Letters to the editor Feb. 26

How can Carson afford project right now?

Mr. Mayor, having watched your board meeting Feb. 17, I perceive a serious problem confronting you and your board - your city manager. Every other community in this state, our university system and indeed, our state government, are struggling financially with huge deficits.

Yet, our city manager, whom the supervisors look to for advice and direction, would have us believe that Carson City is immune from the adverse economic conditions that every other government jurisdiction in this state is contending with.

At your board meeting, in discussion of the proposed City Center project, the city manager said $1.2 million would be available from the general fund, and another $500,000 from redevelopment on top of the millions more proposed from an increase in the sales tax.

When questioned by board members, he without reservation, gave his endorsement to the project. The only board member with education and experience who is qualified to render an opinion as to the financial feasibility of the project, John McKenna, disagreed.

I would submit that our city manager's endorsement of this project should be challenged on the basis that he does not have the financial qualifications to advise the board in their determination as to the financial feasibility of a public investment of $31.9 million.

A reminder - it was our city manager who provided the oversight to the business development department that led to the tax incentive debacle which profited the Southgate Shopping Center and its tenants.

Clark Russell

Carson City

Streamline government to run efficiently

If we are serious as a nation regarding resolving our economic and social problems, we must review and revise the means and methods by which we are governed. We have village governments, town governments, city governments, county governments, state governments and, of course, the federal government.

It seems to me that there is a division or replication of services that defies efficiency or necessity. I believe that as a nation, we need to eliminate this huge waste and streamline our government institutions so that they run efficiently while effectively meeting the needs of our citizens. If this was done in a thoughtful way, we could resolve many of our problems in short order.

However, two questions arise:

1. Do we have the political will to do what is really necessary to fix the system? 2. Is everyone in our nation prepared to share equally in the discomfort and pain inevitably brought on by sometimes undesired but necessary change?

Gary Nigro

Carson City