EDITORIAL: Standing Stronger On Common Ground

There are those residing in the greater Moapa Valley area that would greatly magnify the differences existing between the upper and lower valley communities. They would take every opportunity to point to a long tradition of conflict and contention between the two communities. They would make much of the great iron divide that they perceive as existing between them. They would claim that the differences are so great as to be completely irreconcilable; so great that it is almost pointless to try to find common ground and to work together on anything. This line of thinking is not only inaccurate and counterproductive; but it is also dangerous.

The fact is, there is more that binds the two communities together than that separates them. Over the century and a half of historic settlement along the Muddy, the communities have shared largely the same dilemmas and struggles. The upper and lower valley communities have, of necessity, been fused as a single entity in their economic, commercial and consumer interests. The communities have historically collaborated well in providing important services like power, water (both culinary and for irrigation), fire protection and even television signals. In recent years, both communities have faced the conundrum of maintaining rural values in the face of explosive growth and have ended up following very similar paths and methods. There are many success stories that tell of the people from either end of the valley setting aside differences and coming together in tough times for the good of the whole community. The fact is clear, we have much in common.

When the naysayers begin citing irreconcilable differences between the two communities, however, these differences usually don’t add up to much. They usually amount to nothing more than petty squabbles and bickering over who has more and who has less. The differences are always very personal in nature and are heavily charged with the wildfire of emotion and extreme rhetoric. The dramatic nature of such claims gives the perception that the differences are as great as mountains, when they are actually mere molehills. Still, the debate quickly becomes heated from there and the positions sharply divided.

Unfortunately, it is at this point that the two communities are at their weakest. It is easy for this perception of irreconcilable divisiveness to be manipulated and then employed against both communities to the detriment of all.

An example of this occurred in the recent scuffle over town boundaries. The town boards had worked independently on the issue and had come very close to a consensus position. The final step would have been to bring the communities together to communicate directly and to finalize an accord. There was plenty of time to do so.

Instead, an elected official, who is tasked with representing the best interests of all of his constituents, became impatient and declared that the time was up. Commissioner Tom Collins hastily advanced his own plan, a plan that could not have been better calculated to drive a wedge between the communities involved. As would be expected, the plan stirred up bitter rancor and division. Collins then tried to use that rancor and division, which his own plan had largely whipped up, to justify to the County Commission the urgent need to push through his final autocratic decision. If the tactic had been successful, it would have, not only made both communities look bad, but would have resulted in even more bitterness, division and weakness between them.

Last week’s town boundary committee meeting, however, showed the true colors of the two Moapa Valley communities as well as those of Bunkerville. When all three sides came together, they were able to set aside the petty differences and quickly work together for a greater community good. There was no bitterness or backbiting. All sides came away with an amicable agreement that successfully benefitted everyone.

“Once we got together, it was pretty easy to reach agreement,” reported the Moapa Town Board Chairman Craig Wolfley, who was part of the committee.

The members of the town boundary committee should certainly be commended for their work. Wolfley was joined on the committee by Guy Doty of Moapa Valley and Brian Haviland of Bunkerville. These men gave a good deal of their precious time to resolve this difficult issue, with only a noble sense of community service to motivate them.

County staff members should also be recognized. Northeast County Rural Liason Matt LaCroix deserves to be credited for quickly facilitating the committee meeting and deftly bringing the various parties together in a productive and decisive discussion.

Finally, the members of the County Commission should be applauded for taking the time to listen to the people, even those outside of their own districts. We would especially recognize Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani who stepped up and did what our own Commissioner should have done in the first place. Sensing that a consensus between the communities was very close, she agreed to enter the fray, bring everyone together and arbitrate a solution. Once this was done, the final agreement was easily reached.

The lesson learned from this episode should be that the two Moapa Valley communities stand much stronger when working together for a common good than they do bickering with each other separately. Indeed, with so much common ground between the two, the relatively inconsequential differences existing between upper and lower valley communities should be reasonably approached, openly discussed and peacefully resolved. We hope that many more of the problems and misunderstandings within the greater Moapa Valley area can be solved in this way.