Forum features political issues
Five of the nine candidates for Clark County Commission District C attended a forum Monday evening, weighing in on water issues, renewable energy and term limits.
Karen Sweeney, Bill Krane, Jeff Campbell, Valerie Weber and Larry Brown came to the forum at Garside Middle School. Warren Markowitz, Emily Klapproth, Gary Marinch and Bobbye Fitzgibbons did not attend the event, which drew about 25 people.
They are competing to replace Commissioner Chip Maxfield, who is not seeking re-election. Two Democrats and five Republicans are seeking their respective parties' nominations, and there is one Libertarian and one Independent American party member in the mix.
Green energy sources took center stage for a while, with one audience member wondering why developers of large projects aren't required to get a certain percentage of power for developments from solar or wind sources -- which could spur private development of those resources.
"The wind is out there all the time," said Krane, a retiree and a Republican who ran against Maxfield four years ago. "The sun shines all the time. We have a whole desert out there and it's empty. It could be wind farms."
Campbell, a Democrat and longtime Clark County employee, noted that the desert isn't exactly empty: "There's a lot of endangered species." He also noted that county and city governments have made it a priority to use alternative fuel vehicles.
Government entities are taking steps to use sustainable technologies, said Brown, a Las Vegas councilman who is running as a Democrat.
"You're starting to see government take more of a leadership role," said Brown. "But what you don't want the government to do is tell you what to do."
Weber, a Republican who represents Assembly District 5, made that point as well.
"We have been a consumption society for a number of years. We want to move forward with green," he said. "At the same time, we're in a marathon, not a sprint. If we give the marketplace time to react, we could have something really good."
Environmental concerns figured into a question about well users joining the public water system, although the initial question was about the thousands of dollars it costs -- up front -- for individual homeowners to hook up.
"I think you ought to get some kind of trade-off," said Sweeney, also a Republican candidate, noting that in joining the water system the property homeowners are helping conserve groundwater.
"Why don't you get some sidewalks for that?"
Both Krane and Campbell said property owners should get together in hopes of reducing the cost per household, and Krane agreed that owners should be allowed to pay the cost over time, not just up front.
Brown, who used to work for the Las Vegas Valley Water District, noted that the district has policies to follow.
"The water district's caught in a quandary," he said. "They can't make an exception for you."
He, too, agreed that property owners should get some kind of credit for the groundwater they're giving up.
The only area where any significant disagreement emerged was on term limits, and not everyone weighed in on the subject.
Voters approved term limits in 1996, and they're starting to affect office holders this year, although there's some dispute over when the term limits clock started ticking and whether the limits are valid.
"Term limits were put into the constitution" by giving people the ability to vote people out, Brown said. "If you don't like the way I'm doing my job, get someone else in."
Weber, the other office holder on the panel, also had a problem with term limits. She said they oust experienced lawmakers.
"It gives more power to the special interests," she said. "That was an unintended consequence on the part of the electorate."
Krane, however, said term limits keep people from dominating an office for a long time.
"You have to cleanse. You have to change," he said. "Term limits are essential because those who are in can stay in as long as they want to."
Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.
