Editor:
The Douglas County School District's bond presentation advocating passage of $40 million in bond debt, being made to employees, parents and the community by school district administrators and school board members seems misleading in several regards.
First the KIDS Committee flyer states that the bond is not a tax rate increase, but only continues a 10-cent tax rate that exists in the district. While this may be true, every penny of tax rate is important in a county struggling to meet the needs of its citizens, recognized even by our own county manager, who states services in the county are dipping into reserves to serve our community needs as our residents "deal with the challenging economic times." It is very questionable whether the school district's list of "facility needs" is the most responsible use of this valuable tax rate when obviously there are needs everywhere in the county, not just the school district.
Secondly, the presentation flyer overstates the number of schools maintained and used by the district and overstates the number of students in the district by almost 600, more than the population of one whole school and down 207 students from just a year ago.
According to their own presentation, the "continuation" bond will support 13 schools and a student population of 7,166. With Kingsbury Middle School now closed, there are actually 11 schools and the enrollment numbers stated are from at least six years ago. The flyer also proclaims the State of Nevada does not provide capital funding and that school bonds are the primary way of funding capital projects.
School maintenance and upkeep should not be included in a bond issue under the guise of capital projects because the state does provide operating funds for the upkeep and maintenance of schools.
Additionally the flyer makes other dubious statements including that your property values will be affected by the quality of our schools, evidently only measuring quality by maintenance and repair needs. The quality of our schools has much more to do with recruiting the highest quality teachers and the quality of the learning experiences of our students. When choosing where to buy a home, families are looking for a school district's ranking in the state educationally, not its curb appeal. What educational programs are available that will enable their children to excel on to higher education, not how many tiles are missing in the gym ceiling.
Last but not least, it seems a far stretch to state that not passing the "continuation" bond will cause potential school closures for safety reasons. These statements are a complete exaggeration and just plain scare tactics to get the voters of Douglas County to pass their $40 million bond. The KIDS committee should rely more on the intelligence of the voters to make their own educated decision based on correct and truthful information, instead of hoping that ignorance will work in their favor by keeping voters misinformed with only the information they want them to hear.
Patricia Young
Minden
Editor:
A recent letter to the editor compared Douglas County School District to Clark County School District, criticizing Douglas for placing a school bond issue on the ballot this fall. I am in a position to know something about Clark's bond history because, although I write this letter as an individual citizen, I am president of the Nevada Association of School Boards and a member of Douglas County School Board.
Clark County voters passed all of the three bonds presented to them in the past 14 years (1994, $600 million; 1996, $600 million; 1998, $3.5 billion expanded to $4.9 billion). Each of these bonds has included money both for new construction and for major modernization of and improvements to existing structures.
Douglas County School District has not presented a bond issue to the voters since 1992, when a bond measure passed after the district promised not to return to the voters with a bond for 10 years.
Clark County planned to return to the voters with a bond to fund new schools this year, but chose to delay for two years. This is because their growth decreased dramatically from their expectations; essentially, their need diminished. Moreover, Clark will not lose their ability to collect taxes in the next two years because they still have outstanding bonds. Also, they receive millions of dollars for capital improvements from room tax revenue which no other district receives.
In contrast, Douglas County School District needs have increased. The average age of our facilities is 36 years. Our buildings need modernization and improvement to systems like roofs and HVACs in order to provide basic and safe learning conditions for our students. Also in contrast, our outstanding bonds will be paid off in the next two years, leaving the district with essentially no incoming funds for capital improvements.
Passage of this bond will not increase tax rates " it will only continue those in existence. Failure of this bond will not decrease taxes because other government entities will be entitled to the school district's share of taxes under the process governed by the property tax cap.
Please allow us to provide for the needs of our students by voting for the school continuation bond.
Sharla Hales
Minden
Editor:
I want to talk about my friend, JoEtta Brown. During the 2006 campaign for Assembly District 39, JoEtta spoke about the needs of the people in the district.
And, she spoke the truth.
She talked about the state budget planning system and how it needed to be reformed. She proposed setting aside part of the budget surplus to cover the lean years. And, here we are in the lean years with no money set aside from the surplus.
JoEtta recognized the problems facing seniors, so she joined the National Alliance for Retired Americans. She not only joined, but she is treasurer for the Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans and she represents Nevada, Arizona, California and Hawaii on the NARA national board. She has also joined with other concerned citizens who are looking for ways to fund a senior center in Carson Valley.
The growth management issue was prominent in the 2006 election. Now JoEtta serves as a commissioner on the Douglas County Planning Commission.
Education is also a priority for the people of District 39, so she is now a member of the Western Nevada College Advisory Board.
Since JoEtta had many years of experience serving families as the past president of Olive Crest Abused Children Shelter in the Greater Los Angeles area, she became a member of the board of the Family Support Council.
For years she has foreseen the energy crisis that is now upon us. She is the chief financial officer of Sustainable Energy Development Associates.
JoEtta has been endorsed for Assembly District 39 by the following civic organizations and unions; Nevada AFL-CIO, Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Peace Officers Research Association of Nevada, Professional Firefighters of Nevada, Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans, Service Employees International Union, Nevada State Education Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
JoEtta has worked hard to understand the interests of all the citizens of Douglas County. And her qualifications for office are unmatched. Please vote in November to send JoEtta Brown to the Nevada State Assembly. She will represent you.
B. Anderson
Gardnerville
Editor:
As a parent of two children who attend Douglas County schools, I urge all voters to vote for Cindy Trigg for Douglas County School Board of Trustees. Cindy Trigg is currently vice president of the board, and is in line to be president should she be reelected. In 2007, the Douglas County School Board of Trustees was named the Nevada State School Board of the Year.
Cindy Trigg helped organize the recent Nevada caucuses and logged over 23,000 miles in the process. During that time she never missed a school board meeting, or a school continuation bond meeting. Dedication of this nature is part of the reason that the Douglas County School District is the largest district in Nevada without a school on the watch list or in need of improvement. Additionally, almost half of the Douglas County schools are designated as high achieving.
Retaining Cindy Trigg is of utmost importance with the devastating cuts in upcoming school budgets. Douglas County can't afford to "break in" a new school board member in difficult times like these. Please vote for Cindy Trigg.
Paul Belt
Minden
Editor:
As the home mortgage and lending morass unfolds and local folks begin to appreciate everyone in America is not thinking of moving to Carson Valley, that we are only one very ordinary community caught up in a national wave of over-building brought on by grasping for quick and easy profits oblivious to risk, I met my old friend Bo the Builder at our favorite coffee emporium for his wisdom on the aftermath of the housing craze.
"Bo, doesn't it seem that the Republican political leaders of America's 'red party,' red being the color of Stalin's Soviet Union, of Mao's communist China, of world socialism, finally unmasked their socialist leanings to give bankers and elite investors virtually untrammeled access to taxpayer pocketbooks? What's your take?"
"I've been wondering how to summarize that whole picture in a few words. I think I've got it," Bo responded. "Ever hear of the old mobster 'protection racket?'"
"You mean the one Detroit and Chicago were famous for, where they say pay for our protection or we break your legs?" I asked. "It was also called extortion."
"You got it. Most folks know the government passed laws in the 1930s to protect against the 1929 crash ever happening again. Well, guess what? President Bush I started dismantling all those laws, Clinton continued it, and Bush II finished the job. They called it deregulation. Back in Reagan's day, generally speaking, the country had a dollar of capital for every $10 in loans. Today because big companies swallowed up smaller companies so we have a lot fewer companies, there are most likely over $100 loans for every invested dollar.
"Big money boys, our Federal Reserve, and U.S. Treasury are so intertwined they function like a cartel, meaning they all benefit each other."
"Sounds complicated," I said. "You wouldn't want to imply our own government doesn't represent the taxpayers that elected them? Come to think of it, that was why the state Republican convention broke up, wasn't it? But that's off the subject."
"It's actually very very simple. Today the big money boys control loan portfolios big enough to sell protection. They keep the income from mortgages and other risky securities they created but tell taxpayers either pick up any losses on the securities or they'll stop lending and shut the country down. How simple is that?" Bo grinned.
"Where will government get the money to buy the bad paper? Taxes can't raise that much."
"The big money boys will lend the government the money. With interest, of course," Bo said.
"I thought they didn't have any money, that's why they need the bailout," I protested.
Bo laughed.
"That's why it qualifies as a racket. But closer to home, did you see county governments want the Legislature to raise the property tax rate on folks already getting squeezed by the recession, so counties don't have to cut wages and lay off employees like private companies do?"
"Looks like extortion rackets aren't limited to Wall Street boys," I grimaced. "Do they have connections in Detroit and Chicago?"
Jack Van Dien
Gardnerville
Editor:
This letter is intended to simply respond briefly to two recent editorial writers. On Sept. 24, Dick Witzig of Gardnerville wrote that Barack Obama is "a communist." This utterly ludicrous remark clearly demonstrates that the spirit of Joe McCarthy lives on in people like Mr. Witzig.
On Oct. 1, Dan Ballard (also of Gardnerville) in a letter entitled "Subprime loans Democrats' plan," asserts that: "The subprime loans were the creation of the Clinton administration and the Democrats who passed this legislation in 1999 to make housing affordable to everyone.
"This freed lending institutions of previous oversight. In 2005, Sen. McCain sponsored a bill to investigate these practices. It was defeated by Democrats. In 2003 President Bush proposed more regulations regarding Fanny Mae and Freddy Mack " also defeated by Democrats."
Apparently, Mr. Ballard is not aware of the fact that the Republicans captured control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the election of 1994 and held that power until January 2007.
In short, during the years cited by Mr. Ballard (1999, 2003, 2005), it was the Republicans who were in charge of Congress.
Thus, the Democrats were not in the position of "passing" or "defeating" anything.
Next time, Mr. Ballard, perhaps you should check the facts before making uninformed claims.
Jeffrey L. Russell
Minden
Editor:
I am all for the right to vote, democracy, freedom of speech. I am a supporter of a free nation. I do not have a problem with anyone choosing to vote for Obama. That is their right.
Yet, now I have noticed a disturbing quality to Obama voters. They've gone from supporters, to Obama worshipers. This is taking on a scary atmosphere. There is a chant-like quality to the Obama slogan, "We need change."
It frightens me to hear it, because it has gone from being a political race to a cult-like fashion. Almost mindless in its approach, because there is no solution to that quote. All he is whispering in everyone's ears is, "We need change. We need change."
OK, so provide us with the missing ending to that weird song, the strange chant he has Americans walking around saying or humming. Now little elementary children are being tught to sing Obama songs. A magazine is supporting young writers to write Obama stories.
What is left of our own free thinking, with so much mind control out there? The only place left I can see for Obama, and his fascist, cultlike followers is, instead of, "We need change", how about, "Come my children, drink the Kool-aid." Is Obama our next Jim Jones?
Veronica Videll
Gardnerville
Editor:
My heartfelt gratitude to all of the wonderful volunteers who contributed to the making and selling of the Genoa candy at the Candy Dance.
Thanks to Bill Donohoe for the use of his refrigerated truck, to Dick, John and David for overseeing the loading of the truck on packing day, and the unloading at the sales booth on Saturday and Sunday.
Thanks to those wonderful fudgemakers, John, Lance, Dick, David and Keith; to Marty for his English toffee expertise; to the more than 60 men and women who came from as far away as Texas, Southern California, the Bay area, Reno, Carson City; guests at David Walley's Hot Springs; the Red Hat Valley Chicks; Key Club members; our Carson Valley residents. Thanks to KC Chadwell, who organized and saw to the publishing of our recipe book; to Betty and Carole who made most of the peanut brittle; to Sheryl and her town staff for their behind-the-scenes assistance, to everyone who in any way helped to make our candy sales so successful. You are awesome. Many, many thanks.
Marian Vassar
Genoa
Editor:
The Hall family would like to thank all of the wonderful people who supported Cheryl Hall while she battled with breast cancer the last three years.
A special thank you to everyone at the Carson Valley Infusion Center, Dr. Johnson's office, the nurses and personnel of Carson Valley Hospice, the Sheridan Acre Volunteer Fire Department, East Fork Paramedics, FitzHenry's Funeral Home, Edgewood Tahoe Country Club, Pastor Pete Nelson, and Jim and Val Prather.
Our sincere gratitude to all of our friends, for the great food, flowers, cards and loving support.
Thank you to all who have donated to M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center in Cheryl's name. Your donations will help fight the battle against breast cancer and give many women hope. May we one day soon find a cure.
We would, also, like to show our support to Kathleen Wainwright as she runs in Cheryl's name at the 2008 Susan G. Komen 60 mile "Race for the Cure" in Texas. Thank you to those who donated money to help make it possible for her to participate. For more information log on www.komen.org
October is breast cancer awareness month. The time is now to end breast cancer. Join the fight.
Jack, Sierra, Corie and Alex Hall
Gardnerville
