Opinion

I asked several downtown people what they think or feel about the passing of the 1/8th cent sales tax and what they see for Carson City’s future. The feelings are mixed, but the hope for an improved Carson City are united, the methods on how to do it have been up for discussion for many years and will be for many years to come.

Today Lori Bagwell pointed to the Plan of Expenditure at the Board of Supervisors meeting and asked for clarification before the Board took its final vote on the 8th of a cent sales tax increase.

We were relieved to read that not all tribal members are supporting the proposed motocross track on the Washoe Tribe’s land. It gave us hope that the Washoe people really do believe in their statement that “the Washoe Tribe have long considered themselves stewards of our land and continue to maintain that position, never to compromise or sacrifice our environmental and archeologically sensitive lands.”

In our opinion the development of a motocross track in the proposed location would be a complete contradiction to this statement.

View the Board of Supervisors meeting from December 5, 2013 at: www.accesscarsoncity.org or below. You will want to view Part 1 of the December 5th meeting starting at 2:35:00.

In this video recording, staff will first present the history of contractual obligation between the golf course and the City.

Staff will proceed to discuss other alternatives how the City may discharge the waste water from our sewer treatment plant, followed by how the City could possibly purchase the property.

“The Carson City Republican Central Committee, is hosting a program with Roger Hedgecock. You are invited to attend in room 3100 at the Nevada State Legislature on Saturday, March 8, 2014 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Roger Allan Hedgecock, is a conservative talk radio host and former mayor of San Diego, California. His show is syndicated by Radio America.”

Submitted to Carson Now by Carol Howell
.
Here is what Ms, Howell did not state in the spirit of “transparency” which now has become the new “buzzword” in American and Nevada Politics!

There is a lot of misinformation circulating regarding Carson City’s possible future involvement with the Empire Ranch Golf Course. I have heard and read many inaccurate statements regarding what actions, if any, the city might take in regards to the course. I want to help clear that up, and address the facts as I understand them.

On Monday morning, Sheriff Kenny Furlong walked across the court house parking lot and filed for re-election of the position he’s held for the last 11 years. Kenny and Undersheriff Steve Albertsen expressed their enthusiasm, not only for the community wide accomplishments that have been witnessed, but also for the positive direction that Carson City appears to be headed.

Many believe that an east-west partition is inevitable in Ukraine, but it probably won't be that simple. 78% of the country's 44 million people are ethnic Ukrainians, including majorities in the city of Kiev and all 24 oblasts (provinces). Ethnic Russians make up only 18% of Ukraine's total population, though they are a majority in Crimea, an autonomous republic, and in Sevastopol, a city not officially part of Crimea where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based.

After listening to Jim Wheeler, Len Semas, and Don Gustavson talk on a poorly produced radio show called " Conversations from the Capital" they broached the subject and implied that arbitrary and capricious state nullification of federal laws was not only allowed but also a new
requirement and litmus test for candidacy to hold political office as a Republican. This is an insult to the Constitution and the rule of law.

They never cite case law to support their positions, but they present themselves as constitutional scholars and experts on the Bill of Rights. They are neither!

Many believe that an east-west partition is inevitable in Ukraine, but it probably won't be that simple. 78% of the country's 44 million people are ethnic Ukrainians, including majorities in the city of Kiev and all 24 oblasts (provinces). Ethnic Russians make up only 18% of Ukraine's total population, though they are a majority in Crimea, an autonomous republic, and in Sevastopol, a city not officially part of Crimea where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based.

Saturday, I attended a funeral in a somewhat cheerful mood. It was a celebration of the life of Ralph Denny, Sr., and he would have wanted it upbeat.

Over 350 people filled Carson City’s First Christian Church’s sanctuary and foyer. Ralph was not a celebrity or public figure, and few such folks were there – just the heart and soul of our local communities in abundance.
He was a fine man with such a great and joyous impact over 50 years on so many folks that most came in the same mood as me: sad to see Ralph gone, but feeling so much richer for knowing him, and wanting to celebrate him.

"After the voters of Nevada passed a law designating that marriage be defined as a union between a man and a woman, Nevada’s Democrat (sic) attorney general has co-opted with the ultra-liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and decided that 'we can’t win after the Ninth Circuit changed the rules' (by deciding in another case that any law that deals with homosexual people requires heightened scrutiny with regard to possible
discrimination)."

-Teri A. Cotham of Gardnerville
Letter published in the Feb. 18th Nevada Appeal

The following was read at the Feb. 20, 2014 Board of Supervisors meeting. I said the following:

A Better Plan for Carson City

Now is the time for courage in leadership as we seek to secure financing and determine the timing of projects through a cooperative effort which will bring together the community, city staff and elected officials.

Let's ignore the 80/800 group of businesses in Carson City, for the moment, and consider meeting the 20/20 group in a compromise over the sales tax increase to pay for their proposed ten million dollar corridor improvements. Why not have them put up half the money of $5 Million ($250K each) and the city can match their investment for the remaining half? Let's all compromise and meet them halfway. If they are willing to put up their money, where our taxes are to be spent, then let hear it for compromise.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors is poised to vote tomorrow afternoon on a plan to raise sales taxes to fund improvements to the city's major corridors, a multi-purpose athletic center and a new animal shelter.

Several readers have offered up their opinions on this issue, which you can find in our Opinion section. Feel free to comment on those articles, or submit your own.

In 2012 the people of Carson City voted DOWN the ballot initiative CC #1 which called for a 1/8th cent hike in the sales tax, to be used for a new library and other development downtown, including the reduction of traffic on Carson Street from 4 to 2 lanes so as to make room for wider, more pedestrian friendly sidewalks or additional street parking or both.

Carson City. . . a city but more importantly the Capital of Nevada. Only one city in each state of this great country can have that claim and distinction. Our history is extraordinary. Our city yearns to be the most innovative and the most attractive. When visitors come to Carson City, whether it is on business, an official visit or pleasure they should say, wow…
Please vote to improve Carson City into a city that every citizen can be proud.

The Mayor said he would like our Board of Supervisors to approve a 1/8 cent sales tax increase. I’d like you to tell them to vote “NO.”

Not because we can’t afford the average $12.50 per family increase and not because none of the projects are worthwhile. It is because the Mayor and a few of our Supervisors have demonstrated that their vision of Carson City is one where an increased cost of living, increased debt, and increased long term fiscal obligations should be our future.

Three basic principles of leadership are: to willingly place the needs of others above your own; make decisions for the betterment of the majority, and have the courage and self discipline to stay the course regardless of the consequences.

As an elected official serving Carson City I would like to share my thoughts on the Mayor’s “State of the City” report which gave the status of the City’s financial stability, showed major accomplishments of the past year, and provided an overview of forthcoming projects.

My name is Dana Lee Fruend and I am the President of the 20/20 business group. I have lived in Nevada 36 years and I am a seven-year Carson City resident.

I am a business co-owner and the Executive Marketing Director for Agency 36 and the Marketing Director for the Carson HorseShoe Club. Agency 36 publishes the popular Carson Quarterly, featuring weekly and monthly events, activities, shopping, arts, restaurants and pubs.

This article is a slight rewrite of the an e-mail sent by the president of stopcommoncorenevada.com 1. We've had the best media coverage yet. Superintendent of Public Instruction Dale Erquiaga was on Jon Ralston 2/06/2014 discussing Common Core (from 17:50-24:40).  Jon read three of our emails and used them to pose some pointed questions.
https://www.ralstonreports.com/tv/2614-dale-erquiaga 

As could be expected, the proposal to raise Carson City’s sales tax has brought out the “government is bad” crowd to whine about everything that could possibly go wrong. The problem with this approach is that there ends up being such a long list of gripes that it’s hard to take any of it seriously. There have no focus, just a terrified howl of discontent about the sky falling.

Some additional but seldom considered facts about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown Connecticut are important if we wish to protect the children rather than demagogue the issue. The following two links can provide insight into the problem while ignoring the campaign slogans and political posturing. We need to start acting like men instead and assume the responsibility that all men have to protect innocent life. Children die when grown men act like children, instead of men.

Thirteen months ago, Adam Lanza entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and killed twenty students and six members of the school’s staff. Earlier, Lanza shot and killed his mother before driving to the school on his deadly mission. His death at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head ended the brutal killing spree. In the days following the horrific event, calls for sane gun control from a variety of sectors of our society were heard across the country.

I am adamantly opposed to the 1/8 cent tax increase to fund proposed city projects. I resent the efforts of city staff to “bundle” these projects, falsely represent them as necessary, and, by omission, deceive voters as to the true costs of these efforts. While at the work shop on January 21st, no one could tell me where the tax budget shortfall was for these projects, and there was no clearly demonstrable need.

Yet another proposal to spend money by our city government has been proposed once again to build animal shelters, athletic centers and improve 'corridors'. After the failed city center proposal there seems to be no end to new possibilities for our public officials to spend more taxpayer money. Much like our state and federal governments, increased spending seems to be pandemic. Are these all worthwhile and worthy endeavors?

Rational Carsonites carefully deploy their finite personal capital for maximum value and tangible results. Conversely, our city's officials serially ignore the value proposition, favoring redundant, feel-good projects lacking objective analysis, justification and worthwhile benefits. Core civic services and infrastructure maintenance suffer.

The recent initiative to raise sales taxes, projected to saddle taxpayers with $15 million of additional long-term debt, is largely ($13 million) targeted for more indoor basketball courts and arterial street beautification projects.

The City staff drafted an agenda item that would increase sales tax by 1/8 of a cent.

This increase will help to fund various corridor projects; it will also allow the City to build the Animal Shelter, and the Multi-Purpose Athletic Center. The allocated expense of all projects does not include any debt service fees, interest nor any maintenance, service fees, staffing, or other related cost after completion.

The descendants of Jefferson's Democratic Republicans are the conservatives and the TEA Party. The descendants of Hamilton's Federalists are the big-government "progressive" establishment Republicans. Today's Democrats are descendants of Karl Marx.

As an announced candidate for Carson City Sheriff I feel obligated to respond to the recently posted news article on Carson Now regarding a Sheriff’s office employee who allegedly embezzled money in the neighborhood of $100,000 dollars.