Reno
Citizen, April, 1997
The Reno Citizen takes no responsibility for views expressed by its writers. (But we would if we could.)
Rated by Guy Richardson of the Reno Gazette as "Quirky and Feisty"
WHY DOES RENO's CASINO AIRPORT REFUSE TO REDUCE NOISE POLLUTION? by Agatha Fluktor
There ARE ways to reduce the noise impact of the ever-increasing glut of airline flights in and out of Reno. One problem is that the airport "brains" refuse to listen to reasonable suggestions on how to reduce (mitigate) the terrible noise their rampant growth policies are creating. They use scare tactics by falling back on the old "it is unsafe" baloney/mahoney.
So let's use simple logic that any idiot can understand and figure this thing out. Forget the hooey and just stick to the facts. Here are just a few suggestions that will work.
1. Power reduction after safely airborne. (Let's look at two different simple flight scenarios by the same type of airline airplane.)
a. Jet "Pete", flying long-haul to Chicago, weighs 150,000 pounds and needs "x" amount of engine power to climb out of Reno.
b. Jet "Felix", flying short-haul to Las Vegas, weighs only 100,000 pounds (far less fuel on board) and thus needs only "y" amount of power to safely climb out of Reno.
c. Pure, unadulterated logic reveals that jet "Pete" requires more power to get safely airborne than jet "Felix".
d. Therefore light-weight jet "Felix" DOES NOT NEED FULL POWER TO MAKE A SAFE CLIMB OUT FROM RENO!
e. Unnecessarily high power settings are what causes the vast amount of terrible noise pollution in Reno.
Besides this "AFTER SAFELY AIRBORNE" power reduction procedure (which has been mandated, safely, at Orange County for many years) without a single incident, here are a few other ideas that the airport refuses to listen to:
2. Late night curfew. If it's good enough for the kids downtown, it's good enough for the airport. No scheduled flights should be allowed between 11 PM and 7 AM. Similar curfews are standard and mandatory throughout the USA.
3. Elimination of 727 aircraft. It is the noisiest in the airline inventory. It is the decibels above 70 that cause the irritation and rumbling in the stomachs. And those 727s are rated way above 90 decibels.
These are just a few no-brainers that the airport refuses to look at. There are others. But you can expect Reno's Casino Airport (and the airlines) to dig in their heels until the lawyers show up. They will shout "Safety"... refusing to consider that, even in the area of "Safety", LOGIC AND INNOCENT CITIZENS' RIGHTS have to prevail!
Those noisy military fighter jet operations don't help one bit... noise, safety, and just good common sense should demand they stay away.
What a terrific idea! Here's a plan (Guy's) to do this:
1. Establish an elected police commission to put our Renostone Cops in harness.(And force Acting. Police Chief Jim Weston to take at least 90 days off ... out of the area ... for a badly needed rest. Any questions, see Ralph Heller's column in the Sunday Sparks Tribune of 23 March, 1997.)
2. Conduct credible community impact studies on proposed major projects and let citizens and taxpayers know ALL findings without any special-interest filtration.
3. Let the people of Reno decide all controversial issues by binding referendum.
4. Outlaw members of the Reno council from voting on issues that benefit their major campaign contributors.
5. Answer questions asked by concerned citizens.
6. Develop a realistic plan to deal with the fact that our gambling economy is failing due to national proliferation of gambling.
7. Honor Reno's city charter and fire any official who conveniently overlooks sections that are intended to curb abuses of officials who are frontmen for special interests.
8. Prevent city committees from being stacked/controlled by special interests.
9. Observe the letter and spirit of the open meeting law.
10. Honor the principle of government of, by, and for the people.
11. Stop thinking of citizens as customers. Reno citizens are the owners of Reno government.
12. Don't waste public money on a phony ombudsman. Let Citizen Sam Dehne serve as the real thing in a non-funded, volunteer capacity. Listen carefully to what he says and act accordingly.
13. Stop wasting public money on oatmeal propaganda pages in the Reno Gazette-Journal.
14. Stop lying, cheating, and stealing.
15. Stop acting like Larry, Curly, and Moe.
Note: This Internet response to Reno Casino City Council's impending propaganda program (you will soon be paying for an insidious program designed to brainwash you into "loving" your government) was re-written with the editor's permission. Internet Address: http://webitor.com/renogov.htm
Please check it out in its entirety.
By Sam Dehné
In our last issue Charlie Wacker described how Corporate Welfare works at Reno's Casino Airport. Some readers have asked what would happen if that Washington Pork money suddenly disappeared? What if Congress refused to go along with the FAA's schemes anymore? Or made Airports spend the ticket tax money on safety projects as intended? What could the Airport do to survive?
The story would be a lot different:
1. The Airport bosses would be responsible for the $60 million of Bonds they floated to build another runway to feed their sinister growth plots. USA taxpayers would be off the hook.
2. They would probably have to rely on the airlines to "bail them out".
3. In the process, they would have to charge substantially higher fees to generate funds.
4. But the airlines (no longer being subsidized by the USA government) could no longer charge those rock-bottom fares. And there go your mom & pop gambling tourists.
5. And where would the casinos be without those moms & pops? In deep kimshee - that's where.
6. And eventually, with some luck, the airlines would be forced to cut back and peace would return for thousands of Truckee Meadows citizens...
In case you didn't know it, Uncle Sam has been fattening the Airport's Porky pockets to the tune of about $5 million for each of the past several years. And who knows what other Pork projects have been engorging the Airport... not even counting the $$millions of bogus "Noise" study bacon the FAA has thrown at the Airport... for their notorious landgrab schemes.
No, without the government Pork, the Reno-Casino Airport would be forced to operate just like any other business... which is what an Airport is normally supposed to be.
Dear General Fogleman (Air Force Chief of Staff);
Reno citizens continue to thank you for the role you played in helping them in their efforts to correct the Nevada Air Guard mission in 1995... I have personally found Renoites to be a very patriotic group of citizens. But the ongoing unjustified and ill-advised visits to Reno by various fighter-bomber units might possibly be testing their loyalty.
It was just weeks ago that Air Force F-16 pilots embarrassed, and had to be chastised by, the Air Force for their poor lack of judgment. That time, the F-16s were terrorizing civilians in the sky by chasing after airliners. Today, 22 March, 1997, they have outdone themselves...
General Fogleman, for some bizarre reason, 8 fighter-bombers (four F-16s and four F-15s) saw fit to "visit" the civilian city of Reno, Nevada. With some 40 to 60 expensive military bases in the USA to choose from, it is beyond bizarre to see them parked over by Reno's civilian golf course.
Why would Air Force pilots come to Reno? With no military functions justifying their presence, what could they be doing in this land of Gambling Palaces and Mustang Ranch?
In addition to the obvious fact that these fighter-bombers are, by their very nature, far too dangerous and noisy to be operating at a noise-sensitive civilian airport, there are a plethora of questions that any patriotic tax-paying citizen would want answered:
a. Why are F-16s allowed to stage operations out of a civilian city with Sidewinder missiles and Smart bombs plainly visible on their wings?
b. Why are expensive and secret fighter-bombers allowed to park by a civilian golf course with basically no security and protection against sabotage?
c. Why are fighter-bombers operating out of an airport that has no proper emergency equipment... especially no arresting barrier to keep the jets from crashing into the street after a loss of brakes during landing or aborted takeoff?
d. With no military operations in Reno this weekend, how can you justify the terrible waste of taxes and abuse of privilege and authority by these men sworn to protect America?
If one of these fighter-bombers was to crash into a civilian populace on takeoff, the repercussions would be disastrous for the Air Force...
Sir, we highly recommend that you take all actions and disseminate all directives to preclude further cases of questionable judgment by officers under your command.
By the way, these pilots are not the only culpable entity. Reno citizens are also critical of the Reno City Council and its appointed Airport staff. They should also be pro-active and discourage military boondoggles in Reno.
This letter and accompanying fighter-bomber photographs, as well as other articles on the subjects, can be found at: http://www.renocitizen.com
Signed, Sam Dehné
PS Citizens are suspicious of a secret study, sponsored by the Reno Airport and the Nevada Air Guard, that is conjuring up excuses to build a huge military complex in the middle of Reno. Sir, citizens do not want USA Defense taxes wasted on such an inappropriate project. Not the study and not the $$multi-million dollar military complex.
It would behoove the Air Force to take a pro-active stance against this wasteful scheme.
In case you do not access the photos on the internet, the F-16 tailnumbers are:
AF 93 551
AF 91 370
AF 92 890
AF 92 899
When they finally left Reno at 1030 AM, 24 March - they performed stunt maneuvers, with vertical rolls over downtown Reno.
It may be pretty... but not smart!
Cowboys should not be doing this with dozens of thousands of citizens directly below.
The Reno Citizen
April (Fools) Staff
Editor: Sam Dehne
Chief muckety-Muck: crazy Guy Felton
Assistant Muckety-muck: Dexter DAWG
Publisher: Kelly Moonfish
3 Stooges Committee Chair: Guy Felton
Honorary Chair of the bored: Jeff Griffin
Honorary Custodian: Tom Herndon
Honorary Zoo Keeper: Charles McNeely
Honorary Farley: Corley
Honorary Travel Arranger: Bobby White
Honorary Wheeler Dealer: Donald Trump
Chief Honorary Technical Consultant: Bill Gates
Music by: Live Music
Graphics Consultant: Stu Overslinger
Internet Nerd: Stanley Von Bungee
Letters: Robin Mercantile
Baby Sitter: Paula Shultz
(Members of the Staff of this Free Internet
Magazine Come and Go Freely... and Frequenty)
This month's top award for the best government internet site in Reno goes to Guy Felton's,"RenoGov" that he affectionately refers to as the LCM (Larry, Curly, Moe) Page. This one is a "Don't Miss". If you are not on the internet, find someone who is and check this out!
Is it the alternate government site... or is it the real one? (webitor.com/renogov.htm)
CITIZEN GADFLY ASKS:
by Sam Dehné
Gadfly: A Citizen who reports on things for other citizens and attempts to arouse them from complacency.
(Note: It is all-right to be redundant... about important things. And if you are confused by the numbering system, so are we!)
Aa. These Board "members" (who DO NOT LIVE IN RENO) have been voting on issues that involved $$millions$$ of tax dollars... AND adversely infected the lives of dozens of 1,000s of Reno citizens. Shouldn't every one of their votes be declared null and void immediately? YES!
AA. On 9 Dec, 1996, Sam Dehne submitted an application for Reno's new ombudsman job. His application was lost and/never considered... Coincidence? Read about this latest fiasco in the internet version of The Reno Citizen.
AAa. Sam was recently appointed Reno's Unofficial
Ombudsman...
AAA. Big tobacco companies make gargantuan profits off the misery of their addicts. But why is it never reported that another major cause of children becoming addicted to cigarettes... is their smoking parents? Parents who smoke around their kids, whether in the car or in the house, are forcing their very own addition onto their children. Every time the kids suck in that dangerous second hand nico-poison, they are being hooked. When is government going to expose this tragedy?
AAAa. How many times have you seen cars driving around with kids safely buckled in... and the adult(s) puffing away - trying to peer through a dense haze of smoke?
AAAaa. And then there is the current attempted re-brainwashing of America toward those despicable cigars... that doesn't even warrant wasted comment.
B. Reno-Casino's Airport's "double pilfer-tration" system: First they pilfer USA taxes via bogus "noise" studies... then they pilfer land from innocent citizens with those pilfered taxes...
1. There it was... just as suspected; the RSCVA [Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors "Authority(?)"] was caught mis-directing tax money that was, by Nevada Law (according to the Reno Gazette), supposed to be spent to pay off investors' Bonds. Instead they used the money to pay their salaries. Can citizens expect anything to be done about it? More likely the matter will be swept under the rug... down there with the rest of the city's cans of snakes.
1a. By the way, in case you didn't know it some city council members are on that RSCVA board that pulled off this latest caper...
1b. Quite frankly, citizens are very disturbed at this unilateral stance. Isn't it time for the Nevada Attorney General, Frankie Sue Del Papa, to create a citizens' committee to investigate the machinations of the increasingly notorious RSCVA? After the investigation is over, the RSCVA should be abolished and the guilty punished...
1c. Partial Kudos to the Reno Gazette... in continuing to report on RSCVA (mis) management. However, in their follow-up essay, they forgot to include the fact that, by using Bond money to pay salaries to themselves, they violated Nevada law. Why no suggestions to investigate? That "financial ship" sank... long ago.
1d. The RSCVA venue tennis game is played like this: First you call the State Attorney General's office and report the violation... then they tell you to call the District Attorney... then the District Attorney tells you to call the Attorney General. Dizzying...
2. Also, as could be expected, the Chamber of Commerce bosses were at city council begging for electrical power to be pumped into Reno... so their businesses could generate more profits... on the backs of the dozens of thousands of citizens of Reno's North Valley who will have their land and lives blighted by the gigantic power-line towers. How many times have you heard this type of story before? Too many times. Some things never change.
2a. The North Valley has its blight and danger in the form of ugly power-towers, and South Reno has the blight and danger of 210 daily noise-polluting airline flights over their homes.
3. Speaking of the Chamber of Commerce... The Reno Citizen editor was invited by Rewana Farms resident, Michele Jackson, to join her at a C of C meeting to discuss the airport landgrab. Upon entering the room, Sam Dehne, (ostensibly an expert on the landgrab scheme) was told he wasn't invited and told to leave. Internet subscribers can read more about the aftermath and a letter to the Chamber critters at www.renocitizen.com/chamber.htm.
3a. Along those lines, it is apparent that certain individuals prefer to try to "shoot the messenger"... instead of obeying the message. Interneteers can "Click Here" to see what former Nevada Governor, Mike O'Callaghan had to say about the issue, vis a vis Sam Dehne's military career.
4. Lenita Powers and Cory Farley are two of the best writers on the Reno Gazette staff. Citizens are still amazed that Farley is allowed to write in defense of
those bleeding heart liberals... Kudos!
4a. They are both experts with the pun... the quip, wordplay, the paragram... and that best of all wordsmithing - the double entendre. And oh yes, the conundrum! These are usually natural abilities you cannot be taught. What kind of coffee do they drink?
5. "Plunging property values, visual blight, possible health hazards, these can all be yours." Words printed in a fine letter to the Reno Gazette editor by Robert Mateas... objecting to the notorious Alturas Power Line. They could just have well been written about the ReNO-Casino Airport.
6. JR "The NightHawk" Reynolds (92.1 FM at 6 PM) continues to be one of the best Reno radio Talk-Meisters as he reports on, and discusses, important local issues. Some of the others busily kiss-up to the local Bourgeoisie Fat Cat cliques...
6a. Maybe we can call him "The Reno Citizen" of the Air? And congratulations, Mr Nighthawk, on joining the internet crowd...
7. More (typical) Reno government corruption? The "committee" to "study" where to move the Air Guard has... guess what? A high-ranking Air Guard officer WHO OWNS LAND AT ONE OF THE SITES BEING CONSIDERED! No bias there (?)... not unless you think that person would like to get richer - mucho $$$'s.
8. More on the RGJ's resident liberal, Cory Farley. He made a very good argument against those pesky little boats that proliferate lake Tahoe... and everywhere else. However, he continues to deftly skirt around the problems at the Reno-Casino Airport. But then, readers can't expect him to be an expert on everything...
9. How much do all of those Reno city lobbyists get paid? Wouldn't YOU like one of those cushy jobs... down in Carson City hob-nobbing with legislators and bureaucrats?
10. The Reno-Casino Airport induced, USA taxpayer financed, GRW Corp Huff & Fluff "Air Guard Move Study" has it all backwards. Keep the Air Guard... move the Airport!
11. Speaking of Reno Gazette writers, John Klacking, puts out an excellent article on investing tips each Sunday. Usually very well written, insightful... and understandable.
12. New motto around town: "See NO evil, speak NO evil, hear NO evil". That's ReNO...
12a. Headlines about the new freeway off ramp. Wow! Not a word (in paper or on TV) about the RSCVA mis-directing Bond money to themselves...
12b. Has anybody else noticed that when the paper says; "Leaders speak out on this or that...", it is almost always business owners they are referring to? Rarely is it just an ordinary tax-paying citizen. No "leaders" among the proletariat populace?
12c. The RSCVA has some of those "leaders" on its board. Would you trust them with your money?
12d. Don't you still find it hard to believe that businesses contributed significantly (60%) to the $4.3 million cost of the "WalMart" off ramp?
13. Why didn't the cops park outside those dozens of St Patrick Day casino parties? Do you think there might be a few drunks driving around ReNO during those celebrations?
14. Is it really true that casinos can write off those "free" drinks at $1.50 a piece? They can't cost 15 cents each. Figures... Where is the IRS when you need it?
15. One of the basic requirements for working for the city of Reno (and logically so) is that the workers live in Reno. Why then, are workers allowed to live as far away as Lake Tahoe... and the city knows this? Shades of the Police Time-Card fiasco...
15a. Is it true that, in Nevada, if you get away with doing something wrong long enough... that it becomes okay?
16. Is it true that McDonald's owns stock in Pepto Bismol and Alka Selzer? Or is it vice-versa?
17. We hear the Fallon Air Show is a "show". But spending all those USA taxes flying those jets around is not going to help balance the budget... or house the homeless... or feed hungry children at school. And who gets the money that local private businesses are charging for tickets? AND WHO PAYS FOR THOSE GIANT BILLBOARDS ADVERTISING A TAX-PAYER FINANCED EXTRAVAGANZA?
18. Did Japanese Kamikaze pilots wear helmets... or shoulder harnesses? Did they have brakes on their wheels?
19. Now citizens' tax dollars are going to be spent inculcating citizens about what a great job Reno city government is doing... The Great Reno Brainwashing Scheme of 1997. There are some excellent observations about this propaganda ploy at Guy Felton's "LCM" Internet Alternate Gov Site.
19a. "Billboarding Better Reno Blight" is alive and well in Reno, Nevada. There are lots of good city workers... and they are being paid a good salary. If the Reno-Casino City Council wants their pictures on billboards, let them pay for it. Not the taxpayers...
19b. Could this be a cheap way for incumbant council members to get tax dollars to actually finance their up-coming campaigns?
20. The notorious FAA promotes the very same airlines that they are supposed to watchdog! How can they be allowed to get away with this obvious Conflict of Interest? Aren't they helping create the very safety problems they are supposed to correct? Isn't it time for a complete overhaul of that arrogant top-heavy bureaucracy?
21. When City Council meetings drag on, who should have priority to speak... city-government staff who are being paid... or citizens who have been waiting - sometimes up to 5 hours?
22. You know it's the 90's when the Pope's Internet Site lets you go to confession over the World Wide Web... can sin-fees be far away?
23. Dennis Myers of the Sparks Tribune has been rather quiet recently about Reno's Airport Authority... until last week. In a scathing report on the Airport's profligate spending, secrecy, and contempt toward residents of the valley ("It's a snake pit of strange money dealings, sexual harassment, and contempt for the public."), he asked "Where are the Journalists?".
23a. He might just as well have asked: "Where's the money?" Money talks in Reno. Look at the Hidden Valley highway project... and Virginia Lake commercialization. Both plans squelched because of objections (rightly so) by affluent anti-growth (in their backyards) groups. Rewanians don't have enough money... hence the Airport's hobnailed boots trod over the rights of these "willing sellers". Willing sellers? Yeh, sure!
24. Don't you wish you could call a buddy on your day off and ask him to fill in a time-card for you?
25. On 27 March, 1997 the Nevada Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 39 - a Bill that gives Nevada cities the right (obligation?) to create Police Commissions (civilian review boards) to watchdog police activities on behalf of citizens. Has anybody hear this critical issue discussed at the Reno-Casino city council?
25a. Have you seen or heard one iota about this Bill's existence in any other local news media? Your taxes pay for lobbyists to work on these things... Which side were those lobbyists politicking for?
What has Reno's new city manager done to deserve the raises the council gave him? As a bare minimum shouldn't he have to solve at least 25% of the terrible problems Reno is ignoring? A small sampling of problems from an internet questionnaire (webitor.com/felcol.htm):
* Why doesn't Reno government sound and honor the will of the people on controversial issues?
* Why does Reno government make so many decisions that are contrary to public opinion?
* Why doesn't Reno government conduct credible community impact statements before approving major projects?
* Why does the Reno City Council not monitor and control activities of the Reno Police Department?
* Why does the Reno City Council keep information from citizens which they have every right to know?
* What persons and special interests dictate policy to members of the Reno City Council and key city staffers? Why is this permitted?
* Why does the Reno City Council permit major city committees to be stacked with representatives of special interests?
* Why does the Reno City Council invite the perception that its legislative lobbyists have two agendas ... one for public consumption, and one actual agenda which is pressed with senators and
assemblypersons?
* Why does the Reno City Council permit its appointees to boards, commissions, and authorities to act as "free" agents in their governmental roles ... rather than as representatives of the council who serve at the council's pleasure?
If just these few questions are properly answered, it will be a truly great April Fool's Day...
The Reno Citizens Staff continues to thank you for your input to our publication... dedicated to keeping citizens informed about Reno. Read it daily on the Internet.
By Guy Felton - Chair, Washoe Citizens for an Elected Police Commission
*Most Reno officials, especially members of Reno's city council, fear that a citizens' review board might be established to monitor activities of local law enforcement agencies. An impartial review board would make it clear that RPD Officer Keith Hashimoto would doubtless still be alive today... if Reno government were not grossly incompetent!
*To her great credit, Councilmember Judy Pruett has been calling for citizen oversight of police activities for quite some time... even though this resulted last year in an unsuccessful attempt to recall her from office.
*Let's quickly add that the majority of local law enforcement officers are first-rate professionals; Washoe citizens are blessed to have them in public service. Clearly, competent and honest law enforcement professionals would have nothing to fear from a police review board. Clearly, those public employees who are only masquerading as police professionals should be identified and removed from their positions of trust.
*The Attorney General's Final Report on the Hashimoto Death includes recommendations to prevent similar occurrences in the future. No open-minded, halfway-intelligent person can read these recommendations and not wonder why their common-sensical ideas were not made standard operating procedure in the City of Reno a long, long time ago.
*If the City of Reno had acted in a competent manner in years past, it would have formulated clear, written directives to determine; 1) whether parachute training makes sense for RPD officers (it doesn't), 2) when an officer is on or off duty, and 3) how timecards should be managed in a legal and business-like way.
*If the City of Reno had acted in a competent manner in years past, it would have said "NO" to parachute training... and Officer Hashimoto would not have been killed during an unauthorized stunt drop at Fallon Naval Air Station. (A naval officer was reprimanded for having permitted Hashimoto's participation without formal approval. No written City of Reno policy authorizes parachute training.)
*The City's incompetence translates into the fact that the Hashimoto family should sue responsible officials (not taxpayers) for their incompetence leading to Officer Hashimoto's death. In that the Hashimoto's attorney is also Washoe County Sheriff Kirkland's attorney, this will most likely NOT come to pass. We are informed that it was Kirkland's initiative that first permitted RPD officers to participate in parachute training when he was Chief of the RPD.
*Sloppy, incredibly stupid management at city hall has resulted in the tragic and unnecessary loss of an RPD officer who was widely respected. The finger of blame should be pointed precisely where it belongs... at most members of the Reno City Council, especially including the Mayor; at the City Manager; and at the City Attorney; not to mention RPD command officers.
*In this context, it is mud in the public face to consider that the City Manager was just awarded a hefty bonus and a raise. Could this happen anywhere besides Reno, Nevada?
*Top leadership at city hall (with the sole exception of Judy Pruett) should be tossed out on their arrogant, out-of-touch-with-reality backsides! We could take any equal number of citizens off the street, at random, put them in charge at city hall (with or without bags)... and not have worse government. It would probably be an improvement because random citizens off the street would probably not be flunkies of special interests.
*Reno taxpayers are paying through the nose for a municipal government that isn't worth half its cost! Reno taxpayers will now be paying a half-million dollars or more to the Hashimoto family as the price of putting up with the dunces and stooges who are running city hall.
*Without any question, Washoe citizens need a civilian review board to monitor law enforcement activities in Northern Nevada. No governmental agency is now doing what needs to be done.
Note: This timely report was re-printed (slight editing due to length) with approval of the author... and reflects the views of The Reno Citizen, and thousands of other Patriotic Citizens.
Click here for more Citizen Gadfly musings.
