More WTF Crazy in Pahrump

Remember when a few angry Republicans tried to arrest the Pahrump Town Board? Well, the drama is about to get even more out of hand. The Nye County Commission just reversed itself and approved a ballot initiative to essentially "de-claw" the Pahrump Town Board.

Apparently, an "unholy alliance" formed after Town Board Member Vicky Parker made a comment about Nye County wanting to scrap the "more fiscally responsible" Pahrump Board to take all its cash. It infuriated the Nye Commissioners enough to switch their votes and give the Nye County Republican Central Committee what they've been seeking all along, which is to delegitimize and dissolve the Pahrump Town Board.

So what happens if they succeed? Under Nevada law, the current board would be able to finish their terms. But come 2014, the board would be reduced to just an advisory body while the Nye County Commission assumes all fiscal and municipal legislative duties for Pahrump. Funny enough, Pahrump now has 83% of Nye County's population, so theoretically Pahrump may soon have 4 out of 5 seats on the Commission depending on this year's election. However Nye County's seat of government is still 165 miles away in Tonopah, so local government could be even less responsive.

As I had suspected last month, Pahrump is clearly going through some difficult "growing pains".

Not that long ago, Pahrump was just a sparsely populated rural outpost far from any bustling metropolis. Now, it's a town of over 36,000 people that's increasingly looking like an exurb of the Las Vegas metropolitan area that's now topping 2,000,000 people. And now, Pahrump actually has a larger population than (incorporated cities) Boulder City and Mesquite combined.

Fifty years ago, Pahrump didn't even have telephone service! But especially in the last two decades, people have been flocking here seeking a "simpler", more bucolic life. And while there may still be some wide open space now, even that's been changing as more housing and commercial developments are approved. Really, this once rural outpost in the middle of nowhere is increasingly looking like an exurb.

I'm really wondering how Pahrump residents can get the kind of attention their town really needs if their nearest local government has headquarters 165 miles away. At least Nye County has government offices and some Commission hearings in Pahrump, but I'm still perplexed by the possibility of a growing municipality with 37,0000 people ceding that much local control. Just how sustainable is that?

I also find it funny how the Nye County GOPers keep butting in. They always claim they're for "limited government" and "more local control", yet they're now advocating expanding the power of the Nye County Commision and giving them complete control of Pahrump? Are they serious? I guess grudge matches trump ideology out there in the open desert.

Pahrump... WTF??!!

If you ever thought city/town council meetings are incredibly boring, then you've clearly never been to Pahrump.

About 30 members of the Nye County Republican Central Committee led the charge to make a citizen's arrest on three town board members after voting to repeal a town ordinance passed years ago.

Attorneys say Pahrump Town Ordinance 46 is unconstitutional because it restricts power of future town boards, and so they put the issue on the agenda to repeal it. Members of the NCRCC say that is illegal because it should have been put to a public vote. Town leaders voted anyway, and that's when meeting turned to melee.

Bill Carns led the charge, as NCRCC members tried to make a citizen's arrest on board members Harley Kulkin, Tom Waters and Vicky Parker. When Nye County Sheriff Deputies refused, the group tried to make citizen arrests on deputies themselves.

Board Chair Vicky Parker says the group has been disruptive before.

"This is just the first time they decided to arrest us," she said. "It was bullying, it was threats, intimidation, harassment."

At first, this looks like downright lunacy. And to a large extent, it really is. Last I checked, one actually needs to present evidence of criminal wrongdoing to make an arrest.

However, I can also see the real frustration behind this week's melee... And why it was finally unleashed.

Not that long ago, Pahrump was just a sparsely populated rural outpost far from any bustling metropolis. Now, it's a town of over 36,000 people that's increasingly looking like an exurb of the Las Vegas metropolitan area that's now topping 2,000,000 people. And now, Pahrump actually has a larger population than (incorporated cities) Boulder City and Mesquite combined.

Fifty years ago, Pahrump didn't even have telephone service! But especially in the last two decades, people have been flocking here seeking a "simpler", more bucolic life. And while there may still be some wide open space now, even that's been changing as more housing and commercial developments are approved. Really, this once rural outpost in the middle of nowhere is increasingly looking like an exurb.

And I can see why many folks there are becoming frustrated. They went to Pahrump looking for "the libertarian ideal". However, they found a community experiencing serious growing pains.

While the surface issue looks to be an ordinance prohibiting the pursuit of cityhood, I suspect there's more beneath the surface. And until Pahrump residents decide whether they want to save their rural way of life or continue growing into a full fledged Las Vegas suburb, there will likely be more of these problems going forward.

I just find it funny how the Nye County Republican Central Committee is butting into this dispute. They supposedly favor "limited government" and "individual rights", yet they're supporting a measure meant to limit peoples' First Amendment free speech rights. Oh, the irony!

But again, this may not be the last time we see this kind of explosion in Pahrump.

Crazy Fun Video Night Goes to... Pahrump!

Let's go over the hump tonight... :-)

What's Been Happening While We Were Out

Here's a head start on what everyone will be talking about around the water cooler tomorrow morning:

- Surprise, surprise! Republicans care nothing about health care reform, and prefer to just do nothing while people get killed for profit. (LV Sun)

- Dina Titus is enthusiastically jumping on board the House Democrats’ Task Force on Job Creation, as she'd like to move on once health care reform is done and focus more on taking action to get more Nevadans back to work. (LV Sun)

- Las Vegas native Bill McBeath got his start with Steve Wynn, stuck with MGM Mirage, and is now in charge of Aria just as "the crown jewel of City Center" reveals itself to the world this week. (LVRJ)

- And speaking of The R-J, Progress Now's Journal Review has the latest on yet another incoherent Shermie anti-Reid rant... This time over the failed Senate "Stupid Stupak Amendment" and its attempt to enact draconian government/insurance company control over women's lives. (LV Journal Review)

- All of us in Southern Nevada may be obsessed with all things City Center, but Northern Nevada is also hoping to benefit from Las Vegas' newest mega-resort. (Reno G-J)

- Is Beatty even a town? A place? Anything? Right now it doesn't even exist (legally, even though it's obviously physically real), but Nye County will soon be fixing that "little 100 year old glitch". (LVRJ)

- And finally, The M Resort is celebrating the lighting of "America's Tallest Christmas Tree" the right way with a 12 day toy drive for needy kids. Yay! :-) (LV Sun)