Editorial: A need to change our priorities

Saturday, March 18, 2006 | 7:11 a.m.

Under Nevada law, if there is an impasse involving negotiations between a police union and a local government, then an independent arbitrator decides the outcome. That is exactly what happened recently in the dispute between Clark County management and the union representing Metro Police officers. The pay and benefits package selected by the arbitrator amounts to a total percentage increase of 21.85 percent over four years.

Although we support the process of arbitration in these cases, we wish the outcome had been different and that police officers had been awarded more. Indeed, the real problem is how government establishes its priorities, which need changing. But changing these priorities is difficult when too many people don't want to pay for the very services that they are demanding - in this case, police protection.

Deciding what our present and future should look like, and how much we are willing to contribute to create a better and safer community, is one of the biggest challenges facing the valley. What we should learn from this process is whether or not we, as a community, are up to that challenge.