Why & what “reform?”

At the foundation of every county in every state throughout our nation is the Constitution. We are not a democracy, as some try to convince you, but a Constitutional Republic. This means the mob, a committee, or a supreme leader doesn’t rule us; the law or Constitution is and has the final say. At the heart of our constitution is the principle that all political power comes from the consent of the people. When we vote, we elect representatives to "represent" the people in the seats of power within the government.

However, governments at the city, county, state, and federal levels have often become bloated, using bureaucracy (policies, rules, permits, fees, taxes, etc.) not necessarily to serve the people but to protect the bureaucrats and keep ordinary people out. Despite the guise of serving the public, it has been hijacked to serve and protect those in power, leading to corruption.

Governments possess buildings, money, guns, and lawyers, making it imperative that representatives primarily look out for the people rather than existing bureaucracies. Unfortunately, this isn't happening in many cases. For example, the Prosecuting Attorney’s office, which supplies legal support to all county departments, tends to protect the government's interests rather than those of the people.

Recent amendments changing the initiative process, requiring the PA’s office to “sign off” on any initiatives filed, further reduce the people's voice. Elected representatives often fail to prioritize the voters or ordinary people first, opting to align with political aspirations or avoid risks. Many go along to get along, avoiding important issues to preserve their relationships with County staff or influential entities.

We must return to representational government, restoring our Constitutional Republic's focus here at home in Clark County. People, through their elected representatives, should have the final say, but in Clark County, people's power has been eroded. Unelected bureaucrats now hold more power than the people's representatives, necessitating a turnaround.

The core of political power in a Constitutional Republic lies in the consent of the people, not in unelected bureaucrats, elites, or corrupted politicians protecting others' interests. The responsibility for change lies with us, the people. By being engaged and demanding reform, we can work towards reclaiming our Constitutional Republic and ensuring that our representatives truly represent us.

How did we get here?

Here's a bit of history: Clark County Council initially had a three-person board with broader power, but in November 2014, voters adopted the home rule charter. This change aimed to separate executive and legislative powers, ostensibly keeping Commissioners out of administrative bureaucracy. Although sold as beneficial, it was a way to limit the power of "We the People."

Under the new structure, Councilors (formerly Commissioners) only have power over specific areas like land use, budgets, BOH, and policy through ordinances. The majority of power shifted to the unelected County Manager, protected by the Charter and not under HR policies. Councilors cannot investigate certain issues within the County independently but must go through the County Manager.

Additionally, a 15-member Clark County Charter Review Commission, composed entirely of Democrats, was elected in November 2020 to review the home rule charter. The Commission proposed seven amendments, six of which passed in November 2021, gradually diminishing the People's influence in making changes to their County government. Examples include changes to the County Chair position, tightening initiative requirements, and adding more bureaucracy with ethics and diversity departments.

The housing process and permitting contribute to rising costs. Clark County homeowners pay a median annual property tax of $3,023, the fourth-highest in the state. The government, including schools, keeps growing and demanding more funds for declining results. Elected officials often lack accountability, eroding the people's power. To reverse this trend, change must start with us; it's in our hands.

The government seldom reforms itself; change must come from us. The current system, while not openly corrupt, serves a select few rather than "we the people," especially those benefitting from expanding government control.

What will we do?

It starts with accepting our responsibility… we the people trusted cleverly worded amendments and Charter proposals and slick politicians that say one thing and do another while we unplugged from being engaged and became distracted with life and the pursuit of happiness and the expense of a loss of our liberties… but that ends now.

We must achieve the following three objectives:

• •  WE must build an energized, ever-enlarging and educated electorate regarding the need for reforms and the means to make meaningful reforms that put people BACK INTO THE DRIVERS' SEAT.  

    • We have videos, trainings, workshops and occasional events that help us stay informed and engaged.

    • This is the backbone of reform. We must build one of the largest voting blocks in in Clark County.  Right now we have over 4k people on our email list but that needs to be more like 10k in order for us to be heard and never be ignored again.

• We must recruit and support reform candidates who look to serve and not be served.  They have their priority to defend the rights of the people they represent and not look to preserve and protect the bureaucracy.  The government, even at the County level, has all the resources (guns, buildings, money and lawyers, etc) and we have to have elected officials who understand we need LESS government and not more. 

- Recruiting, vetting, supporting, and electing candidates that pledge REFORM in Clark County will be vital to seeing actual change that puts “We the People” and the voters back in the driver's seat.

- Always look to reduce Gov reach, which is way too much and currently overreaching.

- Lower taxes & red tape at every opportunity possible.  If something new must be funded, something else in Gov must be cut. Reduce process, fees and time needed for construction and building to increase housing inventories and needed growth.

- Commit to passing Charter reforms that restore Representative Government over the County and brings back accountability and transparency to all of County Government including the unelected bureaucrats.

• We must work to reform our Home Rule Charter and get Reform citizens on the Clark County Charter Review Commission to help bring balance that tips the power back in “We The People’s” favor. 

- As stated previously, electing County officials that support Home Charter reform is critical but there’s other areas to focus on as well

- Defeating new proposed amendments that reduce the people’s say and ability to speak into and shape our government.

- Electing New Charter Review Commissioners to take back control of this process from the Democrats who often look to empower government and the elites more.

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All these efforts need to be pursued while continuing to demand transparency and accountability.  We need to see and understand the corruption before we can act to change and remedy the imbalances that give the administrative state all the advantages.

• Keeping engaged at Council meetings, BOH, etc is critical.  Reading what they are proposing and calling them out on attempts to empower more government & corruption is vital.  I’ll help keep you informed but you must keep reading, responding, emailing & calling them when they aren’t representing us.

Join our cause, sign up for our updates and come to monthly meetings and support & elect REFORM candidates and Charter reforms.  The solutions are right in front of us but we must step out in action and protect and defend our Constitutional Republic which is under attack.  This will not be a short endeavor but a marathon that we must, for our County, and our families, fight to restore.