CC#1

Roads and highways play a vital role in a community's ability to function safely and efficiently. A healthy transportation system has the added benefit of encouraging economic growth and a financially strong community.

Carson City has been struggling to maintain its roadway system for decades and in numerous public meetings held this year under the auspices of the Transportation Resource Advisory Forum for Carson City (TRAFCC) it was apparent that without new sources of revenue, the community will fall only further behind on maintaining our streets in a serviceable condition.

I should not have done it, but old habits, and common sense, die hard. Carson Street is the main drag through town, always was, always will be, for going between the north and south sides of town. Just look on the map. There are no through-street alternatives that run the length of town, from College Parkway to Clearview Drive; only fragments, most of which are residential.

In 2012 the people of Carson City voted DOWN the ballot initiative CC #1 which called for a 1/8th cent hike in the sales tax, to be used for a new library and other development downtown, including the reduction of traffic on Carson Street from 4 to 2 lanes so as to make room for wider, more pedestrian friendly sidewalks or additional street parking or both.

What are we voting on? The only design that has some cost estimates is a grandiose wish list with artist’s renderings presented in July 2011 that has been pared down and down… down to what? Vote NO on CC #1.

Cost estimates vary from $28M to $49M (plus financing costs), depending on what’s included. Even with the tax hike, the intent is to raid NNDA, sewer, federal and private funds. Vote NO on CC #1.

The concept dated July 2011 shows a grandiose wish list for a public-private development. Where is the pared down wish list that CC #1 asks us to approve? Vote NO on CC #1.

Perhaps if Carson City wasn't so quick to give million-dollar tax breaks to move car dealerships down the street; and spend millions more on a tourist train the public doesn't even want, the city might not have to resort to divisive bond elections to fund basic services like libraries.

It's sad to see so many people unwilling to give something back to a community they claim to love. Unfortunately you're about as likely to get a good deal on a car from those grateful dealerships as the new V&T is to pay for itself.

Let’s get real about the proposed new library. It will do nothing for downtown development and will not serve the twenty-first century needs of our community. I grew up in Indianapolis, went to college in Cincinnati, and lived and worked in San Diego, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. All have monstrous downtown libraries none of which slowed or prevented the decay of their downtowns. My brother, an activist Cincinnati developer for such
controversial efforts as stadiums and light rail, sees little community value to downtown libraries.

My mother taught me that only a foolish man insists on learning from his own mistakes at his own expense; a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. In that spirit, I am grateful to friends who sent me this link:

Library faces fiscal crisis - Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online
http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2012/08/18/news/19local_08-18-12.txt

Supporters. "naysayers" and fence-sitters alike, please PLEASE read this article. I am not going to insult you by paraphrasing it here. Just let it be enlightening and fair warning before you vote.

Thank you!

Peter Hennessey, Ph.D.

I attended a League of Women Voters' meeting last week ( October 16th). I may be have been dreaming, but people were mostly civil to each other. It was a refreshing change from so many discussions I've observed over the past two years. . . mostly angry shouting matches. Marilee Swirczek wrote recently about the "shout-out" at WNC which turned unruly when some opponents of the City Center Project started pushing and shoving an invited guest. I'm glad I wasn't there.

A previous letter (by Janice Ayers) has presented no new arguments FOR the KDC project, and failed to address the arguments made by people such as I and others who are against it. Instead, she engages in a childish ad hominem attack. That is exactly what I got in response to my first letter on this topic.

I appreciate the opportunity to write a commentary regarding Carson City Question 1 (CC#1) because I hope I might reach those people who are undecided on CC1 because of all the fearful information being circulated.
To make my point, a fairly large ad appeared in the Saturday, October 20th edition of the NV Appeal which had a picture of two older people and a young child and it said “Loving grandparents leave no debts for their grandchildren, vote no on CC#1”.

Let me start with a disclaimer. I am not against libraries. I have an entire room dedicated to my books. But I have not used a library since I was in graduate school, because everything I needed for work was on-line or in a bookstore, too new to have made it into a library, public or private.

Every political season brings out the candidate yard signs and every season, it seems, where Carson City residents are asked to vote, the ugly side of politics rears its head with vandalism. This year is no different. But what has changed over the years has been the aggressive nature of it, said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong.

From the Carson City sample ballot for the general election on November 6:

Question CC1.

"Shall Carson City, Nevada, be authorized to impose an additional sales tax of up to ¼ of 1 percent pursuant to NRS Chapter 377A to finance the design, construction, and maintenance of a library and public plaza park in the downtown on lands donated by the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation?"

Where to begin....