The Laughlin Herald

LAUGHLIN IN 2009

Challenges in the Political Landscape in the coming year

(December 28^th, 2008)

A host of public problems will face Laughlin residents next year and some of them may actually be acknowledged as existing by both civic leaders and local media. There are actually some recent signs that political discourse in our Township is going beyond polite non-discussion. Here’s what’s at the top of the non-polite discussion list for The Laughlin Herald in the annus novus.

GOLD PLATING BUREAUCRATS

Half A Million Dollars For A Glorified Concrete Sidewalk? You Betcha.

(December 7^th, 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. 

THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND

Laughlin As A Community Needs To Get Its Collective Calendar Together

(November 16^th, 2008)

Three days ago I spoke briefly to the Laughlin Town Advisory Board about the need for a Master Community Calendar. There have, in the last several weeks, as there will be ahead of us, a large number of public events and activities. We’ve recently seen once again that events sometimes, for want of a better term, stumble over each other.

SO WHO DO YOU LIKE ON THE FOURTH?

The Laughlin Herald’s Endorsements for Town Advisory Board

(October 26^th, 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. 

MUCKRAKING IN LAUGHLIN

A Great American Tradition Has Great Utility In Any Community

(October 19^th, 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. 

CORRECTION - ERROR

Improper Attribution

(October 12^th, 2008)

In the October 5th, 2008 edition of The Laughlin Herald, I made reference to a report by KLAS-TV Channel 8 in  Las Vegas in which I attribute the reporting of the story to their Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp. Alert reader John Geremia pointed out that in fact it was another KLAS investigative reporter, Jonathan Humbert who wrote and reported the story. The Laughlin Herald apologizes for the error.

Due to the recent very sad death of my lovely wife Linda’s father, a planned article on the great American tradition of investigative reporting known as muckraking and what it means to Laughlin, will be published next week.

We welcome the public’s feedback. Please send your Letters To The Editor to editor@laughlinherald.com

WHERE’S THE FIRE?

There IS smoke, but let’s not throw out the extinguisher with the bathwater

(October 5^th, 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.

Letter To The Editor

RE: EVERYONE WILL JUST HAVE TO TAKE A BREATH

(August 10^th, 2008)

I don’t know what school of economics you attended, but I received no economic instruction in achieving my degree in business administration from California State University, Long Beach, that begins to match your assertions. How in the world did you arrive at the notion that the new ordinance will drive out lending to current casinos? Your logical approach would give you an "F" if you were taking Logic 101 in college.

EVERYONE WILL JUST HAVE TO TAKE A BREATH

As much as all parties want a resolution to the Casino Definition Ordinance they’ll just have to wait

(August 4^th, 2008)

Meetings of the Laughlin Town Advisory Board and the LTAB Community Development Committee have had a number of well attended and well contested meetings. At issue is whether Laughlin should be exempted from the county’s minimum standards for a full service casino, which are stricter, and not coincidentally, more expensive, than those of the state. Both sides want this to be resolved and go away forever. But doing so in favor of either side needs to wait.

MY FAVORITE SHOW GETS THE AXE

But The Laughlin Government Channel Goes On & On – With Nothing

(20 July 2008)

Have you ever noticed how often you start watching a new television program and just as you really start to like it, it get’s cancelled? But another show that’s less entertaining than static and twice as stupid goes and on and forever? That’s how I feel about the Laughlin Government Channel 14.

SUCKERFISH WARS, EPISODE 2

Attack of the Southern Nevada Water Authority

(July 14^th, 2008)

The June 10^th, 2008 minutes of the Laughlin Town Advisory Board had six pages of testimony from Holly Cheong, Environmental Planner for the Nevada Water Authority together with questions and comments from Board members. What was all the hoopla about? The fifteen acres of the Big Bend Conservation Area, which is on the site that was formerly the Boy Scout Camp at the south end of town. More accurately, the hoopla was about the fantasy and equivocation Ms. Cheong wove and the Board’s attempt to get a straight answer – without much success. 

COMMITTEES IN CRISIS, PART 2

Half A Year Has Passed And What Do We Have To Show For It?

(May 28^th, 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.

NOT ON THE SAME PAGE

Clearly This Town Is Not Of One Mind On The Resort Definition Ordinance – But Suckerfish Are Another Matter

(May 19^th, 2008)

They didn’t run out of chairs at Town Hall last week, but suffice it to say the ones they had got some use. It was one of the largest public turnouts in recent memory. And many of those in attendance were there to protest the abrupt proposed change in the county resort definition ordinance. But it was a double feature that day.

HEAVY LIFTING

The Town Board Has A Heavy Agenda This Week And It’s Only The Tip Of The Iceberg

(May 11^th, 2008)

The Laughlin Town Advisory Board has an agenda that’s especially full with numerous important items they will be discussing this Tuesday at 1:30 PM. Not only are the items important to every single resident in this town but in and of themselves they represent just the acknowledgment of issues that will take months if not several years of work to resolve.

WOULDN’T IT BE EASIER TO BURN IT DOWN?

Mental Health Officials in Reno Would Rather Slowly Poision Laughlin Clinic 

(May 4^th, 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.

Letter To The Editor

RE: A BAD TIME TO CHANGE A BAD LAW

(April 21^st, 2008)

I am glad to see that you agree that the current ordinance defining resort casino's for Clark County is a bad law, particularly as it impacts Laughlin.

However, you then say it is not time to change this bad law. In my opinion, a bad law should be changed at the first opportunity. This is the first opportunity Laughlin has had to change this bad law for a number of years.

A BAD TIME TO CHANGE A BAD LAW

Laughlin Needs Relief From The Resort Definition Ordinance – But Not When It Threatens Jobs

(April 7^th, 2008)

This Tuesday Afternoon the Laughlin Town Advisory Board will take up the issue on whether to formally request that the Board of County Commissioners exempt Laughlin from the county resort definition ordinance. The ordinance was a bad one to begin with; it restrained trade and took away property rights. But it’s been in effect for ten years now. To repeal it suddenly could be devastating to jobs in a small town that’s already seen one round of layoffs after another over the last year.

WHAT IF THEY GAVE A MEETING AND NO ONE CAME?

Last Weeks Meeting of the Clark County Republican Central Committee Failed to Achieve A Quorum – And That’s Not Bad

(March 22^nd, 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.

GOP CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

The Laughlin Delegation at The  Clark County Republican Convention

(March 9^th, 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.

TIME TO RESHUFFLE THE BOARD

Glady Laughlin

Will Be Missed Not Only In Our Hearts But In The Halls Of Government As Well

(March 2^nd, 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.

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Re: Channel What? & Who’s Next?

(February 18^th, 2008)

Hey Jordan,

Was checking out your website today [Editor - February 11th] for the first time. I have to say that I concur with several of your thoughts on the site. I especially agree about the underutilized Channel 14. There are a multitude of things that could be put on that site instead of the endless scrolling of repetitive information. Also the lack of a town sponsored community calendar so we limit the duplication of multiple events held on the same day. Channel 14 might be a logical place for that.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

RE: WHO’S NEXT

(February 17^th, 2008)

Times For Meetings Are Good Leadership Decisions.

People have complained before about having to wait until the end of the meeting for 'public comments', or what some call 'new business'.  People have complained about only having 3 minutes to speak.  Then from my experience this is not adhered to as individuals do speak longer if they are of the status quo, or if the Board likes what you have to say, or its a Town Board member or Jackie Brady's staff. The LTAB meetings aren't exactly run under the standard of 'Robert's Rules of Order'.

WHO’S NEXT?

Long Drawn Out Town Board Meetings Shouldn’t Shut Out Ordinary Citizens 
(February 9^th, 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.

POTPOURRI

A Brief Collection of Political & Government News and Links

(January 28^th 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…

 

LOST IN SPACE

Laughlin’s Republicans Have Been Abandoned On The Edge Of The Galaxy

(January 19^th 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.

Letter To The Editor

RE: CHANNEL WHAT?

(January 11^th, 2008)

Jordan, most cable TV franchises include a government access channel and/or a community channel. However, most governments do not want to pay for equipment and personnel expenses to run either channel. This is a major expense and taxpayers usually do not like the idea.

CHANNEL WHAT?

Channel 14 Is Being Largely Wasted

(January 6^th, 2008)

Cable Channel 14 here in Laughlin is our local government access channel. It runs Town Advisory Board meetings along with a few occasional miscellaneous events. Other than that it simply scrolls through a few announcement cards over and over again. This is like renting a billboard and leaving it blank most of the month. Who would do this? Your county government, who else?