Letters to the editor for Friday, Oct. 3, 2014

Shot for new points of view on Board of Supervisors

The recent forum on the Carson City Supervisor candidates emphasizes the point that any major decisions concerning upcoming projects should wait until after the November election. There is a shot of having at least two new points of view on the Board of Supervisors.

It’s too late for the sales tax increase, but maybe we can come up with a more agreeable plan for downtown. It now appears we are on track to “rubber-stamp” a bottleneck that only a few vocal businesses want. We also could look at a more economical animal shelter.

You don’t have to look out of state to see an example of an active downtown area. Our own Elko has a busy downtown area on Idaho Street. Even with a number of chain stores in town, there are still many local businesses, with virtually no empty storefronts.

This wasn’t achieved by spending a lot of money on the corridor; it’s because of a good economy with a consistently lower unemployment rate. Also, the businesses are more than just bars, casinos, and state and attorney’s offices.

Although considering the amount of traffic presently in Carson City, you would think we have $3 a gallon gas and a one percent unemployment rate.

Dave Aunkst

Carson City

Statham right about government, wrong about cause

Mr. Statham’s Aug. 14 commentary Government, Green Bananas and 12-Year-Old Whiskey almost says it all.

He indicated that our government is without intelligence and character, badly disabled and no longer a government of the people, by the people and for the people, but rather a government that seems to cater to special interests and ultimately itself. While all of the above is undoubtedly true, it was a little sketchy on the cause side of the cause and effect process.

For instance, the policies governing our nation and ultimately our lives were put in place between 1954 and 1994, when the voters gave the left absolute control of Congress, save one senate term in the eighties. Neither party has controlled the vote in Congress since.

In 1991, the people finally questioned Congress about its economic policies and the lack of work. They were told the economy was being transformed into a service-oriented economy (now at 70 percent) and should consider going back to school.

In 1980, a Democrat Congress passed legislation (DIDMCA) expanding residential lending to the working poor at subprime interest rates. They deregulated the lending industry even further in 1982. The rest is history. (Federal Reserve Economic Data information.)

In 1960, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its related businesses was measured at 10 percent. In 1963 the GDP dropped to 5 percent. Between 1963 and 1993, the real Gross Domestic Product 10 year running average remained below 3 percent. The 10 year running average hasn’t changed and isn’t inflation adjusted for accuracy reason.

Ron Wood

Dayton