President's Message

  "We're from the Government and we're here to help."

     President Reagan was right when he said that those were the scariest words in the English language.  The government in its infinite wisdom doesn't seem to know how to get out of the way and let individuals succeed. Case in point, some of you may be aware that I am in the process of building a new home.  It's a bad time to sell but a good time to build.  Most contractors need the work.  There have been numerous examples of the government "trying to help" me in this process.  Last Wednesday, not on but two Clark County Storm Water Prevention Officers showed up in an official county truck.  They knocked on the door of our current home and explained to my wife who they were and that they wanted to prevent storm water runoff from construction sites.  My wife explained that the property we currently live on and the property, next door, that we are building on are located in a rural neighborhood preservation area where everyone is on a septic system and therefore there are no storm water drains or sewer systems to collect runoff.  Also, the construction site is probably one of the cleanest in the county.  I constantly have my sons cleaning up trash, filling the dumpster and sweeping the gutters to make sure the site stays clean.  We were told by these county employees that we had two days to rectify the situation or that they would give us a violation notice.  Mind you, it took two county engineers to notify a single family home construction site of potential storm water runoff with no indication of runoff at all.

    In order to build a home I had to pull a dust control permit, one of the numerous permits that had to be pulled and paid for.  Then I had to construct and install a dust control sign on my property (luckily I own a sign company).  One day the county road crews were in the neighborhood grading the sides of the road.  I'm grateful they clean up the roads but it creates a tremendous amount of dust.  The next day a Clark County Dust Control Officer drove into my cul-de-sac in a county vehicle with the amber light flashing to check for dust violations and promptly left a voicemail message indication all of the actions I should take to alleviate dust on my construction site.  There was no dust blowing from my site only dust from where the county had graded the sides of the road.

    The Clark County Building Department required a form, which they provided, to be filled out, notarized and recorded at the Clark County Recorder's Office in order to proceed in the permit process.  The Recorder's office charged $10.00 for the recording fee and an additional $25.00 penalty because the form that the Clark County Building Department provided did not comply with the Clark County Recorder's office requirements.

    Clark County has graciously allowed me to build a home on my own property out of my own pocket as long as I am willing to do it their way.  They instruct me as to the number and size of trees I must plant and the type of driveway and sidewalk finishes that I must use.  Remember this is not a homeowners association telling me what to do but the county.  Once I develop the property, out of my own pocket, my property taxes will be raised because the property is improved.  

    My wife and I own a sign company and Clark County has a public response office.  Within the public response office is a sign and shopping cart division.  Once in a while we get a call from a code enforcement officer on a sign or structure we have built.  I was told during the height of the construction frenzy in Clark County that there was only one code enforcement officer that dealt with the signage that now that things have slowed down and now that things have slowed down there are now five officers that deal in this area.

     While most companies are having a hard time even surviving during this difficult economic period, it seems that the government is thriving with more employees overseeing less work than ever before and your tax dollars are paying for it.  

    Please remember the next time the government offers to "help" you - hide the kids, bolt the door and run for the hills.  
     

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