Letters for August 29, 2013

We do

Please support health care for all, though imperfect. We need something that supports all Americans to get some health care that is reasonable, and helps all Americans bear some of the cost burden as well. Women especially benefit. Make health care equitable and available!

Tamara Baren

Verdi

My way or the highway

In response to Lee Gibson of the RTC. We understand the Southeast Connector has been the subject of “rigorous and purposeful planning” for many years, but to date the process has not determined a safe and environmentally appropriate location. If the May 29 meeting at Hidden Valley school is an example of RTC’s community meetings they are nothing to be pleased about. Nearly 300 people, mostly long-time residents, appeared to be somewhat confused regarding the presentation. In fact, being lectured to like 5-year-olds is inappropriate in any circumstance. Not one person in the audience spoke in favor of the road.

Having community meetings does not suggest that anyone was there in support. There is no doubt that there will need to be another north/south road sometime in the future—that time is not now and that location is not here. Your account of a detailed analysis is shallow and self-serving. The recession reduced traffic congestion; the argument for creating jobs is reminiscent of the housing boom/bust—providing jobs which are unsustainable. Throwing out the “jobs” carrot when most all will not be new jobs but moving existing employees around is misleading. If built, the SEC will cause the blight of billboards and give rise to new retail centers like quickie markets and gas stations that will help only to collect the gas taxes to profit RTC.

It is our understanding that federal law (NEPA) requires one permit for the entire project and does not recognize phasing a project of this size and nature. That seems reasonable in that spending upwards of $65 million on a bridge with the chance of never getting approval on the remainder is ludicrous except for the obvious argument that “who would stop us now that we have this bridge”? The argument regarding violations of the Clean Water Act will, hopefully, be decided by a federal judge. CHM2Hill’s environmental engineer has stated that the plan for the toxic methyl mercury is to scoop it up and bury it under the road. That sort of thinking does not enhance safety or the environment—the first time the road floods—and it will, per your own planners—the road will suffer major damage. The federal government actually should order a proper cleanup of this toxic site.

Gibson considers that opponents have misrepresented and distorted the project’s facts and history. It can be argued that RTC has misled the public on this project repeatedly. Consider this quote: “The Southeast Connector is one of the biggest projects ever undertaken by the RTC and is expected to cost approximately $170 million.” Since the actual road cost is closer to $300 million, who is distorting facts? In recent responses in the RG-J, Mr. Gibson has repeatedly referred to citizens’ complaints and legal actions as “misunderstandings.” That is, if we have objections, we just have misunderstood.

Lawrence Laskowski

Reno

Men of letters

Re “The high cost of apathy” (Left Foot Forward, Aug. 15):

After reading Sheila Leslie’s plea to Gov. Sandoval for an overhaul of the mental health system in the state of Nevada, I am enclosing a copy of a letter that I sent this week to Senator Reid, Assemblyman David Bobzien and Congressman Mark Amodei:

In 2006, I filed my first application for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (without legal representation) due to multiple mental health disorders and physical impediments. In 2007, that application was denied. I did not appeal the decision at that time due to the severity of my disability and lack of case management.

In 2010, I filed a second application for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits without legal representation due to the same multiple mental health and physical disorders listed in the first application. In 2011, the second application was denied. I then sought out the counsel of Hal Taylor, attorney-at-law in Reno. This legal firm currently represents my interests in the ongoing appeal process. To date, we have requested a reconsideration of the initial denial (which was denied), have been present at a hearing presided over by administrative law judge Eileen Burlison (which was denied) and just last week the request to review the aforementioned denied application was denied by the Appeals Council of the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review in Virginia. What is going on here?

Clearly, some impediment is in the way of my rightful acquisition of insurance benefits that I have accrued while I was able-minded and employable. At this time, I can no longer count on financial support from family, I have maxed out the available credit limit on personal credit cards, I am behind on monthly rental payments to my landlord, I have had to accept food assistance from the state. I am scared that I will become one of the mental health statistics roaming homeless on the downtown streets of Reno. The time has come for me to request assistance from your office. I urge you to authorize a congressional inquiry appeal on my behalf.

Martin Kearney

via email

That’s Socialism!

Senator Dean Heller and other Republicans vote in a governmentsupported health care program for themselves, but want to take away the health care from 30 million Americans.

John Kuykendall

Sparks

Sugar and spice

Re “What are you made of?” (Feature story, Aug. 22):

Why is my sibling’s ancestry composition not the same as mine? We have the same parents?

Thank you for contacting the 23andMe Team. It is normal for your Ancestry Composition to differ from your full sibling. This is because on average, each of you inherit 50 percent of your DNA from each of your parents. However, the segments that you and your brother inherit are not necessarily the same 50 percent, so you will see differences in your genetics in both health and ancestry results.

Marcia B. Cuccaro

via email

Editor’s note: Our reader asked 23andme.com a question that arose out of our story. The third paragraph is the response from the company.

September mourn

On September 11, 2013, we will hold the fourth annual “September 11th Memorial Taps” ceremony at Powning Veterans Memorial Park Across from the Washoe County Court House for the 13th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001, attacks on the United States of America. We invite all Reno and Sparks residents to attend the ceremony at 6:46 a.m. We realize that is very early in the morning, but the purpose is to remember the murdered civilians of that day at the exact times of the attacks. We will have hundreds of buglers nationwide sounding “Taps” at the same moments. We will repeat the sounding of “Taps” at each moment of the following attacks and will add one more sounding of “Taps” for all those men and women in our military that have been killed in subsequent military actions. This ceremony will also honor all the first responders of Reno, Sparks and all of Nevada for the acts of sacrifice that they have committed themselves to in their professions.

Fred Speckmann

Reno