Worst Column Ever!

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

I’m in the mood for some motivational writing.

I’m just sitting here trying to come up with a plan for how to handle the end-of-the-year stuff. There are really only a couple ways to do it. We can either write stories that talk about how horrible 2011 was—Worst Year Ever!!!!—or we can talk about some of the good and some of the bad, as though there was some scale to say things were balanced, or we can we can do a story about the great things that happened in Northern Nevada while we dodged planes and trains, bullets and bikers, fires and foreclosures, munitions and madmen.

I’m more interested in talking about the future than dwelling in the past. What are the greatest challenges going to be in Northern Nevada in 2012? My guess: I’m waiting for a second economic shoe to drop. I’m pretty sure we’re going to hear more about financial shenanigans at City Hall, and I’m afraid that when the gavel comes down, we’re going to discover that Reno’s future has been mortgaged for a very long time. Just a feeling.

On still other hands, there’s an election coming up in about 11 months. I’ll be interested in seeing how a couple of people on the Reno City Council jump, but the presidential election is where the public and media will focus. Unfortunately, that election will have less to do with how you and I and our kids live in the future than the local ones will.

But no matter which way the presidential election goes, the gloves are coming off at the White House. If and when Obama wins, there will be no stopping the liberal agenda, which has been restricted by the Republicans during the last four years. And if and when Gingrich or Romney or Paul win? I don’t expect the Democrats to cooperate with the conservative agenda. What will change? Nothing. By the way, after 25 years of non-partisan registration, I think I’m going to change my affiliation so I can caucus for Paul. Think I’m kidding?