Response to Charlie Abword letter in Carson Now

Below is Mr. Abowd letter as printed in Carson Now, my response follows.

 

Jim,

Your vote Thursday although disappointing was not a surprise. I believe either you have no experience in running a business and it's challenges or you have no respect for the power of small business. We small business owners are also tax and fee payers to not only City, State but also Federal government. We are also the employers. We are the ones who create jobs. I am not sure if you totally grasp the short and long range implications of a soon to be completed bypass. To make it easier for you to conceptualize this visualize the completed 580 project through Washoe Valley. The interchanges both north and south makes it much easier to just go around the old highway 395. This will also be the case on our north, south and east corridors. Casual drive thru traffic will stop to a dribble. This is where vision and leadership from the BOS was vital. For you to think that this was some sort of money grab from business directed to special interest groups was short sighted and was an ill informed opinion. I am not quite sure if you really understand the economic tightrope that alot of the businesses in the corridors and in Carson City are walking. Let me help you with that. The last time I checked which is not that long ago 46% of our population base lives at poverty level or below. We have a 9%plus unemployment rate.....well above the national average. An untold amount have left the area to find employment and more business friendly areas.

 

The plan that was presented to the BOS in many ways was in the rawest of formats. You were asked to vote on a plan that was presented to you not just for the funding but for the approval for City staff to explore in detail the cost and final plans. That would have included open meetings, town halls, and corridor involvements. All of this intertwined with the guidance of the BOS. It is a very complex plan. It involves enhancing our gateways. It also involves many details that enrich the lives of all of CC no matter what your background is or your age.

 

It is my understanding that government and citizens are partners not adversaries. What was being asked of you was a solution that many communities that face the challenges that a major highway bypass have dealt with. The details are so complex that the 1/8 cent tax implementation was given to cities, counties and municipality boards for exact scenario. To even consider putting this to a vote of the public is a politically motivated decision. In my mind because of its complexity I see no difference in asking for the citizens to vote on City labor negotiations and yearly department budgets. These are the jobs that you were elected to do.

 

As for your question to Supervisor Karen as to whether disclose a conflict of interest because of her ownership of a business in the central district of CC I find that laughable. Karen's conflict of interest would be no greater or no less than yours. As somebody involved in real estate and development one of the goals of this plan is to help increase property values. Thus an indirect impact on your business. Everybody in this plan has an opportunity to gain and that was the idea. Yes children, dogs, cats, business and citizens. All  of them stood to have their lives enriched.

 

The 1/8 cent sales tax increment is a form of tax grant money where a significant portion of it is derived from people from outside CC. No Jim I am afraid that in this case you played politics and not for the good of our town.

 

Just so you know my love for CC is endless. I am in for the long haul!

 

Charlie Abowd

Owner/Chef/Adeles

 

Mr. Abowd, you state my vote was not a surprise, you must have some type of supernatural ability that allows you to predict the future.  Did you anticipate my statement that I would vote in favor of this 1/8 cent sale tax for the MAC and Animal Shelter building, come on be honest you didn't see that coming. 

  

Truth be told Mr. Abowd,  I highly respect the opinions of others including yours.  To clarify: yes I have the experience in owning and running a business, granted it was a construction company  but I am "your equal" in the attributes it takes to run a small business.  If one differs in opinion I think no less of that person, I try to learn from them, that being said – I don't think further discussion is needed regarding this subject. 

   

Mr. Abowd as to the effect the bypass will have on businesses within our corridors, your perspective is noted, however, have you had a chance to read the article in the November 24th Nevada Appeal – in the section called News & Views title of the article - "Is the 580-Bypass going to bypass Carson City? The references to new businesses locating here are numerous, and let's not forget the Hotel that Mr. Neighbors is to build here in the very near future.  There are numerous other arguments for and against – each side presents their own unique perspective. I understand you may feel a sense of discontent as you believe your perspective is the correct one, the poll in the Nevada Appeal strongly suggest otherwise.

 

Mr. Abowd, you make some wild presumptions as to how I think, and arrive at making a decision. They range from uncanny to pure untruthfulness.  Please provide the evidence that your investigation found that lead you to public state: 'that I thought this was some sort of money grab" in plain and simple English, let me state: this is nothing more than Charlie Bull. Nor was my decision: a short sighted and ill-informed opinion as you so wrongfully suggested. How so you may be wondering? Stealing your line "let me help you with that"  I spend  an  enormous amount of time investigating each agenda item (more so with this one) in the short four days we are allocated before voting –  your presumptions are without merit and provide absolutely nothing more than - attacks.

 

When Supervisor Bonknowski & Abowd (your wife) made the proclamation that ALL corridors must receive funding so ALL corridors can be revitalized, obviously,  (and you must agree) this was a "game changer",  and a  gigantic one at that. Those other corridors held one meeting (seriously just one) each and then only three to five businesses attended.

 

Unfortunately I have no knowledge of the poverty level of our community, per the State one in seven citizens within Carson City receive food stamps.  The figures of unemployment rate you quote, I will forewarn you, some may argue you should hire and pay more to cure both of these aliments. Mr. Abowd your statement of "an untold amount of folks have left the area", however did you arrived at this? Do you have any data that will that will support your synopsis, if so could you please forward. 

 

Mr. Abowd, in case you left the meeting, let me set the record straight - the vote was 3 to 2 in favor of the agenda item – essentially Mr. Abowd the agenda item you so wanted to passed, well guess what - it was passed and approved. I will allow you time to digest this and will bring this back into the discussion at the end of my letter. 

 

To the mention that putting the 1/8 cent tax to a vote of the public is politically motivated - is completely silly as it is absurd. It is apparent that you have forgotten this idea came to legitimacy from the previous BOS whose leadership felt it was NOT essentially that citizens should be entitled to vote on how their tax dollars should be spent, I am referring to the Library project.  So what happened,  citizens circulated  a petition to force the BOS to allow them the right to vote.  I am pretty sure Supervisor Abowd (your wife) was serving on this particularly BOS at the time, who at the time refused to grant them the right to vote. I completely understand how you must have arrived at your present stance against granting citizens the right to vote; in my opinion it is 101% wrong.

  

I agree with you that government and citizens should be partners not adversaries. A great example of this had been Carson City Redevelopment Funds/Grants to numerous businesses in our community. I believe your business had been fortunate enough to receive some of this funding (if I am wrong I apologize), you would know firsthand how government works to improve local businesses. I encourage you to expand on this experience and how it helped your business.  

   

When I asked the City staff: "what input has the City Business Development Office had in the process of the corridor revitalization plans?" This is the respond I had received – "Michael was not to any extent at this point but Lee was available for questions as this has been a privately developed project but they will be very involved should the BOS move this forward tomorrow". Seven words are critical in how this project has progressed, and they are: "this has been a privately developed project" if you would Mr. Abowd please provide your interruption, does this fit into the scenario of – partnering, adversarial, or is it more along the line of confrontational or emitting a lot of what the heck? Back to the funds that were once held in Redevelopment and dispersed throughout the community – guess what, all those funds are ALL GONE. I am presuming the same folks within City today knew back then the freeway was coming, where was the foresight to visualize what these funds could have helped provide to the funding to the downtown corridor for revitalization as depicted in our master plan? So know Mr. Abowd there are zero amount of funds in any account that would provide any relieve to the taxpayers, and the pay raises you mention they were indeed just passed by the BOS and all of them are " on the come line", if revenues do not increase – then employees will be denied those pay increases.

 

I find it laughable that you find it laughable if Supervisor Abowd (your wife) might have a conflict of interest: hell yes she does! OK, I will grant that you can make the argument that others on the Board may as well, but none have a conflict as oblivious as Supervisor Abowd (your wife) come on Mr. Abowd are you serious? 

 

Mr. Abowd, let me further explain what I meant when I said the majority of the Board approved the agenda item you and others wanted, remember the  vote was 3 ayes to 2 nays. This means in no uncertain terms the Board made a motion and the Board voted and approved the agenda item, which then instructed staff to proceed forward. Now what happened after that vote - the Mayor weighted in and basically told staff not to proceed, why?  He made the assumption that when this came back before the Board (and it must) the vote would be the same,  how and why he presumed what he did - I don't have a clue but it does not have any relevance at all, none what so ever.

Here's the why's:

1. Arguable the case cannot be made how the Board will vote in the future as it has no bearing on the direction staff must take by the previous Board vote. 

2. When this does come back to the Board and it must, it will require a super majority vote of 4 to 1 to approve if the 1/8 cent tax is the funding source.

3. The Mayor directed staff not to adhere to the vote, and I believe this is wrong. My argument would be that the action taken by the Mayor is improper and not within the parameters allowable under the law.

4. The direction given to staff by the Mayor certainly over rules how the Board members voted and if this is permissible then the Mayor has just been granted the power of veto (and as far as I know), that certainly is not within the frame work of our local city government to allow. If granted this veto power then basically the Board never again needs to vote on any agenda item.

 

How this happened and how we got here - I have no idea. Mr. Abowd - I encourage you and your supporters to contact our City Attorney asking that they provide the NRS statue or our Charter or something  that allows the Mayor this latitude that grants to him this veto power.

 

Even if I disagree with you and others in our community on this one issue it is my duty to equally represent all parties within the community, so for that reason I have sent this to our City Attorney asking for clarification on this subject.      

 

Mr. Abowd you state – "Just so you know my love for CC is endless. I am in for the long haul!" My response  – "DITTO times 10 !!"

 

Thank you for your time and patience in reading this lengthy email. If you find this of value please forward to your entire mailing list.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Jim Shirk

 

Supervisor Ward 4

 

 

JShirk@carson.org

720.5761