Brian Kunzi of Nevada’s Attorney General’s office and now a candidate for election for District Attorney of Nye County has launched his campaign website. You can find out a lot about Mr. Kunzi on the site. He lays out his platform in some detail. [See Issues]

His outline addresses his view of:

Improving the Processing of Cases. Specifically he seeks to decrease the time for the review of criminal cases. Like any law office, time is money. Reducing the time it takes to review a case submitted for prosecution and deciding whether to file charges or not in the majority of cases should not be delayed unnecessarily. In the majority of cases the determination can be made within an hour or less, whether felony or misdemeanor, from the information contained in the police reports. Some cases require some legal research before deciding or a request to the police agency for some follow-up investigation.

Nor should opinions be delayed any longer than necessary to render an objective, well reasoned opinion.

Crimes by Youth. Many crimes are committed by teenagers and young adults. A lot of those could be prevented by community programs in which kids will take an interest in. Pahrump isn’t well known for having an array of activities for kids. A wise prosecutor can differentiate juvenile crimes requiring full bore prosecution and those that can be handled with some “curbstone justice.” Some cops can make those kinds of distinctions and straighten out a kid summarily. Mr. Kunzi mentions something about a Trial by Peers Program he co-chairs in Clark County. I don’t have a clue what that program is or how it works. Perhaps he will expand on it during the campaign.

Community Service: A community service program whereby offenders can “work off” their punishment through community service is a good thought. That takes some cooperation from the judges and the police agency.

Equal application of the law: Kunzi brings up some instances of unequal application of law with respect to Preferred Equities. That was before my time in Nye County. Nonetheless, laws should be objectively and evenly applied irrespective of whom the defendant might be.

Honesty: Honest transparency in any governmental agency should be the norm. I don’t know the cases cited by Mr. Kunzi, however, the DA represents the people of the state of Nevada in any prosecution. Honesty should be respected.

So far as I know Mr. Kunzi’s website is the only up for any of the candidates for DA. I look forward to the other three candidates’ websites when they go up. It really helps to know what each think and plan to do, if anything, with respect to operation of that important office.

League of Women Voters of Pahrump Valley

SUNSHINE WEEK 2010 WEBCAST

BUILDING TRANSPARANCY IN GOVERNMENT

The League of Women Voters of Pahrump Valley will host a local viewing of the WEBCAST of the fifth annual Sunshine Week event being held at the Center for American Progress, Washington, D.C. and presented by OpenTheGovernment.org. The viewing will be held at Great Basin College,  Basin Campus on Friday, March 19 from 9am-Noon (PDT).

Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote the importance of open government and freedom of information.

The confirmed panelists include Norm Eisen, Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform, and Miriam Nisbet, the new Director of the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS).

Given the gravity of the issues facing our nation, the need for public access to governmental decisions and policies that affect all Americans is greater than ever. Access to this information allows citizens to hold their government accountable at the local, state, and national level. Whether it is to track how federal stimulus dollars are being spent or to attend a local government meeting where land use or school funding decisions are being made, “sunshine laws” afford us access and create government transparency.

As members of the League of Women Voters, we are continuously working to keep our community fair, vibrant and strong – starting with having an open and transparent government.

Almost 200 years ago, James Madison wrote, “A popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps, both.” His words remain a call to action today.

League of Women Voters of Pahrump Valley
PO Box 2432, Pahrump, NV 89041
Contact: (775) 443-7861 or lwvofpahrump@aol.com
Monthly Breakfast (optional) meetings held 2nd Saturday of each month at 8:30 a.m.
Pahrump Nugget, Highway 160, Pahrump, NV

Support the League of Women Voters

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Join the League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters is the organization where hands-on work to safeguard democracy leads to civic improvement. Add your voice to over 150,000 League members and supporters across the country in making democracy work.

Join the League of Women Voters, a respected national grassroots organization, where individuals like you are actively engaged in creating positive change on the local, state, and national levels. Become a member and serve as a leader in your community, and work to shape the important issues that keep our communities strong.

We are -

· Acting as a force to create positive, lasting change in our communities.

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· Educating citizens and fostering dialogue on pertinent issues – from healthcare and climate change to openness in government.

· Working to ensure that ALL votes are counted and ALL voices are heard.

· Preserving our constitutional rights.

· Working together to make democracy work!

We believe that sensible, responsible civil discourse and action based on substance rather than partisanship is essential for civic improvement. We believe that with leaders like you, we can make democracy work.

Join us and be part of the solution! Your community needs leaders like you to participate in order to be a strong, safe and vibrant place to live. Become a member and make an impact in your community.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF PAHRUMP VALLEY
P.O. BOX 2432, PAHRUMP, NV 89041
Contact: (775) 443-7861 or LWVofPahrump@aol.com

MONTHLY (Breakfast optional) MEETINGS HELD 2nd Saturday at 8:30 am
PAHRUMP NUGGET
HIGHWAY 160, PAHRUMP, NV
September – June

Ron Kent, Candidate for DA of Nye County

Last Monday, former Chief Civil Deputy District Attorney Ron Kent, having been terminated from his former job, is running for election to replace to replace current District Attorney Bob Beckett.

Kent kicked off his campaign last Monday at Wulfy’s Sports Lounge in Pahrump. Over 200 people showed up to hear Kent speak.

The question was “Why are you running for District Attorney?”

Kent explained “After agonizing over this for quite some time, I determined to run for the district attorney’s office. I’ve been asked several times ‘why are you gunning for the D.A.’s office?’ Really, after thinking about it, what came to mind was the expression, ‘what you see is what you get.’” He was referring to Beckett’s performance Pahrump Mirror reporter, Paul Jones, wrote. [Pahrump Mirror, Thursday, March 11, 1010, page 3]

Kent added,

For the past 15 years under the administration of the incumbent ‘what you see is what you get’ and this is what you will receive as the citizens and the voters of Nye County into the future.

Kent said he believed a vote for Beckett would be a vote for “maintaining the status quo.”

[T]he time is long overdue that we raise the bar for the district attorney’s office, that we bring the D.A.’s office into the new millennium. I believe that we need to increase the level of service and the quality of service to the citizens because, as I said before, you all deserve better.

It was reported that Mr. Kent was born in Nevada and has been practicing law in Nevada the past 27 years. He took the Chief Deputy District Attorney position 12 years ago.

He said the thought his experience within the DA’s office and knowledge of the community and government uniquely qualifies him to assume the position of District Attorney.

I know what works in the D.A.’s office, but even more so I know what does not work in the D.A.’s office. I believe that with the 27 years of experience in the broad filed of civil and criminal law that I have, my proven leadership skills, as well as the fact that I am intimately aware of all the problems confronting government, your leadership. All of these components, coupled together, uniquely equip me to act as your district attorney and build the D.A.’s office into a law firm, a real law firm, something that every citizen in this county should be proud of.

He went on to indicate he has plans to implement and improve the current systems in place in the office with programs he had been working on for years.

If I’m elected district attorney, I have plans in place to take administrative measures to improve the efficiency of the office, the productivity of the office, but once again, and most importantly, to increase the quality of the legal deliverables that ultimately are for the benefit for all of you in this room, your neighbors, your families and your businesses.

Kent is a graduate of Las Vegas High School. He holds a BA degree in Philosophyand Psychology from UNLV. He earned his degree in law from Southern Western University of Law in California.

Greetings,

On Saturday, April 10, 2010 the Nye County Democratic Party will be holding its Jefferson-Jackson Dinner at the Nevada Treasure Resort in Pahrump.  The evening begins at 7:00 pm.  Our speakers will be; Senator Harry Reid, Congresswomen Berkley and Titus, State Treasurer Marshall and State Controller Kim Wallin.  We will also have candidates for office speaking.

Tickets are:  $40.00 each/$70.00 per couple/$300.00 per table.  You may call me at 775-910-3494 to order tickets or you may send a check to:  1201 S. Hwy 160, Suite 105, Pahrump, NV 89048.  If you would like the tickets mailed to you, please enclose a SASE otherwise you may pick them up at the door. 

We need to get an accurate count for dinner for the caterer, so please contact me as soon as possible if you will be coming.

We are looking forward to seeing you there.

Kathleen L. Bienenstein,

Chair, Nye County Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Committee

Pahrump, Nevada

For those of you who may not know, Pahrump, a town of almost 40,000 residents is not incorporated. It has no mayor or any of the other attributes of an incorporated city.

There is been periodic talk in this town of incorporating it. The issue is being debated, the pros and the cons of incorporation.

Last night, February 18, a public meeting was held for the public to voice their views and concerns about incorporation of Pahrump. The meeting is being held by the Pahrump Incorporation Advisory Board.

Last night’s meeting has come and gone but there are four more scheduled.

Pahrump residents can submit their questions and concerns about incorporation to Pahrump Town Manager, William Kohbarger at b.kohbarger@pahrumpnv.org.

[Source: Pahrump Mirror, Front Page, February 18, 2010]

The following is a letter to the editor that appeared in today’s Las Vegas Sun. It was written by a school teacher, Jeremy Christensen of Las Vegas. I’m running it here because I agree with what Mr. Christensen writes:

“It’s time to stop whining that education in Nevada doesn’t work because of a lack of funding,” Gov. Jim Gibbons said in his State of the State address last week. “We need to quit throwing money at programs that haven’t worked and don’t work for our children.”

What hasn’t worked and doesn’t work for our children is throwing clichés and ideology at problems.

This question is not as complicated as it seems. What is a reasonable cost to educate a child? Most of the other states in our nation believe that it costs more than what we spend in Nevada. How do these other states pay for the generous investments they make to educate their children?

Forty-five states in our country have an effective state-level corporate tax rate of at least 5 percent. How long have zealous ideologues proclaimed that businesses would flee if we even considered any taxes on corporations? These corporations pay taxes almost everywhere else in the United States. How long have our children suffered some of the largest class sizes in the nation and parades of long-term substitutes in vital courses such as mathematics because of this outrageous lie?

The state of Nevada is not making a good-faith effort to provide quality education for its children. Apparently our children have no voice or heroes to stand up for them and say enough is enough. The greatest sins in Sin City are committed against its children.

Governor “No New Taxes” Gibbons has a duty to those school children to see that their education proceeds with quality and unabated. It is his duty as elected governor whether he wants to raise taxes or not. I personally don’t care whether he gets re-elected or not. I didn’t vote for him to start with. I do care about the education of Nevada’s children.

All my kids are now grown with kids of their own. All still in California, which has its own financial problems. My grand daughter, Joan, will graduate from the University of California-Chico in June. She plans to then attend law school. She works and attends college now, has she has done since she started. One of my grand sons, Aaron, is attending college in California with the objective of obtaining a degree for his future as an accountant. He also works to pay for and attend school. But the financial burden of college tuition and expenses for law school are mammoth to a 22 year old.

Cutting the education budget, again, as proposed by Governor Gibbons, may be expedient to him, but not to those kids trying to get a college education.

Nevada maintains one of the lowest commitments in the nation for education. California is slipping fast, losing it’s once high education status.

I read that Nevada’s mining industry has enjoyed a low rate of taxation for 150 years. The implication being that that industry does not pay its fair share of taxes—a tax status that is unfair to ordinary taxpayers in Nevada.

I, frankly, think it is time that Governor Gibbons begin to realize that his obligation to Nevada taxpayers is higher than his adherence to his “no new taxes” creed. It is time to fairly and evenly raise taxes in Nevada, even if it requires applying a fair tax on the mining industry.

Carl Moore is a candidate for Nye County Commissioner for District 4. He is holding his Campaign kickoff party at the Pahrump Nugget.

Date: Friday, February 19, 2010

Meet and Greet: 6-7 pm.

Entertainment by Marshal Reign: 7-10 pm.

RSVP to Julie Hargis, Campaign Manager, at juliehargis@hotmail.com or phone at 775-513-0960.

Friends and family are invited for the celebration and fundraiser for Carl Moore.

The Nevada Center for Public Policy Dialogue will hold a series of classes in partnership with Great Basin College, Community Services:

Date: February 20, 2010

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Framing/Convening Class No. 2

Those interested in attending should call 775-537-2766 to register.

All classes will be held at Great Basin College, 1541 E. Basin Avenue, Room 6, Pahrump, NV.

The classes are free.

Attendees will learn techniques for naming an issue, gathering information about an issue, talking through the issues and acting together to address the issue at hand.

This is a good organization. I would urge those interested in public policy dialogue to attend.

I’ve been invited to speak to the League of Women Voters of Pahrump Valley Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. at El Jefe’s #2 Restaurant, 921 Highway 160, Pahrump.

I feel it a honor to be asked to speak to the League. I hold the organization in high esteem. I look forward to it.

As the notice says, “Public is invited.” Hope you will attend.