Letters for October 7, 2010

Beauty within

Re “My hijab” (Filet of Soul, Sept. 30):

Zahida Mehirdel did an excellent job [explaining why she wears the hijab]. I appreciate these materials of worth being published. We have to reach out to others and accept everyone for who they are. It’s the beauty of our religion and culture that make each and every one of us unique.

Myra Dasta
Sacramento

Mmm. Goose is good.

Re “Golden nest egg” (Letters to the Editor, Sept. 30):

Oh, that Mr. Mathewson (www.nevadagoldholdings.com/Projects.html). Contrary to Mr. Mathewson’s opinion, no one wants to “kill the goose,” as difficult and unlikely as that would be. Clearly, his brief letter is not an appropriate venue for spelling out details regarding “Huge amounts of (tax) revenues … ” “pays well” and “are now making money.” I look forward to an in-depth, feature report on this subject from RN&R, and I’m confident Mr. Mathewson and the mining industry will be provided ample opportunity to contribute.

Steve Waclo
Carson City

Bring business

Re “What will replace the casinos?” (“Feature story, July 29):

“What will replace the casinos” was a thoughtful piece, and Dennis Myers did a great job educating me on the topic. However, I still do not understand why the casino industry would resist the introduction of diversification. This concept to me seems incredibly stupid and a lot like cutting off your nose to spite your face. If other industries come to Nevada, then the casinos have additional opportunities to court them for conventions, corporate events, and their employees will go to the casino’s restaurants, shows, and tables and slot machines. Has anyone courted the casinos for money to fund higher education programs or even better secondary programs? Take a look at what Steve Thompson has started in Detroit (a $16 million charter school focusing on math and science), and this was just one person with a bit of “extra” money and a vision. While I would never discount the importance of higher education, it is not the sole answer. Michigan, where I hail from, has the “official” second highest unemployment rate due to their dependence on the automotive industry. They also have some of the best educational opportunities of any state (University of Michigan, Michigan State, University of Detroit, etc.). There are many engineers who are currently unemployed, and I personally know people with MBA degrees who can’t find jobs. Don’t get too hung up on the education issues of Nevada, if the industries are here, people will follow: “If you build it they will come.”

Renee McCoy
Las Vegas

Socialized medicine

I am amazed and somewhat horrified at the outrageous TV ads from Sharron Angle. She is opposed to government-run health care, i.e. Medicare and Medicaid. However, if I am not mistaken, her husband is a retired federal employee and, therefore, I assume that she is covered by his federal health care as well as his pension. I take umbrage at her wanting to privatize the Veteran’s Administration. Our young people who have gone to fight for their country; many now have horrendous injuries. How can one believe that private insurance would be affordable or accessible? Her stand on privatization of the VA is despicable. To paraphrase Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, she is a tea kettle blowing nothing but hot air. Our country and our state are facing difficult times, and she has done nothing but political double speak. My vote is for Sen. Harry Reid. I may not always agree with him, but he understands the Senate rules necessary to pass any legislation. If it were not for the nay-saying Republicans, more interested in power and money, perhaps this Congress could have done more for the middle class.

Martha Gould
Reno

Protect and serve

Try this experiment: Put a bag of aluminum cans over your shoulder and walk down Prater Way. About two blocks into your walk, you will be stopped by Sparks Police Department. Your ID will be run, you will be searched top to bottom, and you will be told that you are a nuisance to society. If you even dare to speak up for your constitutional rights, you will be taken to the Parr Boulevard jail for obstruction of justice interfering with a police investigation. They then will take you to jail, make you sit there at least three days until you see your public defender, if you can’t afford a real lawyer. He will tell you if you don’t take the deal they offer, you will sit two months waiting for a trail date, in jail that is, or you can bail out for around 400 bucks, all the while knowing if you had any money you wouldn’t be out digging for cans. So you take the deal: probation, classes, community service, and submit to drug and alcohol tests at any time. And the kicker, if you are caught in a city park before one year from your arrest date, you do six months in jail. I have lived it, you don’t think it’s true, try it.

Mike Smith
via email

My business, my toilet

Re “Don’t close toilets” (Letters to the Editor, Sept. 30):

I have a small retail store and have added an index card on the door that says in green Sharpie marker, “No Public Restroom.” It’s right below the stickers that say I accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover. I’ve had the store for 17 years. I added the “No Public Restroom” card about six months ago.

What happend was that a woman and two small children, not customers, came in and asked to use the bathroom. Of course, I said yes and didn’t think twice about it until about an hour later when I needed to use the facility. Unbelievable. There was a full unflushed toilet, there was urine on the floor, urine footprints all over. (I’m assuming the boy’s aim hadn’t yet been perfected.) Two rolls of toilet tissue, one container of disinfectant wipes and a can of air freshener had disappeared. The soap dispenser was missing its cap and had been left in the sink, its contents dripping down the drain. There were several paper towels left on the floor. No attempt to throw the towels in the trash can sitting next to the sink was made. It was disgusting.

The restroom is for me and my customers. It is not available to anyone else. If you need to use a bathroom and are not a customer, please use the one in your home before you leave to do your errands.

When I unlock the door and turn the sign to “open,” I am inviting the world in. Dealing with the public is a pleasure 95 percent of the time. It’s that other 5 percent of people who just want to come take a crap that really, really irritate me. I deal with enough crap from that 5 percent of John Q. Public. I don’t need John Q. Public’s literal crap or complaint that he can’t take one (or leave one—thank you, George Carlin).

If we do business, please use the restroom if needed. If you’re just here to do your “business,” please go some place else.

Thank you, especially to those who flush and use a trash can.

J.L. Nelson
via email

The real marketplace

Re “Golden nest egg” (Letters to the Editor, Sept. 30):

A letter writer supporting the mining industry said that government “produces nothing.” Really?

Try running a mine in a place without government services like police, schools, medicine, sanitation, utilities, communication, transportation, fire and rescue, etc. How about someplace where there is not a military providing security? Or a place without a legal system—that which creates and regulates the market?

Want to try operating a mine in Somalia?

I wish the anti-government crowd would think about what makes a civil society. A good time to think about it would be when they are rolling along the federal highway system.

Ted March
Fernley