Letter: Here’s hoping PISTOL gets whipped

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006 | 7:16 a.m.

The Las Vegas Sun should be applauded for its editorial on Sunday regarding the takings initiative. The initiative is a thinly veiled attempt by land-use attorneys - who are calling the ballot question the Peoples Initiative to Stop the Taking of Our Land (PISTOL) - to end smart planning practices and profit from doing so.

If Question 2 passes, taxpayers will be faced with billions of dollars in lawsuits by individuals who choose to take advantage of the language. Terms such as "just compensation" are thrown about when, in reality, anyone who wants to build a strip club or gravel pit in their neighborhood may do so. If your elected officials attempt to stop them, they can sue for damages at taxpayer expense.

Attempts at meaningful management policies will be made impotent. It will be difficult, maybe impossible, and certainly incredibly expensive to protect parks and open space, land that is environmentally sensitive, or historic places and buildings.

Our quality of life and the health of our environment will suffer greatly, and the local governments will be forced to roll over and abandon any sort of planned approach to development. It would eliminate any chance for meaningful, responsible development.

Nevada's communities will be laid to waste by irresponsible speculators looking to line their pockets with taxpayers' dollars. No wonder there's such a strange mix of unusual partners - developers, environmentalists, chambers of commerce, elected officials, homeowners associations - all working against this insidious initiative.

Scot Rutledge, Las Vegas