Letters to the editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Traffic enforced in Pahrump but not in a good way as described by reader

This is in response to a letter from Stacey Parmenter urging the sheriff’s office to issue more tickets. Actually, traffic enforcement is alive and flourishing in Pahrump, just not in a good way.

At a county commission meeting a while back, Sheriff Wehrly proposed to generate additional revenue for the county by increasing traffic enforcement. Apparently this grossed out even the commissioners because they declined her proposal.

I fully agree that drivers who violate real traffic laws and endanger themselves, other people or property should be vigorously cited. However, as Ms. Parmenter pointed out, this is not happening.

I recently received a ticket for driving 20 mph down a completely deserted street. Technically, it was a school zone with a speed limit of 15 mph. I fully agree that children should be protected by low school speed limits, but this one was set up for a school that closed several years ago.

Nevertheless, the school zone remains technically on the books. The hot shot motorcycle deputy who gave me the ticket took advantage of this and set it up as a pure speed trap. It had absolutely nothing to do with public safety; it was purely to raise revenue for our bankrupt local government.

I was not alone. When I went to court to pay the fine, it was packed with victims having similar stories. We were all disgusted but paid up because the alternatives were unacceptable. Whatever opinion we had of the sheriff’s office and law enforcement in general took a significant drop after this incident.

So why is there so little real traffic enforcement? One reason is that the dedicated traffic officers are busy operating dirty little speed traps instead of cruising around looking for actual offenders.

On one final note, Sheriff Wehrly gave a speech at the graduation ceremony for deputy academy graduates urging them to act like lion tamers and dominate and control the circus animals (us citizens). This was denounced even by former sheriff Tony DeMeo.

What kind of respect and support can they expect if they look at us and treat us like this? Speed traps are like mouse traps, which I guess makes us mice (not even circus animals) in their eyes.

David G. Alexander

Corporate tax reductions will benefit U.S., state economy

Bonuses, wage boosts, and increases in parental leave: That’s the power of tax cuts.

Walmart, which employs thousands of Nevadans, recently raised its hourly wage and gifted employees with additional bonuses upwards of $1,000.

Thanks to President Trump and his administration, both Nevadans and our fellow Americans are seeing a plethora of tax savings this year.

Back in 2004, if the corporate tax rate had been 20 percent, approximately 5,000 companies would have never left our country. With the corporate tax rate now reduced to 21 percent, job creators will return to “The Land of the Free.”

As time goes on, I hope Nevadans never forget the amazing benefits that tax cuts have brought us.

Jim Marchant, State Assemblyman, Las Vegas, NV

Trash along highway on way to dump a mess

I live in the north end of Pahrump, just off Highway 160, so I travel most of Highway 160 when I drive to Las Vegas. As I drive, I pass the road to the dump frequently. Along the way I see trash, trash in trash bags, trash containers, construction trash, and real objects that are traffic hazards. Most of this is NOT the fault of C&S Waste Solutions transporting their loads of garbage to the dump. It’s from private citizens and contractors going to the dump. I believe that some intentionally throw their trash out of their cars or trucks so they won’t have to pay for trash pick-up or too lazy to go to the FREE dump. Many are too lazy to cover their loads. That is required by transportation laws. This includes high-railed (walled) truck beds and trailers. Thus the wind blows or sucks the trash out of the car, truck, or trailer out and onto the road. It’s not only dangerous, but it creates an environmental MESS!! Plastic and trash do not break down in the desert, people!!!!

Now, I see the MANY law enforcement units giving out the tons of violations for speeding and other driving mistakes by the day and even by the minute. Why are they not stopping and giving tickets for unsecured and dangerous loads? I have never seen law enforcement do that since the five years that I’ve lived here in Pahrump. Is it too much work for them to write tickets for this violation? I think it’s about time for law enforcement to do their COMPLETE job of protecting all of us citizens who travel the roads of our town. Are they too good to stop and check trash for the address of the violators? They need to get off their butts and do their complete job of protecting the citizens who travel our roads, not just write tickets for SPEEDING! It would help to keep Pahrump clean AND safe.

Donald Schieber

Framer turns the ordinary into the spectacular

I would like to bring it to the attention of everyone in Pahrump, Nevada that we are blessed to have a truly spectacular artist among us. I stumbled on them quite by chance when looking for someone to frame a picture for me. I have become friends with this man and he is for sure a very talented person. He took a quite ordinary picture and frame that I had made and turned it into a work of art. The man is a true genius with his hands. He is struggling to make a go of it where he is at.

My hope by sending this letter to the editor is that people in Pahrump will realize how lucky we are to have this man among us. So one day while you are out and about, please visit him at 401 South Frontage Road, #4.His name is Floyd and he will be more than happy to sit and visit with you and show you what he does.

Don’t go into the shop and expect it to be cheap, custom framing is not cheap but he is cheaper by 30 to 40 percent than Las Vegas.

Thank you for your time and please visit Floyd, you will be amazed.

Stacy Riney