Opinion

Dear Fellow Citizens, What have we done? We have elected a City Council whose majority is discussing several tax increases. Those onerous taxes, added to these already tough times, will further sink our local economy, and drive more local businesses and families out of town. An initiative sponsored by one councilperson is now proposing a "vacancy tax" levied on homes not occupied year-round. These homeowners live out of town and include those paying their mortgages for 30 years to perhaps retire here one day, and in the meantime vacation here summers and winters.

To the Editor: Council members Robbins and Bass must think they can win an election by taxing the motels with the highest transient occupancy tax (TOT) in the state and by targeting the second homeowners with an unfair vacancy tax, to further damage tourism. It's clear that they are trying to suck more funds into the black hole of government spending by taxing people who can't vote and by demonizing the tourists who support our community. They don't understand that tourists do vote. Vacationing families vote when they decide where to vacation.

To the community: What would it take to get an initiative on the ballot asking the question: Shall there be a recreational tax on Heavenly lift tickets and Gondola tickets?"

What will it take for humans to be better?

Stop coddling the people who decide to visit the Tahoe Basin for snow sledding. The parking ticket amount is no deterrent.

The article, “Illegal parking, unsafe behaviors, and trash are issues on Lake Tahoe highways”, mentions that this behavior “…has become an annual situation since COVID”.

Agencies at Lake Tahoe and across the United States are working to overcome fundamental barriers to creating affordable and workforce housing. It is critical that communities stand together and embrace the changes that are needed if we are to confront a housing crisis of immense proportions.

The City Council agenda scheduled for Tuesday, November 21 at 5:30 p.m. will have a discussion and possible action deciding whether to move forward with a study of becoming a charter city.

In this season of giving thanks, we need only take in the incredible lake and mountains around us to see what we have to appreciate. Surrounded as we are by one of the most breathtaking places on Earth, it’s important to take time to appreciate it. In our day-to-day, the lake seems to face insurmountable threats while our communities work to overcome multiple challenges. Yet from a clear vantage, Lake Tahoe inspires every one of us to take part in its protection and to stay focused on the challenges of our time.

This summer I had the pleasure of meeting with community members around the lake through a series of TRPA Talks that were both enlightening and inspiring. As I approach completion of my first year as executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), I am reflecting on the issues that are top of mind in our community and am grateful for the kindred spirits that are passionate about Lake Tahoe.

The Republican Women, South Lake Tahoe hosted its October 12 luncheon meeting featuring guest speaker, David Jinkens, MPA, good government advocate, and retired South Lake Tahoe city manager.

Suicide is a major public health concern. Suicide was responsible for over 48,000 deaths in 2021, which equates to one death every 11 minutes. The suicide rate among people aged 10–24 increased 62 percent from 2007 through 2021. This has deeply impacted individuals, families, and communities.

Every person can play a role in helping to prevent suicide by knowing a few key things and where to get help.

Whether you are getting out this weekend for Tahoe’s amazing fall weather or you spent time this summer on the lake, trails, and beaches, you’ve been enjoying some of Lake Tahoe’s greatest assets: hundreds of square miles of public land and water. This Saturday is National Public Lands Day and a timely reminder of how fortunate we are that conservation programs under the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan have protected open space, set aside approximately 9,000 vacant lots in residential neighborhoods, and added more than a half mile of public shoreline.

Dear Editor,

This letter is intended to provide clarification in response to certain comments about the change to a 3-cart trash/recycling/yard waste collection system coming in summer 2024 in South Lake Tahoe. We realize that these are big changes for our community, and South Tahoe Refuse remains committed to providing excellent customer service while also being compliant with the new California state regulations.

Dear Editor, Residents in the Al Tahoe Firewise community and throughout the Tahoe Basin have worked extremely hard to reduce combustible fuels on their properties in order to mitigate the risk of wildfires. Every spring and summer, with the help of South Tahoe Refuse’s current weekly pickup practices, we have cleared multiple bags or cans of pine needles and cones, vegetation, and tree limbs in order to protect our homes and the community from wildfires. This fuel reduction also qualifies our nationally recognized Firewise district for fire insurance discounts.

The South Lake Tahoe Republican Women hosted its annual BBQ on August 12, featuring guest speaker William McGinnis who wrote, “Slay the Dragon”.

Mr. McGinnis spoke about the very real threat all sectors of American society and American security face from the Chinese Communist Party and their relentless efforts to dominate world politics and become the pre-eminent military power in the world. The case he made is not anti-Chinese but rather the reality we face from a strong, determined, and intelligent adversary.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - The Tahoe Prosperity Center (TPC) welcomes President Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, and any national leaders, to experience the natural wonders at Lake Tahoe. Thanks to strong, focused efforts, including from the federal government, we have seen Lake Tahoe course correct, from a dangerous environmental trajectory to a path of shared responsibility and sustainability. Leaders from all levels and industries saw how our behaviors were harming this precious place and we made the changes necessary to preserve Tahoe.

Bob Regan is a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee. He was raised in South Lake Tahoe in the 1960s. Regan Beach is named after his late father, Thomas F. Regan. This was originally published in the Boston Globe. It has been two years since the Caldor Fire started in Grizzly Flats before it burned 221,835 acres.

The map of the Caldor Fire looked like an angry earwig, its red pincers closing around the exact location of my summer cabin on Strawberry Creek near Lake Tahoe, CA. I gave my retirement dream no more than a ten percent chance of surviving the next forty-eight hours.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There have been headlines for months about Lake Tahoe "being loved to death" and that tourism numbers are on the rise. Last fall, a Fodor's travel guide suggested those with plans to visit Lake Tahoe should reconsider due to persistent traffic and the impact it has on lake clarity. That same story is now being regenerated in publications from coast to coast.

Yes, the roads are full of cars during the summer and popular ski weekends.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Human trafficking affects every community in the United States, including South Lake Tahoe. The United States recognizes two primary forms of trafficking in persons:  forced labor and sex trafficking. Traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to lure child and adult victims in and are careful and strategic to gain their victim's trust and create a form of dependence.

Dear fellow parents and friends; Sadly I’m writing to you again regarding the recent actions of the Douglas County School Board. They are calling a special meeting with only a week’s notice to fire the district's current attorneys, Maupin, Cox & LeGoy, and hire criminal law attorney, Joey Gilbert. Joey Gilbert is being investigated by the State Bar of Nevada for election fraud during the last gubernatorial race. He has no educational law experience.

This letter is about the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) lane reduction plan.

When are the City of South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and other agencies going to stop inveigling the residents to clean up after tourists and seek a better solution to cleaning the beaches?

I suggest the agencies including South Lake Tahoe Police Department work together to put the responsibility squarely back on those who litter and start FINING them when they do it!

Why is it the residents’ job to clean up after these slobs?

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Rarely are those who break the rules rewarded, but that is essentially the case if Caltrans goes forward with its plan to raise the speed limit on some segments of the highway in South Lake Tahoe.

If a "reasonable person" will drive over the speed limit 85 percent of the time during a speed study, then the speed limit may be raised.

The selection of footwear by the front door says a lot about the change of seasons at Lake Tahoe. Ski boots, trail shoes, and flip-flops may collide in the foyer as Tahoe reluctantly transitions to Spring. While snow piles are still clustered sporadically in the backyard, property owners have already started raking up their yards and clearing pine needles off roofs. As much as we’d like to linger here, it won’t be long before another wildfire season is upon us.

Let me start by telling you all, theatre is alive and well at South Tahoe High School! Welcome home Ethan Niven and the ultimate stage mom, Niv! Last night's opening performance of the Italian comedy, The Servant of Two Masters was a huge success.