Letters to the Editor

Officials must pay attention to much-needed repairs

I’ll try to keep this polite and respectful …

This letter has nothing to do with real estate development, which in reality is better described a property tax enhancement. This letter is about the council doing the mundane, the boring chore of taking care of the city. There will be no ribbon-cutting speeches or self-induced back patting.

The council should make a field inspection trip to Boulder City’s red-light district. I mean the intersection of Buchanan (Boulevard) and U.S. (Highway) 93; that’s where the red lights are. The road is breaking apart from heavy truck traffic.

In my limited knowledge of highway construction, it is beyond small-time repair. This is a great big potential pothole waiting to fly apart. I serious doubt it will stay together until Interstate 11 is open to traffic in late 2018 or beyond.

Of course, I know nothing. A local field trip might not entail a large enough expenditure of taxpayers’ money. A far better solution might be a creation of a select committee of former city employees who know even less, like former lawyers, accountants and managers, all of whom need a little boost to their taxpayer-funded pensions.

Oh, well, I tried to be polite and respectful; it did not work.

Curtis Clark

Editor’s note: The Nevada Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining that portion of road. “We will dispatch maintenance crews to investigate the intersection further, taking any corrective action needed to ensure a continued smooth, safe flow of traffic,” said NDOT spokesman Tony Illia.

City attorney should be elected to ensure fairness

Presently, the City Council is in the process of hiring a new city attorney. We can only hope that a competent candidate will be selected, which, judging from the public meeting with the candidates, appears to be unlikely.

The fundamental problem is having a city attorney that is hired and reports to the City Council rather than being elected by the voters. Separation of powers improves governance by making key employees responsible to the citizens and by preventing the concentration of all power in the hands of one single body, group or individual.

After all, a fundamental feature of our way of governing is the concept of checks and balances. At the national and state levels we have separate executive, legislative and judicial branches, ensuring that no one branch dictates policy. This also reduces the power of any one group or organization.

Employees are expected to find a way to do what the boss says, or they most often will be looking for another job. It is unrealistic to expect any appointed city attorney not to do what most of the council expects. A good example of what happens when the city attorney finds a way to doing what the council demands was the attempt to prevent voters (from) deciding on several issues by suing individual citizens for signing petitions — an action that cost the city $800,000. Unfortunately, this is but one example.

Hopefully, we will have decided in the future to elect the city attorney, ensuring that the city attorney will work for all the citizens of Boulder City, not a select group of people.

Dan Jensen

Support from community greatly appreciated by local judge

Thank you so much for the Hali’s Comment editorial in the Sept. 21 edition of the Boulder City Review relative to my current lymphoma diagnosis. It was not easy for me to publicly discuss this personal issue, but the community response has been tremendously supportive and so helpful in the mental part of this crusade toward a cure.

I am glad that through your editorial I am able to assure the residents of Boulder City that it is business as usual in the courts here and that I am continuing with the programs I have initiated to improve the services we provide to those who have contact with the courts.

One item that I wanted to correct was the name of my family doctor who was so helpful in getting me the proper diagnosis and prompt treatment toward a cure of this cancer. That doctor was (and is) Dr. Warren Smith of the Boulder City Family Doctors on Adams Boulevard.

Again, thank you for your kind comments and reporting.

Judge Victor Lee Miller