MARIE WUJEK MORE COLUMNS Advertisement

Nye County is one of the largest counties in the U.S.; therefore, it will come as no surprise to you that this county rakes in a freight load of revenue.

Property taxes, sales tax revenue, gaming tax revenues, PETT money (Payment Equal to Taxes), hotel room tax, gas tax, brothel tax revenue: You name it and Nye County probably earns some sort of revenue from it.

So, we have established the fact that Nye County has no problem collecting lots of money; seems they also have no problem spending lots of money. But not everyone is in agreement as to how our tax dollars should be spent. Priorities to some may not matter to others.

I often wonder if there is anyone working for the county who has the ability to explain each and every expenditure the county makes. When will the safety and health of all residents take precedence over some of the county expenses that seem ludicrous and without merit to so many who live here?

The sheriff's department is obviously underfunded. There are not enough deputies to adequately patrol all of Nye County. We are seeing an increase in petty theft, domestic violence, driving under the influence, drug-related crimes, gang violence and some fairly major crimes.

When it comes time to present the budget, seems the sheriff's office suffers the largest cutbacks or reductions in money needed to do their job, and do it safely and effectively.

Another much needed service seldom discussed is that many of the streets and roads in Pahrump are in need of repair. That stretch of Dandelion from Highway 160 to Calvada is so bumpy you think you have a flat tire. Parts of Homestead are not only bad, they are dangerous.

There are gravel and dirt roads all over town. I think they are a huge part of why Nye County fails the EPA air quality standards every year.

The majority of folks who drive these dirt roads don't drive the posted 25 mph speed limit. They are so full of ruts, people tend to speed up so as not to feel all the bumps or maybe to end the unpleasant experience quicker.

I have lived in Pahrump for over nine years and have never seen an established dirt road being graded. Other states I have lived in have dirt roads that were not only graded from time to time; they were sprayed with a combination of water and oil. A few applications of this mixture to a graded dirt road will keep the dust from flying when you drive on it.

With gas at a premium, people are coming up with some unique ways to get to work or wherever they need to be. Pahrump is not user friendly when it comes to people riding bicycles. Other than along Highway 160, I don't recall seeing many bike lanes. The layout of the town also makes it difficult for folks to walk to work or the store.

Off-road vehicles of the two-, three- and four-wheel varieties are being used as daily transportation. You will see them on paved roads as well as racing on the dirt beside the road. Besides being dangerous, this adds to the dust issue plaguing Pahrump.

The use of mopeds, golf carts, mini bikes or choppers, and motorized chairs on the roads is also increasing. People need to get where they are going and will opt for any vehicle that can to do so.

This is a recipe for disaster.

These other types of transportation are hard to see and tend to slow up traffic. Seems to me a lot of people in Pahrump are in a hurry to get where they are going; they appear to have tunnel vision or attention deficit disorder, and someone is going to get hurt or killed.

Therefore, I ask the "Wizard of Nye," whoever you may be, to please check every nook and cranny in the revenue freighter. Find the funds to adequately staff, train and equip our sheriff's department.

And while you are nook and cranny-hopping, find the funds to grade and apply the oil and water mixture other states use on the dirt roads the fine folks of this county live on, and to repair the deteriorated chip-sealed roads.

I used to think the only free thing in life was the air that we breathe. That certainly is no longer the case here. With respiratory related illnesses so prevalent and the increase in asthma, pneumonia and COPD, the air we breathe has become costly to all. I had never heard of dust pneumonia until I moved to Pahrump, and I have lived in the West my entire life.

Now that I have had my say, Mr. Wizard, sharpen your pencil and cut out the waste in this county. Find the funds to improve the health and safety of Pahrump and her residents.