April 25, 2007
Editorial

Caliente Tries To Do Right Thing

Here we were all set to do a blistering Editorial on municipal heavy-handedness and suppression of the people’s will, when the City of Caliente ruins the whole article by doing the right thing.

For the last few months, a petition has been going around which suggests that the City Council should get out of the electricity business and turn over the Caliente Public Utilities to someone else to run.

The petition was inspired by an increase in electric rates two years ago, and some ongoing problems with the system which delivers electricity to the 900 residents of Caliente.

That petition was recently delivered to the city, which calls for an initiative to be placed on the June 5 ballot to allow the voters to decide whether Caliente should divest itself of the electric utility.

Unfortunately, according to a ruling by the Nevada Secretary of State’s office, it appears that the petition’s authors didn’t jump through all of the hoops necessary to get the measure on that ballot.

That fact alone is reason enough to once again rail against the machine, meaning the government, which has steadily chipped away at the rights of American citizens.

Even if all of the picayune little nuances of the voluminous Nevada Revised Statutes haven’t been met, a group of citizens trying to make their voices heard through the referendum process should ALWAYS get the benefit of the doubt.

Every time a rule or regulation is imposed on that process, it stifles free speech and demoralizes those trying to exercise their rights of democracy.

The Secretary of State’s office isn’t the culprit, since they’re simply interpreting the law.

If you want to point the big hairy finger of blame, your nearest Nevada legislator would be a good place to start.

On Thursday night, the Caliente City Council voted 5-0 to leave the question off the upcoming ballot, based on the negative ruling by the Secretary of State.

They were technically and legally right to make that call.

But they were morally wrong.

According to the signatures on that petition, more than 60 of their constituents had given them direction.

Also, it is never in the best interest of a community or democracy to squash discussion or debate on any issue.

On Tuesday morning, it appears the councilmen saw the light.

In an emergency meeting of the City Council, the members voted 5-0 to include a revised version of the question on the upcoming ballot.

It’s still less than noble for the council to change the wording of the petition, which is a shortened and watered down version of the original document which slants against the measure.

It also shows a lack of intestinal fortitude to make the referendum a non-binding resolution.

However, it is courageous for them to go against their personal bias, and the restrictive recommendations of a state agency, and include the question on the ballot.

It’s obvious that the Caliente City Council doesn’t want to give up control of the community’s electric utility.

And in the grand scheme of things, they probably should continue to run it.

While others may have more knowledge or better skills when it comes to operating an electric utility, there is no agency or corporation which will have the best interests of the people of Caliente at heart the way the City Council does.

To others, it would be solely about money.

To these men, it’s about making sure the citizens are taken care of and receive the services to which they are entitled.

But more importantly, the decision shows that this council has the honor and vision to see that the citizens must be given an opportunity to have their say.

While they are to be held accountable for changing the wording and making it a non-binding question, they are to be applauded for taking the brave step of putting that measure on the ballot for the people to decide.

Now it’s up to you, the voters, to do the right thing.

Vote.