Common Cause’s future in Nevada teetering badly

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Common Cause, an impartial government watchdog group, faces an uncertain future in Nevada after its executive director quit and its local office closed.

Ellen Nelson, executive director of the state organization for the past year and the only paid employee, is resigning effective Dec. 31 for "health and personal reasons."

Nelson said she is supposed to work 10 hours a week from an office in her home for $150 a week. Instead, she says, she's putting in 40 to 50 hours per week. And now the national office of Common Cause is reducing its budget for Nevada from $9,329 this year to $5,150 in 1997.

Patricia Fladager, chairwoman of Common Cause in Nevada, also said she will step down when the board of directors meets Jan. 9 in Carson City. She said the future of the organization will be decided then.

The cutback comes as the 1997 Legislature is set to begin. Common Cause has played a part in past sessions, testifying on certain bills it believed hurt citizens. It has been a strong supporter of open government.

The national organization, Fladager said, wants its members to concentrate on national issues, rather than local problems. "I am not in support of just national issues. We receive so many calls on local issues that can be addressed."

The national organization wants to rely on volunteers in small states to take the place of paid staff. Still, that would entail somebody making room in their home for the equipment, fax and other items that belong to the organization.

And nobody is stepping forward to be a volunteer. There are 750 to 900 Nevada members of Common Cause, but Nelson said only the national office knows the exact numbers because the $20-a-year dues are paid to that office.

Fladager praised Nelson for her work and said it would be difficult to replace her. She doubts there will be any volunteers, adding that a decision the state executive director must be approved by the national office of Common Cause "is a questionable requirement."

"This does not reflect confidence in the ability of the members to make intelligence decisions," she said.

Other small states are being cut back as the national organization faces financial problems. For instance, South Dakota, which received $7,990 this year from the national office, won't be getting any money next year. In all, 27 states will see reduced allocations from the national organization.