Letters to the editor for Sunday, March 6, 2016

Consider what board has faced

At the start of the local election season I would like you to consider the following.

During the four years on the Board we (Bob, Brad, Karen and I) planned and funded the repair of the Waste Water Plant which had failed due to decades of political fiscal management failure; Implemented the voters 20 year delayed express desire by funding and creating the Question 18 Community Gym/ MAC; took action that allows Carson Street to be re-tasked into a useful community asset from an unneeded Federal highway designed to efficiently move large trucks through town with little regard for the needs of the citizens of Carson City; make the necessary utility repairs under Carson Street before the pipes fail, and to build a modern Animal Shelter replacing the Cold War era animal Gulag that had outlived its usefulness. The remaining large project that the Board has to complete is to fulfill the Board’s promise that the Real Property Tax rate would be reduced to the 2011/2012 rate. The money is there and the current Board either has to reduce the rate or admit that they are raising your taxes for their spending plans.

As far as this election season goes, Brad is a conservative business person who listens to all citizens. Bob is a reasonable and responsive Mayor. His leadership continues to improve the City. They spend money efficiently only as needed. They have cleaned up decades of failure. We need Bob and Brad.

John McKenna

Carson City

Cutting WNC sports programs is mistake

We so agree with your statement, Mr. Harvey, concerning the athletic program at Western Nevada College.

My wife and I were at the WNC game on the weekend of Feb. 13-14 watching our grandson play for the Wildcats. Off to our left sat five young boys around 12 years of age, all wearing brand new Wildcats caps, watching their heroes playing ball, and most likely dreaming of someday playing on the Harvey Field themselves.

On top of the seating area you, Mr. President of the institution, stood watching the game. Little did the small boys realize by your vote their dreams are smashed. They will never play upon the field of their dreams, nor will they attend your institution of learning. They will go where they can play ball. It is so sad that even though monies necessary to carry the program into the future were gathered, you decided to scrap it.

There has been a lot of effort and money expended to achieve what has been accomplished at WNC in making the wonderful Harvey Field and building the reputation earned by Coach Whittemore and his players over the years.

So sad to see it end. Or does it really have to?

Tom and Volina Connolly

Carson City

Rural area votes are being suppressed

Clark and Washoe counties sabotage rural county votes. Rural Nevada votes can change an entire election. When Kerry ran against Bush, all the news networks called Nevada for Kerry, until the rural votes came in. It can work the other political way as well.

Bring our primary back! Or at least our primary hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) for rural counties. We do our own volunteer work — saving the state big money, and yet we have no control over our own caucuses!

Many of us in rural counties work hours away in health care and law enforcement and can’t travel or leave our jobs during a 2-3 hour window to caucus in our precinct. Some in Northern Nevada must travel farther during weather conditions at night. Aren’t these citizens’ votes valuable?

Please, if rural counties have to use their own money and volunteer their own time, we are best suited to decide the best day, and the length of the voting window for our residents. It should not even be a decision Vegas and Reno should make for us. It should be our call. It’s a disgrace.

Perhaps a lawsuit should be filed since rural area votes are being suppressed. And I have to admit, it looks fishy to me. Why would the big cities want to suppress the voters of any Nevadan?

Susan Harrison

Fernley

A solution for Carson City’s motel blight

Our city manager wants to remove the seeming blight that is our housing for the next-to-homeless in our community.

I must admit that many of these business do look in need of a sprucing up. Problem is that the owners of these properties are likely not getting rich (look at the clientele), and if Nick Marano forces the owners to spruce things up, he might make it impossible for the owners to stay in business and house those that are next to homeless, turning most of these folks out onto the street.

My humble suggestion? Allow the motel owners to do an “in kind” for their property taxes. Let them do property improvements and submit the bills in lieu of dollars for the property taxes. Our community will look better, be safer, provide affordable housing and allow property owners a way out of their quandary. And we can all feel good about the outcome!

John Wood

Carson City