No, red dye diesel will not save you

Happy Saturday. Gov. Joe Lombardo yesterday announced a red dye diesel tax gimmick as per a Trump gimmicky executive order on the fuel. The use of red dye diesel is usually confined to farming and construction equipment. Since it’s not taxed as much as diesel used by over-the-road vehicles, we need merely wait for all the savings to trickle down, Trump says.

Trump and Lombardo both want to be seen as doing something, anything, about affordability. Alas, expert opinions on the household economic impact of letting over-the-road vehicles use red dye diesel mostly range from “not much” to “jack doodley squat.” 

Trump’s perverse deal with Putin allowing Russian diesel imports to the U.S. is likewise not expected to make America affordable again. Though as Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted early this morning: “Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings” in Ukraine, so there’s that.

Meanwhile, yet again I’m reminded of Lombardo’s “Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump!” post on X the morning after the 2024 election:

“Not only will President Trump bring down the rising costs of housing, groceries, and gas,” Lombardo gushed, “but he will oversee a new era of American prosperity.”

To be fair, like many Trump voters, Lombardo might have believed it when Trump said he wouldn’t blunder into another forever war, especially one that would shockingly elevate Iran’s global influence while making the price of gas skyrocket. And maybe Lombardo didn’t believe it when Trump said he’d start an inflationary global trade war.

In any case, at least now Lombardo has an affordability agenda: Pretending red dye is the new black.

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In-person early voting starts a week from today and mail ballots should be arriving around the end of the week as well, so a lot of folks might be marking up their sample ballots this week. Your friendly Nevada Current voter guide is here for you.

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Here is some of the stuff we published in the Current this week we wouldn’t want you to miss:

April — Nevada Health Link plans will see double-digit rate increases … again and Trump effect hovers over race for Nevada attorney general

Michael — City councilman and state Democratic Party chair compete to lead North Las Vegas

Dana — Prosecutor seeks to oust judge from Clark County District Court 

Jen — Judge up for fifth term on Clark County bench

Pamela Tsigdinos column — Land use, luxury developers, and Lake Tahoe’s future are on the ballot

Good luck