Nevada Confidential

    While using Google to help refresh my memory on the deeds (& misdeeds) of a former Clark County Commissioner, I noticed an odd Google Ad appear on the Web Results Page.  It offered a link to a Commissioner Tom Collins web site. I found this unusual since:  (a) his current term doesn't expire until the first Monday in January 2009 and (b) Good ‘Ole Boy Tom is far from high-tech and one of the least-likely politicians who I’d expect to use something as web-sophisticated as AdWords.

   AdWords is Google's primary advertising product and main source of revenue. It offers pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. These ads are short, consisting of one title line and two content text lines. Advertisers specify the words that should trigger their ads and pay per click.  When you use Google's search engine, these ads are shown as "sponsored link" on the right side of the screen, or sometimes above the main search results.

   This is where I found a link to www.tomcollins.info.  Out of curiosity, I clicked on it and was surprised by headlines such as “Should a car thief be a Clark County Commissioner?” and “Do you make $80,000 a year for Part Time Work? Tom does!”

    Obviously, this wasn’t Tom’s own site – rather, one established to disparage his image. It was set-up by someone crafty enough to purchase a “Tom Collins” domain name – and committed enough to layout hard-earned cash for every time you or I click-on the “Tom Collins” AdWord.

    The site is the product of Brent Howard, a former Worker's Compensation Auditor who now runs BHI Bookkeeping, Payroll and Income Tax Service, a respected local firm with hundreds of clients and staff of more than a dozen.  Even more curiouser is the fact that Howard is an active Democrat.

    Who is this Brent Howard and what’s his problem with Tom?  Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of Nevada Confidential!

   {TakeAways: if you are in public life, make sure you own EVERY domain name that includes your name & if you’re going to piss-off someone, it’s better to not do it to someone web-savvy.}