LETTERS: City, county residents benefit from shared services
In Las Vegas City Councilman Bob Coffin's letter ("Fairness to taxpayers," Oct. 25 Review-Journal, he takes issue with a Review-Journal editorial's conclusion that the city looks petty in its pursuit of payment from Clark County under the terms of a 1985 fire services agreement between the entities ("Dash for cash," Oct. 15 Review-Journal). Mr. Coffin argues that even though the agreement was ignored by the city for 29 years, the city owes it to taxpayers to pursue payment now because, "At the heart of this issue is fairness for the taxpayers of the city."
His statement suggests that either city taxpayers are damaged by the city providing uncompensated fire services to county "islands" or that county residents are being treated preferentially by not having to pay taxes for fire services. As a city resident (in Mr. Coffin's ward) and a county commissioner, I must point out that neither suggestion is accurate.
If the city chose not to provide fire services to these islands, would the cost of fire services to city taxpayers decline? The answer is no. The city would continue to operate the same number of fire stations, deploy the same number of engines and rescues in this area and, therefore, expend the same amount of tax dollars for fire service. As for residents in these county islands being treated preferentially, they also pay taxes for fire services. So how are city taxpayers being treated unfairly?
Make no mistake, this is a money grab, plain and simple. Unfortunately, what's lost in the conversation is the benefit city and county residents receive through the long history of shared services between the entities. The city's pursuit of payment for fire services to these county islands undermines the decades of collaboration that existed between the entities across a number of different service areas — to the benefit of our residents, especially in the northwest.
I urge the city to renegotiate its fire services agreement, stop annexing county residents and renegotiate the interlocal that existed with regard to zoning and land use in the northwest. We need to work collaboratively for all of Southern Nevada.
Chris Giunchigliani
Las Vegas
The writer represents District E on the Clark County Commission.
Less for us
In case you were hoping for that $10 to $12 increase in your Social Security checks, you can forget about it. Congress made the decision that since gas prices are lower than last year's, we seniors, retirees, veterans and low-income earners don't need the money we put into the system all the years we worked, but our elected representatives do need it.
Members of Congress give themselves raises every year and, thanks to President Barack Obama, can choose their health insurers and keep their doctors, instead of enrolling through Obamacare — something we the people cannot do. And when they retire, they receive a nice pension that will certainly keep up with inflation.
Never mind that co-pays have gone up if you need to take a nongeneric drug, or that food prices have gone up, or that you have to pay for transportation if you don't own a car, or that if you want to eat an occasional hamburger at a restaurant, the menu prices have also gone up.
What I find amazing is the president wants us to fund the huge influx of undocumented immigrants and provide them with necessities they require, including teachers so they can be educated in a language they will never make the effort to learn. We can also rest assured the liberals will need our tax money to fund community and four-year colleges, when you and I worked day jobs to pay tuition for classes we attended at night. College professors don't work pro bono, so how can those liberals plan to offer "free" tuition?
As the saying goes, "Something's gotta give," and it will be you and I.
Jan Mills
Las Vegas
