Rules for Thee and Not for Me
Picon was sent these photos from a reader who was around the Nevada Cares Campus last week.
The photos snapped of a recently purchased, bright and shiny, totally branded vehicle for Karma Box Project from the City of Reno.
When Picon received the photo we were most amused on so many levels:
1. The City of Reno has purchased a Kara Box Project Outreach Vehicle. It is clearly ‘funded by’ the City of Reno branded on the truck wrap. Will the taxpayers, fighting inflation and trying to make their dollars stretch, appreciate the need for this vehicle?
2. Was a photo of this vehicle shown at the U.S. Conference of Mayors during Karma Box Project’s Executive Director, Grant Dentons presentation with Mayor Hillary Schieve and Steve Shell Smith on January 19, 2024. Will buying this vehicle be given some of the ‘credit’ for reducing the ‘homeless/unhoused’ population by 50% in Washoe County/Reno. That 50% reduction number has now been disputed and proven to be questionable by the local press.
3. What is the vehicle being used for? Who owns the vehicle, the non-profit, the City of Reno, Washoe County Government? Who is driving the vehicle? Many questions.
4. Might Picon dare to inquire why a truck is needed to aid in, “Creating a community where everyone has the opportunity to flourish,” as is branded on the back of the truck.
5. Is Karam Box Project keeping up their reporting with the Internal Revenue Service. Remembering Karma Box Project lost their nonprofit status due to missing proper reporting dates and submissions. Washoe County allowed Karma Box Project to continue working at the Safe Camp while awaiting the decision to get their nonprofit status back, this took six months, and we question the ethics behind this decision, but who cares about ethics.
While penning this story we were merely going to highlight the management of public funds, and how it holds significant weight and responsibility, which we think is missing from this truck purchase. When a misstep occurs, why should taxpayers continually be left shouldering the burden. Which is basically the story of the Nevada Cares Campus. But then when we looked closely, meaning we blew the photo up, our nest question was, ‘Has Karma Box Project not learned any lessons from past mistakes?’
Is Karma Box Project immune to all rules and regulations, unlike the ‘average Joe’ resident of Reno/Washoe County. We need to adhere to rules and regulations, like getting our bright and shiny vehicles registered property with the Department of Motor Vehicles, or we are fined. Check out the date on the paper license plate, it is November 30, 2023, wasn’t that like two months ago?
