Letters for April 15, 2010

This letter approved

Our national debt is $12 trillion, and will be several thousand dollars higher by the time I finish writing this letter. Each person in Nevada is $110,000 in debt due to the government’s past and present policies. One should be sickened due to the fact that the government seems to be bankrupting the American soul. Individualism, freedoms and liberties are a threat to the liberal ideal of a one world socialistic government, which seems to be developing in America

The take over of the banking and automobile industries and the forceful attempts to control health care even with overwhelming opposition, is truly frightening. Is government takeover of the media next? I can see us heading to a time where letters to the editor will have to be sent to a government website for censorship. Laughing now? I’m sure if you had asked anybody on the street 1950 or even 1970 if the government would be building Chevys and Dodges, they would have laughed.

Mike Arp
Reno

Money walks

Re “Walking tall,” (Feature story, April 8):

These guys are no better than any other long distance hiker; they get paid to do this. Why not do stories on people that hike and pay for the trip? People who have to go back to work after the hike? These guys are nothing more than professional hikers. I met Scott in ’96 on the Pacific Crest Trail. Please talk about the walk by normal, working people, not pros. I am a triple crown hiker—bought, paid and planned by a working person. I’m not a sponsored pro.

Bob Rzewnicki
Glencliff, N.H.

You call that authentic?

Re “Proud to serve” (Foodfinds, April 1):

After reading Sharon Black’s review of Miguel’s, my first reaction was, “You’ve got to be kidding.” Then it hit me: This was your April Fools’ issue: Doh! I mean, what reviewer would be out “looking for authentic Mexican cuisine” and start their meal with that vapidly gringo beverage pina colada? Then, follow it up with that brew-pub creation (never found south of the border) we call nachos? Then that all-time gabacho staple, shrimp fajitas? By now I’m getting it, and realize she’s just going “wink, wink” when she orders a vegetarian burrito. You’re kidding, right, Sharon?

Alan McKay
via email

Fuzzy meth

Meth is still an issue. The state of Nevada is currently in financial turmoil. Residents are struggling with foreclosures, job loss, budget cuts at their schools and workplaces, and the list goes on and on. A couple of years ago, the methamphetamine problem seemed to be at the forefront of the issues that Nevada was combating. Today, the meth problem has been eclipsed by the myriad of difficulties that the recession has brought upon the area.

Unfortunately, when I walk through downtown Reno, I still see large numbers of people who are obviously addicted to meth. When I graduated high school last year, I was still hearing stories of fellow students experimenting with the drug, and the occasional horror story of someone becoming so addicted to meth that they dropped out of school. Meth is still a problem. Simply because the area is facing new problems, our old problems will not magically disappear. The state of Nevada needs to continue to vehemently fight meth use. The government of Nevada should think of their fight against meth as an investment in the state’s future. People who are addicted to meth have poor results at school, often drop out of school, are useless in the workplace, often quit their jobs, and many simply die.

If fewer people in Nevada used the drug, Nevada’s schools would perform better, thus improving our dismally low rank on national scholastic statistics and producing higher quality students. Students would get a better education, which would allow them to get better jobs. Higher educated employees means better job performance. All of this boils down to a better work force and stronger economy in Nevada. In addition, most meth addicts do not have health insurance or any means of paying for the treatment of the very long list of medical ailments that meth causes. Many meth addicts check into the ER as their form of health care. This is a “free” service to them. As we all know, there is no such thing as a free lunch, so the taxpayers of Nevada end up covering meth addicts’ hospital bills. Meth is an insidious drug that affects the lives of just about everyone in the area in some way. Whether you are a business owner whose store was robbed and vandalized by a meth user or if you are just a tax-paying resident of Nevada, the large amount of meth use in the area has had an effect on you. We must remind lawmakers and law enforcement to not forget about such problems in the midst of the state budget crisis.

Alex Kizis
Reno

More captions

Re “Write the Caption!” (Feature story, April 1):

“No officer, I was naked before he robbed me. He took my camera. You know, camera?”

David Zybert

“Apparently, this … is 8 inches. Hmm …”

Bethany Artemis

“This is how much I want to show you the rest of me!”

Robin E. McGregor

“Ya, nice story, but that fish was a little bit smaller; don’t you think?”

Chris Reddin

“Haven’t you seen these new invisible glasses before?”

Chris Reddin

“I was this close to being the president of my nudist colony.”

Ian Sorensen

Let’s talk about sex

Re “Celebrity sex cures” (Notes from the Neon Babylon, April 8):

I agree that Tiger Woods (and Jesse James) probably shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place. I think Bruce Van Dyke should check into a sex clinic and do an expose and let us know what really goes on in those places. It sounds like a 12-step program for people who hear the same crap at the psychologist’s office with spa privileges.

Janna Crosson
Riverside, Calif.

Credit due

Re “Schools of broken dreams?” (Upfront, March 25):

Wow! Who wrote this article? Whoever it was needs to be educated on accreditation. I have attended the University of Nevada, Reno as well as University of Phoenix as a student. My experience at both was great. I checked out UOPX thoroughly before attending and did my homework on their accreditation. UOPX holds the same regional accreditation and is held to the same standards as UNR or any other state school. A trade school has national accreditation like Career College of Northern Nevada. This article belittles the education I have worked hard to get. And by the way, I have an amazing job with my diploma from UOPX.

Kami Mattice
Sparks