Sam Dehné


Your HomeTown Best Person for Mayor
2,503 "free" votes were not enough to overcome 13,343 "bought" votes... and a corrupted voting system


unelected mayor of Reno

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Sam, the Businessman's Friend... Sam, the Worker's Friend



"What If" Sam were to be elected mayor... SAM's VIEWS ON SOME OF THE ISSUES:

RENO AIRPORT:
The Reno airport is an integral part of Reno... period! City Hall appoints 4 of the 8 members of the Airport Board. Although its 4 appointees serve at the Council's pleasure, Mayor Griffin and most Council members refuse to take responsibility for the abusive actions of the Airport Board... especially the diabolical Rewana Farms landgrab scheme... that begs for a Federal investigation. This must change! Relocation of the Airport should be publicly discussed and voted upon. Growth at the Airport is cancerous... with ever-increasing noise, danger, blight, and pollution.
RAILROAD:
The Railroad is an integral part of Reno. Current city hall's attitude of attacking this vital part of the community is abhorrent. There are better solutions that are fair to the Union Pacific... and to the citizens of Reno. Building a trench will expose the town to construction blight for years. Some underpasses and protective fences should be considered. Reno must work WITH the Railroad... not AGAINST it!
GROWTH:
It must pay its way through impact fees. Taxpayers should not have to pay for growth impacts such as schools, roads, police, etc. The people should vote to approve or disapprove all major proposed projects such as the Silver Legacy and the Double Diamond Ranch. Growth should not be decided by the entities that profit from such growth.
WATER, AIR, PATIENCE:
There's not enough! (See GROWTH)
NOISE, DANGER, BLIGHT, POLLUTION:
There's too much! (See GROWTH)
PUBLIC INFORMATION:
It is nothing short of outrageous for citizens to fund a million dollar city hall propaganda machine. "Actions speak louder than words." Any public funds that are used to "inform" the citizens should be distributed throughout the entire media of Reno. Reports originating from city hall should be balanced and objective, not slanted to serve the agenda of those city officials who are subservient to powerful special interests.
JOBS:
Economic development in the Truckee Meadows should be carefully evaluated. New companies should be discouraged from coming here unless they offer ONLY quality jobs which will not require public subsidies for their workers.
ROTTING ROADS AND POTHOLES:
The road situation in Reno is an insult to its citizens. City Hall must prioritize its financial resources. Propaganda machines must be scaled back and roads fixed. The people have had to complain for too long.
OPEN MEETING LAW:
The open meeting law should be strictly enforced and the so-called state ethics commission should be disbanded for conduct undeserving of public confidence.
SPECIAL INTERESTS:
We have to stop the big boys from making the decisions. Casinos and developers are important in the local economy, but they should not be permitted to undermine democratic due process and decision-making.
LOBBYISTS:
Lobbyists should not be permitted to run amok at city hall.
EDAWN:
The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada should not receive taxdollar-support in any amount as long as its meetings are closed to the public. The mayor should not vote for Reno payments to EDAWN; in that his private company does business with EDAWN.
CASINOS:
Reno can not compete with Las Vegas. We must promote our other local resources as well. We should
have widescope public discussion of the future of gaming in the Truckee Meadows ... and perhaps
decide to limit its expansion.


COUNCIL PAY:
Reno City Council members receive enough pay and special "perks" right now. Period.
COUNCIL VOTING POLICY:
Each council member should be expected to abstain from voting on any issue that benefits his or her major campaign contributors... and/or especially HIS PRIVATE COMPANY AND CRONIES.
WATER CONSERVATION:
Citizens should be asked to use water wisely. However, water saved should not then go to further development... unless specific projects are approved by the people of Reno. During periods when water is plentiful, good judgement as to water use should be the order of the day.
CHARTER COMMITTEE:
Membership should include more average citizens and should not be stacked with representatives of powerful special interests. Public input should be earnestly sought and honestly evaluated to identify problems in Reno government so the Charter may be amended to deal with such problems.
PUBLIC REFERENDUM VOTES:
Citizens should be able to trust the council to decide controversial issues in a manner that protects all the citizens... not just powerful special interests... but this is too often not the reality.
Public meeting referendums must be used more often to give direction to the council when deciding controversial issues. Citizens can understand public issues just as well as council members IF they are properly informed about the pros and cons of each issue.
The Council has the responsibility to fully inform the public about complex issues. But under current the current mayor, it has demonstrated a pattern of failing in this mission... and has intentionally distorted many issues.
TOWN MEETINGS AND NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS:
Citizens should be permitted to discuss and decide major issues. Major decisions should NOT be made by the big boys. Hard questions asked by citizens should be given straight, honest answers by government officials. Neighborhood councils should ELECT their leaders. Immediate neighborhoods (a few streets or blocks) should be permitted self-determination; growth projects should not be forced upon them by
outsiders. Reno officials should commit themselves to protecting property values.
MAYOR AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER:
The buck for "good" government should NOT stop on the desk of a hired city manager who is not directly accountable to the citizens of Reno. If the mayor were required to serve as chief executive officer, he would have no insulation against the many irate voters in Reno. The real authority in Reno government should NOT be with a hired employee who has so much power over the lives of Renoites.
THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS:
All key issues should be discussed at public meetings. They should NOT be discussed by the council in secret meetings prior to public meetings... using telephone conferences, serial or chain meetings, less-than-quorum "briefings", email, memos, directives from special interest groups, or directives from lobbyists.
CITY HALL DRUG TESTING:
As long as the law requires drug-testing for city workers, the "bosses" should also have to comply. That means city council and all top bureaucratic staff should be tested periodically.
Note: Some supporters ask if this platform is an indictment of the present day folly of politics. You decide for yourself. Where does the other candidate stand on these issues?
A Voter's Guide... simple but genius!
Selecting A Candidate
*Vote Against any Incumbent. "All Power corrupts" - time to get 'em out of there....
*Be careful when voting for a Lawyer. They don't see the inherent conflict in writing complex laws that they often (eventually) charge us to interpret.
*Vote Against any Government Employee - Professor, Cop, Prosecutor, ... - they have little idea how hard the rest of the citizens have to work to pay for their government jobs, so they have no problem with making us work harder.
Propositions, Amendments, Bond Issues, etc.
*Vote Against any New Tax. (self-explantory).
*Vote Against any New Program (inevitably, it will involve a new tax).
*Vote Against any New Agency, for the same reason.
Signed,
An Annonymous Genius


Your HomeTown Best Person for Mayor

SAM ASKS HARD QUESTIONS
ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT ABUSES:
Section 2.02.02 of the Reno City Charter Law (also supported by numerous NRS Laws) orders that, "Council members will have no direct or indirect leases, contracts, or agreements with the city of Reno." The current mayor flagrantly flaunts this Law. And the current city attorney lets him get away with it:

Is it right for mayor Griffin to vote on the appointments of Airport Authority trustees who then almost immediately vote to give an Airport contract to the mayor's private company?

Is it right for mayor Griffin to give city money to EDAWN which does business with the mayor's private
company?

Is it right for mayor Griffin to approve secret backroom meetings to discuss multimillion-dollar decisions such as downtown redevelopment? Is it right to circumvent the Open Meeting law?

Is it right for mayor Griffin to tell any citizen that city business is, quote "None of your business"?

Is it right for mayor Griffin to push the agenda of his powerful, special interest campaign contributors?

Is it right for mayor Griffin to dispense large sums of tax dollars directly to political cronies who were, and are, instrumental in his election campaigns... effectively causing citizens to fund his campaign with tax
dollars?

Is it right for mayor Griffin to think he has a "mandate" when he was elected by only 16% of the registered voters?
IMPORTANT "CLICK-ON" LINKS: (Place the mouse/cursor on item of your choice to read more)

Check out Sam's Qualifications

What has Sam Done?
Write to Sam
Press Release - Sam to Run
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