Ed Cooper Will Be A Tough Act To Replace
(October 24th, 2010)
For those of you who haven’t already heard the news, Ed Cooper lost his battle with cancer this last Saturday night. Edward James Cooper, Esq. served this town for many years in a variety of capacities, but it is as the de facto Town Attorney, that he left his biggest mark. He will be remembered best, as the author of Laughlin independence, having written the legislation being carried forward to call for a vote on incorporation including a complete City Charter for the voters approval.
Continue reading "THE LEGAL LION OF LAUGHLIN LAYS TO REST" »
RE:
OUR TOWN ADVISORY BOARD AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
(December 1st, 2009)
I recently read Mr. Frank Pilz’s letter to the Editor and your response. I concur with the majority of the items discussed; however, I feel I must comment on a couple of points.
First of all, we never had a “right to vote” to elect the Laughlin Town Advisory Board (LTAB). In Ordinance 490, which was signed in February, 1976 and formed the unincorporated town of Laughlin, it states that the LTAB will be appointed by the Clark County Commissioners. At that time, the citizens did not push to have the LTAB elected, which was an option as provided in NRS 269.576. Had they done so, we would have the “right to vote” today for the LTAB. It is my belief that we are the victim of our own negligence.
Continue reading "Letter To The Editor" »
RE:
WATER DISTRICT BILLING FORMULAS
(November 28th, 2009)
Proposed Water District Billing Formulas
In July of this year, Bronson Mack of the Las Vegas Valley Water District/Big Bend Water District made a comprehensive presentation of the Water District’s $12 MILLION capital improvement requirements for the Township of Laughlin.
The presentation included a billing scenario which was ill received by both the members of the Laughlin Economic Development Corporation and the residents. Bronson, both in that meeting, and in subsequent meetings and conversations, has encouraged all individuals and entities to submit their suggestions for billing scenarios. The issue is really one of fairness - who should pay the bulk of expansion; current users or new developments; residential or non-residential. There needs to be a formula that is fair among all parties.
Continue reading "Letter To The Editor" »
RE:
CHANGES IN LAUGHLIN TRASH COLLECTION
(November 27th, 2009)
My understanding from the Town Advisory Board Meeting was all that was needed to bring the new recycle program to Laughlin was a letter from the Town of Laughlin requesting the program. So I assumed that a real quest to get Laughlin's true response would be launched. By your article it appears that the Town Board thinks that they represent the people of Laughlin and were going to act in their behalf. Are they now the City Council? I don't remember voting them in to office.
Continue reading "Letter To The Editor" »
Voting
This Wednesday Will Speak Truth To Power
(March 30th, 2009)]
This Wednesday Laughlin citizens will have yet another
opportunity to vote for local representatives. An ad hoc straw poll will be held from 7:00 A.M. until 7:00 P.M. at
the Laughlin Community Church
at 2910 Needles Highway,
next door to the Mobil Gas Station. Every registered voter is eligible to cast
a vote. As I said back in October, it really does matter who sits on the
Town Advisory Board. Many have felt that the Occupation has become a fact of
life and we’re helpless to do anything about. And yet already, one illegitimate
Board member has been forced to resign. So everyone needs to vote. For
the record, I will once again list the candidates I endorse – and why.
Continue reading "IT COUNTS MORE THAN YOU THINK" »
Testimony
Before The Nevada
Assembly Committee of Government Affairs
(March 27th, 2009 )
Last Monday I exercised my right as a citizen and traveled to the Grant Sawyer State Building in Las Vegas as did two other somewhat more prominent Laughlin residents, Former Laughlin Town Advisory Board Chair Kathy Ochs and Dick McCall who has been active in civic affairs for many, many years. We were there to support Assembly Bill 383 which would allow Laughlin residents to choose the option to incorporate. Below is the text of the comments I made.
Continue reading "STAND UP AND BE HEARD" »
A
Key Social Service in Laughlin Now Has No Choice
(February 1st, 2009)
I’ve never been a particularly fervent proponent of government solutions to societal problems. Ronald Reagan’s voice still rings true to my ear when I recall the words from his 1981 inaugural address, "Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem." But conservatives have their compassionate side as well. If you survey most reasonable people and ask them if they support giving welfare to people, a majority will say no, but if you rephrase the question and ask the same people, should the government help the truly needy, a majority will also agree. And that’s where we stand today with trying to find an alternative to our gutted mental health clinic. It’s broke, broken and discredited.
Continue reading "ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL" »
What’s
Next? Separate Drinking Fountains?
(January 26th, 2009)
In 1787 our nation crafted a political compromise at our Constitutional Convention that was not one of our nation’s finer moments. It was known as the Three Fifths Compromise. Reduced to its most basic, it said slaves counted as three fifths of a person for voting, not that they could vote in the first place of course. Steve Sisolak seems to think that the serfs of Laughlin should be happy with his own Two Fifths Compromise.
Continue reading "THE TWO FIFTHS COMPROMISE" »
Preparing
For A Long Protracted War
(January 22nd, 2009)
THE LAUGHLIN
HERALD APOLOGIZES FOR THE DELAY IN THIS SPECIAL EDITION
Over forty of Laughlin’s dedicated citizens made the trip to speak to the Clark County Board of Commissioners this last Tuesday. We made this town’s opinions heard in a dignified but firm manner. But the reaction of Commissioner Steve Sisolak afterwards made it clear that he will not budge in his dictatorial abolition of our voting rights. He has already tried to co-opt some citizens to give the impression that some compromise offering us second class citizenship would be magnanimous. Rosa Parks wouldn’t accept that and neither should we.
Continue reading "TO THE BARRICADES" »
This
Tuesday Laughlin Will Be Occupied By A Hostile and Illegitimate Government
(January 11th, 2009)
This Tuesday at the Laughlin Town Hall, a dark day will dawn. As Eastern Europe collapsed in the vanguard of Communist
armies in the waning days of the Second World War, the people of that
unfortunate part of the world had governments, not of their choice, imposed on
them against their will. On this Tuesday in history, that grim scenario will
play out again in our own community.
Continue reading "LIBERATE LAUGHLIN" »
Half
A Million Dollars For A Glorified Concrete Sidewalk? You Betcha.
(December 7th, 2008)
Government at all levels is increasingly out of money for services and programs of all sorts and one might think that after several decades of hearing one insincere public official after another talk about it, this would be a pretty good time to finally start to genuinely reinvent government. Somewhere. Anywhere. Well, don’t look to the Clark County Parks and Recreation Department to be a trendsetter. But if you want someone to take a shredder and make some of that cool money confetti with your tax dollars, they’re on top of it.
Continue reading "GOLD PLATING BUREAUCRATS " »
The
Laughlin Herald’s Endorsements for Town Advisory Board
(October 26th, 2008)
Laughlin is a community on the cusp of significant change. Missing millions of dollars, unfunded infrastructure, possible incorporation and overcharging for fire protection are just a few of the issues facing our town and they’re not going away. As we’ve seen from the recent controversy over the casino definition ordinance, it really does matter who sits on the Town Advisory Board, so with that in mind, here are the people The Laughlin Herald officially thinks should – and should not- serve on the Board.
Continue reading "SO WHO DO YOU LIKE ON THE FOURTH?" »
A
Great American Tradition Has Great Utility In Any Community
(October 19th, 2008)
A reader recently took issue with my use of the word “muckraker” to describe KLAS-TV Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp, feeling it was both a negative term and one that was never used to describe Mr. Knapp. Wrong on both counts. A simple search engine inquiry will disprove the latter and the former can be dismissed with only slightly greater historical and journalistic exploration. As I promised earlier here’s my take on the art and science of muckraking and what it means to Laughlin.
Continue reading "MUCKRAKING IN LAUGHLIN" »
There
IS smoke, but let’s not throw out the extinguisher with the bathwater
(October 5th, 2008)
Almost exactly one year ago
I published the first two articles in The Laughlin Herald. Both, but especially the second one, touched on the
issue of the excessive expense of Fire Protection Services for Laughlin. Now as
we celebrate one year of very small muckraking a much bigger and better known
muckraker, George Knapp, investigative reporter from KLAS-TV Channel 8 in Las Vegas has laid out the
staggering details of those costs. Most residents will not argue that the costs
are too high. The real question here is what to do about it.
Continue reading "WHERE’S THE FIRE?" »
Half
A Year Has Passed And What Do We Have To Show For It?
(May 28th, 2008)
About six months ago The Laughlin Herald featured an article calling for reform of out Town Committees. Half a year later, what do we have to show for it? Two of the townships five Standing Committees are paralyzed and eight of the last nine meetings have resulted in not a damn thing being accomplished because they failed, over and over and over again to achieve a quorum.
Continue reading "COMMITTEES IN CRISIS, PART 2" »
Mental
Health Officials in Reno
Would Rather Slowly Poision Laughlin Clinic
(May 4th, 2008)
After having failed to strangle the Laughlin Community Mental Health Center before it was even born, officials at the State Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services switched to a strategy of waging a two plus year campaign to try and keep the Center from actually doing anything. Outraged at being overruled by legislators whose only claim to legitimacy is that they were, lemme see, oh yeah, elected by the people, they figured if you can’t kill it outright, cripple it.
Continue reading "WOULDN’T IT BE EASIER TO BURN IT DOWN?" »
Last
Weeks Meeting of the Clark County Republican Central Committee Failed to
Achieve A Quorum – And That’s Not Bad
(March 22nd, 2008)
I traveled to Las Vegas with my lovely wife Linda last week to attend a meeting of the Clark County Republican Central Committee. About 15 minutes into the meeting someone demanded a quorum count. Guess what? With about 240 people in attendance, we didn’t have enough members on the floor to conduct business. And the meeting still went on for two hours. And yet, it would have to be considered a success.
Continue reading "WHAT IF THEY GAVE A MEETING AND NO ONE CAME?" »
The
Laughlin Delegation at The Clark County Republican
Convention
(March 9th, 2008)
The Clark County Republican Convention was this Saturday at The Orleans Casino in Las Vegas. Both of Laughlin’s Precincts sent delegates to participate in the largest such convention in Nevada history. Usually a gathering of about 300 delegates, this record shattering meeting had a door busting 3000 plus attendees. It was not without its’ logistical problems or political controversies, but nonetheless represents the beginning of nothing less than a Republican Renaissance in Nevada.
Continue reading "GOP CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS" »
Glady Laughlin
Will Be Missed Not Only In Our
Hearts But In The Halls Of Government As Well
(March 2nd, 2008)
Glady Laughlin, who served the Township of Laughlin so well, for so many years, in so many capacities, was bid a fond farewell at a standing room only memorial service this last Saturday. Not only will her warmth, compassion and humanity be missed, but she leaves a void in our town government that will very difficult to fill. A few hard decisions will have to be made.
Continue reading "TIME TO RESHUFFLE THE BOARD" »
Long
Drawn Out Town Board Meetings Shouldn’t Shut Out
Ordinary Citizens
(February 9th, 2008)
Last December, I wrote about
a presentation made to the Laughlin Town Advisory Board by some out of town
county staffers that I described as an “unbearable nightmare of this two
and a half hour water torture”. As I noted that
day, many Laughlin residents who had issues of importance to them on this topic
and wanted to speak publicly were forced out by sheer exhaustion. An individual
topic can be front loaded to keep out public comment, but there’s another
barrier to free speech that exists at every single regular monthly meeting of
the Board that no one has raised a complaint about.
Continue reading "WHO’S NEXT?" »
A
Brief Collection of Political & Government News and Links
(January 28th 2008)
This week I want to share
some brief news items as well as some links that will help Laughlin residents
be better informed about Clark County Government. I urge you not to read these
passively, but to better inform yourselves as to what you should demand from
your local government. So please read on…
Continue reading "POTPOURRI" »
Laughlin’s
Republicans Have Been Abandoned On The Edge Of The Galaxy
(January 19th 2008)
As the Republican Precinct Captain for the Eastside of Laughlin I chaired one of Laughlin’s two GOP Caucuses today with my fellow Precinct Captain Jim Legler who chaired the caucus for the Westside. And aside from the many issues of whether the caucuses were a good idea to begin with something beyond the scope of purely Laughlin politics and this newspaper one thing that became increasingly clear is that many Laughlin Republicans feel they have been left out in cold by their party.
Continue reading "LOST IN SPACE" »