Letter: seniors shouldn't be ignored

Shame on you! You trivialize seniors' legitimate concerns and perpetuate the predominant sentiment that seniors are statistics to be manipulated and ignored at will by those who profit from them with your Nov. 30 editorial.

The large number of seniors involved in the Carson City Senior Center revolt are grassroots heroes. To insult their intelligence, as you've done, is to play into the syndrome they are trying to overcome. Putting it bluntly, the Carson City Senior Center, owned by the city; i.e., the people, is a non-democratic institution. This is a wrong inflicted upon the citizenry and engenders the ills and abuses which have become the center's legacy.

You say the members of the governing board are reasonable people. Seniors did not just complain to them, they had suggestions and solutions, which have been ignored historically. Are the members representative of the senior community? No. The sense is that the governing board members are "good old boys," to quote one of your terms for business as usual in Carson City.

Indeed, the members are businessmen here who it could be said are professional board members all over the place. Whose interests are being served? Accountability is demanded of them and the administration so they look for bug spray to eliminate the drone of criticism. Perhaps the city should end the dynasty and take back the center for the seniors.

Contrary to your assumption that I was not a happy volunteer, I say you are wrong and you have not done your homework but relied on the party line in "shooting the messengers." Perhaps you are tired of the flood of seniors who have been coming to your offices with letters to the editor because their legitimate concerns have not been dealt with by the senior administration and board.

In an open and free society, which so many seniors have sacrificed for, it is reprehensible that their voices are being stifled. If Carson City's objective is to attract retirees to this area, it had better wake up to the adults' points of view. Where there's smoke, there IS fire!

JASON MAY

Carson City