16 Thursday, September 18, 1997 Pahrump Valley Gazette
Workshop casts floodlight on problems in Nye
On September 9, 1997, the Nevada Department of
Taxation conducted a workshop for the Nye County
Commission sitting as the Nye Regional Medical Center
(NRMC) Board of trustees. The three and a half hour
workshop took place in Tonopah and was in the form of
a condensed mini-seminar addressing effective correct
procedures to follow if a governing board wished to
carry out its duties and responsibilities in a manner that
abided by Nevada Statutes and, at the same time, insure
that such a board would regain positive control of an
entity for which it was responsible.
It went without saying that it was the state's position
that Nye County had lost any and all control, financial or
otherwise, of NRMC many years ago. The state had hired
a professional in the field, Robin Keith, to give the
presentation.
Ms. Keith made it clear from the beginning, and
reminded the commissioners throughout the morning
session, that because of the
compacted time allowed,
she would only be touching
the highlights of the subject
matter presented and
strongly suggested that, if
the commissioa felt the in-
formation presented might be useful, they schedule atten-
dance at an in-depth seminar in the near future.
Again, because the time allowed was so short, the
information given was broad based and would be per-
fectly and completely applicable not only to a hospital
Cameron McRae is already being recalled,
and any other commissioner voting for this
idiotic animal control ordinance, will be
likewise recalled at whatever expense.
But these, as natural brute beasts, made to
be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the
things that they understand not; and shall
utterly perish in their own corruption; and
shall receive the reward of their un-
righteousness.
I! Peter 2:12.13
Acquiring treasures by lying is the fleeting
fan of those who seek death.
Prorbs 21:6
Irresponsible civil leaders are they who are
either blind, ignorant, lazy, greedy, self cen-
tered, dnmkards, or act for their own gain.
Isaiah 56:10.12
their office and
to themselves.
Civil rulers are not to use
position to bring gain
Deuteronomy 17:16.17
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1
Call us at
1269
Bill Ballew
Pahrump, Nevada
THIS MAN'S OPINION
by Brent Mathewson
board of trustees but to any
governing board, whether
it be in the public or private
sector. This certainly would
include the Board of the
Nye County Commission.
Keith talked about the
most basic of subject mat-
ter. Items that which, with-
out their implementation,
any governing board would
be at a complete loss at sea,
with nowhere from which
to cast an anchor, leaving it
adrift, rudderless, aimless,
without thought or ambi-
tion enough to look for a
direction to head toward.
I'm talking about things
as fundamental as having a
clear understanding of what
a board's primary goals are
and having enough vision
to write, read and under-
stand a mission statement
in support of those goals.
Natural leaders in both the
public and private sector,
grasp this type of thinking
almost instinctively. In the
private sector any person
that does not possess this
ability either learns it or
had best stay out of a lead-
ership role.
The Nye County Com-
missioners do not seem to
be capable to lead, follow
or even get in the way. The
entire County is apparently
run at the whim of the Nye
County Manager, Les
Bradshaw, with the very
questionable assistance of
his special assistant, Rachel
Nicholson.
Ms. Keith spoke almost constantly for three and a half
hours giving examples of correct procedures and options
to follow in order to be an effective governing board and,
at the same time stay within
the law. Interestingly, in all
that time she gave not one
piece of advice that was pres-
ently being practiced by the
commission, either in their
role as hospital trustee or the
Nye County Board of Com-
missioners. At the conclusion
of her talk, she asked if there
were any questions. There
were no questions. Zilch,
Nada, Nope, Zero. Two of the commissioners were ap-
parently enlightened and made the following comment: e
,,i think I see the problem. The tail is wagging the dog."
In the afternoon on that September 9 date, the commis-
sion went into a special session to hear a report from Gene
Etcheverry, of the Nevada Department of Taxation, re-
garding the financial condition of NRMC. Yhe commis-
sion as a whole, led by its chairman, Dick Carver, dis-
played the fact that it had learned nothing from the
lessons given earlier in the day during the workshop.
Taking an adversarial stance, Carver belittled the state
for the progress it has made since taking over NRMC in
March of this year.
Etcheverry's detailed report was presented in a conser-
vative manner but even the most pessimistic interpreta-
tion revealed that the state has cut losses since taking
over control of the facility by 85 percent. A more honest
interpretation would force an acknowledgment that the
hospital is now running in the black.
Modest additional changes recommended by the state,
in addition to drastic procedural and policy changes
already implemented, are projected by Etcheverry and
his staff to allow NRMC to run at an annual profit of as
much as $419,000 per year. This goal would take no
miracle to achieve. All it would take is the successful
duplication of policy and procedures already in place in
other rural hospitals in the geographic region. It would
involve no cut in services and would, in fact, result in an
improvement in service presently being rendered.
A critical observer might well wonder if such a state of
affairs would be the last thing that the present Nye
County administration would want to take place since it
would be such in your face proof of wasted millions of
dollars of taxpayer's funds that have taken place in the
past.
In a somewhat related matter, an interesting allegation
was made to this writer late last week. It seems that the
Nye County Manager's assistant, Rachel Nicholson, ap-
parently spends her time at Nye County Commission
meetings playing computer games on her laptop com-
puter. A Nye County citizen, who has proven to be highly
reliable in the past, states that at a recent commission
meeting held in Pahrump, the source observed Rachel
engaged in vigorous activity on her laptop computer,
during a discussion that was taking place that did not
appear to warrant computer access or stored knowledge.
The question arose in the observer's mind as to whether
or not it might be possible that Nicholson was playing a
computer game during a commission meeting. A few
minutes later, a break was called. All county employees
got up and left their seats along the western wall of the
Pahrump Community Center. The citizen boldly walked
around behind the table that Rachel had been sitting at
and observed her computer screen. In the center of the
screen against a dark green background a single playing
A
card was allegedly observed. If"
It is felt by some that any games Rachel may be
playing on her laptop are less damaging to the taxpayers
than the games she and Bradshaw play with the county.
That is this man's opinion
Copyright 1997 by Brent Mathewson
The Best Little HaiL. Souse Ia
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Co:r.na 0£ Leslie & Irene St,.
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