Editor:
Did the Douglas County slow growth initiative cause the entire housing and economic collapse in Nevada, even the whole country?
A letter writer wrote as much to your editor.
"Do you see lots of new little businesses in town since the rush to the growth ordinance?"
"Do you see a vibrant local economy?"
It "contributed to a toxic run-up in prices that could only end in a crash."
Property taxes will rise. No funding for senior and performing arts centers. Social services cut. Neighborhood homes vacated. Home-building industry all but shut down. Businesses closed.
All because citizens voted to slow growth to a mere 280 homes from the torrid 10-year pace of 572 units or 4-5 percent per year. SGI did all that, claims the writer. Like a plague home-building collapsed across the nation, showing how important Douglas County is to the national economy!
How SGI caused such calamities is a wonder because SGI was stillborn. Our duly elected representatives sued the voters for trying to slow growth, stopping SGI in its tracks.
Spiting SGI, local Realtors and builders found King Midas himself had arrived with his pots of gold below rainbows showering new homes and financial prosperity.
Prospering benefactors of the building bubble just refuse to admit that they themselves and their brethren across the nation caused the building bubble and current bust. Bankers and lenders dumped logical lending standards and literally threw money at home-building. Developers and Realtors grabbed the too-easy money to build homes far beyond any permanent need. All wanted in on "sure thing" profits, "flipping" houses, completely oblivious to risk. Rife speculation pushed prices to unsustainable levels, far beyond permanent value. The same happened all over the state, all over the nation. Because of SGI? Really?
County management conspired with developers to convert thousand of acres of farmland into rooftops, paved roads and sidewalks, radically increased traffic, ballooned county staffs, reduced ground water recharge, in the end leaving initial residents and those who filled all the new houses with nothing but the burdens of a larger population.
Not one single new public edifice emerged in Carson Valley from more than 10 years of over-building and multiplying tax revenue. Instead they gave us fees on our utilities, attempted new taxes, and acquired obligations they can't pay for.
Now come home foreclosures on a massive scale. People attracted to the building bubble no longer have jobs. They never were permanent. Homes stand empty. The bubble has years to go before correcting itself. SGI did not do that. Starry-eyed grasping forecasting did.
Communities can prosper without growth. We better learn. The high-density 25 homes per acre Park Cattle and Big George propose can bring the lowest rung of economic society with all its ills and taxpayer demands. Carson Valley visionaries can do better. It can still be a paradise-like mountain-valley popular vacation retreat of sun, moon, and stars, sail-planes, ballooning, riverbeds, rafting, fishing, horse-bike-walking trails and always the beckoning mountains to lure rock-climbers, off-road bikers and quads.
Jack Van Dien
Gardnerville
Editor:
On July 7, 2008, life as I knew it changed. I am a single mother of two. My daughter is 15 and my son is 14. In the early morning of July 7, our house was broken into and everything that I have worked hard to save for my children was taken.
See, in 1997, I was diagnosed with cancer. Not knowing how long I had to live, I started saving for their future. The two men who broke into our home took the safe containing money, jewelry, and a coin collection which was started when I was 6. All of this stuff would have been enough money for my children's college. I am on SSI and there is no way I will be able to replace all the money before they go to college.
The fact that I knew these people personally isn't what hurts the most. It's not that I was home alone and most of the stuff was taken from my bedroom. It's the fact that they possibly destroyed my children's future.
Stormie and Chris are my life and I want so much to be able to see them at their best. Their lives have been so hard already and the one thing to make it easier is gone.
A bank account has been set up for Stormie and Chris at Wells Fargo. Account No. 8097520350, routing No. 321270742.
Katherine Nason-Lewis
Johnson Lane
Editor:
Hello all you wonderful outgoing people of South Lake Tahoe, Genoa and Carson Valley. I am Kathy Breidenbach Bluethman getting my life back slowly with a little brain recovery and awesome doctor visits. I am so thankful for my families love and all my friends who believe that my health and head will return and get me to take care of my students and co-workers. I love living in the most beautiful part of the world with great towns and the best climbing hikes in the Sierras.
I am so thankful for the newspapers that have been concentrating on my accident and future health. I love all of you locals and hope to quickly get my brain alit and health agenda back to visit and make you love to laugh. Bless you and thank you so much.
Kathy Breidenbach Bluethman
Gardnerville
Editor:
The family would like to express our deepest appreciation during the loss of a husband, father/daddy, grandpa, brother and our uncle, Russell "Andy" McDonald.
Your phone calls, visits, prayers, flowers and the meals that were prepared meant so much to the family.
All the words of encouragement and most importantly the words spoken of a great man with high expectations and great respect.
The family would especially like to thank Leo Smith and family, Tobin Rupert, Barbara Benett and Josie for contribution to the service.
Again, with much thanks to all that helped in any way, attended visitation, services, burial and the dinner. Your support for the family was overwhelming, knowing you all cared.
Thankfully, respectfully,
The family of Russell "Andy" McDonald
Gardnerville
Editor:
The most important two things about the upcoming elections are the second amendment and the Supreme Court.
One of the most important things President Bush has done was his appointment of Supreme Court justices, the recent decision that our individual right to keep and bear arms, barely passed, by one vote. You can thank Mr. Bush for his choices of justices, because if Kerry or Gore (or Obama) had been president this would never had happened.
Liberal presidents don't appoint conservative justices. I hate to think what might happen if Obama is elected president of this country. He claims to agree with the Supreme Court decision, but not according to his past voting record. Go to www.nraila.org/obama to see how often he has voted for outraegeous gun control legislation.
Obama is the most left-wing liberal ever to run for president in history, the fact that he doesn't want us to know that makes him very dishonest and dangerous.
If he gets elected, look for your rights as a gun owner to slowly be eroded to the point of you either complying or becoming a criminal for not doing so. I for one would rather become considered a law breaker for keeping my guns than giving them up for new left-wing laws. This is especially likely if congress becomes controlled (even more) by Democrats.
History has shown that governments that disarm their citizens find they are more easily controlled.
The second amendment was written into our constitution for one reason, so citizens could protect themselves from tyranny, and tyrants are those who would legislate to take our rights from us. So try to be careful not to vote for tyrants, who pretend to be who they are not.
Carl Grindstaff
Wellington
Editor:
We agree with Sgt. Robert L. Blakely's letter ["A Marine for McCain," Aug. 27].
We would like to ask our friends of Gardnerville not to be swayed into voting for Sen. Barack Obama this November, just because we are suffering from an economic downturn. Yes, John McCain and the "fiscally sound" Republican Party have faltered some.
John McCain knows the war in Iraq has not gone well, even though he said we won it in 2003.
The loss of life is so sad, and some of our soldiers are coming home with no faces or feet. Quite unattractive, but a vote for an intelligent young man with new ideas is not the answer.
The answer is John McCain and his "attractive" wife Cindy.
I know she would make a fine first lady, even if she did steal prescription drugs from the American Voluntary Medical Team, her own charity, and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. But that's OK " she's hot.
Kevin and Tracy Tierney
Gardnerville
Editor:
Does anyone else find definitive irony in the fact that, when soon- to-be Vice President Sarah Palin pointed out the Democrat party's candidate wants to raise every tax ever invented, his campaign immediately sent out an e-mail blast ... wait for it ... asking for more money?
Just to be clear, they want us to donate more money, so we can pay higher taxes. Hmmmm.
If you donate and he is elected, you're gonna get exactly what you deserve.
Rick Campbell
Gardnerville
Editor:
Everyone who voted for George Bush should run and not walk to their nearest religious establishment to ask for forgiveness.
As penance, they should vote for Barack Obama for president in the next election. In addition, if they really believe George Bush is doing a good job and the war in Iraq was the right thing to do, they should get on the next plane to Iraq and help our troops fight the terrorists.
Jeanne Larson
Minden
Editor:
This is in response to the letter Jeffrey L. Russell wrote in the Sept. 5 issue of The R-C, decrying the content of a letter written by Robert L. Blakely.
To begin with I say, God, I love this country. Where else in this world are you permitted the freedom to put your views before the public and not be concerned with repercussions other than a rebuttal by someone who disagrees with your viewpoint.
And that brings me to my rebuttal to Jeffrey's views on John McCain.
Truly, at the town hall meeting in August, details of John McCain's plans were not discussed.
He made some introductory remarks after Cindy introduced him and then took questions from the audience. Now if you want details and specifics on McCain's or Obama's policies, go to their respective Web sites and click on the issues. Now make some comparisons and then write a letter as to why you are so supportive of Obama and not McCain. Just the facts ... just the facts.
As to McCain's asking veterans to raise their hands at the town hall meeting, he prefaced that invitation with glowing praise for all that have served and some who made the ultimate sacrifice. He was simply acknowledging the veterans in the audience. That's a fact.
My initial response to your letter was one of outrage at the characterization of John McCain as an "aged, lying warmonger."
Aged, chronologically, yes, but a lying warmonger? Then I reminded myself that everyone's opinion has value because all people have value. Rather than simply saying anyone is a liar, I'd rather you documented specific instances where you perceived McCain uttered lies ... then tell us about it. Just the facts, just the facts.
As to the issue of the McCain divorce, being the product of a divorced family, I will say that personal relationships sometimes fail for whatever reason and leave it at that.
However, I will add that while the bulk of your letter is devoted to the McCain women, you say nothing to substantiate your stance on his support of veterans.
And that brings me to your real issue with McCain, and I quote, "McCain's record of support for veterans is abysmal (check it out)." Well Mr. Russell, I too am a Vietnam-era veteran as is McCain.
From personal experience, I have fared well with what I bargained for with our government when I enlisted and served.
I don't know what your personal issues are, but to say McCain's record is abysmal simply distorts the facts.
So I took your advice and decided to check it out. I went to the U.S. Senate Web site, www.senate.gov and keyed in McCain veterans in the search field.
It is replete with record after record in which McCain has stood up for the veterans of this country's military.
I would strongly advise that you do the same research and after reading his record in the Senate, perhaps you might alter your view.
Just the facts, just the facts, just the facts.
Walter Nowasad
Gardnerville
