Advertisement

Voodoo economy

I vote the way I do because I can't live for another eight years with this voodoo economy.

ART JOHNSTON

Marla Zlotek

In my opinion, my older sister Marla will make an awesome judge because she is an awesome person.

Knowing her, she gives nothing but 110 percent.

I'm proud of you, Sis. Even though I am hundreds of miles away, my positive energy is heading your way for the next election.

Hopefully, I can join you for the celebration.

You go, sister.

MARLANE ZLOTEK

P.S., Miss you, Pop.

Vote for Harley

I wish to express my most heartfelt gratitude for all who supported my campaign for county commissioner.

Unfortunately, my intended fight against local corruption has been suppressed. However, the fight to continue our takeover of the Republican party may still be achievable at the National Republican Convention in St. Paul, Minn. Sept. 1-4.

I will be involved with the fight against corruption until we win.

For the majority of voters who didn't bother to research the candidates and vote the primary, there is still something you can do.

I personally feel, and felt all along, that Harley Kulkin would do a better fob of commissioner than I would have been able to do.

I ran against the incumbent because I want a change.

Some people who are willing to communicate with the people, and are not looking to become wealthy from this public service position.

I believe we can tell a lot about the incumbent's motives by the campaign contributions for a job that pays $24,000.

So I ask of all Pahrumpians, please vote for Harley in the general election and I promise to keep an eye on him.

DARRYL LACKEY

Your taxes and the road to nowhere

Jim Petell has spent a lot of time and effort to get the county roads department to work on a street (easement) that no one uses, not even him.

This street (easement) is called Neutral Street and is probably less than 700 feet long (now that it has been finished to its full length). It actually provides access to four parcels of land, two of which belong to Jim's neighbors.

Now, we the neighbors on all sides have never had anything against real progress and good use of funds delegated to the county roads use.

But it has often been stated by the county that the budget is limited and only important priorities must be addressed: School bus routes, safety issues, stoplights -- issues of real importance.

So the question is this: Why would the county spend such time and effort getting all 700 feet of Neutral Street finished when it will be a road used by no one and going nowhere?

It ends at the gravel pit with nowhere to turn around.

Jim Petell does not use this "road." None of the other neighbors uses this "road," nor does anyone intend to use it.

The county is paying to finish this road -- actually we have been paying taxes so the county can do this.

The gravel and completion of a road to nowhere makes no sense when so many of our county roads that are actually traveleded by people need attention.

We, the neighbors of Jim Petell, invite everyone in Pahrump to come out and see how your tax dollars are being spent.

You take the trip to the end of Neutral Street -- but don't fall in the gravel pit. You may have trouble turning around.

Find Neutral Street on your phone book map north of Linda and Leslie.

Neutral Street takes you to the gravel pit -- a 10-12 foot drop. Hopefully, they put a dead end sign and an "end of road" warning out there.

Then ask yourselves, "How much did this all cost and who will it help?" Really?

Jim Petell uses another road and there is more to this story.

Working for real progress we are, respectfully, the neighbors of Jim Petell.

RON AND RUTH CAMP

Response to Cyndi Thomas letter

It was with great interest that I read the letter to the editor titled "Longing for patience, fairness," sent by Cyndi Thomas regarding her opinion of Judge Davis, district judge of the Fifth Judicial District of Nevada.

Ms. Thomas' letter appears to be a very personal attack against Judge Davis and imputes some favoritism towards me.

Although she states she has worked for a lawyer for many years, Ms. Thomas appears to have very little knowledge of the legal system or courtroom procedure. She further states, "Recently, she was subject to a court case in Tonopah with John Davis presiding. During the court case Judge Davis refused to listen carefully to both sides of an opening statement. He actually cut off one of the defending lawyers during the opening statement, while the prosecutor got to fully explain the case.

If taken at face value, Ms. Thomas then must have been involved in a criminal case because that is the only case in which a prosecutor is authorized.

There must have been more than one defendant because she refers to "defending lawyers." But then she talks about Davis stopping a defendant's testimony, allowing the plaintiff to fully explain the case and not the defendant's lawyer, which would be referring to a civil case.

How can her opinion have value when she attempts to explain bias when she cannot distinguish between a criminal matter and a civil matter?

Contrary to Ms. Thomas' statement, I grew up in Esmeralda County and worked as a law clerk for Judge Beko, acted as deputy district attorney of Nye County as well as having a private practice in Central Nevada in excess of 25 years.

Over the years, I have worked alongside three district judges in Nye County, and I personally consider Judge Davis as hard working, diligent, fair and more courteous to all parties and attorneys than any judges who have previously served.

Ms. Thomas has made reference to me as "Davis' current friend," in addition to numerous other comments. If Ms. Thomas is insinuating some kind of special favoritism, then it hasn't happened to me. If Ms. Thomas would like to personally contact me, I can cite plenty of cases in which Judge Davis has ruled against me.

I request that the Tonopah Times readers get both sides of the story before putting much stock in Ms. Thomas' "longing for patience, fairness" letter. Take a few minutes either to sit in the courtroom and see Judge Davis in action or talk to the many attorneys who present cases before him, including the district attorney's offices and the offices of the public defender of Mineral, Esmeralda and Nye Counties.

I believe that manipulating this newspaper for a personal, biased and obviously inaccurate attack is belittling to the Nye County readers.

Perhaps Ms. Thomas would like to personally step forward to discuss her grievances and participate in the many campaign forums and address Judge Davis directly.

RICK LAWTON, ESQ.

Why vote for McGinness

I have seen a few signs on Route 160 that say "vote for Mike McGinness."

The only time in the last six years that I have heard or seen anything about Sen. Mike McGinness was a few years ago when he was patting himself on the back that Pahrump had a hospital. Of course, that was before it was built.

Can some of our more astute citizens educate me on why I should vote for the mysterious Mike McGinness?

I pulled up his sketchy bio on the internet and it looks to me that he is more concerned with what goes on in the northern part of our state. The only time that I'm aware the man exists is at election time.

RICHARD A. BROWN

Cleaning up the signs

We all know how long it takes before all the eyesore campaign signs disappear.

I have a suggestion of a certain way to rid us of this nuisance. All we need is a law with teeth in it. A way to get that?

How about making one that requires the candidate who wins or loses, who spends the most money during that voting day, responsible for the removal of all the signs?

I'm sure that if a petition were circulated, it'd have no problem passing, and make it so his or her assets could be attached with a lien for damages in case he or she refuses to obey the law.

WILLIAM J. LATHROP

Snowing in Pahrump

I was a candidate for justice of the peace here in Pahrump and I finished sixth in a field of 13. Even though I had an enormous amount of support from the average citizen, I only received 327 votes.

For the past eight months I have been trying to get our County Clerk to allow independent vote monitors to stand alongside anyone who is counting votes, but this request was always denied.

Aug. 12, after the primary election was over, Sandra Merlino, the Nye County Clerk, had several people at her office to act as her alibi to the fact that she doesn't conduct secret vote counts, but they were never allowed to actually see the vote count. They had to stay behind a counter approximately 25 feet away, and Merlino was the only person able to see any lists of candidates or any vote totals.

Again, we had another Nye County secret vote count, but I have to give credit to Merlino because she is slick.

She actually had people believing that they were monitoring the vote count even though they weren't able to see anything.

Back in Chicago, we call this a snow job because she convinced people they were seeing something they couldn't actually see.

I am not a disgruntled candidate but I am a disgruntled citizen, taxpayer, voter and veteran because without independent vote count monitors, we will never be sure if our elected officials are actually elected by the people.

Honest and fair elections are the foundation of a free society, but secret vote counts are nothing more than a path back to slavery for all people.

LOUIS J. DECANIO

Costly mistake

Imagine that -- something inappropriate taking place with the elections in Nye County.

The race between incumbent J.E. "Doc" McNeely against Kathleen Bienenstein and the other race between incumbent Harold Tokerud and Courtland Ofelt being placed on the primary election ballot by mistake was a very costly mistake, not only for the county clerk's office but for the individuals campaigning to represent the school board.

Kathleen Bienenstein spent a lot of money for posters, political cards, etc., and gas to campaign all over her district.

Mr. Ofelt, on the other hand, didn't spend one penny, according to his own admission.

J.E. McNeely, the so-called incumbent, was an appointee because he lived in Amargosa and barely made an effort to campaign,

The state apparently told the county clerk, Sam Merlino, "there was really no harm done." Really.

That is quite a simple statement when some candidates have already spent a thousand dollars and have to start all over.

Ms. Merlino has just cost the taxpayers a lot of money and she has been in this position for several years. She should have checked to make sure she was up to date on any legal changes to the election laws before the ballots were printed.

How long is it going to take her to become proficient in her position?

Our primary election very clearly indicated some candidates were elected to pursue positions they were not qualified for. Take justice of the peace, for instance

If you break the law, do you want to have someone impose a fine or jail/prison sentence on you who has no legal education, experience or background? As a citizen, wouldn't you demand more protection?

When you go to the polls to vote, you need to understand you are voting for someone that is going to represent the people and the laws of the land, not their personal bias.

This is not a laughing matter. We are only as respectable as the people we elect to public office.

JOYCE SMITH-CALL

Answer this

Tell me if I'm wrong.

Pahrump is an un-incorporated town. The town board is really an advisory board to the county commissioners, so if a advisory board member has to be replaced, is that not the county commissioner's job and not the Governor's?

So if the county commission wants somebody else on the advisory council, that should be their choice, not the governor's.

Wouldn't the governor replace a county commissioner if necessary?

TOM WRIGHT

Open letter to the people of Nye

Hello:

I first want to thank Commissioners Joni Eastly, Butch Borasky, Midge Carver, Gary Hollis and Peter Liakopoulos for providing me the opportunity to manage Nye County. I am truly humbled and honored. I promise to:

* Do my very best in helping to move our county forward in an ever-improving manner.

* I pledge to keep an open mind and an open ear to suggestions and ideas.

* I promise to maintain the highest ethical standards.

* I promise to strive for changes that are good and necessary for all citizens of Nye County.

* I promise to never knowingly do harm to this county and its people.

* During my watch, I pledge to be ever vigilant, watchful and protective of our resources.

To the citizens of Nye County, I take this opportunity to serve you very seriously. I want to assure you that I will work for the betterment of this county. I promise to:

* Listen to your complaints and concerns

* Take appropriate action

* Be resourceful in using the assets of the county

* Exercise restraint in forming premature opinions

* Always provide due diligence

* Be frugal with your money

* Be helpful and attentive to your needs

* Be ever vigilant in seeking new economic advantage for our county

* Actively seek, recruit and encourage projects which will provide additional jobs to our county

* Periodically seek your opinion on issues of importance

To the business owners of Nye County, I want to assure you that the jobs you provide to our citizens are very important. The taxes you pay are vital to our very existence. I promise to:

* Listen to your complaints and concerns

* Take appropriate action

* Always provide due diligence

* Be fair with you in all of our dealings

* Establish a new improved method of communication

* Strive to be sensitive to your needs

* Actively solicit your thoughts and recommendations on ways government can help your business improve

* Actively solicit your thoughts to identify the actions of government which are counter productive to your delivery of goods or services

To the employees of Nye County, I look forward to working with you in moving our county forward.

* I'm not a manager who makes changes for the sake of making change. I believe there should be a reason behind change.

* I am neither a micro- nor a laissez-faire manager.

* I prefer to delegate responsibilities where possible.

* I do, however, expect to be kept informed of our progress.

Perhaps due to my law enforcement background, I do not see many shades of gray, most issues are black and white with me.

I promise to be fair with you; I ask that you be fair with me.

Respectfully,

RICHARD L. OSBORNE SR.