You know the drill: We make ‘em and you eat ‘em up. Here we go!

» We’re not going to come out and say that the anti-smoking people are liars. That would be taking things too far. But how else should we interpret this quote, excerpted from the Review-Journal, from Buffy Martin-Tarbox, the government relations director for the American Cancer Society? The Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act, she said, "has been given the OK by two different courts in the state of Nevada, include the Nevada Supreme Court, so we know that it’s a solid law."

But that’s simply false. When tavern owners and slot route operators took the act (known also as Question 5) to court prior to the Nov. 7 election, the issue was whether it had flaws that would render it ineligible to go before voters. (Kudos to R-J reporters K.C. Howard and Howard Stutz for making note of the same.) Neither the district court nor the state Supreme Court has blessed the initiative as "a solid law;" in fact, the Supreme Court ruled that interpreting the details of how the act would be implemented before the election was premature.

That’s why there’s yet another lawsuit, this one on the merits of the initiative itself.

So does Martin-Tarbox not understand the distinction? Or does she understand, but trying to mislead folks? Either way, it’s not good, especially if you’re the spokesman for the opposition!

(And, if we may be so bold, the act is anything but solid, as the latest lawsuit demonstrates.)

» The county has objections to the price tag of a new sports arena, which will be more costly if a professional sports team is involved than if it is simply used for concerts and other community events. But that argument misses the point entirely: The real debate should be whether we even need a new arena, and, if so, how it can be financed entirely by the private sector, not taxpayers.

» My colleague Jon Ralston muses in his column about the new Gibbons administration transition team meeting in the old arena, the Thomas & Mack center. We think Ralston’s depiction is far, far too organized.

» And finally today, recruiting businesses from California may be more difficult than Nevada thinks because … well, California is great! That’s the (paraphrased) word from a story posted on Nevada Today by Nevada-fleeing business writer Sherri Cruz, who now makes the Golden State her home.

Not only are worker’s compensation costs coming down, Cruz reports, but innovation and higher education is actually valued in California, which gives the state a natural pool of talent for high-tech industry. It’s kind of like here, except without the talent or high-tech industry.

Now, as some of you know, we were born and raised in the Golden State, so we noticed that Cruz identified one of the key draws of California: The beach! That’s right, you can hang ten before coming into the office, or enjoy a spectacular Pacific sunset at the close of business. You can’t put a price on that, baby! And anybody who once lived there and now lives here cannot help but miss it.

By the way, if you haven’t checked out Nevada Today since its recent makeover, you should.