What about race?

I am the product of the union of a truly beautiful Irish lady and a handsome Norwegian man.

Candidate Obama is a mixture of a black and white couple, which were equally handsome/beautiful.

I have always wondered why we call him black and me Norwegian to designate our races. The casual observer could just as accurately call the candidate "white" and me Irish.

Why can't we view the children of both parents, all of brilliant parents, instead of one being black and the other white?

If I were the candidate, I would answer the continually asked question of the candidate: What are your opinions on race?

I suggest that he point out that if people vote for him, they could expect to get two well-qualified people for the price of one.

RAYMOND OLSON

Are we ready?

As a former small town police chief, member of a planning commission and supervisor of public works, I am familiar with many of the challenges that small cities must face.

Incorporation is by no means a silver bullet, which can instantly transform a town into a stable, progressive and prosperous community. Only well-managed local government and involved residents can accomplish those objectives, whether a town is incorporated or not.

I think we'd all agree that Pahrump has reached a crossroads in its development.

If the town were to become incorporated, would that improve the circumstances of working citizens, of our children or our retirees? What exactly are the advantages and disadvantages?

And if we continue as a somewhat laid-back collection of homes and businesses straddling a rather unremarkable state road on the edge of the Mojave Desert, what's so bad about that?

In arriving at a consensus on this most important subject, it is necessary, I believe, to consider where we are now and where we hope to be as a community, five, 10, 20 years down the road.

I've read that many residents lament the fact that following high school, our youth tend to leave Pahrump in search of a better life elsewhere.

Their reasons vary. They go to seek new experiences in places they've never been. They are driven by the desire for job opportunities unavailable to them here at home.

Looking objectively at their options, young people might well ask, "Why stay here? What is Pahrump's essence -- it's core value?" Some favor the small-town atmosphere. Others tout our low per capita crime rate and less traffic than in larger urban areas.

Differing opinions and willingness to participate serve to make Pahrump or any town a more desirable place to live. It is, after all, the tapestry of divergent ideas and effort that gives a town its character, culture and interest.

But to stay healthy, a community is obliged to seek the common good, which correlates to effective government.

In some respects a town is analogous to an adolescent.

From puberty to the late teens, youngsters grow strong both mentally and physically. There comes a time, however, when they no longer see themselves as children. They no longer want to be told what to do or how to do it. They're no longer willing to accept the explanations and decisions handed down to them by their elders.

At that level of maturity they feel prepared to manage their own affairs day to day. Some towns, like some adolescents, are ready for the step.

Is Pahrump mature enough to assert its identity as a city? Are residents no longer satisfied relying on the county commission as their main source of government?

Have Pahrumpians reached a point where they prefer to elect their own mayor and board of commissioners; a body with the power to enact ordinances, organize departments of administration, public works, fire, police, set levies, maintain a balanced budget, and create a development plan that provides a clear vision for managed growth?

Make no mistake about it, incorporation is an adult venture that demands we leave behind those simpler, perhaps more carefree days of catch-as-catch-can townspeople.

As a city, our mayor and commissioners will officially represent their constituents to the county, other cities and to the state legislature.

The status of being a city carries with it many responsibilities as well as authority to act. A city commands respect and requires a government that performs its duties in accordance with its own as well as state regulatory procedures.

There are benefits to residing within the incorporated limits of a political subdivision; better management of, and improvements to, infrastructure, districts that are properly represented and a coherent administration, to name a few.

It's inevitable that becoming a city will bring about numerous changes, great and small. Now is figuratively and literally a time of commencement.

We Pahrumpians are on the cusp of a new age.

Are we ready to take the next step? Are we ready for childhood's end?

RALPH BAZAN

Need flags

My son, Eric, is currently working on his Eagle Scout project and we could use some help.

He is collecting a minimum of 50 American flags that are in need of proper retirement. After he collects them, he will be performing a full-dress retirement ceremony for a group of Scouts.

We hope to have collected enough flags by the end of June.

If you have an American flag or flags that need to be retired, could you please call Bill, 910-1567.

We would also appreciate you asking other people you know to help him achieve his goal.

We really appreciate the help and a huge thank you to those who have already given us flags.

CHRIS AND ERIC PARKER

Thanks for the cleanup help

This past Saturday, from 8 to 11:30 a.m. saw about 50 volunteers at the shooting range on Bell Vista conducting a much-needed clean up.

We would like to thank everyone that came out and helped. We would also like to thank John and Damon Shea and their crew from Pahrump Valley Disposal for their help.

In a three-and-a-half-hour period, we were able to get out all the abandoned cars, boats, and appliances, along with much of the other garbage.

We still have much to clean up. To this end, we will be contacting everyone who helped to come out and finish this project. We will be forming a new group to help maintain this range.

With Pahrump growing, we all need a clean, safe and free place to target practice.

You have to love people in shooting sports. They are independent and focused, they came out, asked for very little and just got the job done.

If you would like to help, call Peter Liakopoulos at 537-1955. Thanks again for all your help.

COMMISSIONERS GARY HOLLIS AND PETER LIAKOPOULOS

Minimum wage likely from CCA

This detention center is going to house federal prisoners, this is true.

But the truth is that it will be owned, operated and managed by Corrections Corporation of America, not the federal government.

CCA contracts out to the federal, state and local governments to house prisoners at a cost that is much less than if the government was running the prison.

Mostly this reduced cost is due to paying correctional officers minimum wage, much below the cost of a more highly- and continually-trained government correctional officer.

Lower wages are not going to improve the level of your current residents of Pahrump.

CCA will be recruiting your residents that need a job just to survive from day to day. They will not provide a profession for your residents to move up the ladder of income.

Have you considered what will happen if the prison has a riot?

Remember that CCA is a private company, not the federal government.

They will be calling on the town of Pahrump for assistance in fire, medical, natural disaster (fire, flood, earthquake) and police in their times of emergency.

Is the Town of Pahrump ready to provide this assistance? And who will pay for it?

Also, the prisoner's families will follow the inmates to Pahrump. Do you want them?

You may be wondering why I have written this as I am not a resident of Pahrump. I have been looking for property in Pahrump for over a year as I would like to relocate to the state of Nevada, and your location and lifestyle had pulled me in your direction. However, now I'm not so sure.

RET. LIEUTENANT, STEPHEN L. HOLBO

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Lackey in conflict with the facts

In the May 30 edition of the PVT, an interview of candidates for the District 3 commissioner seat was published. I appreciate anyone who takes an active part in government.

I read where one of the candidates, Darryl Lackey, stated the following: "He wants the truth, not lies. The people need to know all the facts, not just some of the facts. Until you know all the facts, you cannot make proper decisions," he said.

For a candidate who states over and over again that facts and truth is the cornerstone of his campaign, he is already in conflict with them.

I wish Mr. Lackey would have contacted the sheriff's office before he made the following misstatement: Lackey complained "Nye County Sheriff's patrol cars were driving over the pass from Las Vegas. I'm pretty sure we have deputies living over there, and if they can take their squad cars home with them, that uses up about a tenth of their miles."

No patrol unit of the Nye County Sheriff's Office travels to Las Vegas to a deputy's residence, repeat, none. The patrol units travel to Las Vegas for a variety of reasons, all of them business related, such as; meeting with other agencies involving investigations, court, evidence transport, training, prisoner transport for medical issues which cannot be treated in Nye County, and so on.

A phone call to this office would have cleared this matter up -- if you wanted to be armed with the facts.

In addition, allow me the opportunity to clarify a math question. You claim that a NCSO unit traveling to and from Las Vegas uses one tenth of their miles. The average miles placed on a NCSO unit assigned to Pahrump daily runs from about 160 to 200 miles.

Las Vegas is approximately 60 miles one way, for a total of about 120 miles round trip.

The fact is, that depending on the miles placed on the unit for that day, the commute to and from Las Vegas would use about 75 or 60 percent, respectively of the daily mileage placed on that NCSO South Area Command Unit.

You cannot claim secrecy in government if you do not ask questions.

TONY DEMEO, SHERIFF

A mere 'thanks'

A mere "thanks" is not nearly enough to say to a really noble man who, Saturday afternoon at Wal-Mart, turned in my purse that I had left in the cart.

I didn't realize it was missing until I got clear into my driveway, then panic struck.

As I was returning to the store, to hopefully retrieve it, I was following a car that had painted on its back window, "God Loves Us." I was hoping this was true and now I know that He loves this kind man who returned my purse to the store.

Bless you, sir.

WILLABELLE MOORE

Knowledge about incorporation

In response to Charlene Weber's letter regarding the proposal to incorporate the Town of Pahrump, it's evident she has never experienced the transformation from unincorporation to incorporation.

Before writing a letter warning everyone that they should investigate incorporation, she should have investigated it herself. All I read in her letter is a lot of "I've heard" and "people have told me."

This is no way to make a serious decision, let alone telling others that it is a bunch of garbage, when you don't have the answers yourself.

As far as her trip to the assessor's office in regard to her property taxes, that has nothing to do with incorporation. The assessor's office is a Nye County department and would never be a city entity. If "the powers to be," as you refer to them, decide to raise the tax rate, then everyone in the county pays them and being a city or unincorporated has nothing to do with it.

As far as a new book of rules, well kind of, you already have a town board and a city manager so I don't see much difference there.

As far as a mayor, the city commissioners can take turns being the mayor, as they do with the county commissioners when it comes to being chairman.

The police and fire protection would be contracted with the county. You contract to the county for a specified number of cars, and that's your police department. The same money you are paying for them now.

In 1960, my family lived in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, near the Downy area. We were a rural community of quarter-acre parcels. They decided to incorporate and did so without any problems.

Nobody made us put in sidewalks and curbs or sewers. They are there now, but so many years later. Just as there will be here sooner or later, with or without incorporation.

My father was on the planning commission for nine years and was the city's first park commissioner, so I am somewhat familiar with city incorporation.

As far as some folks refusing to take an interest in their property, I totally agree with you. Some time back, a handful of people moved here to "do as they damned well please," and they don't understand it's time for them to move on.

Maybe incorporation would solve some of these problems and we could be proud residents of the city of Pahrump. On the other hand, we could just be the folks from the southern part of Nye County that call Pahrump the "Dump."

People should attend meetings and find out all they can, then judge for themselves -- ill-gotten information is worse than none at all.

Also, I might add I am not associated with, nor do I know, anyone on the committee for incorporation. I would hope they will aggressively publish the meeting dates and times so we will be informed.

JANE SCHMIDT

May God save us

If voters are not fed up enough with the seemingly never-ending campaign for president, which has gone on far too long, the "information meeting" pushing incorporation held at the Chamber of Commerce, must similarly rank right up there as the on-going comedy, except for its seriousness.

Oh, it was quite a presentation anchored by Mr. Al Balloqui, the apparent front man for the faceless promoters of this dangerous virus, who instead of being forced to sign their freedoms away on an attendance form, like the rest of us -- stuck to their longevity-ridden anonymity like stealth controllers.

Having never met the man, I must confess that he was quite impressive in his presentation with his professional-like demeanor, clear voice, quick wit and appearing to be a friendly neighbor to one and all. In fact, big Al was so convincing that he could probably sell icebergs to Eskimos, as well as enhancing "Slick Willie/Hillary" Clinton's ongoing dog and pony road show.

Would the folks who funded this expensive production; flyers, handouts, and really high-tech use of computer endowed visual aids -- please come forward and introduce yourselves to your potential subjects -- us low-down, taxed-to-death fools?

Mr. B. failed to convince most of the attendees that his outfit did serious research and important due diligence seeking to back up their propagandized "facts." For example: When asked about Bethesda, Md., a community of about 100,000 people which is unincorporated, his response was unbelievable.

You can bet that the nearby Washington, D.C. liberalism would certainly influence eastern wannabee's hustling on change, would not hesitate to force a flawed agenda on an innocent public.

Moreover, it is conceivable that in this silly season, voters are much like mosquitoes in a nudist camp -- vastly confused and worn out. Seeking the truth should be the top priority for all registered voters. Never mind all the phony hoopla. Do we really need more waste, fraud and corruption than we already have?

After three previous attempts to incorporate our rural community by this gang of stealth shysters failed overwhelmingly, pray tell, what part of "no" don't these brain surgeons get?

The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. May God save us.

VINCE BOGDAN

An officer with some class

This letter is to say how grateful I am for the job done in the investigation and arrests made in the burglary at our mobile home and RV park.

Officer Tidmarsh responded in short order and began taking statements. The same day arrests were made by said officer.

The great part was his demeanor. He was so courteous and patient with everyone giving statements and was a real gentleman.

It's so nice to speak to an officer without being talked down to. We need more officers like Tidmarsh.

He earned my respect by being respectful.

PHIL GARWOOD

Park Manager

Low as you can go

Of the many good letters in the PVT, I have chosen to comment on Willi Baer's May 23 "Where was everyone?"

I regret that I did not attend since I was aware of the seminar date and subject.

Human trafficking is about as low as anybody can stoop in today's society and the perpetrators seem to prey on small communities for their slaves.

I come from a small community in Kansas and the weekly paper carries weekly ads soliciting the victims. I think those ads even extend to adoptions, etc.

It behooves all decent humanity to be alert to the possibilities of the slavery of which Mr. Baer speaks.

Thanks to Mr. Baer for his commentary.

BOB WEETHEE

Osborne, Kan.

Thanks to the community

We would like to extend a special thank you, to all those in the community who contributed to our walk-a-thon held on May 24 to help assist our missionaries.

Thanks for making it a huge success.

MARGARET JAMES

Church of the Pentecost