No One Asked Me But…
by Dr. Larry Moses
Published May 27, 2009
No one asked me but…The last couple of months have been interesting in the valley. We have won the battle to keep the college campus open. We will apparently have the Logandale swimming pool functioning this summer. Both of these services were slated to disappear in the budget crunch the state and county governments are facing. I have different feelings about these two issues.
I believe the college campus was an imperative. The college campus supports the high school dual credit program that allows high school seniors to graduate with one year of college classes completed. Those choosing to be involved in this program can see a great monetary savings in college expenses. We tax payers will also see the benefit of not having to subsidize a year of college for those students. The cost of this campus was approximately $60,000 a year and was originally in the cuts proposed by the college to meet the requirements of the state budget. Thanks to the efforts of our two county commissioners, Tom Collins and Steve Sisolak, the Board of Regents recognized the importance of this program to the area.
The Logandale swimming pool closure was designed to save Clark County Parks and Recreation $6,000 a year. My reaction to the pool closure was one of ambivalence, but apparently a large segment of the population have an attachment to the pool. Where I saw a pool that was rarely used, the majority of the Logandale citizens found a cause to rally to. Besides, by keeping the Logandale pool open, those of us who live in Logandale will be spared the grueling eight mile trip to Overton.
According to the Moapa Valley Progress, over 6,000 people used the Logandale pool last year. I have to get out more often. I never saw much of anybody in the pool. My rapid mathematical mind tells me if Parks and Recreation charged an extra dollar to each person who wanted to use the pool, the shortfall would be taken care of.
The open swimming hours last year were during the heat of the day in a pool with no shade. Water temperature must have been warm enough to boil lobsters.
But my reaction to the pool may be colored by my distaste for water sports. I have not been in a swimming suit for many years, for this the Chamber of Commerce should thank me. The visualization of me in a Speedo is not a pleasant thought. Since my last incident at the beach I have not been inclined to go near a body of water. I was lying on the beach taking in the sun when a crowd of animal lovers picked up my body and carried me into the sea with shouts of “Save our Whales.” Each time I tried to come ashore, they would push me out to sea. I really resented the one small boy who asked his mother if that was Moby Dick, the great white whale he had read about in school.
The interesting issue will be now that we have the services we demanded are we willing to pay for them? Our neighbors to the west of us, in the great State of California last week, voted down all taxes increases. They, however, are still demanding services. Nevadans have usually had more sense than those who reside in the Republic of California.
Folks, you can’t expect services for free. I have no problem with limited governmental services. In fact, I would prefer limited government services, but I realize if we as a community demand services we must be willing to pay for those services. There ain’t no free lunch.
No one asked me but…I read where we are going to crack down on ATV riders who are on our streets. As I entered the valley the other day, I was visually assaulted by an electrical sign stating that these vehicles where illegal on our roads. We can’t have a simple sign telling me where I can get dinner in town, but flashing lights warn against riding an ATV are okay. It reminded me of the old western town sign that stated that you had to check your guns with the sheriff.
Let me see if I understand this. Drive through this community and see all the for sale signs and all the cars and trucks parked along the road for sale and one might think this community is in a financial crisis. But rather than embrace a group of people who come into our community to use our trails that have been established for their use, we are going to make it as uncomfortable as possible for them to use our community’s services. These are people who can come into Overton and Logandale to buy gas, food and groceries but we are going to ask them to do this only after they have reloaded their ATVs on to trailers and haul them to the gas stations. If they are on a trail at noon and want lunch, they can not ride on our streets to the local restaurants.
Who is the financial genius behind this crackdown? It would seem to be in the interest of this community to embrace these people.
Our locals are no longer able to ride our streets to the gas stations but must haul their ATVs to Wally’s. For a ride in their own surrounding desert they must load up the ATV and haul it on a trailer outside of town. I remember a long time ago in a galaxy far away in Long Beach, California, a town that catered to old retired people, they allowed them to drive their golf carts on the sidewalk and all us young people had to scatter. But the community knew how important those old people’s dollars were to their economy.
We have a young couple open a gym for kids and we immediately begin to look for ways to make it impossible for them to operate their business. We remove all road signs advertising the businesses of this community. We are going to now hassel old people who drive golf carts and “gators” to town, because they seem to violate some obscure laws aimed at people in the large metropolis.
It brings back the incident when one of our community’s handicapped was ticketed for driving his golf cart to work on our back roads. He holds down a full time job and supports his family but could not pass the written test for a driver’s license. The young man, is challenged in his ability to read, but is fully capable of operating a golf cart. He was, however, cited by one of our local Highway patrolmen. He now walks to work everyday and continues to support his family. When problems surface in our community, we seem circle the wagons and shoot to the center.
Thought of the week… Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
– C.S. Lewis
