Letters for May 3, 2012

<3 a tax

Re “Tax in the road” (Letters to the Editor, April 26):

Bad-mouthing taxes is a sport in the U.S. Most people never consider the costs if they tried to get the services they receive from government in the private sector because most of them don’t exist there. If you want to see the cost of the lack of government services try living in an emerging or undeveloped country for a year.

I moved to Thailand over a year ago to take a job. I enjoy it here very much, but the lack of basic safety regulation and other government services combined with blatant corruption can make life not only difficult, but sometimes dangerous. A somewhat predictable and secure society has costs which are usually not appreciated until one has the opportunity to juxtapose them to another society that has not yet developed a strong mixed economy.

I stay because I find Asian societies intensely interesting and even more because of the respect I receive for my age and experience, particularly in employment. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. The U.S. is a mature society economically in which there should be rational discussion of alternative visions of a mixed economy rather than the simplistic comic book contrasts of “good” vs. “evil” that take place every four years.

Dan Porath
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Meter beater

Re “Smart meters not smart enough yet” (Greenspace, April 26):

Northern Nevada residents are receiving mailings from NV Energy informing us that smart meters will be installed at our addresses within 30 days. The tone of the mailing is that the smart meter installation is a foregone conclusion. Actually, residents can call the information number given in the mailing, 1-888-559-9744, to tell NV Energy they do not want a smart meter installed at their address and would like to opt out of the installation. NV Energy will then postpone installation at the service address while their resolution team decides how to respond to those who do not want smart meters imposed on their residence. Smart meters have been implicated nationwide for a variety of health issues, from cancer to sleeplessness and headaches, related to constant electromagnetic waves emanating from the meters. Residents are urged to call NV Energy to have installation postponed, allowing customers to research information on smart meter risks and decide for themselves whether to expose their families to residential smart meters. After informing NV Energy that smart meters are not wanted at an address, residents are advised to affix a “no smart meter installation” on their meter box to prevent “accidental” installation.

T. Alan Moore
Reno

Bible built

Re “Court of public opinion” (Editorial, April 12):

I disagree with the statement, “The smallest segment of the Republican Party—the religious right—may support discrimination against entire classes of people.” The religious right does support discrimination against entire classes of people. However, rather than being a bit player, the religious right is a major political, economic and media power that typifies the concept “Bible bullies.”

The concept is not new. In a 2004 article, “We’re Not in Lake Wobegon Anymore,” Garrison Keillor mentions “fundamentalist bullies with Bibles.” The Bible is often misquoted and used as a bullying power tool to condemn homosexuality.

A recent post by blogger Dr. Jim Rigby, pastor for 25 years at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas, has gotten the attention of thousands: www.jimrigby.org/bible-bullies. This post was in response to his earlier post, “Ten Things I Wish the Church Knew About Homosexuality.”

Rigby reports on the negative responses to his blog: “In this first wave, people often repeat the barely understood Bible verses they have been taught assuming that I just haven’t noticed those places in scripture. When it becomes obvious that I am straight, and a Christian, and ordained, and that I know scripture much better than they do, there is usually a panicked attack which brings the second wave of assaults.”

This issue is dividing members in mainstream churches across the country and is currently a major civil rights issue. Some churches support equal rights for all people and belong to networks such as the “Covenant Network of Presbyterians” and the Methodist “Reconciling Ministries Network.” For example, First United Methodist Church in downtown Reno is a “Reconciling Church.”

I’m a minister’s daughter who is straight and has read the entire Bible through a two-year Crossways course. The most convincing argument I’ve heard is No. 1 on Rigby’s Top 10 List: “If Jesus did not mention a subject, it cannot be essential to his teachings.”

Lizbeth Trotti
Reno

Statin racket

Re “Dear Dr. John” (Feature story, April 26):

Twenty-five years ago, the rule-of-thumb for a healthy cholesterol level was 200+age. That changed when statins became prescribed. At the age of 50, I had a full coronary assessment by a cardiologist since every man in my family tree had suffered a heart attack or stroke by the age of 50. I underwent a nuclear stress test (inconclusive), ECG (normal) and coronary calcium CT scan, which showed mild calcification. The cardiologist added simvastatin to the niacin I had been taking since I was 45. After six months, I developed liver toxicity and discontinued both a month. After that, I chose to go back on niacin. Three months later at a follow-up appointment, my cardiologist demanded that I start taking simvastatin again because my low density lipoprotein was still too high. At the time, my LDL was 80!

I pointed out to my cardiologist that using diet and niacin, my HDL had gone from 46 to 62. Before niacin, my HDL was in the low 30s. I then pointed out to him that there’s never been a study showing that lowering LDL had any effect on heart disease. He reluctantly agreed and mumbled something about pleiotropic (e.g. anti-inflammatory) effects. He was still adamant about putting me on a statin. I fired him. Two years later I had a second coronary artery calcium scan performed, and my calcium score had dropped. My new cardiologist had never seen that happen. I then told him how I ate (no sugar), and his response was priceless: “That’s not what we were taught in school.”

I changed my profession in 1987. Up to that point, I was a pharmacist, and the medical treatment for any condition was usually a prescription. Non-pharmaceutical-based treatments were frowned upon by real doctors. Doctors toed the company line that was dictated by the medical and pharmaceutical industry. They only focused on treatment and not on resolving the underlying cause. My life is too important to be left to doctors. Through numerous blood tests, some of which I paid for out-of-pocket, I’ve determined the proper diet for me. I see my regular doctor twice a year: for an annual physical and to treat some sort of musculo-skeletal injury caused by an improper level of common sense to enthusiasm. By the way, great job on your story.

Ed Terry

Washington, D.C.

Mail pattern badness

I really love my postal service. I like all the good things government gives us, and gladly pay my taxes to support those things.

However, I wish that our local postmaster would please do something about lowering expenses. I have counted well over 200 lights on at the Vassar facility, late at night when I can’t sleep and prowl around town. I’d suggest that eliminating unnecessary lighting may help just a teensy bit to keep our service solvent.

Especially with the whacko-baggers foaming at the mouth to shut down all social services so that they don’t have to pay “their” taxes.

This almost arrogant waste of energy is moronic, verging on vulpine, and visibly obscene.

That’s almost all I got to say on the subject.

Craig Bergland
Reno