19 citizens’ goal: What should Nevada be in 20 years?

Monday, Nov. 16, 2009 | 2:58 p.m.

‘Vision’ committee targeting quality of life in Nevada (10-20-09)

Sun politics coverage

CARSON CITY – Nineteen citizens, including 12 from Clark County, have been selected by a legislative committee to draw up a road map of where Nevada should be in five, 10 and 20 years in commerce, education, health and human services, infrastructure and public safety.

There have been complaints through the years that Nevada trails other states in providing services and also depends too much on gaming for its economy.

Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, said this committee is to “sit down and start looking longer than two years which we do now,” referring to the biennial meeting of the Legislature.

There were 85 people nominated for the project and the list was narrowed to 19 with some alternates. The recommendations of the group will be considered by the 2011 Legislature.

Four of the six members of the commerce and industry committee are from Las Vegas. They are Keith Smith of Boyd Gaming and Alan Feldman of MGM Mirage, along with contractor Boyd Martin and Donald Snyder of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

The other two are former Assembly Speaker Joe Dini of Yerington, who owns a small casino and was nominated by the Nevada Mining Association, and Douglas Dirks of Employers Holding in Reno. He once ran the state’s industrial insurance system.

Alternates were Doug Busselman of Sparks, who represents the Nevada Farm Bureau Federation and Devin Reiss of Las Vegas representing the Nevada Association of Realtors.

To chart the future of education, the legislative committee chose Paul Dugan of the Washoe County School District; Rene Cantu Jr., of the Latin Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas; Marsha Irvin of the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas and Brian Rippett of the Nevada State Education Association at Zephyr Cove.

The alternate in education was John Packham of the University Of Nevada School Of Medicine in Reno.

Four people from Las Vegas were selected to recommend where Nevada should be in the future. They were Peter Bernhard of the Cleveland Clinic Nevada; Sylvia Young of Sunrise Health; Susan Rhodes of the National Association of Social Workers and Denise Tanata Ashby of the Institute for Children’s Research and Policy at UNLV.

The alternate for human resources is Dan Goulet of United Way of Southern Nevada.

The legislative committee had the most difficult time selecting the three people to make recommendations for infrastructure in the future. Twice the committee deadlocked 4-4 with Northern Nevada lawmakers wanting one slate and Southern Nevada legislators favoring another group.

On the recommendation of Assembly Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, the deadlock was broken and the committee selected Thomas Perrigo of the department of planning and development for Las Vegas; Robert Lee Potter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in Carson City and Terry Reynolds of the Reynolds Company in Sparks.

The alternate was Robert Lang of the Brookings Mountain West and the UNLV Department of Sociology.

For public safety, Washoe County Manager Katy Simon and Cedric Williams of the North Las Vegas Fire Department were named. The alternative was Janelle Kraft Pearce of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Discussion: 13 comments so far…

By Harley

11/16/09 at 3:14 p.m.

Suggest removal

Criminalize taxation and government monopolies - let the private sector decide Nevada's destiny.

: {
By vc

11/16/09 at 3:38 p.m.

Suggest removal

I am not impressed with this group. They all have their own agendas and the good of the public is not it.
By fishcop

11/16/09 at 4:01 p.m.

Suggest removal

I am very disappointed with these appointments. Not one John Q. Public citizen was appointed.
By GrandmaCrabby

11/16/09 at 4:01 p.m.

Suggest removal

The group has a good cross section of representatives from key industries and constituencies in commerce & industry and in education. However, I'd be happier if they had representatives to speak for the citizens of Nevada. People who could represent homeowners, small business owners, parents, etc. I'd also like to see more representation and focus on technology, as a key engine for the future.

That said, it's great that they're looking at the long term. I hope there is an open process where they will go out and get input from a wide variety of people and organizations. I also hope that the people of this state will have the opportunity to comment on draft proposals as they are formed.
By nednougat

11/16/09 at 4:45 p.m.

Suggest removal

As long as they have F Troop up in Carson City saying that the prevailing wage is the Union wage, we are totally screwed. No way the rep from the Union is going go along with anything unless it involves the "Union Craftsmen", also known as the Union loafers who brought Fontainebleu and Cosmopolitan to their knees. Unless we really have a right to work state, nothing will get done that is more than superficial puffery. By the time they make all their recommendations, the loafers will have killed this town.
By wizardofOz

11/16/09 at 5:54 p.m.

Suggest removal

The people ARE NOT regular folks.

VERY SHARP AND POINTED AGENDAS. ALL ARE PROTECTING THEIR BACKSIDES. THAT'S THE ONLY REASON THEY "VOLUNTEERED".

"...It is insanity to expect a different outcome when using the exact same methods to manipulate the results..."

(I hope these people aren't getting PAID by my taxes for this ring'a'round the 'rosie "vision club"...)
By Nick

11/16/09 at 7:02 p.m.

Suggest removal

All Casino people. What a waste
By CarsonNewshound

11/16/09 at 8:11 p.m.

Suggest removal

This is an insider's list. And gaming and mining has no seat at the table because neither pays even a fraction of what they pay in taxes to other states. They're more concerned about their latest mega-casino's in Macau which are possible only because they pay little to no taxes in Nevada. If you want to do it right, hire the Pew Centers to do focus groups around the state with real people. This is another typical attempt by the state's long-time power structure to maintain their power and limit honest and compelling debate.

Watch...they'll use what "those on high" say when the legislature gets it's "tax reform" recommendations from their half million dollar "revenue" study. The study will simply repeat what earlier studies, including Price Waterhouse, have said. Low to no taxes means a low to no state. Nevada has always refused to master the obvious on statehood. This latest assemblage of "leaders" will keep the legislature's eyes "wide shut."
By desertphreak

11/16/09 at 8:12 p.m.

Suggest removal

A great hand dealt by those with experience in stacking the deck...
By dwms

11/16/09 at 10:15 p.m.

Suggest removal

Does it really matter? With a half dozen LVMPD officers named in corruption cases over the weekend, implementation of planning is thwarted by the corrupted.
By skerlahdee

11/17/09 at 2:07 a.m.

Suggest removal

The first thing they should all do is take a trip to Zermatt, Switzerland to study a sustainable model.
By Consultantd

11/17/09 at 4:33 a.m.

Suggest removal

At the rate we are going, NV will be a 3rd world state as most of vegas is already. The legal citizens with jobs will pay all the bills and will be living in armed, gated communities. Kidnappings will become all the rage and the police will be busy protecting the elected officials and their cronies.
By environprotector

11/17/09 at 4:46 a.m.

Suggest removal

Keep the carpetbaggers OUT of Nevada for starters..