Burning Man is a major economic and cultural influence in the Northern Nevada region. Still, there are some who don’t want it there at all and some who want to crack down on nudity or tax it more. In recent legal stoushes, both Burning Man and Pershing County claimed victories. This time…building on top of their recent success against the land-sailor – it’s good news for Burners and bad news for the haters. Nevada has just ruled in favor of Burning Man being allowed to provide us our right to nudity, because we’re on Federal Land, and haters other counties be damned. Nevada has given us Burners a strong signal: they ♥ Burning Man. And they also ♠♣♦ Burners too.
The Associated Press (via Reno’s 4 News) had this to say on the matter:
PANDAS! GIANTS!
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has signed into law a bill that streamlines the permitting process for the Burning Man festival and other events on federal land.
The new law gives counties the right to opt out of state permitting requirements for events held on federal land that already undergo a comprehensive federal permitting process.
Pershing County commissioners earlier passed a resolution exempting Burning Man from county permitting requirements.
Burning Man spokesman Ray Allen calls the new law “a huge victory” for the festival. He says it “ensures local permitting requirements won’t infringe upon the First Amendment rights of Burning Man participants.”
The anything-goes art and music festival leading up to Labor Day draws over 50,000 people from around the world to the Black Rock Desert, some 100 miles north of Reno.
The new law takes effect July 1.
Needless to say, BMOrg was stoked, claiming this as a major victory – not just for Burning Man, but for the whole Constitution and First Amendment.
This is a huge victory for the Burning Man event,” said Raymond Allen, Government Affairs Representative for Black Rock City, LLC. “The law ensures local permitting requirements won’t infringe upon the First Amendment rights of Burning Man participants. It also ensures the continued right of assembly for the entire event.”
… As a result of collaborative negotiations involving Burning Man representatives, Pershing County officials and the Nevada Association of Counties, Pershing County commissioners already passed a resolution exempting Burning Man from county permitting requirements in perpetuity.
As the Scumfrog would put it…
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Yea, I’m not gonna let that first comment stand un-refuted. Guess that’s why they call me Noxious.
“I can say that there is a very legitimate reason to not like Burning Man and Burners.”
Bigotry – the state of mind of a bigot: someone who, as a result of their own prejudices, treats other people with hatred, contempt and intolerance on the basis of a person’s characteristics. There are legitimate reasons to dislike Burning Man, but not Burners as a group.
“This is the Wild West. It an area of very independent people. To constantly bring up the argument of money and revenue is somewhat lost to people who don’t 1) EVER see any of that revenue and 2) can fucking take care of themselves” and further down, “To wave the revenue in front of people as a reason to trash an area is not only lost, but counter-productive.”
Burning Man is a significant revenue source for the people of Nevada. Many years ago (late 90s), before Feisty Michelle moved to Northern Nevada, several state and local agencies sought to rid themselves of the event and failed due to the outcry from the community. I was one of those community members fighting for Burning Man to stay. I attended council meetings, but I think the most beneficial task I undertook was to dig into the money question. I threw a lot of data out because I couldn’t confirm it; I threw out more than I kept, and in the end the figure was over $300,000 in revenue for local businesses that I recorded. Not for the state agencies; not for BMorg, but for the retail merchants, hotels, comedy clubs, restaurants, casinos and other Nevada businesses. By now I feel very confident that number is in the millions. But any Nevadan should be able to see for themselves by the changes that occur as Burning Man event nears – store hours expand, ice and water line shelves and silly toys (that usually include glitter) begin to appear on the counters. Employees at some stores have to start hiking from down the street – can’t use the store lot for their cars till after the burn, can’t take time off during the burn.
“Nevada is the most tainted State in the US.” And “This is important to think about because basically Burners keep talking about revenue, and why money should make BM okay to a state that is run by a corrupted system.”
Wha…? That begs the question, have you never been to Texas or Florida? We’ve got our problems, sure, but we’re hardly the most anything (we’re not even most sunny or most windy). But, if NV is so god-awful corrupt, then money definitely would make BM okay to the state.
“But it’s topped off with nudity as the Yay!” And “Nudity is not an issue.”
You’re touting Nevada as a wild-west state filled with independent people, but you cannot see why nudity is an issue? Why should I be forced to dress in the middle of the desert, in the middle of a gated community due to the social prescriptions of other communities? Why would an independent Nevadan complain about a nearby community that must be holding independence in higher esteem than her own where one is mandated to wear clothing?
The garbage is a legitimate complaint, FM, but you yourself admitted it is dealt with.
From Feisty Michelle, a NON-Burner local from Nevada, who blames corruption for the event staying there against the wishes of the self-reliant populace:
” Saying that Nevada hearts Burning Man and Burners is like saying Californians dislike gays because Schwarzenegger vetoed the Harvey Milk Bill in 2008.
I think lumping people together in such a way is damaging to Burning Man and people in Nevada who honestly do not like the event. I have lived in Northern Nevada for 12 years, and I am a Burner (BTW nice piece on The Generator and the Puppet, thank you), and I can say that there is a very legitimate reason to not like Burning Man and Burners.
This is the Wild West. It an area of very independent people. To constantly bring up the argument of money and revenue is somewhat lost to people who don’t 1) EVER see any of that revenue and 2) can fucking take care of themselves.
Nevada is the most tainted State in the US. Our legislators meets every two years (I wonder what kind of revenue lobbyists bring to Carson City during that time), and Casinos have control. This is important to think about because basically Burners keep talking about revenue, and why money should make BM okay to a state that is run by a corrupted system.
I know a LOT of people in this state who are far more self-reliant than Burners will ever be. This is a poor state and BM revenue affects very few of us. To wave the revenue in front of people as a reason to trash an area is not only lost, but counter-productive.
But it’s topped off with nudity as the Yay!
Your neighbors throw a party every year. You know they are going to throw a party every year and that’s cool. But that party takes over your entire neighborhood. People start building shit, driving on your road. Then 500 people come, they party, they leave-and they leave your driveway and your road strewn with trash. Sure they clean it up, but it takes months of work until they do it again and yes they are spending money but it is going to Raley’s, which is super expensive and you are still trying to get unemployment, which isn’t coming because Nevada has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country-people around me, here in the up-and-coming district of Midtown Reno are getting robbed every day.
This is Nevada. My friend took a gun out of a man’s hand when he rode by my house asking for food for his pregnant wife. I promise you that man could not give less of a shit about BM.
This is Nevada. We have brothels. Nudity is not an issue. To make it a victory is just ignoring the actual reasons why people have legitimate concerns that have just been signed away by a governor. It turns BM into the same light light of a Casino owner.
AND that’s my two cents.”
As a burner and Pershing county resident I am so thankful for this victory and hopeful that people (officials) in Lovelock can let their constant negativity go! Thank you to burning man and governor Sandoval for protecting and keeping this great event in Nevada!!!! See you all at home! )'(
I love this city.