Letters for November 27, 2008

Change is good
Re “The Nevada Senate blues” (Know You’re Right, Nov. 13):

The fact that Nevadans voted out the Republican majority, in their “blind-voting” frenzy, says a lot about how much the economy is truly suffering, and how much Nevadans really are thinking about what’s best for the state. How would it benefit the state and the economy to leave the majority in the hands of people whose actions and ideas combined to give them the experience of watching our local economies wallow? How is change going to hurt the state, if what’s been happening hasn’t been working? Beating a dead horse doesn’t work in real life, and it certainly doesn’t work in politics. I have to wonder why some Republicans don’t have the ass as their mascot.

Deidre Emerson
Sparks

Present factual opinions
Re “The Nevada Senate blues” (Know You’re Right, Nov. 13):

Without fail, since I have moved to Reno in the beginning of October, I have been appalled by the writing of your “right” columnist, Amanda Williams. Not only does she insult any educated person by writing at the level of a seventh-grader, but she is misinforming the public by promoting her personal agenda in a public venue. Understandably, as a column, declaring your opinions is expected. However, what I cannot understand is how the editors of this paper do not place a higher expectation for their writers to provide citations for what they claim to be “facts,” and allow this writer in particular to clearly misinform the public. I am insulted every time I read the column, “Know You’re Right.” Not only because I am a middle-class, hard-working female taxpayer, but also because I am an educated citizen of the United States who expects factual information in a public venue.

Williams’ critiques of president-elect Barack Obama in the weeks leading up to the election were unfairly harsh, untrue and clearly unedited. She stated that he was arrogant for planning a victory party in his hometown of Chicago, and failed to mention to a potentially unknowing reader that every politician plans a victory party for the night of the election. Proclaiming Obama as being arrogant for that reason alone is unfair. Her most recent column sounds like she is headed into a depression because Nevadans elected Democratic state senators and a Democratic President. I would expect for ANY writer to act with dignity and integrity, and to appreciate the historic moment of the 2008 election, and to find the positive aspects of said election. Amanda’s column and reaction was just plain tacky. I hope that you will take some of these points into consideration, as I am writing as a concerned reader. I am not discounting the right of free speech, nor the need to have both sides of each story—Right and Left.

Kari Sindberg
Reno

Civil rights for all
As members of a recovering almost great democratic republic (our United States), we oppose those whose political and religious prejudices and perversities cause them to try to deny most civil rights to a large minority of our population: the gay and lesbian community. It should be emphasized that the vast majority of sexual and other violent crimes are committed by psychopathic and or mentally disturbed heterosexual males. Perhaps the next “constitutional amendment” could legalize abusive polygamous marriage with young girls.

Walden & Betty Joura
Reno

Government conspirator
Re “The great HDTV swindle” (Feature story, July 10):

Here are some facts that suggest the converter box voucher program is a trick to get us to subscribe to cable TV. We are urged to simply call 888-DTV-2009, and the feds will send us vouchers for the converter boxes to change our TVs to digital reception from analogue to allow us high-definition reception. If we rabbit ears and rooftop antennae viewers don’t convert by Feb. 17, 2009, we’ll get no reception. I called the converter box voucher line 28 times. “Please call back another time,” a recording stated each time. We have three choices: Keep trying to get the vouchers, pay full price for the converters or subscribe to cable. A notice at the northwest Reno post office stated that we either call for the vouchers or subscribe to cable. An advertisement on TV suggested the same. The cable companies know a majority of us will subscribe. It’s one thing that private industry would stoop to this trickery, but when the federal government is involved, well, that’s just terrible.

Milo Reese
Reno

That’s funny
Re “Rail City seeks new identity” (Upfront, Nov. 20):

East Reno.

Michael Sion
Reno

Pay for results
Re “Rail City seeks new identity” (Upfront, Nov. 20):

Why do we pay a company $126,000 before they’ve come up with anything? DDI [Destination Development Inc., the Seattle/Florida firm hired by Sparks to give the Rail City an identity] uses a pretty focused and tired formula, creating McCharm spots around a city. They will obviously center on Victorian Square and the old gravel pit superfund site that people now swim in—the Sparks Marina. Give me $126,000, and I’ll come up with a Third Street Promenade-worthy idea in a matter of hours.

Peter Thompson
Reno

Is there help?
I live in a 1,060-square-feet home with my daughter on Quaking Aspen Road, where the proposed project intends to place their “transmission lines” in Palomino Valley. I earn $36,000 per year (not an elitist, can’t afford powerful lawyer). I am a progressive, tree-hugging environmentalist and support wind energy. However, I am the only resident on Quaking Aspen with a home situated very close to the targeted roadway. Also my parcel’s north boundary is a winding segment of the targeted road they propose to “straighten.” This means that I would lose what I have for a front yard and potentially, the only strip of flat land on my parcel (the rest of my property is a steep mountain). Do you know where I can find the specifics of the proposed plan to learn exactly what the outcome would be for me, for this narrow little canyon with its spring-fed creek, as well as the data from which projected benefits are based? I would like to support wind power. Maybe there is a win-win scenario, and they are not really intending to take away this one little strip of green I fought and bled for several years. I am sick to my stomach over this and want to do the right thing.

Catherine Armstrong
Reno

Don’t construct
Re “Don’t obstruct the wind project” (Notes from the Neon Babylon, Sept. 18): Bruce Van Dyke obviously sees “green,” as do others, and writes about it without doing his research on the proposed wind farm’s impact in totality—such a simplistic response to a complex issue. I agree that alternative energy options should be pursued in these unstable times, but all aspects of mammoth projects such as this must be thoroughly investigated, addressed, and presented to the affected communities and public before being given approval (or not) by our county representatives.

As a friend and neighbor recently said to me, “It’s not “don’t obstruct the wind farm,” rather it’s “Don’t construct the wind farm.” My sentiments exactly!

Juliana Kipps
Reno