Letters for January 3, 2019

Planet for rent

The last inhabitants were real pigs. They trashed the place. Used up most of the fuel oil, overfished the ponds, peed in the pools and really messed up the climate control systems—as well as the wonderful garden.

And they were always fighting amongst themselves, as well as leaving toxic waste all over and scaring the neighbors.

Security deposit waived if you give the place a coat of paint, but you will still need first and last millennium deposit.

Property should be available in a few short decades. All inquiries confidential.

Contact G.O.D. Property Management Systems.

Craig Bergland

Reno

Interior complaints

Re “Interior design” (news, Dec, 27):

I read your political news avidly. On environment, you are often acute. Not so much here.

First key question: Why would Catherine Cortez Masto give “her blessing to Heller taking over at Interior,” when he stands for everything she and fellow Democrats believe should be upheld from the Obama administration?

Second key question: Who in their right mind would imagine that “the Nevada Department of Wildlife, which was once a hunting and fishing agency . . . became an environmental agency.” Look at who runs it.

Third key question: It is not enough to say Nevadans are “for” monuments. Which monuments do Nevadans support, and administered by which agencies and/or Native American constituents? Do Nevadans really care about Navajos and Utes in Utah, or Paiutes/Shoshones in Nevada?

Fourth question: If gender and sexual discrimination is in the Interior mix, is this to be understood as a problem before or after the Trumpers took over Interior, or is it just a continuing problem?

Fifth question: how can one distinguish Heller’s views on the environment from Zinke’s, or from the crazies who run the state of Utah? I actually don’t understand these sentences: “Heller has been harshly critical of the creation of national monuments, aligned himself with Cliven Bundy, and tried to hold down the size of wilderness areas. Still, it may be difficult for Trump to find a Republican who agrees with him on Interior issues.”

Cheers for the New Year.

Michael Cohen

Reno

Fortress U.S.A.

Unless you have what you want, and own it outright with no payments, you don’t have the American dream.

The United States doesn’t own its country. Because of trillions in dollars of debt, we are owned by numerous other countries. How can we possibly build a wall or take in migrants? Who will feed and house them, and see to their ailments? Certainly not us. We don’t have any money. I suggest we take drastic measures. Close all our borders, bring all our soldiers home, make and build all our own things, grow our own food and so forth, at least until we completely own our own country again.

Helen Howe

Sun Valley

Editor’s note: It is true that other nations “own” a hefty amount of the United States, if we mean financial instruments, not land. But most of it is owned by U.S. allies or trading partners. The top five are Japan, China, the Cayman Islands, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg. They all hold a significant portion of U.S. debt and have no desire to foreclose. In 2013, Japan’s finance minister urged the U.S. to avoid default on its debt in order to protect the U.S. investments of Japan and other countries. Foreign U.S. holdings bind other countries to us. But—and this is the part that is always overlooked—the U.S. “owns” more of other countries than they hold of the U.S. TitleMax reports that the United States “is owed a lot more money than it owes. Despite substantial debts that America owes to countries like China and Japan, they owe us money as well.”

Correction

Re “Side hustle,” (Foodfinds, Dec. 20):

Our story misquoted the price of picon cocktails, which are $4.50 during happy hour and $5, otherwise. For $11, the restaurant also offers a special version using the original recipe from the Noriega Hotel in Bakersfield. We apologize for the error, which stated that regular picon cocktails are $11 outside of happy hour.