Letters for June 5, 2003

I read “The Tao of Steve” and wondered why the hell you’d devote a cover story to such a total fucking asshole. Here I read a sycophantic story regarding a scummy, drug-addicted, law-breaking pseudo-rock star enlightening us all with his stories of narcotic-fueled promiscuity, anti-social behavior and self-destructive lifestyle. I read the story till the end, waiting for an epiphany, enlightenment, something that would make the story introspective, edifying, and worthwhile—and it never came.

Steven Foht is an anti-social loser who has contributed nothing to the community other than a few massive drug-fueled rager parties. And you put him on the cover as a paragon of spiritual enlightenment. Jesus Christ, if only I could be as spiritual and enlightened as Foht, I’d drop out of college and take up crank as a recreational activity.

Next time, you should devote an article to someone who actually gives back to the Reno community, someone who sacrifices and actively tries to make this county a better place, instead of lapping up to an irresponsible, self-absorbed criminal.

K.M. Southwood
Via e-mail

Behind the music
Re “Ass kisser” [RN&R, Letters, May 29]:

So D. Brian Burghart wrote a story that “exposed” a gangbanger who had a degree in air conditioning but chose to sell crank and go to prison, and then apparently proceeded to ruin everything he touched—his musical talent, relationships, business opportunities, fatherhood—with alcohol, drugs and sex. Then Matt Kendig writes into the paper and accuses Burghart of kissing Steve Foht’s ass, and saying that your paper should give the same treatment to legitimate bands like December and Fall Silent. I’ve got some advice for members of December and Fall Silent: If D. Brian Burghart and David Robert approach you with a notebook and a camera, turn and run the other way. As a recovering alcoholic and ex-drug abuser, I think Burghart hit the nail on the head. Keep up the good work, Burghart, and don’t let fools like Matt Kendig get you down.

Mike H.
Via e-mail

Stop Frankenfood
Re “You are what you eat” [RN&R, Cover, May 29]:

I read the story by Miranda Jesch and thought it was very good. I appreciate you handling this topic, but I thought it was a major omission that there was no mention at all of the upcoming USDA-sponsored “Ministerial Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology” in Sacramento from June 20-25.

This conference and “bio-expo” is happening solely to promote all of the evils of genetic manipulation, factory farming, etc. that are described in your cover story. I realize you are in Reno, but people are coming from as far away as the East Coast to [protest] this conference. Anyone can find out more at www.sacmobilization.org.

I don’t expect that you would endorse or promote this mobilization, but your readers ought to know that our government is actively trying to cram bio-tech, genetically-modified food down not only our throats but the rest of the world’s as well. President George W. Bush’s administration is doing such immoral and abhorrent things as making AIDS funding in Africa contingent upon accepting GM crops. This is news, and people should know about this major event of international importance and the fact that if they don’t agree with it, there are venues to resist it. You can do something about it.

Wesley Riley
West Sacramento

Tax cuts benefit the rich
Re “Trickle-down stupidity” [[RN&R, Editorial, May 29]:

Warren Buffett is one of the smartest and richest men in America. He made all that money by understanding how American business, markets and the economy really work, not by believing in over-hyped and disproved theories like “trickle-down.” To borrow a phrase from a previous White House resident named Bush, trickle-down is voodoo economics. Despite the claims of Ivan Boetsky (and Michael Douglas), greed is not good. Greed is an illness. Greed is not healthy for a civilized society that should want to protect the welfare of all its citizens rather than just a few thousand of the wealthiest. In this kind of society, only money talks!

We’ve had subsidies to the rich and mega-corporations ever since the “Gipper” and his Gippettes appeared. What needs to be done is to staunch the flood of trillions of dollars to the very rich and begin to reverse the direction of flow toward the individuals that actually perform and produce in this country.

B.M.Taylor
Via e-mail