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Have we been screwed?

I'm writing in regard to Mark Waite's report (Sept. 22, PVT) on the Sept. 19 county commission's approval of the Focus Group's development proposal.

In his report, Mr. Waite wrote, "John McDonald said the taxpayers in Pahrump will be stuck paying for much of the cost of the stormwater project." The fact is I didn't just say it, I demonstrated it as follows:

1) Section 6.11 of the agreements states, "Developer shall have no obligation to participate in, pay, contribute or otherwise provide any further exaction, or impact fees or to construct or to provide facilities or improvements beyond those specifically identified in this agreement." I interpret this to mean that, unless a specific impact fee is identified as payable in the agreement, no impact fee may be imposed.

2) There is no specific statement in the agreement that a transportation (Section 6.8 of the agreement) impact fee is going to be paid. However, sub-section (i) of Section 6.8 states, "Developer shall be entitled to a credit against the fee that would otherwise be required under Section 15.32.070 of the Code ... " I interpret that statement to mean that credits are to be granted as if a transportation impact fee were being paid.

3) There is no impact fee required by Nye County for flood or storm water control, yet under Section 6.9, storm drainage, in the agreement, the following statement appears at sub-section (h), "Credits. Developer shall be entitled to all credits permitted under the applicable rules ... " The applicable rules are principally the agreement. Since there are credits to be granted under transportation with no impact fees against which they can be applied and since credits from any section in the agreement are to be applied to the storm drainage project and there are no impact fees against which to apply the credits, I conclude that the intention of the developer is to apply the value of these credits against the cost of the storm drainage project.

Since storm drainage projects cost money, not credits, to build, I conclude that the intention of the developer (and of those commissioners voting in favor of this agreement) is that the taxpayers of Nye County will participate in the cost of the storm drainage project in the amount of these credits. In this fashion, the credits will be redeemed and Nye county taxpayers will have provided a quite large financial windfall to the developer.

We thus have large financial commitments being imposed on the county's taxpayers and, since the agreement gives no power to the county to audit the true value of these credits (or "exemptions") their value is strictly up to guess who? That's right -- Focus Group.

Of course, I realize that Mr. Fiorentino, Focus Group's mouthpiece, has assured us that all is well, but I'd frankly like to see all reference to credits deleted from the agreement unless there are clearly described impact fees against which they can be applied in the same infrastructure category.

If that sounds like I don't trust Mr. Fiorentino and his employer, you're right, I don't. Ditto for Commissioners Hollis, Eastley and Jordan (nee Trummell).

In fact, I always have a problem trusting people who are driven by greed, for they are always untrustworthy.

I also think that the value of all credits "and exemptions" granted by the county should be determined by the county under rules of reimbursement contained in the agreement and only after the alleged credits or exemptions have been competently audited for compliance with those rules.

Unless the agreement is changed with respect to impact fees and related credits, we, the taxpayers of Nye County, will have been screwed by the developer and oh, yes, Commissioners Hollis, Eastley and Jordan as well.

John T. Mcdonald

What do you say?

My daughter went to another funeral today.

Why are our children dying? Drunk driving, drugs, murder. My beloved children should not be subject to this pain and grief at such a young age.

Part of growing up shouldn't be having to deal with the death of another friend. What is happening to them? What is happening to us? Are we too concerned with esthetics, are we too caught up in keeping up with the Joneses to notice that our children are dropping like flies?

The sorrow that I feel is, I'm sure, a fraction of what a parent must feel at the loss of a child.

Are we becoming desensitized? Do you know where your children go, when they go, where they go? Do you tell them that you love them every day?

Dear parents, stop for just a moment and talk to your child, let them know what is important, really important. For once they are gone, you can't ever get them back, ever.

I don't know about you, but this is getting too close to home for me. Although I can't keep them in a Tupperware box, I'd like to.

My dear friends lost their child. I never knew what to say to them. What do you say? What will they say to you?

Julie Perry

Don't speak for me, Michael

To Michael Miraglia:

Once in a great while a leader of men is born. This leader would posses infinite wisdom, and would be a voice of reason in a sea of chaos and insanity. This would be someone who speaks for all the people.

Names like Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt come to mind. They were men of vision.

The name Miraglia means nothing to me. I have never heard of you, yet you are somehow representing me on the Pahrump Town Board.

If I somehow voted you to this position of leadership, please make arrangements to have me drug tested immediately. I don't remember smoking crack, but I turned 50 last month and there are more and more things I can't remember every day. Until the results of my drug test come back, please refrain from the following:

1) Please do not speak to any member of the news media on my behalf, as a representative of the town I live in. People in the rest of the free world may get the impression that I'm a nimrod like you. "Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps his mouth shut."

2) Please do not think for me or make any idiotic proposal or ordinance regarding pretty much of anything on my behalf. I'm sure you know what's best for me, but let me be the judge of that.

3) Please do not send the Las Vegas Sun down the street to observe the illegal aliens laying block without first making sure that they are illegal aliens. Harvey and Marcelo Morales were born in this country and grew up here in Pahrump. They are as American as it gets.

By the way, they said to let them know ahead of time next time the news media are coming to interview them on this subject. They'll break out their sombreros.

Everyone knows that our country's immigration policy is in need of a major overhaul, but I don't believe that you are the one to lead us in the right direction. You want to make it illegal for a business owner to close his or her business in support of a protest.

Who are you to deny anyone the freedom to or the right to take a stand for what they believe in? It's called freedom of choice. They are free to close their businesses for any reason they choose, and you are free to go elsewhere.

We are all tired of buying products and dealing with the frustration of trying to find the English version on the assembly instructions. We have a choice: We can choose to no longer buy these products, or we can hand the instructions over to our wives so they can put it together. (It's a lot easier and less time consuming.)

We are a country immigrants. Whether we ourselves, or our ancestors, came to this country to flee religious or political persecution or in search of more opportunity for a better life.

Your name Miraglia doesn't sound much like a Native American name. Did you family by chance immigrate to America from another country? I'm sure that you feel that all people are created equal, but that you are created a little more equal than everybody else.

Anyway, in closing, please don't speak for me or the town of Pahrump anymore. I have the feeling your position on the Pahrump Town Board will be coming to an end soon.

P.S. I hear that Mexico is a cheap place for Americans to retire to. Good luck with that and don't forget to take a sombrero.

Don Vanderpool