The Morning R-C

Temperatures in the Valley will be climbing toward 80 today and just might make it. While the National Weather Service says the high will be 78, we've been running pretty consistently warmer than that over the week. Rain and cooler temperatures are in the forecast for Monday, the last day of winter. By the first day of spring, highs will be back down into the 50s. At present the temperature is 31 degrees in Genoa and 37 degrees in Minden.

In two weeks time, the Reno Gazette-Journal's new weekly tabloid, Douglas Times, will hit the streets. We have it on good authority that the launch date for the paper is March 30. It will be interesting to compare and contrast the publication with that day's R-C, since their deadline is on Tuesdays. We'll be doing a running tally of R-C headlines that turn into Douglas Times stories as we go along. The Gazette should watch its back if an advertisement appearing in today's R-C is any indication. The Las Vegas Review-Journal is advertising in The R-C. Maybe they're getting ready to establish a weekly here, too.

According to the Nevada Appeal this morning, Mayor Marv Teixeira took exception to Wednesday's R-C editorial suggesting that Carson City might want to share some of its sales tax revenue now. His Honor pointed out that Carson City already shares some of its revenue as required by state law. He is, of course, correct. A portion of Carson City's sales tax does go to Douglas County. But his honor conveniently overlooks a couple of points. Most of the money Douglas County gets comes from Clark and Washoe counties. Carson's contribution is a relative pittance. Perhaps more importantly, a portion of that sales tax money came from Douglas residents in the first place. According to a sales tax leakage study done in 1990, 75 cents on every dollar spent by a Douglas County resident went north. A good chunk of that money went to Carson auto dealers. Those dealers account a big part of the sales taxes Carson raises in a year, that's why they're a sensitive point for his honor.