Letters to the Editor for April 24

On a clear September morning 91⁄2 years ago, when hijacked commercial airliners slammed into the World Trade Center, thousands died. The terror and violence shook the world. Police officers, firefighters, and EMTs rushed into the burning buildings attempting to save as many as possible. When the buildings collapsed, the heroic rescuers were killed, giving their lives to save others. That's what public-sector employees do. That's what unions do.

When paralyzing blizzards or natural disasters occur which cause death and destruction, who is there to plow endlessly to secure pathways to safety? Who is there risking their own lives to rescue others from flooded rivers, mudslides, forest fires, earthquakes, etc? That's what public-sector employees do. That's what unions do.

Think hard about it. How many teachers in your past helped you, guided you, challenged you so that your present career can be traced to their love of seeing you succeed? That's what public-sector employees do. That's what unions do.

The next time you're in a car accident, a fire, you get robbed, or buried in snow, or need help in any way, you won't have far to look for the union label.

Ahh, those pesky public servants.

Rick Van Alfen

Carson Ci

I can't believe the fiasco the state has made out of changing retirees' health insurance. If they think they are saving money, they certainly cannot be.

As a retiree, my new insurance won't take effect until July 1, and the paperwork and phone calls that I have already had are totally out of hand. They have created a monster, and someone is making money - the cost of having all these meetings.

These companies must have had to hire additional employees to make phone calls. They can't answer your questions since they are reading their canned speech, and rather than answer your questions, can only tell you that you will receive something in the mail. Then, why do they call?

It has even put an extra burden on Social Security to handle phone calls and process additional paperwork that Public Employees' Benefits Program already received at the time of our retirement.

Every time someone calls me, I only see dollar signs and less insurance coverage. I would like to know what this change is costing overall, but that we will never know.

I only hope for things to improve in the future. I am a disgusted state retiree.

Norma Brownell

Reno

In view of the skyrocketing price of gasoline, which is based on nothing more than the fact that the oil companies figure they can get away with it, I have a suggestion.

Everyone buy as little each day as you possibly can, just barely enough to get through that day, maybe two. As sales volume drops, so will the price. Don't fill up figuring that it will cost more tomorrow - that will ensure that it does. Just buy enough for today.

Charles Knapp

Carson City

I sent the following to the Assembly Judiciary Committee concerning the taking of biological specimens from arrestees:

A bill similar to Assembly Bill 552 was introduced by Heidi Gansert during the previous legislative session. It did not pass.

I am inalterably opposed to AB552. It is unnecessary and an infringement on citizens' rights and freedoms. Being arrested for a felony does not mean guilty; it is only an accusation. What has happened to innocent until proven guilty?

If biological specimens are taken from arrestees, what is done with them? Are they entered into a database and kept there even if the person is found innocent? Or, are they taken and not used until the person is found guilty, in which case they never should have been taken anyway because current law states that specimens will be taken only from those found guilty of a felony. Will the law differentiate between types of felonies?

Ms. Zunino-Dennison appeared before the Judicial Committee on April 13. I am truly sorry for her tragic loss of her daughter, and I can scarcely imagine the tremendous grief she has felt. However, this event cannot be used as an excuse to erode the rights of the rest of the citizens of Nevada.

Why do I oppose this? I was arrested but not convicted of a felony. What right has the fist of the government to take biological samples from someone who may be in my situation?

Please soundly defeat AB552.

Gerald Cuffe

Minden

After reading your paper today, I see there is another nice park in Carson City where there is no enforcement of the leash laws of our city.

A man was bit while he was in his car at Fuji Park by a loose dog about two weeks ago. The Sheriff's Office was called, Animal Control also showed up, along with the Parks Department. The only time they show up is when someone has been bitten.

I say, take the sign down (saying dogs must be on leash between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.) or enforce the law. With small children and small dogs at the park, something should be done before some child or dog is killed.

I've called many times to the Animal Control office, with no action. They mailed me a form to fill out, which I did, and returned to them. In a phone call to me, they said the Parks Department has control of dogs at Fuji Park, so they passed the buck to them.

I hope I don't have to go to the mayor or city council to make our park safe from 11-2. I suppose I'll have to be bit or my small dog killed before something is done.

Michael C. McMahon

Carson City

It was a sad for horses, the people of Nevada, and the democratic process. I am a lifelong rodeo supporter and horse owner.

On April 15, the Senate Natural Resources Committee let die SB 364 without even taking a vote. The bill would have outlawed the brutal practice of horse tripping, a standard event of the Mexican-style rodeo called charreada. Only Senators Mark Manendo and David Parks supported the bill. Senators Dean Rhoads, Michael Roberson and John Lee opposed it, despite overwhelming evidence of the need for the measure.

Charreada features nine events, three of which involve the roping of running horses by the legs, either front (manganas), or rear (piales.) Can you spell insanity? This is not a standard ranching practice anywhere in the U.S., nor is it sanctioned by any American-style rodeo association. Horse tripping is already banned in eight states: California, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona, Nebraska, Illinois, Maine and Florida.

Reportedly, Sen. Rhoads and the rodeo/ranching community, in their paranoia, lobbied heavily to kill this bill, claiming it was a first step toward outlawing all of rodeo. Nonsense! All the horse pucky is obviously not in the arena. The bill had nothing to do with sanctioned rodeo events.

Some media coverage might have made the difference. Maybe next session. Meanwhile, there's to be a charreada in Winnemucca at 11 a.m. April 30-May 1, No. 50 Winnemucca Blvd. Check it out. And please, take a legislator with you.

Linda Frame

Anaheim, Calif.

Thank you for driving the Taste of Home Cooking School to Carson. I hope you can make it a yearly event.

We received a nice package of magazines, free offers and a hard-back book. The presentation was beautiful.

Marion Bruessel

Gardnerville

Regarding "No government fade away" by Mr. Russell, I'm sure your $1.659 trillion profits for 2010 are gross, not net. I'm equally certain the businesses that were forced offshore, in part, became more profitable, due to the much lower wage structure. Per capita production increases in 2010 also increased business profits.

In any event, all the government revenues collected in 2010 did not even cover entitlement costs. Include a $14 trillion national debt, and a dollar that is worth 58 cents, and you do indeed have a government that is failing.

Raising corporate taxes on a smaller, weaker, 60 percent green economy would be tantamount to economic suicide. As for the 1990s growth period, the nineties started with a recession, and a four-year decline in housing, manufacturing and construction. Six months of declining gross domestic product constitutes a recession. Years of stagnant growth before and after a recession are conveniently forgotten.

Your Bush-bashing is no different than most - you leave out the four consecutive years of economic growth between his first and second terms, and his several attempts to get Fannie and Freddie to talk with him about their rumored problems.

Regarding the higher percentage of corporate tax collections in the 1950s and 1960s, it was a larger economy and better times. Since then, our government-controlled economy has become trillions of dollars lighter, while government expenditures continue to increase.

Ron Wood

Dayton