Financially-strapped Nevada city (North Las Vegas) declared disaster (area)

MSN ^ | 6/22/12 | CRISTINA SILVA

[Libloather]

Financially-strapped Nevada city declared disaster
By CRISTINA SILVA
June 22, 2012 1:31 PM ET

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) - There are no signs of rioters, wind-damaged homes or flooding. The brand new City Hall features gleaming marble floors and the public recreation centers offer Zumba, karate and Pilates classes.

Despite all of its suburban trimmings, North Las Vegas is officially a disaster area.

After five years of declining property taxes, massive layoffs and questionable spending, leaders of the blue-collar, family-oriented city outside Las Vegas declared a state of emergency, invoking a rarely used state law crafted for unforeseen disasters.

No matter that the statute, which allows municipalities to suspend union contracts and avoid paying scheduled salary increases, doesn't actually include fiscal emergencies among the list of potential disasters.

"It says, in case of 'emergency such as.' You can't list how many different types of emergencies there are in the world," City Council member Wade Wagner said of the move, which will save the city $9 million.

[Libloather]

Hussein did tell everyone not to go there.

[ronnie raygun]

Harry Ried.............savior

[2ndDivisionVet]

[raybbr]

This is one of those cities built on Bush's housing boom.

"#3 on the list of "Top 100 fastest growing cities from 2000 to 2008 (pop. 50,000+)" From here.

The influx of cheap labor supporting building and construction was supposed to save our country.

[samtheman]

the statute, which allows municipalities to suspend union contracts and avoid paying scheduled salary increases

Good thinking, and good for them for doing it. More cities should follow their lead.

[PowderMonkey]

"No matter that the statute, which allows municipalities to suspend union contracts and avoid paying scheduled salary increases, doesn't actually include fiscal emergencies among the list of potential disasters. "It says, in case of 'emergency such as.' You can't list how many different types of emergencies there are in the world," City Council member Wade Wagner said of the move, which will save the city $9 million."

The fast track to tyranny. Making it up as you go along. What disturbs most is that this attitude is spreading among state and municipal governments, with the charge being lead at the federal level by the likes of Obama and Pelosi. The compact between government and the governed either exists, or it doesn't. When the only tool you have to work with is nullification, every problem becomes an "emergency."

[KC_Lion]

Hope it doesn't end up like this!

[dragnet2]

This is one of those cities built on Bush's housing boom. "#3 on the list of "Top 100 fastest growing cities from 2000 to 2008 (pop. 50,000+)" From here. The influx of cheap labor supporting building and construction was supposed to save our country.

Nevada was the perfect storm...Over built on a foundation of fun and gambling...With the economic downturn, it all went belly up.

[randog]

"They [the city council] didn't think ahead, unfortunately."

Yeah, but I'll bet their campaign signs had you believing that they were "forward thinkers"!!

[rottndog]

You're exactly right. What if the tyrants running the city declare the state of emergency for the purpose of diverting funds from services just to maintain overly generous pension payouts? What's to stop them?

There is already a mechanism in place to handle this situation, it's called bankruptcy. Under bankruptcy, the trustee decides what gets paid and what doesn't, not the morons who got into the mess in the first place.

This action by NLV should be fought. The possibility and likelihood of abuse is obvious.

[hadaclueonce]

you are correct. 0bammy said stay away.

and your village idiots like him.

So I will stay away, lots of cooler and cheaper places to visit.