Question 3 tricky
Editor:
Question 3 is cleverly written in that there are two questions.
Shall Nevada have open primaries? Shall Nevada have ranked-choice voting?
The spots on television mainly focus on the first question and do not address the second question.
Question 3 narrowly passed in the 2022 general election. It must be defeated in this 2024 general election.
The Sample Ballot devotes 14 pages to Question 3. Should it pass it
would amend the Nevada Constitution Article 15 by adding a lengthy Section 17 about open primaries and Section 18 about ranked-choice voting. It would cost Nevada taxpayers millions to implement.
Ranked-choice voting is confusing. It makes it harder to vote, harder to understand the results of elections, and harder to trust the voting process.
The current system, where each voter casts a single vote for the candidate of their choice is clear and efficient.
Alaska and Maine have ranked-choice voting. Now Alaska is trying to repeal that action.
One Person, One Vote
No Rigged Ranked-Choice Voting
Vote no on Question 3
Gwen Marsh
Minden
How about this record?
Editor:
Much has been made in the Douglas County School Board race about the lack of “records of consequence” for candidates Erinn Miller and Melinda Gneiting.
Let’s help their opponents understand what we think of their bloviating.
Erinn Miller and her husband Ryan have lived in the Lake Tahoe area for 10 years and in Douglas County since 2016.
She has three children in DCSD Schools and serves on the parent organization and booster clubs for both schools. Erinn is a member of the school district Family Life committee and served on the hiring committee for the principal for the Lake Schools. She has been on the Lake School Counselor Committee.
Erinn also coaches Pop Warner football and cheer.
She owns her own bookkeeping business for clients in various industries including construction, hotel management and recreation.
No record? Please.
In Erinn’s own words, “I am running as an involved parent who wants to see our lake schools move from a survive to thrive situation. I would love to see all of our schools thrive with student and parent involvement. I believe that we need to provide a solid education foundation for our children.”
Read more about Erinn at https://sites.google.com/view/erinnmiller2024/home.
Melinda Gneiting and her husband Mark moved to the Carson Valley for his work 24 years ago. They have raised their family here. All four of their children either graduated from or are currently attending Douglas schools.
Melinda grew up on a small potato farm in Idaho. She knows and follows the rural values of hard work, integrity and standing up for what you believe, ideals she learned on her family’s farm.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders as well as a second bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in Social Work.
As her children became school age, Melinda joined the many parents who support their schools with their time and talent. She began volunteering in her children’s classrooms as well as assisting with the DHS marching band and helping coach the middle school track team. She has also coached park and rec volleyball and AYSO soccer. She was the co-program director for Cub Scout Day Camp for three summers. She is also very active in her church and has worked extensively with children and teens.
Opponents would have you believe that Melinda is a supporter of “neo-socialist activities” like studying the detail of billings from vendors including the exorbitant bills of Joey Gilbert.
They opine, wrongly, that the current lawsuit is “sour grapes.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The lawsuit is to determine whether the Board majority broke the law.
Learn more about Melinda at https://sites.google.com/view/melindagneiting4schoolboard/home
Spend a minute to see that Erinn and Melinda are lifelong conservative Republicans, parents, active community members and truth-tellers. You can hear from Melinda and Erinn at the Business Council of Douglas County Town Hall Meeting, 6 p.m. today at the Carson Valley community center. If you can’t attend in person, watch it online at www.recordcourier.com.
It’s time to cut through the balderdash and elect Gneiting and Miller to the school board.
Cheryl Blomstrom
Jacks Valley
Backing Gneiting and Miller
Editor:
Here we go again. Please don’t let history repeat itself. The Douglas County Republican Central Committee is again endorsing two candidates for school board in a nonpartisan race. This committee does not speak for the majority of Douglas County Republicans, myself included. I wasn’t going to write a letter to the editor until I received the DCRCC postcard in the mail today, showing their endorsement.
Enough is enough with this constant barrage of their involvement in the school board. A quick look at the Douglas County Republican website shows that many of their executive board members and their officers are some of the same people who always sit in the front row of every school board meeting and create havoc in a district that is the number one district in the state. There are approximately 160 members of the DCRCC, and they claim to represent over 21,000 registered Douglas County Republican voters. Many hours of board meetings have been wasted on non-educational items because these people refuse to go away. Most of these people have not been in a school in 60-70 years, yet they think they know what is best for our kids. These people are so out of touch with reality it is laughable.
Now, a member of the DCRCC, whose wife is on the DCRCC executive board, has created a PAC to campaign for two candidates in the non-partisan school board race. The DCRCC’s involvement in campaigning for the three school board members elected in 2022 has been a disaster. The current majority four members of the school board are the laughingstock of the state of Nevada and have done nothing for the students of Douglas County School District during their time in office.
The Republican Central Committee wants to again endorse two candidates to further their agenda. In the last several years, the Douglas County Republican Central Committee has added members who are retirees and have relocated to Douglas County and do not represent the majority of Douglas County Republicans. They are now getting the DCRCC involved for the second election in a row in a nonpartisan school board trustee race. Ask yourself why? Please do your research before you vote and listen to long time locals, educators, kids, and parents of school children. Listen to those who are in touch with what is going on in our schools.
For these reasons I am voting for Erinn Miller and Melinda Gneiting for Douglas County School Board. They have the best interest of the school district and kids at heart.
Jeff Evans
Minden
Voting for Schememauer
Editor:
I am voting for Jeff Schemenauer for East Fork Justice of the Peace for several reasons, but a key factor is he is free from endorsements, ensuring he will be unbiased and beholden to no one once elected. I believe Jeff is the only candidate who will owe no favors once on the bench.
As election day approaches, it’s crucial to remember that serving as a judge in Douglas County is both a privilege and a significant responsibility. Judges make decisions that profoundly impact people’s lives, and candidates must not only adhere to the rule of law, but to fair campaign practices and the Nevada Judicial Code of Conduct. Canons 1 and 4 stress the importance of maintaining the judiciary’s independence and integrity, warning against even the “appearance of impropriety”. In my interpretation, this is why endorsements can pose a risk for judicial candidates.
We don’t need more officials, especially judges, supported by unions or special interests with potential hidden agendas. How can we trust the fairness of our Justice Court Judges if candidates are endorsed by groups with their own interests? Instead, we need a candidate free from entanglements who is uniquely qualified, with common sense and a deep understanding of our community—like Jeff Schemenauer. For the past 25 years, Jeff has worked for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, dedicated to ensuring our safety.
Why vote for Jeff? Because he will bring common sense to the bench backed by a lifetime of uncommon experiences. Jeff is a U.S. Army veteran and a 29-year law enforcement professional with a law degree. Jeff is also an FBI Certified Bomb Technician and a lifelong learner and public speaker, skills necessary to be a successful judge. He has served as adjunct faculty at Western Nevada College, taught at Police Officer Standards & Training, and a Lead Instructor for firearms, baton, Taser, and Bomb Squad.
While Jeff is not an attorney—which is not a requirement for the position—he earned his Juris Doctor of Law while working full-time and raising his family in Douglas County. Jeff’s extensive courtroom experience includes serving as the Sergeant in charge of the Court Services Division and working as a detective for ten years. This firsthand experience equips him with the knowledge to make informed legal decisions as Justice Court Judge. Jeff is committed to being tough on crime, upholding the rights of all who appear before the court, and enhancing collaboration with the District Attorney’s Office, including their Victim Witness program and Alternative Sentencing.
When voting for East Fork Justice of the Peace, consider this: do you want a lawyer or a warrior for justice? I entrust Jeff Schemenauer to be our warrior for justice, free from endorsements with potential hidden agendas, and our commonsense candidate for the position.
Madeline Hollstrom
Gardnerville
Thanks to Tarkanian and Nowosad
Editor:
Dear Commissioners,
I would like to thank Danny Tarkanian and Walt Nowosad for listening to the concerns of our community and voting accordingly on the Painted Rock Mine agreement.
As Mr. Tarkanian stated during the meeting, this agreement doesn’t have any teeth. My opinion, the agreement is vague, poorly written and unenforceable.
Mr. Gardner, it’s obvious from your reply to me in regards to the last e-mail I sent, that you have been in favor of the mine all along. Why else would you make this statement, and I quote, “The county and residents had the opportunity to file an appeal of the findings of the EA yet no resident took that opportunity.” As residents of the county we look to you to lead and do what’s best for the residents. Why didn’t the county appeal the findings of the EA. I find it reprehensible that you point the finger at us.
Ms. Hales, you may have worked hard on this agreement, getting the truck numbers down from 85 to 60 and limited hours for different days and months, but you forgot to put in this agreement how it would be enforced. According to Mr. Gardner’s previous statement to me regarding the residents not taking the opportunity to appeal the EA findings, maybe he thinks we should be out enforcing the days, numbers, and speed of the 60 trucks a day.
Mr Rice, we haven’t heard anything from you in regards to the proposal of Painted Rock Mine since it started 4 years ago. You have not replied to any e-mails I have sent or comments I have made via e-mail. I think it’s safe to assume you have been on the wrong side all along.
Kathy Ayers
Skyline
Amodei can’t have it both ways
Editor:
Although Rep. Mark Amodei voted against key pieces of legislation, such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the American Rescue Plan, the CHIPS Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, he continues to get public recognition for securing federal funding for Nevada’s Second Congressional District from legislation he voted against. This has led to perceptions that Mr. Amodei may be claiming credit for distributing federal funds despite opposing the legislation that authorized them.
As an example, Nevada Appeal on July 8, 2022:
“Amodei says Northern Nevada getting $32 million for projects
U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., announced Thursday in a news release the award of $32.25 million to pay for 15 projects in Nevada’s Second Congressional District.
He said the list includes a variety of projects including law enforcement, wastewater treatment, airport improvements, highway infrastructure and economic revitalization. Amodei lobbied as a member of the Appropriations Committee for the funding, but he said they aren’t the “earmarks” of old that were full of pet projects and pork. He said they are for “vital community projects” requested by the communities themselves ...”
Carson City also had something to say about the federal funding.
“Thanks to the tireless advocacy of Congressman Mark Amodei, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, and Senator Jacky Rosen, this legislation includes Community Project Funding for the Appion Way Improvement Project,” city officials said in a Dec. 23 press release. “The project is focused on improving safety and traffic circulation by placing a traffic signal at Appion Way and South Carson Street to accommodate current and future growth in the area.”
Mr. Amodei’s actions show a clear inconsistency. He votes against important federal bills like the Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, but then takes credit when the money from those bills is used to benefit his district. By being part of the Appropriations Committee, Amodei can help direct funds to local projects, but that is misleading. He opposes the laws that make the funding possible but still claims the benefits for his district. This makes it seem like he’s trying to have it both ways, opposing the legislation while taking credit for the results to look good back home. The money Amodei praises wouldn’t be there if the bills hadn’t passed.
Elizabeth Mancl
Genoa
Re-elect Jacky Rosen
Editor:
Jacky Rosen deserves to be re-elected to the Senate this fall. In her first term as our Senator, Jacky has proven that she is a centrist and a coalition-builder. She is not afraid to cross political party lines. She authors and supports legislation that benefits our state. Most importantly, Jacky knows how to “bring home the bacon” for all Nevadans.
Her opponent has lived in Nevada since 2018, after first testing a political career in Texas. Jacky has been here for over 35 years. She is well versed in the important issues for our state. For example, as recently as 2022, Sam Brown said he would support Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository — not Jacky Rosen. She will keep Nevada safe. Sam Brown is inconsistent in his statements regarding a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions - not Jacky Rosen. She will preserve the rights of our daughters. We all know Jacky, and we can trust her to protect our medicare and social security. We know she votes to support veterans, police, fire, and first responders. Jacky also supports border security and immigration reform, but she will keep families together.
Jacky will continue to fight to make sure that Nevada receives its fair share of the bipartisan Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act. While this legislation is already bringing millions of dollars to Nevada and its rural citizens, our state needs to compete for funding in future allocations. Jacky knows what Nevada needs, and she knows how to get the funding to Nevada’s rural communities like Douglas County.
Unlike her opponent, Jacky Rosen is not a newbie carpetbagger to our state, nor is she a political pawn who totes a party line. We know Jacky, and we know she can be trusted to do the right thing. She deserves to retain her job in the US Senate, and we need to keep her there and working for us.
Rosen values her constituents, she understands her job, and she knows and loves our state. I’m voting for Jacky, and I hope you will, too.
Greta Hambsch
Genoa
