Letters for August 2, 2001

Re “Crafting the Woman” (RN&R Art of the State, July 5):

I just finished reading Carli Cutchin’s article on Manuel Neri, and I thought she did a terrific job, particularly since she had never heard of Neri prior to coming into the gallery that day. He is one of the major figures in contemporary West Coast art, and his works are in just about every important museum collection in the country.

Accordingly, the article was intelligent, well-written and particularly insightful. I told our staff that it was one of the best pieces written on the visual arts in this town in some time. I know Manuel will be pleased. Thanks for the effort.

Peter Stremmel
via e-mail

If you can’t say anything nice …

Re “Beware of Blackouts” (RN&R Guest Comment, July 12):

Shane Piccinini, you are an idiot. You applaud California Gov. Gray Davis for having “the ability to purchase power on the open market,” and you go on to infer that this is good for California. Then, you blast the Nevada Assembly Republicans and Kenny Guinn for “sid[ing] with the lobbyists of the energy companies” and allowing Nevadans “to purchase electricity on the open market,” resulting in higher rates.

Mr. Piccinini, you can have all of my assets if you can give me an adequate response as to why it is OK for a Democratic governor to purchase power on the open market, while at the same time, it is bad for a Republican governor/Assembly to do the same goddamn thing! Perhaps your reply is that it’s OK for Davis, because he’s a Democrat, but not for Guinn, because he’s a Republican. Unless there are a lot of idiotic Democratic RN&R readers out there, which may be the case, I don’t think too many people are going to buy into your idiotic, inconsistent argument.

Message to Washoe County Democrats: You should all be embarrassed to have such an idiot as your “leader.”

Tom Troutman
via e-mail

‘The X’ responds to criticism

Re “No Props for John Lee Hooker” (RN&R Letters, July 12):

Trace Stiegman attacked “The X” and me personally for not airing a tribute to the late John Lee Hooker. Our usual Blues Project DJ moved to Chicago the week before, so I re-hired the guy who had been doing it before him. He’s a serious blues lover but still a novice broadcaster—so novice that he planned out his entire show a week in advance. He had total freedom to plan and change that show, and he was reprimanded for his failure to do so. For the record, [morning DJ] Bruce Van Dyke and I both did tributes to John Lee the day we heard the news.

Over the past year, there have been many letters about “The X.” Almost all of those were written by people who are passionate about their music, but uniformed as to all of the factors that go into decisions at the station. The changes we’ve made have turned “The X” into a healthy radio station, and we have the ratings to prove it.

I ask all of our listeners to please, when you have a problem with “The X,” call me first before you fire off letters to the newspaper. After you talk to me, if you still want to rip us, by all means go ahead. But at least give me the courtesy of giving my side without having to do it in the paper.

Harry Reynolds
KTHX program director

Government programs usually suck

Re “The Feds vs. the State” (RN&R Editor’s Note, July 12):

It’s refreshing to hear the OLE LIBERAL Jimmy Boegle having doubts regarding our bloated government operations and programs. I’ve had these doubts for about 40 years, perhaps longer. I would ask you to name any successful program the United States government has initiated and efficiently run during the past 50 years. Billions of taxpayer money goes down the proverbial drain every day in order to satisfy the liberal programs initiated by the legislators and administrators in all levels of government.

While pondering the above, I ask the question: Do the taxpayers of Reno really need a multi-million dollar baseball stadium? To be sure, the politicians of Reno will say it will be a profit-maker. I say B.S.

Mike Devany
via e-mail