[NV Greens] Fwd: *Crunch time for Ballardini Ranch

Sun Apr 17 00:20:11 PDT 2005

>Delivered-To: nevadagreenparty.org-info at nevadagreenparty.org
>Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 05:58:09 -0700
>To: bulletins at barbwire.info
>From: Andrew Barbano <barbano at frontpage.reno.nv.us>
>Subject: *Crunch time for Ballardini Ranch
>X-ELNK-AV: 0
>
>Barbwire by Andrew Barbano
>Special Internet Edition
>4-13-2005
>
>Commentary on commentary
>
>Last Sunday, the Reno Gazette-Journal 
>editorialized on Senate Bill 326, an admitted 
>attempt by Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, to stop 
>public acquisition of the Ballardini Ranch in 
>southwest Reno.
>
>The editorial stated "As the Senate Judiciary 
>Committee, developers and local officials 
>discuss a proposal to limit eminent domain 
>powers, they should take care to avoid the 
>slippery slope that could lead to constraining 
>local government's ability to make necessary 
>land-use and public works decisions. The 
>resulting package must be fair, balancing the 
>public interest against private rightsŠSenate 
>Bill 326, for instance, would prevent 
>governments from acquiring property for open 
>space or wildlife habitat preservation and would 
>be retroactive to include all pending cases. 
>Some claim this is an effort to short-circuit 
>litigation over open space and cripple 
>government's eminent domain powers in all cases, 
>and, specifically, the present dispute over the 
>Ballardini Ranch," the editorial continued.
>
>The Gazette-Journal editorial board did not 
>address another proposal, Assembly Bill 143, 
>currently in the Assembly Judiciary Committee. 
>AB 143, which enjoys a bi-partisan majority of 
>both houses as sponsors, presents a targeted 
>solution to ongoing eminent domain controversies 
>emanating from Las Vegas.
>
>Senate Bill 326 contains a tip of the hat to the 
>Las Vegas concerns which are definitively 
>addressed in AB 143. The solution for Sen. 
>Care's constituents lies in the assembly bill, 
>upon which he himself has signed as a major 
>sponsor.
>
>SB 326 also poses a significant danger to public 
>safety. Sen. Care's proposal would bar state and 
>local governments from acquiring land for flood 
>control and historic preservation as defined in 
>Nevada Revised Statutes 376A.010.
>
>There is no area of Nevada immune to flood 
>danger. Barring governments from condemning land 
>for flood control is bad public policy and a 
>danger to lives and property.
>
>In 2000, Washoe County voters approved a bond 
>issue to begin acquisition of the Ballardini 
>Ranch.
>
>Eminent domain is written into the Fifth 
>Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and 
>represents a rarely-used solution to 
>public-private disputes. By removing what local 
>governments view as a necessary albeit rarely 
>used tool, future public projects from parks to 
>flood control will be jeopardized. Perhaps the 
>controlling court decision in that area of law 
>was handed down by the Nevada Supreme Court in 
>1951. The justices upheld Washoe County's 
>acquisition of property on Slide Mountain, 
>without which the Slide Mountain (later merged 
>with Mt. Rose) ski complex would never have been 
>built.
>
>The Ballardini Ranch can be devoted to a rich 
>range of uses in addition to critical wildlife 
>habitat (given its border with the Toiyabe 
>National Forest). It can accommodate hiking, 
>picnicking, skiing, camping, education, public 
>and private events. Reno's Bartley Ranch and 
>Rancho San Rafael parks provide smaller examples 
>of the potential.
>
>The Nevada State Senate Judiciary Committee 
>should not move SB 326 forward. The Assembly 
>Judiciary Committee should pass AB 143 to the 
>assembly floor this week.
>
>Please let your lawmakers know where you stand. 
>Contact information appears below.
>
>Be well. Raise hell.
>
>--
>
>You may read the full Gazette-Journal editorial here:
>http://www.rgj.com/news/printstory.php?id=96741
>
>---
>Andrew Barbano is a 36-year Nevadan and 
>webmaster of protectourwashoe.org. The opinions 
>expressed herein are his own.  Responses to the 
>issues raised are welcome and may be posted. Any 
>respondents who wish comments kept confidential 
>need only ask. The above special edition has 
>been posted with hot links at the 2005 Barbwire 
>archive at http://www.barbwire.info. Please 
>forgive any unintentional uploads or 
>duplications. Please include the entire subject 
>line with any list deletion requests. Thank you.
>
>#
>
>Reno Gazette-Journal 4-10-05 editorial
>http://www.rgj.com/news/printstory.php?id=96741
>
>#
>
>CONTACT THE NEVADA STATE SENATE COMMITTEE ON 
>JUDICIARY TO VOTE DOWN SEN. CARE'S SB 326
>
>REPUBLICANS
>
>Mark Amodei, Chair, Carson City
>mamodei at sen.state.nv.us
>(775) 684-1470
>
>Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, Vice-Chair
>mwashington at sen.state.nv.us
>(775) 684-1480
>
>Mike McGinness, R-Fallon
>mmcginness at sen.state.nv.us
>(775) 684-1442
>
>Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas
>dnolan at sen.state.nv.us
>(775) 684-1421
>
>DEMOCRATS
>
>Terry Care, D-Las Vegas
>tcare at sen.state.nv.us
>(775) 684-6503
>
>Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas
>shorsford at sen.state.nv.us
>(775) 684-1429
>
>Valerie Wiener, D-Las Vegas
>vwiener at sen.state.nv.us
>(775) 684-1422
>
>To e-mail the entire committee at once, 
>highlight, copy and paste the following 
>addresses into your e-mail send box. Remember to 
>retain the commas.
>
>mamodei at sen.state.nv.us,
>mwashington at sen.state.nv.us,
>mmcginness at sen.state.nv.us.
>dnolan at sen.state.nv.us,
>tcare at sen.state.nv.us,
>shorsford at sen.state.nv.us,
>vwiener at sen.state.nv.us,
>
>Assembly Judiciary Committee:
>Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks, Chair
>(775) 684-6563
>banderson at asm.state.nv.us
>
>All area codes are (775)
>
>Democrats:
>Barbara Buckley 684-8537
>bbuckley at asm.state.nv.us,
>Marcus Conklin 684-8505
>mconklin at asm.state.nv.us,
>Susan Gerhardt 684-8855
>sgerhardt at asm.state.nv.us,
>William Horne, principal sponsor of AB 143, 684-8847
>whorne at asm.state.nv.us,
>Mark Manendo 684-8801
>mmanendo at asm.state.nv.us,
>Harry Mortenson 684-8803
>hmortenson at asm.state.nv.us,
>John Oceguera 684-8595
>joceguera at asm.state.nv.us,
>Genie Ohrenschall 684-8819
>gohrenschall at asm.state.nv.us,
>
>Republicans:
>Francis Allen 684-8829
>fallen at asm.state.nv.us,
>Sharron Angle 684-8848
>sangle at asm.state.nv.us,
>John Carpenter 684-8831
>jcarpenter at asm.state.nv.us,
>Brooks Holcomb 684-8559
>bholcomb at asm.state.nv.us,
>Garn Mabey 684-8827
>gmabey at asm.state.nv.us,
>
>To e-mail the entire committee at once, 
>highlight, copy and paste the following 
>addresses into your e-mail send box. Remember to 
>retain the commas.
>
>banderson at asm.state.nv.us
>bbuckley at asm.state.nv.us,
>mconklin at asm.state.nv.us,
>sgerhardt at asm.state.nv.us,
>whorne at asm.state.nv.us,
>mmanendo at asm.state.nv.us,
>hmortenson at asm.state.nv.us,
>joceguera at asm.state.nv.us,
>gohrenschall at asm.state.nv.us,
>fallen at asm.state.nv.us,
>sangle at asm.state.nv.us,
>jcarpenter at asm.state.nv.us,
>bholcomb at asm.state.nv.us,
>gmabey at asm.state.nv.us,
>
>General Legislative Phone Numbers
>Northern Nevada 	1-775-684-6789
>Southern Nevada	1-702-486-2626
>Public Toll Free	1-800-978-2878 OR 1-800-995-9080
>
>By Phone:
>Northern Nevada 1-775-684-6800
>Southern Nevada 1-702-486-2626
>Statewide Toll-Free 1-800-992-0973 or 1-800-995-9080
>By Fax:
>Nevada Senate 1-775-684-6500
>Nevada Assembly 1-775-684-8533
>
>By Mail:
>
>Nevada Legislature
>401 S. Carson Street
>Carson City, NV 89701-4747
>
>Nevada Legislature
>555 E. Washington Ave.
>Las Vegas, NV 89101
>
>By E-Mail:
>senate at lcb.state.nv.us
>assembly at lcb.state.nv.us
>
>
>-30-


-- 
Paul Etxeberri

"Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow"   ---Chateaubriand
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