A few thoughts about tonight’s supervisor candidate forum (you can get our live blog of the event here, and the Nevada Appeal version here):

• All candidates did well. There were no obvious gaffs. A lot of times, these forums expose those not-ready-for-prime-time candidates. Not this time. All spoke well and knew the issues.

• It was one against seven in terms of the Nugget development project. Karen Abowd (pictured above) was the only candidate to be fully in support of the project, and tried to defend it against attacks by the other candidates.

• Abowd was also the only one who didn’t want to put the issue up for a vote of the people.

* Other candidates said they liked the concept, but that there were too many questions. Gary Schulz made the statement that it would be “irresponsible” for anyone to support this project with so many unanswered questions hanging over it. Day Williams called the action by the current board to not put the issue in front of the voters an “abuse of power.”

• All candidates want to attract more businesses to Carson City.

• The strangest point made I think was by Norm Scoggin about how the 8 percent property tax cap was “discriminatory” because the residential cap is only 3 percent. That may be true, but with real estate prices dropping, it’s doubtful this will effect anyone for a while.

• Maybe it was just me, but it sure did seem that John McKenna talked more than anyone.

• Gary Schulz probably said the least, but what he did say had impact, such as suggesting the real library of the future would be a mobile device we carried around in our pocket.

• The ward one race looks like it will hing on the Nugget project. Abowd’s support for the project might be enough to get her through the primary against four opponents, but something very positive better happen with the project itself for her to survive the general.

• It’s strange to talk about the Nugget project while sitting inside the Nugget.

• Have to congratulate the Chamber of Commerce for putting this together. The format was great for the first one of these forums. The next version for the sheriff’s candidates on Thursday should be good, too.

• We just touched the surface of the issues, which we will hopefully hit on in later events.


Photo by Jens Peermann