Further to my previous thread re schools (which I think we have answered to our own satisfaction), I have a few more more global questions for the locals...
- what is the political situation like at the local and state level? I am not looking for partisan stuff, just general competence and policy trends...
- speaking of policy, what are you guys hearing about the course of action with respect to the water issue long-term?
- presumably, given hydro, this an issue too - what are you hearing in terms of future power-supply issues?

Thanks in advance. I will post others as they come to mind...

Politics: Nevada is controlled by the powers that be up North. And they generally do not have southern Nevada's best interests in mind - they only care about what they can extract from southern Nevada to enrich the northern part of the state. Clark County is mostly Democratic especially now that we've been invaded by California. Pahrump (an hour west in Nye County), is a MAGA stronghold. but, tbh, things are generally quiet here politics-wise. No real political wackos here unlike places in the Southern USA. However, there have been some MAGA protests and BLM rioting the last few years.

Water: Situation is not good. Here is a very recent article that sums it up pretty well:
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation...=pocket-newtab

Bottom line is don't get too attached to a grass lawn if ur new home has one. it's gonna be gone soon one way or another.

Power: NV Energy runs things and there really aren't any forseeable future problems here that I am aware of. We haven't had any blackouts (unlike California).

Politically: Nevada is now pretty much a blue state, for the simple reason that large cities tend to vote Democratic and something like 90% of Nevada's population resides in the Vegas or Reno metro areas. The outlying rural areas are very very very very very Republican, sometimes to the point of absurdity. For instance, a dead pimp was recently elected to represent Nye county in the state assembly. In general, though, Vegas at least is pretty apolitical. People move there to make their big score and then get out. At least, that's the plan. So there's very little sense of community, or activism.

One thing you need to know: Vegas is a company town. The casinos run it, though with less of an iron fist than previously. It is only very recently that the suburban areas received the infrastructure and amenities that are normal in, well, normal cities. The only parallel I can think of is the auto industry in Detroit in the 20th century.

Water: Vegas is in deep doo-doo. It will have to start acting like a, y'know, desert city in order to simply survive. I'm sure they'll have drastic cutbacks, even rationing, and stratospheric water bills--something that all the people who've moved there probably didn't factor in.

The power grid will be stressed by increased a/c demand as well as other general uses as the population explodes. It'll depend on the degree to which Nevada embraces renewable energy--which hasn't really happened yet to any great extent. However, the sun-blasted wasteland of Nevada is an ideal place for solar and wind energy installations. There's a five-tower solar plant just over the CA border, south of Primm, but I don't know where that electricity goes.

I hate grass laws - rocks/cacti or fake is fine. I am more wondering if the water situation is existential-level, and if there are any specific policies on the horizon, aside from the obvious higher cost...

turning more blue (based on population) as the some of the neighboring states agendas begin to leak over... this all despite that 90% of the state associating as red by district.

- what is the political situation like at the local and state level? I am not looking for partisan stuff, just general competence and policy trends...

First rule, political power lies at the County level in Clark County. The Governor hails from Clark County, as do most of the leadership at the State level as well. I've been here for about 30 years, generally, folks work across party lines to get projects done, for better or worse. The Gaming industry pretty much is the biggest force, followed by gaming employees generally.

Second, Over the last 30 years, my take on Nevada politics is that the bottom line is the bottom line for both parties and their bases. Less so for the Red Team since 2016, but still primarily a Nevada First outlook, which includes the tourism industry, its operations, its employment base, attracting conventions, and transportation/infrastructure. (There have been some expensive political flops, line the monorail, and will be more, like the Borig/Musk tunnel projects. Previously, Nevada Paving had political will to keep building an extensive roads system, including seemingly endless resurfacing of anything that did move out of the way.)


- speaking of policy, what are you guys hearing about the course of action with respect to the water issue long-term?

Nothing good. Clark County's response a few years back, to the dropping levels for Lake Mead focused on the emergency need to build a deeper straw into the Lake than to rein in waste ..... Fwiw, the quality of tap water in Henderson sucks/reeks of rocket fuel, seriously. Plan on getting bottled water delivered.

- presumably, given hydro, this an issue too - what are you hearing in terms of future power-supply issues?

Nothing good. I think a solar set up for one's house is prudent, and feasible. (I don't have one, my personal solution is to spend a lot of time down in Costa Rica, especially in the summer in Henderson)

That said, I think Henderson is a great place to have a home, if you can afford utilities/water bills and can take the heat. A pool is a requirement, as are a lot of big shade trees on your property, a really good AC system for inside your residence, a covered patio for outside use and covered parking.

I tend to disagree on the "leak over" remark.

I think the Nevada State zeitgeist is still,

"We don't give a f*ck how they did it back wherever you're from. This is Nevada."

Funny how the other side always has an "agenda," while your own side never does (just a noble program of sweetness and light).

Anyone remotely familiar with Nevada's society and politics knows that the state marches to the beat of its own drummer.

If we had representation by total area rather than population, then rural states, counties, etc. would have disproportionate clout. Alaska would be by far the most powerful state in the Union. And yes, the 10% of Nevada's population that lives in rural areas would basically run the state, ignoring the wishes of the other 90%. That might seem like nirvana if one lived in Skeleton Gulch, NV, population 49 (no, wait, 48, Clem died).

Maybe a bit off topic - but if I was to move to Nevada from a coastal state, what are the political stances I should hold as a new resident? I know this is a broad question, but are there any easy choices here?

There are no political views you "should" hold, in any location. Of course, in some places, you might feel more comfortable if people share your general political views. I, for instance, being a flaming pinko commie socialist snowflake liberal, might not enjoy living in, say, Kentucky or Louisiana. Likewise, a Trump worshiper might not want to live in, say, San Francisco.

Fortunately, there's quite a variety of places to live in the US. Nevada's appeal has always been that it's somewhat more laissez-faire than other states, and recently, that the cost of living is lower and jobs are plentiful (especially semi-skilled jobs, which often pay very well, as opposed to elsewhere).

I think you would find that Nevada is pretty much middle of the road and that politics takes a back seat to the business of making money. The state has always been more about "move here and make your stash (and then leave)" than any other consideration.

Also, the state's population is ephemeral; people move there, leave, come back again, etc. to a much greater extent than other places. People don't "settle down." Nevada has enough repulsive features (terrible weather in Vegas, a lack of scenery overall) that there's a strong incentive for people to get the hell out of there when the time is right.

Fiscal responsibility... and Gun Ownership...

There's no state where it's illegal to own a gun (or forty of them for that matter), so if that somehow factors into your decision, then rest assured that you can tote your arsenal anywhere you want to go.

As far as fiscal responsibility is concerned, Nevada has done well simply because it sucks blood (money) from the rest of the country, tapping the veins of hordes of eager tourists. So it's always been able to afford whatever. The casinos are gently taxed, but it's still a boatload of money.

It's sort of like Singapore. Very little is manufactured/produced there. Its financial significance is that a gigantic river of money flows into and out of the state.

But state and local laws can make that ownership much less enjoyable. I would say NV is somewhat left of center, having a Dem governor, and evidenced by the "lockdown" rules compared to some states, and the gun laws are not the best, but far from the worst. Vegas is obviously the only big population center, and therefore controls the state legislature. That's going to make it skew left. The governor is up for election next year, which may or may not change things.

Aside from the fact that I can't fathom how owning any gun or guns could be even remotely enjoyable, I don't see how state and local laws could make it less so. I mean...how do you "enjoy" a gun? Sit in your basement and fondle it? Not prohibited anywhere. Sit in your kitchen and stroke it while fantasizing about shooting Mexicans? Perfectly legal. Take it outside for some target practice? There are gun ranges everywhere. Blow away some wildlife? Hunting is legal everywhere if you get a license.

You remark that since most of Nevada's population is essentially one big city, that means it will tend to vote liberal. But that wasn't always the case--until fairly recently, Nevada was dead-red. I think what you have now is a mixture of that lingering redness (long-term residents), old-fart conservatism (large retired community), gol-durn snowflake liberals (recent arrivals, often fleeing high cost of living in California, etc.), and younger people who want to make some quick money (usually left of center, pro-union, want a decent education for their kids, etc.). Couple that with the ham-handed but iron-fisted way the casinos run the state, and you have a political environment that's more chaotic than actually skewing one way or the other. The state's blue now. It could easily go back to red in a couple of years.

One thing that might affect that is the health of the casino industry and the economy in general. People tend to vote based on whether their rice bowls are filled. If things crap out again after the current post-pandemic feeding frenzy, you could see a sharp pivot in the state politically.

Thanks guys. What's the ballpark cost to retrofit solar panels to your house down there?
Also, what's the cost to add a wine cellar? I am curious how you handle that with no actual basements?

You cant buy certain guys or accessories in California. You obviously aren't very educated on the subject....

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Ah the old “most of the state” as defined by land and not people. Imagine thinking voices matter more as space between them increases.

From personal non-Vegas experience, the most important factors are building height and roof type. Huge difference between a one story building with a relatively flat roof and a structure where you need scaffold and crane.

It might be brutal to build any kind of basement, because much of the soil in the Vegas valley is caliche--basically, naturally occurring cement.

There used to be federal programs to help offset the cost of installing solar panels in your home, but of course, Trump stopped that. The good news is that the panels cost less than ever.

The typical cost of a solar panel installation together with all the necessary electronics will be ballpark $12000-$14000 for a 1500 sq ft house. Solar panels increase the resale value of a house by $4/watt. The average installation generates 5 kilowatts, so for the abovementioned expense, you gain $20,000 in value. Good deal--and that's not even considering your energy savings.

You obviously can't read. i never said that anywhere, California or elsewhere, people can own any kind of gun they wish. Every state has restrictions. And thank God for that BTW. I don't want my crazy neighbor Clem to amass an arsenal of rocket launchers.

Gun love makes people not think clearly.

If you have a yard you don't have to mount them on the roof. Being 20 feet closer to the sun isn't going to make them work better.

Au contraire! They will be 0.0000000003% more efficient.

You do want to mount them on the roof, though, because otherwise you need cabling between the panels and your house, which would probably interfere with the use of your yard. Though they would be easier to clean and maintain. A friend of mine has a huge backyard, but didn't want to clutter it up with the panels and associated hardware. Also, he got an estimate for a yard installation that was almost the same as the one he got for the rooftop option. Apparently, with a yard installation, you need shelves, bracketing, etc. to position the panels correctly, which occurs naturally on a sloped roof (usually, the way most houses are oriented).

Trump stopped the incentives on solar? WRONG! Why do you spew these lies? You hate him I get it but let's present facts.

There is a 26% federal tax credit on solar through all of next year.


Is that trumps fault?

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Yep!

You're a Trumper, so I'll try not to use too many big words here. The Trump tax cuts/giveaway for the rich included massive changes to the rules for itemized deductions. If you want that solar tax credit, you have to itemize. But the consequence of itemizing has always been that you lose your standard deduction. The Trump tax scam made the standard deduction larger while crushing almost all itemized deductions. So for almost all taxpayers, the solar tax credit is useless. You'd have to shoot yourself in the foot to claim it.

Then there's the Trump tariffs, which artificially increased the cost of solar panels, more than canceling out the tax credit.

We all know that Trump considers the fossil fuel industry to be his buddies. A salient feature of the Orange Turd's administration was a constant and often nonsensical crusade against renewable energy.

The rules, however, have been changed by the Biden administration, and if the infrastructure bill passes, those changes will be even more extensive, so hopefully, the damage done by Trump can be reversed.

Another couple random questions. Have not been able to figure out this one from afar... the Anthem area, is it all a gated community, is it mostly 55+, are kids allowed in there somewhere?
Some favourite Henderson restaurants? High end or regular-end.