DOG & PONY
DOG & PONY
RENO AIRPORT GOVERNMENT STINKS - "SIT DOWN & SHUT UP!"
Sam Dehné
Nevada Law demands that citizens be allowed to monitor the critters who run the scandal-plagued Reno Airport... to make sure they don't do stupid things. Monitoring this mess is a full-time and very difficult job. That's because these airport "trustees" are constantly looking for ways to run roughshod over the citizenry and ignore their pleas for the airport to stop making knuckleheaded decisions that kiss up to fat cat Special Interests.
Lately the Reno Airport top brass (led by rookie chairman Geno Menchetti who doesn't even live in Reno and who has tremendous conflicts of interest) are stepping further outside the bounds of good government and violating the laws of Nevada and America.
At the Public Meeting of 12 August, 1999 Menchetti (with the board and executive directors acquiescence):
1. Refused to allow me to make important observations about agenda items. They instituted an illegal technique of "selective" adherence to the U. S. Constitution's 1st (Freedom of Speech) and 14th (Equal Treatment Under the Law) Amendments. They decide "selectively" whether they want to hear from friends or foes. Guess who will get heard.
2. Ordered the police to remove me from this Open Public Meeting simply because I was standing in the back of the room and would not sit down at his illegal command. No law precludes a citizen from standing.
3. Violated their sacred oaths as they shamelessly selectively ponder who they want to listen to and who they don't want to listen to. "Trustee" Richard Hill even goes so far as to believe that he has the fortune-telling power to decide whether he, with some sort of infinite wisdom, "thinks" something a citizen might say is important... to him.
Selective observance of the 1st and 14th Amendments, and other premeditated perversions such as these, are blatantly gross violations of honorable government... akin to Nazi Germany's "Peoples Courts"... where citizens (mostly Jewish) were herded into prostituted courts expecting justice. We all know what happened there.
The negative ramifications of allowing this despicable precedent to continue are stupefying. Public Officials who attempt to quash and stifle the citizenry are not to be tolerated. This anarchical behavior must be stopped in its tracks and the perpetrators of abhorrent government must be removed from this board immediately. These despots are called "trustees". Nothing could be further from the truth!
The 8 Public "trustees" are appointed by Reno/Sparks city council (4/2), and Washoe county (2). They "serve at their pleasure"... which means they can (and should) be removed. Two years ago the Reno mayor participated in these appointments and the very next month he was given a lucrative kickback contract from these appointees... who suddenly became his bosses. But that is a whole different story about a local scandal... deserving of its own report.
(Please note that this is a synopsis of one of many complaints filed against the Reno Airport brass with the Nevada Attorney General.)
Sam Dehne is a retired Air Force pilot who publishes The Reno Citizen internet magazine. www.renocitizen.com
Note:
New airport director Bart and the airport Board have started stationing armed guards in the room at the Board meetings.
This does not make for a citizen-friendly "Open Meeting" atmosphere; as citizens try to monitor the appointed "trustees".
What is their purpose and justification?
What are their orders, and who gave them to them?
Who are they protecting against whom?
Is this legal?
Other government agencies do not do this. NOT EVEN THE STATE LEGISLATURE!
AT LEAST 3 OFFICIAL LETTERS OF PROTEST HAVE BEEN FILED WITH COUNTY AND STATE GOVERNMENT MONITORING AGENCIES:
Commissioner Jim Galloway 8 Sept, 1999
Washoe County Commission
Reno, Nevada
Subject: Let's Remove Menchetti From the Reno Airport Board
I commend the Washoe county commission for finally following my directives and writing a letter telling brand new Reno Airport Authority chairman Geno Menchetti to clean up his act.
However, in direct contradiction to your request, Menchetti continues to make a mockery of the airport meetings; which he started doing the very day he was "anointed" as the new chairman of the airport. He has been warned time and again but refuses to obey the US Constitution. The only recourse at this point is for him to be removed from the Airport Board. (Sparks city council removed an airport appointee for less repulsive actions.)
As a side note, it is "intriguing" that Washoe county finally did write a letter to appointee Menchetti solely as a result of MY prompting, chiding, and goading. But the county did not have the courtesy to provide me with a copy of the letter... or even let me know of its existence.
Instead the first time I heard the letter was when it was being read by David Farside at the Airport meeting yesterday. A person could understand sending the letter to airport activists like Jackie Decker, Gil Weikel, or Judy Snell who attend almost all airport meetings and have been very active in trying to thwart the transgressions down there. Farside has not attended a Reno Airport or Washoe county meeting in recent history and thus has no direct knowledge of just how shameless Menchetti's new policies are.
As you well know, I am the one with firsthand knowledge... due to the fact that I attend virtually every Washoe county AND Reno airport meeting and have monitored the charades of that puppet show posing as a Public Body.
Farside is the type of activist the Reno Gazette likes, and he has been involved in various political issues before. But the airport is outside of his area of expertise. Nevertheless, we are glad he has joined the fray and is willing to stand behind us in this battle against bad government.
The real blame for the misreporting of this issue falls directly on the shoulders of the Reno Gazette report that skewed the facts.
Notwithstanding this peculiar Gazette misreporting, the main point is that Menchetti continues to ignore your directive. This is a slap in the face to you and the other commissioners. This is blatant dereliction of duty and disobedience of an order. As a Washoe county citizen who is tired of this type of bad representation, I am asking that he be removed from the Airport board immediately. He serves at your pleasure and his "service" has been a "disservice" from day one.
Besides being an aviation amateur, and besides the fact that he lives some 50 miles from the Reno Airport at Lake Tahoe, and besides the fact he has terrible conflicts of interest, he has shown little or no respect for the US Constitution or good government. Enough is enough. He should be removed and replaced with somebody who know something about aviation immediately.
Signed,
Sam Dehne, a concerned citizen
Nevada Attorney General 10 August, 1999
100 N Carson Street
Carson City, Nevada 89701
Subject: Open Meeting Law Violations (and Violations of 1st and 14th Amendments of U.S. Constitution) by Airport Authority of Washoe County (AAWC)
Public Bodies MUST follow the Nevada Open Meeting Law AND the U. S. Constitution.
At the Reno Airport (AAWC) meeting of 10 August, 1999, the Airport Board stepped all over these basic laws of good government.
At that meeting, Airport Board chairman, Geno Menchetti, violated the Nevada Open Meeting law by instituting a process that will make a mockery of the U. S. Constitution and stifle citizen input.
The "new" procedure has the Board "deciding" selectively whether a citizen will be allowed to partake of her/his legal right to Freedom of Speech and be allowed to comment on an agenda item. The Board will selectively decide whether "this person" may speak and whether "that person" may not speak according to their arbitrary and capricious determination of whether they want to hear what the person might have to say.
At the meeting, I submitted an official request to speak form (agenda item VII, F), Menchetti turned to the Board and asked if they wanted to let me speak, and they said they didn't. This illegal action violated the 1st and 14th Amendments of the U. S. Constitution... as well as rules of honorable government.
Historically Nevada Public Bodies have (as a matter of necessity and practicality) had to listen to comment on agenda items. Without this logical procedure, there would be no way for businesses, developers, and other entities to present proposals to the governing bodies. There would be no discussion... pro or con. Nothing could be accomplished at these Public Meetings... these Open Public Meetings that are demanded and governed by the laws of Nevada.
According to Menchetti's new Airport procedure that was used today, the Board can dictatorially decide to stymie opposition discussion... and allow only their supporters and cronies to speak. Children learn as early as 4th grade that good Americans do not condone this crap.
The negative implications of this dastardly plot by Menchetti and his regime are of such a terrible magnitude as to demand that your office order them to immediately cease and desist from perpetrating this insult to democracy and fraud upon the citizenry. These violations were supported, and acquiesced to, by the rest of the Board members present, the airport attorney, and the airport executive director.
With this action, the AAWC has lowered bad government to a whole new perverted level. Each person responsible for this abomination should be censured and sanctioned to the highest degree that your office allows. Approximately 2 dozen citizens sat in stunned silence watching this charade disguised as an Open Meeting.
I look forward to hearing from your office and providing additional evidence of chicanery by this Board.
Sincerely,
Sam Dehne, a concerned citizen
Nevada Attorney General 10 Sept, 1999
100 N Carson Street
Carson City, Nevada 89701
via FAX (684-1108) and mail
Subject: More Open Meeting Law Violations (and Violations of 1st and 14th Amendments of U.S. Constitution) by Airport Authority of Washoe County (AAWC)
1. On 7 September 1999, Airport Board Chairman Geno Menchetti, with the lockstep concurrence of the rest of the Board and the airport executive director violated the Open Meeting Law of Nevada and the US Constitution on numerous occasions. At the public caucus, Menchetti continued with his illegal policy of picking and choosing who he and the board want to listen to. Request to speak forms were submitted, and Menchetti turned to the board and said: "Does anybody on the board want to hear public comment on this (agenda) item?" (One of many examples of this violation can be found on the meeting minutes tape at 0830 on 9/7/99.)
Sometimes he would just blurt out and suddenly ask for a show of hands as to who might want to speak... a truly confusing gaggle.
His actions are anti-good government and they chill the 1st and 14h Amendments of the Constitution. The Open Meeting Law requires that there be an orderly flow at the meetings and the rules must apply to all.
The Board must not be allowed to embarrass citizens by deciding who they want to listen to. Most people will not allow themselves to be embarrassed; they will never return. This is bad. This is just one reason why Reno and Airport government are such a shambles.
2. On 9 September 1999, Airport Board Chairman Geno Menchetti, with the lockstep concurrence of the rest of the Board and the executive director violated the Open Meeting Law of Nevada and the US Constitution on numerous occasions. At the public meeting, Menchetti continued with his illegal policy of picking and choosing who he and the board want to listen to. Request to speak forms were submitted, and Menchetti would turn to the Board and ask if anyone on the Board wanted to hear public comment on the agenda item.
That is how Banana Republics run their governments. His conduct of the meeting continued to make a mockery of government.
3. I could go on and on with examples of these affronts, but you should get the point by now. This is bad government and your office can have few obligations that are more important than correcting this. Citizens are sick of being insulted like this over and over.
4. These illegal procedures were instituted with no agendization on discussion by the board. Menchetti just started doing it and the board submissively acquiesced.
5. I offer my services to provide you more information. Please contact me.
Sincerely,
Sam Dehne, a concerned citizen
Here is how some other citizens feel:
North Lake Tahoe Bonanza
Incline village, Nevada AUG 13, 1999
Gentlemen,
Local attorney, Geno Menchetti, is now chairman of the Washoe County Airport Authority - a commission that vitally affects you and me.
Last week as Chairman, Menchetti announced that the Airport Authority would allow citizens to speak ONLY if they are on the agenda, and then ONLY if that person is "approved" by the Board - will the citizen be allowed to speak. Thus Menchetti's new "procedure" allows the Commission to selectively "decide ahead of time, whether or not a person can even be on the agenda.
This new procedure is an outrage, and a demonstration of creeping fascism in our government! Who the hell does Menchetti think he is, that he can selectively abnegate the rights of citizens to address a public commission?
For example, if you believe that your long term parking fees at the airport are too high, and you want to protest them with a public statement in front of the Washoe County Airport Authority, you can be denied public access to the Board: Under Menchetti's new "procedure", they can simply reject your request to be on their agenda. Therefore, this public body can hear what they want to hear - AND THE PUBLIC BE DAMNED!
Thus the Board can selectively decide whether "this person"
may speak and whether "that person" may not speak according
to their arbitrary and capricious determination of whether they
want to hear what the person might have to say.
The danger in Menchetti¹s new "procedure", is that - if it sticks - then every public body, every government commission, every school board, etc. - could enact the same restrictive rules - and thus the whole principle of free speech and our citizens' right to address government bodies -would be thrown out the window.
The undersigned citizens of Washoe County vigorously oppose this outrage enacted by the Washoe County Airport Authority, and demand that the new "procedure" be reversed at once!
Jerry Stewart, James Baldwin, Ted Harris, (more names to follow)
One of this weeks earlier reports on Airport violations:
Nevada Attorney General 10 August, 1999
100 N Carson Street
Carson City, Nevada 89701
(775) 684-1100
Subject: Open Meeting Law Violations (and Violations of 1st and 14th Amendments of U.S. Constitution) by Airport Authority of Washoe County (AAWC)
Dear Attorney General,
Public Bodies MUST follow the Nevada Open Meeting Law AND the U. S. Constitution.
At the Reno Airport (AAWC) meeting of 10 August, 1999, the Airport Board stepped all over these basic laws of good government.
At that meeting, Airport Board chairman, Geno Menchetti, violated the Nevada Open Meeting law by instituting a process that will make a mockery of the U. S. Constitution and stifle citizen input.
The "new" procedure has the Board "deciding" selectively whether a citizen will be allowed to partake of her/his legal right to Freedom of Speech and be allowed to comment on an agenda item. The Board will selectively decide whether "this person" may speak and whether "that person" may not speak according to their arbitrary and capricious determination of whether they want to hear what the person might have to say.
At the meeting, I submitted an official request to speak form (agenda item VII, F), Menchetti turned to the Board and asked if they wanted to let me speak, and they said they didn't. This illegal action violated the 1st and 14th Amendments of the U. S. Constitution... as well as rules of honorable government.
Historically Nevada Public Bodies have (as a matter of necessity and practicality) had to listen to comment on agenda items. Without this logical procedure, there would be no way for businesses, developers, and other entities to present proposals to the governing bodies. There would be no discussion... pro or con. Nothing could be accomplished at these Public Meetings... these Open Public Meetings that are demanded and governed by the laws of Nevada.
According to Menchetti's new Airport procedure that was used today, the Board can dictatorially decide to stymie opposition discussion... and allow only their supporters and cronies to speak. Children learn as early as 4th grade that good Americans do not condone this crap.
The negative implications of this dastardly plot by Menchetti and his regime are of such a terrible magnitude as to demand that your office order them to immediately cease and desist from perpetrating this insult to democracy and fraud upon the citizenry. These violations were supported, and acquiesced to, by the rest of the Board members present, the airport attorney, and the airport executive director.
With this action, the AAWC has lowered bad government to a whole new perverted level. Each person responsible for this abomination should be censured and sanctioned to the highest degree that your office allows. Approximately 2 dozen citizens sat in stunned silence watching this charade disguised as an Open Meeting.
I look forward to hearing from your office and providing additional evidence of chicanery by this Board.
Sincerely,
Sam Dehne
825-1398
cc American Civil Liberties Union
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