada State and Local Employees; Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans; Northern Nevada Professional Firefighters; Northern Nevada Labor Council.

Platform: We still need to provide other effective funding to 1) Public Schools for capital needs and technological enhancements, 2) Community Colleges for new vocational programs…such as in the growing medical technologies area, 3) Senior Citizen Services, 4) Public safety, fire safety, and Emergency response services. We must find a new view of our current tax structures. Therefore, I advocate a ‘Gross Earnings” tax on interstate merchandising chain-stores which come under the regulatory provisions of the federal “Robinson-Patman” Anti-price Discrimination Act of 1936. That means the price of any item such as a particular model ball-point pen is the same price to customers shopping in Nevada as to those shopping in California stores. However, California has 8.84 percent corporate income tax starting at the first dollar earned. Actually, almost all states excluding Nevada have corporate income taxes. But Nevada customers always pay the same exact prices, even though Nevada does not charge any corporate income taxes. If a 5 percent Gross Earning Tax on large chain stores was applied and stayed within the county where it was earned, then it could mean possibly as much as a couple million for Carson City to split between schools and municipal government’s needs.

Contact: www.DaveCook4NV.com, DaveCook4NV@hotmail.com, 775-636-7193.