Open Letter to Pahrump Residents

Before I begin, I want this disclaimer to say that I speak ONLY for myself.  I do not speak for any present or future Town Board member and I have not discussed the contents of this letter with any of them. 

This is an OPEN letter to all Pahrump residents.  I want to thank you for voting for your Town Board.  Whether you actually voted for me or not does not matter because on 1 January 2011, I will represent every Pahrump resident.  For that reason I ask for your support.  This is YOUR Town and we, as a Town Board, represent all of you. 

Please contact me or any member of the Town Board members by phone or e-mail if you want to see something on the agenda.  Don’t wait until we, or the Town manager, place items on the agenda and then attend the meetings merely to criticize our actions.  Please let us know what you want us to do.  We want to serve the citizens of Pahrump and be the Town Board that you voted for.  We can only do that with your support. 

I would like to see more families attending the Town Board meetings because families come together to solve problems and resolve issues.  We, as a Town, are “family” in that sense of the word.  We also need to see our young residents (ages 18-30) attending to get them involved in the inter-workings of our Town government as a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”  For those reasons, I would also like to see a “more civil” meeting where each person show respect for the others.  A quote by Joseph Pearce says, “For only as we ourselves, as adults, actually move and have our being in the state of love, can we be appropriate models and guides for our children.  What we are teaches the child far more than what we say, so we must be what we want our children to become.” 

Also, please know that we (the Town Board) are guided by the NRS 241, the Open Meeting Law (OML).  The OML prohibits more than two Town Board members from discussing any item that might be on the agenda prior to the Open meeting.  It also restricts us from having a “closed’ meeting” except in special circumstances.  We are not “all seeing and all knowing” and we’ll need your help.  We will have the same information that you receive ‘on-line’ or from the Town Office so feel free to provide us with additional information that you might have that we don’t.  Of course, we may receive confidential information not privy to the residents.  I merely ask that you understand that, if that is the case, we may not be able to explain to you why we voted the way we did.  I truly believe that will be the exception and not the rule. 

The Town Board meets the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday each month at 7:00 PM at the Bob Ruud Community Center.  The agenda is posted by Thursday evening before the Tuesday meeting. Please read it over and contact one, two, or all five of the Town Board members with your thoughts and ideas about any item on the agenda and then come to the meeting to show your support.  I also ask that you send us your justifications for your particular stance on any agenda item.  Please ensure that your justifications are verifiable and please provide enough data that will allow us to verify all justifications without merely blindly following rumors, innuendoes, or complaints.  If you tell us the “sky is falling”, please let us know where we can get the information to verify it.  Likewise, if you tell us that you are buying the pizzas, let us know when and where.  I look forward to seeing all of you at the future Town Board meetings. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Board - Elect

Complaints versus Praises

It is so easy to always complain about someone or something, but if you do that, it gives those around you the impression that you are a ‘negative’ person.  Instead of being the voice of “gloom & doom” why not try to reflect a “positive” image of Pahrump and of those of us who live here.  Also, we can always “agree” to “disagree” without being disagreeable and we can avoid hateful rhetoric. Look for the POSITIVE, not the NEGATIVE in our community.  Please look at my “Polly Anna” list below and see where you could have said THANKS.  Hopefully, you already did say THANKS.  J   Please remember what the Dalai Lama stated, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  And, if you want to be happy, practice compassion.” 

Are you looking for the Positive or the Negative?  You can find either in most situations.  I choose to look for the Positive because I am an eternal optimist.  We can work together to fix or eliminate the problems in our community without blaming each other for the cause.  In other words, we can work together to make Pahrump the “ideal” place we all want it to be. 

Have YOU said THANKS or looked for the Positive in:

- Churches / Places of Prayer- Have you taken the time to thank your pastor, rabbi, or religious leader for being there when you need him or her?  Have you thanked the congregational members for praying for you or calling you?  

- Casino Meals and Buffets – Have you thanked the workers for a nice meal?  What about the service?  A “tip” is nice but when you include a THANKS with a SMILE, WoW !!  J

- Restaurants – We have some GREAT restaurants and other eateries in our community.  They could use that THANKS and SMILE too.  

- Wal-Mart – This is the Pahrump Meeting Place.  We can complain about the crowds or we can enjoy the “tour” around the store. When you go there, don’t be in a hurry and things go so much smoother.  

- Town Board – Here are FIVE people who receive ZERO pay for governing our town and we should THANK them for donating their time.  We voted for them and placed them into office and we should support their efforts.  If we agree with them we should let them know.  If we disagree with them we can let them know without being disagreeable or argumentative.  Negative name-calling is unnecessary and reduces the image of the name-caller and that of our town.  Did YOU run for a Town Board seat?  Did you vote for a particular candidate?  Well, vote again in November and, whether your choice wins or not, support those that are elected. THANK them for their efforts.  

- Town Office – This office (and the people there) is the GLUE that holds it all together.  When you go by, THANK them for all that they do. 

I could go on and on about being “positive for Pahrump” because, according to the AMA, positive people are healthier.  It takes more energy and muscles to frown than to smile.  I have positive things to say about our County Commissioners, Great Basin College, Concerned Citizens for a Safe Community (CCSC), Nevada Center for Public Policy Dialogue (NCPPD), and so many others. 

As you can see, I am positive about the potential of our town and of our citizens.  It will take all of us working together to make Pahrump the place we want it to be.  

Back In Pahrump

Pahrump is truly a GREAT Town and I miss it (and all of you) when I am away.  Do we Pahrumpians have any problems?  Absolutely!  Will we always agree?  More than likely, this answer is NO!  However, I firmly believe that working together we can resolve any issue that keeps Pahrump moving in the RIGHT direction.  One way to keep us moving in the RIGHT direction is to keep our elected (and appointed) officials informed of our interests and desires.  Send your thoughts and concerns to them by any means available and then attend the meetings and let your voice be heard.

It is unfair to the Town Board, the Commissioners, and the entire Town for any resident to wait until the meeting merely to criticize a decision.  Review the agenda items (along with the back-up materials) before the meeting and let your thoughts be known.  Then be there (or send a representative to speak for you) so everyone understands your thoughts and concerns

REMEMBER - We can "agree to disagree" on the smaller details as we work together on the BIG details to make Pahrump the place we all want it to be.

Listening to the People

I must say that since the Primary Election results were posted, I have received much "advice" from many Pahrumpians.  I sincerely appreciate every bit of information received and I plan to continue to listen to everyone willing to talk to me if you elect me to the Town Board.  Actually, I am willing to listen even if I am NOT elected to serve on the Town Board because I believe we learn by listening to others.

So, send me your thoughts because that is why this BLOG is here.  Whether we agree or agree to disagree, we all want the BEST for Pahrump.  Let's work together to make that happen.  Yes, I am looking for your comments, suggestions, and recommendations.

Welcome

I want to welcome all of you to my Blog.  This is my very FIRST posting.  I plan to post something at least weekly and will look for responses from you.  I also hope to use this Blog to keep you informed as I energize my campaign for a seat on the Pahrump Town Board.