THUMBS UP to the Sparks City Council for supporting chickens.
At a meeting earlier this month, the council approved an urban agriculture ordinance that allows residents in neighborhoods outside planned developments to have chickens and bee hives in their backyards as long as they follow certain conditions. The ordinance also provides for larger community-scale gardens, again with restrictions.
A number of folks supported the proposal at a public hearing before the council vote. Several council members, however, hinted they may vote against the ordinance because they were concerned about the city’s ability to enforce the conditions placed on the agricultural activities.
But you don’t punish the vast majority of people who follow the rules because of a few bad guys. That’s apparently the common-sense conclusion reached by the council members, despite their reservations about enforcement, when they unanimously voted in favor of backyard chickens and bee hives.
THUMBS DOWN to the serious consequences of allowing Nevada voters to consider a ballot question dealing with taxes.
A group last week filed a petition seeking to repeal the commerce tax, part of the tax package passed by the Legislature to fund education. If the group succeeds in getting the issue placed on the election ballot and voters approve the tax, the Legislature will be forever blocked from repealing the tax or changing it in the future. Under that scenario, future changes will have to be approved by voters, not legislators, thanks to Article 19 of the Nevada Constitution. It’s obviously inefficient if you have to go to voters every each time a tweak in a law is needed.
THUMBS UP to state gaming officials for protecting Nevada’s regulated gaming industry by shutting down unregulated daily fantasy sports sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel. You’ve no doubt seen these outfits’ TV commercials if you’ve watched even a few minutes of football.
We aren’t buying the sites’ argument that they are only offering games of skill and not chance, and we are troubled by reports that DraftKings employees are allowed to play on the sites.
THUMBS UP to American Document Destruction of Sparks for participating in the Better Business Bureau’s annual Secure Your ID Day on Saturday. The event provided free on-site document shredding—up to three bags or boxes. People were lined up in their cars to take advantage of this valuable and convenient service.
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