|
Never
Say Nev-ah-da, Please The
old proverb, when in Rome, do as the Roman's do leads to some frustration
in Nevada. Roman, Greco, or Native American, Nevada's place names
are unique. We offer you a chance to join us in some fun. In the
next few paragraphs the editors of The Observer will bring a few
of the state's problem names to the surface, and then ask you to
send in some more. Just jump on the "talk to us" link
and use Place Names in the subject line. We'll print many of the
funniest and strangest in future editions.
As we have done here, please add the correct pronunciation guide
if it's necessary. We don't need to add to the confusion. Have fun
with this.
When in Italy, we say Genoa (JEN'uhwah), and in Nevada
we say Genoa (GenOH'wah). Aida was written by Verdi (VEHR'dee),
but Cory Farley lives in Verdi (VUR'DIE'), and there probably
are few towns in the country named Beowawe or Pioche or Pahrump.
Nevada is unique in many ways, and its geographic place names create
a few problems for the unwary. The state's highest peak sits right
on the state line separating California and Nevada, called Boundary
Peak in the White Mountains, but a lot of people give that honor
to Wheeler Peak in White Pine County, in the Great Basin National
Park. Wheeler is actually the second highest. The third highest
peak is Mt. Jefferson, a twin peak mountain in the Toquima Range
overlooking the Big Smoky Valley on one side and the Monitor Valley
on the other.
In northern Nevada it's the local valleys that seem to give those
in broadcasting so many fits. To wit: Reno and Sparks are located
in the Truckee Meadows, not Washoe Valley as one coffee shop ad
keeps telling us. Washoe Valley is where Washoe Lake is. Carson
City is not in Carson Valley, despite what a local weather man tells
us nightly. Carson Valley is where Gardnerville and Minden are.
Carson City is in Eagle Valley. Let the games begin.
Legislators
Might Need Help Wanted Ads
Looking back from the vantage point of at least a little bit of
time, some of the problems that took place during the 2003 legislative
session fall into place, a context is discovered, and it relates
to not completing the job. The voters of Nevada twice passed an
initiative that mandates the legislature pass any tax bill by at
least a two thirds majority, the legislature passed and accepted
the petition, and it was signed off by the governor.
No one at any time along the process asked about another mandate
that requires the state to fund education. That the education budget
be passed, no questions asked, and it isn't clear whether the initiative
petition delves into the question. As if no tax regarding education
would ever come up for action. And then, following supreme court
intervention, the legislature did finally pass the budget, which
included money for schools. The package was so fouled that more
than four months later, the Nevada Commission on Taxation is still
trying to figure out what the legislature's intent was.
As incredible as it sounds, many in the assembly had less than an
hour to go over the final plan. According to Assemblyman John Marvel,
the tax commission will have a difficult time even trying to figure
out what is actually in the tax plan more or less the intent of
the legislators. The taxes are being worked on as you read this,
and some were required to go into effect on October 1.
The state's budget is in the neighborhood of $5 billion, so the
tax increase of $836 million is significant, and to try and understand
how our elected representatives could allow themselves to only have
an hour or so to understand that significance is hard to swallow.
In the real world of business where this type of incompetence leads
to unemployment, heads would still be rolling. By constitutional
mandate, Nevada must operate under a fully funded balanced budget,
and the legislature's primary concern should be that budget. This
year, and it certainly isn't the first time the group has frittered
away their Carson City time, they spent so much time on so many
things other than the budget, that they were eventually faced with
a panic attack which forced them to face the Big Bad Budget Wolf.
It was past practices of not doing their work within assigned time
limitations that forced mandatory time limits on the legislative
process. By law, the legislature is required to finish their work
within 120 days. So much for that thought. During the time between
regular biennial sessions, a legislative interim committee takes
care of day to day problems.
Because of an inability to understand what time limits mean, the
Budget Wolf bit them in the ass and the governor was forced to call,
not one, not two, but three special sessions, and the representatives
received a scolding by the supreme court, as well, before they could
get their job done.
As a long time Nevada resident, I can remember the days when the
assembly ways and means committee, in particular its chairman Don
Mello, would grill department heads over their proposed budgets.
Maybe grill is too mellow a word to use here. Unmerciful interrogation
would better describe what the agency heads were faced with during
committee meetings. Every penny had to be justified, and those committee
meetings were usually the highlight of each legislative session. Times, yes they have changed, but it seems to me it's time to go back to days when budget requests were analyzed, discussed for weeks on end, and conclusions reached based on justification of the requests and needs of each agency. Tax increases totaling $836 million isn't something to be passed off as a request for floor mops or paper towels. A couple of hours to digest a budget in the neighborhood of $5 billion demands the respect of our legislature, and should never be left to fend for itself in the final minutes of a session. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |