Letters to the Editor for May 8, 2019

Consider keeping Carson Street open at three lanes

I can’t believe city Supervisor Brad Bonkowski is trying to fool the citizens and taxpayers of Carson City into thinking we have a shortfall for road maintenance. I’d love to know what road maintenance they’ve been doing for the past few years if they’ve been allotting $15 million each year, ‘cuz I sure haven’t seen it?

He wants to tax us to death and thinks the state and federal government are the answers. He wants to institute fuel indexing which we voters voted down years ago. Well, it works in Clark County? Uh, hello... We are not Clark County, and I invite Bonkowski to please move there if that’s how he wishes to live, but leave the rest of us alone.

I feel if the city government would just watch its spending and stop with all the projects that are self-fulfilling and manage our money the way I hope Bonkowski manages his own, this shouldn’t be an issue. Sometimes you just have to not have the newest expensive toy at Christmas if your budget won’t allow it. That’s life. Get used to it.

My husband had an awesome idea. How about leaving Carson Street alone? Keep it as the three lanes it is rather than take it down to two lanes each direction with the path. You already have a lot of the path area in place on the east side you can work with on that frontage road. They’re inviting thousands more people to come live here, but they’re trying to bottleneck the traffic in all directions which doesn’t make any sense.

Leaving Carson Street as the three lanes it needs to be would save millions of dollars the city could use for the annual street maintenance he insists we need and save drivers a lot of frustration in the process.

Stop your overspending. Stop trying to turn us into Clark or Washoe County.

Lisa Partee

Carson City

Board should be more strategic on road maintenance

Au contraire, Mr. Bonkowski.

In regards to your silly notions about road maintenance, waiting for the feds or the state to fix the road maintenance problems in our city is pure folly. Of course, you seem to think that new and increased taxes are the way to go. That is neither out-of-the-box thinking nor is it the solution to the road maintenance problems. The solution to this city’s road maintenance problems is the Board of Supervisors needs to stop making foolish decisions.

Foolish decisions like agreeing to have our residents pay for this freeway the state is responsible for providing. Foolish decisions like agreeing to take ownership of the state highways and roads as the freeway was built. Foolish decisions like paying to move city infrastructure out of the way of the freeway. The foolish decision to take ownership to contaminated land you are a party to. Foolish decisions like spending millions making downtown beautiful. Yes, the infrastructure was needed, but that was less than half the money spent on the project. Foolish decisions like giving millions in tax kickbacks to favored business.

No, sir, Bonkowski, our street problems don’t need more federal or state solutions.

No, sir, Bonkowski, we don’t need your nefarious tax schemes to solve our road problems.

What we need, Bonkowski, is for the Board of Supervisors to stop making foolish decisions.

Maurice White

Carson City

Earth Day Carson City 2019 a success

Sunshine and smiling faces greeted the Earth Day celebrations in Carson City on April 28. Held at the Historical Society Roberts House, it was the perfect setting to share the importance of our pollinators.

This educational event hosted by Bee City USA Carson City No. 76 and Great Basin Beekeepers of Nevada. There were many exhibitors all involved with our environment, sharing their knowledge and goals: local garden clubs, nurseries, Parks and Recreation, water management and habitat, Greenhouse Project, Carson City Chamber leadership, UNR Cooperative Extension, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Sierra Club and River Wranglers. Visitors enjoyed the speakers on pollinator-friendly gardening, beekeeping, integrated pest management and Nevada native plants, trees and wildlife.

This event was made possible with dedication and hard work by our members with special thanks to Bee City US No. 76 Carson City; Great Basin Beekeepers of Nevada; Debbie Lane, president of Carson City Historical Society; and Kelly Clark and Linda Groves, event planning and coordination, GBBN. Comfort stations were provided by Paula Cannon, the exhibitors’ lunch was prepared by Nevada Cattlewomen and sponsored by Great Basin Beekeepers of Nevada. Carson City Cultural and Tourism Authority provided the advertising, and posters were designed by Tara Burke.

Other events are planned this summer and will be advertised on social media, fliers and in the newspaper.

Thanking everyone again for supporting the future of our environment,

Gillian A. Mellor, chair, Bee City USA No. 76

Carson City

Horses judged more closely than U.S. president

After watching the Kentucky Derby, it occurred to me that race horses are held to a higher level of accountability than the president of the United States.

Vincent Barnes

Carson City