The blog formerly known as "No Gibbons"...

Time to Clean House: City of Fernley Still Voting in Outrageous Water and Sewer Rate Increases

2008-05-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Last July I got a little frustrated over the City of Fernley raising our water and sewer rates so I wrote this:

Life seems to be getting a little less affordable out in Fernley. Gas still hovering near $3.00 per gallon, Scolaris still the only grocery store, and now this... I cracked open my City of Fernley water/sewer bill the other day and it read $71.00 amount due. Last month I paid $39.00. The first thing that came to mind was they didn't post my last payment on the current bill or the kids used far too much water during these hot 90 degree days. After studying the bill for a minute or so I realized nothing strange about payments not being posted or water usage. Then I read:

Please note that effective July 1, 2007 the water and sewer rates have increased as previously indicated on the June 2007 statements. For information pertaining to the rate increase please call our hotline at 775-784-9938 or go to www.cityoffernley.org/rateincreases... The new rate structure is designed to encourage water conservation...

I was stunned! My water/sewer bill damn near doubled! For what? For water you wouldn't dare drink? For water that stains your vehicles and sink fixtures with calcium deposits to the point where it's almost impossible to get off? For water that is horrible for your teeth and hair? I'll say first hand that Fernley has by far the worse water I've ever seen in Nevada hands down and I've consumed plenty of Nevada water.

From City of Fernley's website:

Water rate increases vary depending on the type of service and the size of the meter. On average, the increase is approximately 50%, primarily due to the need to construct a new water treatment plant and associated piping.

Sewer rate increases are only 2.5%.

The costs for developers and builders to connect to the system also went up significantly. The connection charge for water went from $1,500 per unit to $5,165 per unit. This is an increase of 244%. The connection charge for sewer went from $1,848 per unit to $3,474. This is an increase of 88%. The increases in these charges allow for a fair and equitable share of costs to new customers.

I called down to the City of Fernley (775-784-9930) and the woman who answered the phone sounded just as frustrated as I did. She also informed me that if your water gets cut off it's now $100.00 instead of $10.00 to reconnect. Ouch! I asked her who's name was on the rate increase. Mayor Todd Cutler? She didn't come out with a straight answer but she did inform me that the City Council voted for it. She also informed me that the Council meets every first and third Wednesday of the every month at 6pm and folks like me should show up and speak so we can in her words... "Vote this out".

Is anyone out in Fernley as frustrated as I am about this? Who wants our old water/sewer rates back? If you can't make it to tomorrow's meeting, please e-mail Mayor Todd Cutler or telephone his office at 775-784-9851 and tell him how you feel.

Today, almost a year later, I cracked open my bill and saw this:

On July 1, 2008 a rate increase of 35% will be implemented for water and 2.5% increase for sewer. This is due to the need for our water treatment plant in order to comply with federal mandates to reduce arsenic levels in our water. For further information regarding these rate increases go to WWW.CITYOFFERNLEY.ORG

Wow! Next July will there be another 35% rate increase? Another 35% in 2010? When will this madness stop? Is the so-called "water treatment plant" even real? How many rate increases does it take to get this treatment plant going?

Is it already time to clean house in Fernley and kick out the politicians who cavalierly raise our rates like it's no big deal? Does anyone even care other than me?

30 Second Ad: Congressman Dean Heller said John McCain is "protecting terrorists..."

2008-05-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot about the time when Dean Heller said John McCain was "far more concerned with protecting terrorists" because of his stance on torture. It's amazing what you can find when going through old blog archives.

LVRJ - Sep. 26, 2006

Heller, on the other hand, has foregone his past tendency to run the same way. At a candidate forum earlier this year, when he had to square off against Angle and former Assemblywoman Dawn Gibbons, he said he didn't favor a fence along the border. In interviews he liked to talk up Arizona Sen. John McCain as a role model. Now he supports a fence (at least in populated areas) and thinks McCain has gone astray.

"I'm not happy with his position on torture," Heller said during a meeting with the Review-Journal's editorial board last week. "I'm so mad at those three, McCain, Warner and Graham." McCain, Virginia Sen. John Warner and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham led Republican opposition to Bush's policy on interrogating terrorism suspects. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell joined in as the Senate Armed Services Committee rebuffed Bush.

"I think they're far more concerned with protecting terrorists," Heller said of the Republicans who opposed the president's plan. Senate Republicans subsequently announced they had reached a compromise with Bush.

[LINK]

Reduce Speed Limits and Drill Domestically to Reduce Demand?

2008-05-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks I've been reducing my speed between trips to Reno and Fernley and back (about 70 miles total) and I've been saving a bunch of money in the process. I used to fill up every 3 days. Simply by slowing down from 75-80 to roughly 60-65 mph, I now get to drive almost a full 5 days off of one tank. I think I'll definitely get a full week now that I've switched over my bigger snow tires to my smaller summer ones this past Friday.

Check out this great [VIDEO] of a RGJ reporter driving to Lovelock from Reno @ 50mph and back from Lovelock at 75mph... Look how much gas she saved simply by slowing down. You'll be amazed.

I'll stand by my "solution" I posted on the RGJ forums weeks ago... Lower the speed limits back down to 55MPH to reduce demand and save money at the same time. If it would mean compromising with a little domestic drilling, I think it's at least worth discussing. Let me know what you think.

30 Second Ad: McCain = 4 More Years of GOP Incompetence

2008-05-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

Four more years of $3.50 per gallon gas? Four (maybe 100) years of Bush's war in Iraq? Four more years of battling over immigration reform while getting nothing done? 4 more years of disastrous Bush policy?

If you answered yes to any of these questions vote John McSame. If you voted no to any of them vote Barack Obama.

Gov. Spitzer "Illegal Alien" News Conference

2007-11-14T07:01:00.000-08:00

Spitzer drops immigration plan after overwhelming opposition.

Spitzer withdrew the plan because "the firestorm over the issue was blocking the governor's overall agenda, and there were serious concerns that various lawsuits, as well as threatened legislative action, would block the plan anyway," the New York Post is reporting.

Breaking News clip from MSNBC:

John Ensign on Illegals: "We cannot ship them home.."

2007-10-24T10:03:00.001-07:00

John Ensign on Hardball last night:

Chris Matthews: "Does anybody want to throw people (Illegal Immigrants) out who are already here?"

John Ensign: "I don't think we should throw people out who already here unless they commit a serious crime..."

_____

Chris Matthews: "I have a simple plan, Senator. Tell me if I'm wrong. Everybody here is here - Anybody that comes here tomorrow has to go through these check with real ID cards, checkable IDs, they must be who they say they are or they can't work. Why don't you pass that bill tomorrow? Who would that offend?"

Senator John Ensign: "Well, I actually think that would be a good way to start."

The Real Fred Thompson

2007-10-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hilarious!

kevintracy.com

In Case You Missed It: Blatant Anti-Brown Hate

2007-10-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

These comments stem from the recent ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids last week in Northern Nevada that netted 56 workers at 11 area McDonald's restaurants.

Violence.

It's my experience that the best training tool for learning english, is the standard police issue nightstick. From what I've witnessed, the harder you use it against an illegal immigrant's head, the better his english is!!

Bitterness.

Yes, I can imagine the pain these people are feeling...it's probably close to the pain I feel everyday after giving up a 12 year, hard earned business to illegals who I could never legally compete with...the pain I feel not being able to give my children and grandchildren the legacy of a productive, powerful country...

I made it through 45 years before I had to "press 1" and I'll be damned if my heirs will have to do it now!!!

Confusion.

Just one question here. Was this country better off and a much better place to live and raise our families before millions of Illegals showed up here? Seriously! Someone needs to prove to me that we are better off having millions of law-breaking, non-English speaking, disrespectful people in our society.

Stereotypes.

I have been in Luther Macks McDs and there is nothing hard working about these people. They have no hustle in them and give you bad looks. Please do not tell me how hard working they are. 50% of my orders get screwed up, they are incompetant and native languagily illiterate.

Ignorance.

Now lets get to the real problem - these illegals get here and become baby factories which tax payers bear the burden of birthing, raising and educating, a job made more dificult bucause these illegals don't want to teach their children English either required the school system to provide special jibberish teachers so they can be educated.

Anger.

And why does this whole ICE operations thing remind me of the old Raid commercial? Remember when the roaches were all fat, dumb and happy, partying it up at the home owner's expense. Then all of a sudden someone turned the light on and yelled "Raid!!!!!" Looks like the human roaches are scrambling now, and the solution is more "Raid"!

Racism.

Its about time they nutted up and did something. They should be doing these raids weekly if not daily. I am sick and tired of all the mexicans. I feel we need to get rid of ALL of them, legal or not. They have their own country to run amuk in.

More racism.

This land does belong to God but it is the UNITED STATES that runs it for him. Go home to mexico and don't come back. That goes for all mexicans.

CLSTRFK at NVDMV over XSTACY

2007-08-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

Stacy Moore from North Las Vegas is fighting for her right to keep a personalized license plate "XSTACY" she has owned for two decades. A single complaint forced the DMV to "demand that she surrender the personalized license plate she has displayed on her vehicles for 20 years".

Come on, Nevada DMV... Leave the Woman alone! Seriously... She has owned the plates for 20 years and you demand that she surrender them over one petty complaint? Come on...

I wonder how the Nevada DMV would feel about a "DMVSUX" plate? Their Personalized Plate Search says it's currently available. Maybe someone should give it a whirl.

The Real Mitt Romney: Borderline Nut Case

2007-08-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

I just ran across this little gem on Politico.com. It's a 20 minute video of Mitt Romney getting interviewed by Jan Mickelson. Watch Mitt Romney go from his usual "Rico Suave" self to a borderline nut case in less than 20 minutes flat. Thanks for showing your true colors, Mitt!

Help my ad air on Hardball

2007-07-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews is having a Campaign Ad Challenge where viewers like myself can create and upload a homemade Campaign Ad that will hopefully air LIVE on Hardball. I created and uploaded a video targeting Giuiliani and as of last night it's now accessible on Hardball's website. I don't know if they'll air it or not, but I think if it gets enough votes they will.

If you're reading this and would like to help a fellow Progressive out, I hope you wouldn't mind taking out a few seconds and voting for my video titled "Giuliani too close to Bush for comfort". Since we all know by now Rudy Giuliani is Bush 2.0 (with a lisp), I think it is urgent to get the facts out about him as soon as possible before it's too late. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

If you want to upload your own video click here.

More on the challenge here.

I provided a image up top so you don't have to hunt around for my video.

Thanks in advance!

Hardball's Campaign Ad Challenge: Rudy Giuliani

2007-07-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hardball's campaign ad challenge is looking the most creative entries about your favorite presidential candidate or the candidate you like the least. I like Rudy Giuliani the least so I created a 30 second clip and sent it in to Hardball and posted it on YouTube. Hopefully we'll see it on air soon.

Hardball: Deer in Headlights Edition

2007-06-30T13:46:00.001-07:00

RNC's Lisa Comooso Miller vs. DNC's Karen Finney

Watch the Republican National Committee's Lisa Comooso Miller get schooled on international terrorism live on Hardball.

Hardball Smackdown: Elizabeth Edwards vs. Ann Coulter

2007-06-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

In Case You Missed It:

Elizabeth Edwards takes it directly to Ann Coulter live on Hardball.

Elizabeth Edwards:

Stop the personal attacks.

Ann Coulter:

The wife of a Presidential candidate is asking me to stop speaking. No.

Hardball: Cheney's Secret Government - Rep. Rahm Emanuel vs. Dick Cheney

2007-06-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

In Case You Missed It:

Rep. Rahm Emanuel talks about defunding Dick Cheney on Hardball with Chris Matthews.

Hardball Exclusive: David Shuster Interviewing Michael Moore

2007-06-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hardball's David Shuster "cornered" Michael Moore today on Capitol Hill and snagged a great interview about his new movie SICKO.

Barack Obama talks about "a very simple promise" in Reno

2007-06-01T00:49:00.000-07:00

I put together this audio and picture montage of Barack Obama at Wingfield Park in Reno, Nevada on May 31st, 2007. Several thousand showed up to this event on a Thursday afternoon in 90 degree heat. I hope you enjoy!

Go Obama!

Jim Gibbons goes thuggin'

2007-05-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

(NBC News Photo)

Look at our Governor looking all thugged out and what not. LOL! Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and that was Dina Titus in the picture with a bling-bling chain around her neck and a Ja Rule bandanna on around her head while sipping on some oil. You righties would be calling for her head, huh? Of course you would. Goodness! The only thing missing is a grill by Paul Wall. Isn't Jim Gibbons a Latter-day Saint or something like that? If so, what's in the glass he's holding? Mormons do refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages, correct? What's that guy doing underneath Montgomery's right arm? Is he rolling up something fat? :)

If you haven't already, sign on to this petition to recall Governor Jim gibbons. He's an embarrassment to the state of Nevada, not only for this, but for the countless of other scandals he's involved in. Nevada deserves better.

Harry Reid Pulls No Punches

2007-04-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

Watching Senator Harry Reid beat up on Bush and Cheney is as enjoyable as watching the good kid at the bus stop finally beat up the big bad school bullies and make them cry.

In Case you missed it:

President Bush - “The direction of the fight is beginning to shift"... “so far the operation is meeting expectations."

Senator Harry Reid - "The White House transcript says the President made those remarks in the State of Michigan. I believe he made them in the state of denial."

Vice President Dick Cheney - “What’s most troubling about Senator Reid’s comments yesterday is his defeatism”... “And the timetable legislation that he is now pursuing would guarantee defeat. Maybe it is a political calculation.”

Senator Harry Reid - "I’m not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating,"

Bill Manders Show: "The punishment for treason...."

2007-04-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

Harry Reid said:

"I believe myself that the secretary of state, secretary of defense and you have to make your own decisions as to what the president knows (know) this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday," ABC News

"And as long as we follow the President's path in Iraq, the war is lost. But there is still a chance to change course - and we must change course."(Entire transcript)

Now listen to this montage (0:03:47) and hear what happens after KKOH's Bill Manders cherry-picks Harry Reid's statement and gets his callers riled up to the point where one caller insinuates that Harry Reid experience the same fate as "Benedict Arnold".

Note to Manders: No wonder why Harry Reid refuses to appear on your show

Hopefully one day Bill Manders and his fans will wake up and realize that President Bush's failed "occupation" in Iraq is out of touch with large majority of mainstream America. Until then, I guess they'll simply repeat the same historic mistakes they made on November 7th, 2006.

Dean Heller responds to Americans United for Change Ad

2007-04-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Dean Heller today on KKOH's Bill Manders Show:

Clip 1
Clip 2

In clip 2 they talk about Sven over at Turn Tahoe Blue:

Bill Manders: "What do you know about this guy Sven Stromann?"

Dean Heller: "Uh... Some guy from Germany."

Bill Manders: "Well, actually he's an exchange student in Nevada."

Dean Heller: "Yea, I think he was at one time..."

Bill Manders: "...they're attacking you, they want to defeat you in 2008.."

Dean Heller: "Yes they do..."

Bill Manders takes "Ho" stroll

2007-04-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

During a interview with Senator John Ensign this afternoon, KKOH's Bill Manders cites Don Imus and insinuates that the Duke rape accuser is a "nappy-headed ho". Click here.

After you listen to that short clip, listen to this audio montage I put together of a few other comments Bill made today while he was all fired up after NC Attorney General Roy Cooper dropped all charges on the Duke University students.

Bill Manders:

"The freaking woman was a hooker!"

"She would of taken fifty bucks that night..."

"I relate a bit. First of all, my daughter is not a whore..."

"It's pretty amazing. It's amazing in this day after were talking about the Don Imus situation, and the phrase that he used, and all of a sudden, boom... There she is, there she is on Drudge, a real life one you can reach out and touch her apparently. But let's use the term "exotic dancer" as opposed to the ebonic term... "Ho".

__

Update:

Myrna the Minx asks... "First of all, what did the esteemed Senator Ensign have to say during this conversation?"

Ensign didn't say a word when Bill ranted about the Duke accuser but you might be interested what Ensign said about Don Imus. Ensign called Imus a long time racist and mentioned that he was on Imus' show 10 years ago in Las Vegas. Ensign then asks "why is it wrong for him to do it, and it's O.K. for all these folks who's putting it in rap songs and everything else..." Manders and Ensign then agree that racism will "never go away in the world we live in".

Audio

Jim Gibbons: "On my Mothers grave..."

2007-04-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

KKOH's Bill Manders played a great game of "softball" with Governor Jim Gibbons today and I just got the audio up and going for everyone to enjoy.

Witness Jim Gibbons blame everyone except himself. (0:02:45)

On Warren Trepp case:

"On my mothers grave, I accepted NOTHING." (0:04:15)

On SNC case:

"Unfortunate, complete fraud... by the media" (0:03:19)

On Erin Neff:

"She's got a bee in her bonnet." (0:00:24)

On Recall talks

"It's nuts." (0:02:19)

The Gibbons' deny wrongdoing.... Again.

2007-03-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Washington Post:

Report: Gov. Gibbons Aided Wife's Client

WASHINGTON -- A defense company that got a federal contract with help from then-Republican Rep. Jim Gibbons, now governor of Nevada, hired Gibbons' wife to do consulting work, according to a published report Friday.

Dawn Gibbons was paid about $35,000 by Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nev., in 2004, the same year her husband, who sat on the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, pushed for the company to get a $4 million contract to make a helicopter radar system, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Let me guess... Jim Gibbons did nothing wrong, right?

Religious Heavyweights Smack Down GOP Frontrunners

2007-03-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hardball with Chris Matthews' for March 12

Richard Land (President of the Southern Baptist Convention‘s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission)

"The frontrunners all have problems. In the case of Giuliani, three divorces—three marriages is two too many for most social conservatives."

"I think the first or the top three—the frontrunners, if you will, in the Republican Party have position problems. It‘s not—we‘re not even getting to the personal problems yet. I mean, you got Giuliani—I mean, tell me, do you think a candidate who says that he wants to take money out of the paychecks of social conservatives to fund abortion can count on their vote? I don‘t think so."

"I mean, you know, look, John McCain has acknowledged that he is primarily responsible for the failure of his first marriage. He‘s been in a second marriage for more than 20 years. By all outward appearances, it‘s a very stable, committed marriage. That‘s a horse of an different color than Rudy Giuliani‘s second wife having to take out a restraining order to keep him from bringing his mistress to the mayor‘s mansion for official functions. That‘s a horse that looks more like a donkey."

Tony Perkins (President of the Family Research Council)

"I mean, if we turned around and said, Oh, it doesn‘t matter that Giuliani‘s is in his third marriage, or if Gingrich gets in the race, is in his third marriage. People in the media would justifiably fry us up in a pan and serve us as hypocrites of the century for making character an issue with Bill Clinton."

"Truman once said, a man that will lie to his wife will lie to me, and a man that will break his marriage oath will break his oath of office."