Letters for December 19, 2019

Thanks, Sheila

Re “Empty seats” (Left Foot Forward,

Nov. 28):

Shiela, thank you for remembering Bob.

Nancy Price

Sparks

Lately

Re “Board of bunglers” (Editorial, July. 11):

Just re-read “Board of bunglers” and forwarded it to Siobhan McAndrew at RGJ. Did you see her story about Frankie Brooks on page 1A of the RGJ for Sunday, Nov. 24? I wish you would contact her and ask permission to print it in the RN&R. Times like this we miss Dennis Myers even more. Thank you

Earlene Gorzell

Reno

Deep appreciation

Re “Deep thoughts” (Notes from the Neon Babylon, Nov. 21):

What a great column. Bruce is one of the most observant, insightful commentators of our time.

Mike Norris

Dallas, Texas

Since day one

President Trump has committed impeachable and near-impeachable offences since day one, starting with covering up election fraud hush-money payments to a porn star. Never mind that he was also, at the time of his inauguration, in court over corruption at Trump University. And don’t forget the recent Trump Foundation settlement where the kids have to take court-ordered morality training. If folks haven’t yet read it, read the Mueller report. Never mind what your Party or Fox News ordered you to do. Read, for example, the reason that Mueller could not prove collusion: they couldn’t completely follow the data that the Trump campaign passed to the Russians once it got into Russian hands. What were they passing? Election information that would directly help the Russians with their attack on our 2016 election. Evidence and testimony support this absolutely. Using common language, the Trump campaign did collude with the Russians. Republicans just found a loophole they could argue. As for obstruction, McGahn will soon testify that Trump tried to falsify official government records to cover his attempts to fire Jeff Sessions. But don’t wait, read the Mueller report. It’s all there. Republicans have sold out nearly every principle they used to stand for, now including protecting the Constitution. If Republicans would’ve helped push back on any of the impeachable or near-impeachable offences this President has committed, Trump would not have felt continuously enabled. Nancy Pelosi held off legitimate calls for impeachment as long as she could. The derangement is with those who continue to claim that this Emperor is wearing any clothes.

Michel Rottmann

Virginia City Highlands

Thinking ahead

Every four years since 1972, Iowa and New Hampshire in tandem have repeatedly been the first two states to vote in the American presidential primary process. Isn’t it time for the other 48 states to take their turns at being one of the first two states to vote? We should reform the presidential primary process in time for 2024 by instituting a rotational centurial schedule whereby every state will finally have the opportunity to be one of the first two states to vote. Rotating the states would bring a much needed, overdue element of fairness to our primary system by giving each state (no matter how sparsely populated) a period of political relevance. Also, moving Iowa and New Hampshire out of their unwarranted privileged political positions at the front of the line would help make the process more demographically representative of the nation at large. Here’s an idea of what the first two states’ rotational schedule could look like over the course of the next century. 2024 - Kansas, California. 2028 - Vermont, Texas. 2032 - Montana, New York. 2036 - North Dakota, Florida. 2040 - Idaho, Illinois. 2044 - Oregon, Ohio. 2048 - Arkansas, Pennsylvania. 2052 - New Mexico, North Carolina. 2056 - Kentucky, Michigan. 2060 - Alabama, Arizona. 2064 - Oklahoma, Massachusetts. 2068 - Wyoming, Missouri. 2072 - Connecticut, Wisconsin. 2076 - Utah, Georgia. 2080 - Hawaii, Washington. 2084 - West Virginia, Colorado. 2088 - Nebraska, Virginia. 2092 - Indiana, New Jersey. 2096 - Maine, Tennessee. 2100 - Mississippi, Minnesota. 2104 - Delaware, Louisiana. 2108 - South Dakota, Maryland. 2112 - Alaska, Nevada. 2116 - Rhode Island, South Carolina. 2120 - Iowa, New Hampshire.

Jake Pickering

Arcata, California