ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE FAILED TO MAKE GROWTH PAY ITS OWN WAY The base root cause of the current financial and budget crisis is not the downturn in the local economy which has for years been based on & foolishly relied upon a chain letter type of sprawl growth. The crisis is as a direct result of grossly inadequate fees based on the impacts of that growth and the total failure of Local Officials to PLAN for this downturn. The bursting of the housing bubble was inevitable and predicted for years by everyone except Elected Officials who defiantly ignored the Will and Wisdom of the People. Washoe County's failure to assess proper fees on growth, growth that was not based on sustainable resources, has created a structural deficit to service this new growth over the next ten years exceeding five Billion dollars and in essence has forced citizens to subsidize this growth. Long time residents, as well as new homeowners, may now suffer from increased upward pressure on taxes and a further degradation of quality of life for years. It would be pure folly to rely on the same Officials that led us into this crisis to be willing and able to lead us out of it! ELECTED OFFICIALS MUST STRIVE TO WELCOME, ENCOURAGE, AND FACILITATE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN THE REGULATION AND CONTROL OF THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT The process of County Government is broken and we are in financial crisis. Most County residents have little or no confidence or respect for County Officials, whether elected or bureaucrats. County government must be restructured and reinvented. Returning County governance to a much more public process where citizens not only have the perception that they can make a difference, but they actually can make a difference, is the necessary first step in reforming the failed policies and management of County Government in recent years. Without immediate and corrective measures our quality of life will continue to plummet out of control at the same time we have pressures for increased taxes, fees, costs, & deficits. It is not to late to take corrective actions, but it is the eleventh hour, and WE THE PEOPLE must move immediately to begin to resume control of OUR government. Please VOTE for me to make that change. Please click here to see The Schmidt Plan To Email me click here NoBullSchmidt@hotmail.com or call me at 775-622-4670 Click here for more about me More Info