“The analysis provided by the [Legislative Counsel Bureau] and the Tax Commission would allow the largest decisions in our state to be done completely behind closed doors. In my mind, that completely eviserates the Open Meeting Law.” — Neil Rombardo, senior deputy attorney general, on a ruling that the Tax Commission could consider appeals in secret.

The counsel bureau is infamous for controversial legal opinions, and by controversial, we mean wrong. For example, during the impeachment trial of Kathy Augustine, the LCB ruled that an elected official could force a government employee to fill out the official’s campaign finance report, since public disclosure of contributions served a public purpose and thus was not a “political” function.

It’s not clear if the opinion, requested by state Sen. Randolph Townsend, means anything, but it’s another example of the vagaries of law: Even absurd conclusions can be reached by people who (we believe) actually graduated from law school.

So community college employee Topazia “Briget” Jones, hired despite a staggering lack of qualifications as a favor to ex-Assemblyman Wendell Williams, has managed to wrangle almost $100,000 from the university system behind a federal complaint for such allegations as sexual harassment and discrimination. Bear in mind that this is a person who, having been hired for a no-work job, frustrated supervisors by insisting on doing no work.

But when those supervisors moved to fire Jones (she spent a good portion of her time in Carson City, working as a “personal assistant” to Williams) the assemblyman once more intervened, and ex-Chancellor Jane Nichols designated Jones a “whistleblower.” In an ironic twist of fate worthy of President Bush, community college President Ron Remington and lobbyist John Cummings ended up losing their jobs, in a closed meeting that violated the Open Meeting Law.

But Jones kept her sinecure, and has risen in pay from $21,000 per year to $29,000 per year, although she’s learned the real money is in filing complaints. (To be sure, the R-J reports that she’s got yet another complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pending.)

According to the breakdown, Jones has managed to get $28,000 for medical costs, $45,000 for pain and suffering and $25,000 for legal fees. The settlement was signed months ago by Chancellor Jim Rogers, who didn’t bother to tell regents. (He was probably hoping that Jones would just go away, but she’s probably going to stay at the well until somebody caps that sucker.)

So, thanks a lot, Wendell Williams, for helping get your special friend on the public payroll. We’d suggest that Williams be charged for the losses to taxpayers, but he’d probably ask — once more — to retire the damages on a 30-year payment plan.

So, according to the Review-Journal, White People’s Party founder Michael O’Sullivan has a criminal record dating to when he was 17, for such felonious acts as burglary, aggravated battery and robbery back in Illinois. And here in Las Vegas, he’s got a record of battery, obstruction of a police officer, failing to register as an ex-felon and even a citation for arguing with a clerk at Best Buy.

Color us surprised.

But then again, you know how “those people” are: Prone to violence, alcohol abuse, and excuse-making for their past misdeeds. It’s a wonder that the White People’s Party even welcomes him. Surely O’Sullivan isn’t a credit to his race. Why don’t “they” ever find somebody with better moral character to represent “their” race?

O’Sullivan says the investigations launched by state agencies into halfway houses that he runs are politically motivated. “The only reason there’s any scrutiny of my business is because of my political stance,” he told the R-J. “That’s the whole issue.”

Right. Next this guy will be demanding special rights. We say, send him back to where he came from so our multicultural society can live in peace!