Letters to the editor for Sunday, April 12, 2015

PERS changes unnecessary

I’ve attended many Legislative sessions involving proposed unnecessary changes to PERS and public employee benefits. In the past there have been several such bills, but this year seems especially rife with such attacks.

Assemblyman Kirner and others seem obsessed with undermining the PERS system, despite being judged “best in class” by Aon Hewitt. Kirner introduced AB3 which would add private sector voting members to the PERS board. Aside from being unconstitutional, this seems an attempt to destroy PERS from within since past attempts to destroy from outside have been unsuccessful.

Kirner also introduced AB190 which would essentially gut the PERS system as we know it. Suffice to say, it would eventually destabilize PERS, thereby making all the dire predictions of Kirner and the entities he is involved with come true. But only because of all the tinkering proposed to implement in AB190. Of grave concern to me is the “tinkering” going on during the Legislative process itself. Glenn Trowbridge, a moderate and fair assemblyman by most accounts, was unceremoniously reassigned to another committee, replaced by ultra conservative Jim Wheeler. Meetings start late, chairmen proclaim they are short on time and must rush things along; more time allotted to proponents than opponents; neutral testimony taken ahead of opponents, thereby cutting their time drastically.

It appears we are going to get “it” in some fashion, whether we like it or not. Just sayin’.

Linda Hoxsie

Carson City

Democrats have heavy hitters too

As an independent it is interesting to watch/read the comments by the Appeal’s columnist. A few weeks ago, Bo Statham was pontificating on how the Koch brothers pile millions into the Republicans. Now, Bo, let us be a bit more fair and balanced, shall we?

Sure, the Republicans have some very heavy hitter contributors. But so do the Democrats — people like Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, George Soros, etc. Oh, and what about all the money that the Saudis have been reported to have given to the Clinton Foundation?

The contributions are on both sides of the political spectrum. Though you have your opinion, Bo, it is a disservice just to mislead the reader. There is more than one side to each issue. In searching, I found that out of the top 10 wealthiest in Congress, seven are Democrats. When looking at the total of 261 millionaires in Congress (Democrat and Republican) the split is about even. As noted, it is a two-way street.

Carlynann Johnson

Dayton

Keep Israel out of the U.S.

I’m an American and I cannot tolerate the meddling of a foreign prime minister in my life and the lives of all Americans. I speak English. I don’t speak Hebrew.

Certain GOP members of Congress do tolerate the meddling because they are so bereft of integrity. They surrender their representation to a foreigner, and sign a letter to Iran saying they don’t support the American president and their country.

It’s impressive their lack of leadership so much so that they are submissive and look to foreign shores for guidance. Even our own sheepish, wishy-washy Dean Heller caved and signed that letter which newspapers around the country have criticized.

At no time in my memory has Congress acted so empty of virtue, so devoid of nobility and scruple. They cannot bring themselves to say to Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, “Stay out of our lives!”

I say to everyone, do not let Israel hijack this great country of ours. Diplomacy with Iran trumps war; optimism trumps pessimism, and self-determination always trumps a buttinsky like the Israeli Netanyahu.

Robert Simpson

Dayton

Time to act on drought is now

Hello, Nevada and California! You remind me of Nero, fiddling while Rome burned. Keep watering your lawns, keep washing your cars, keep filling your pools, keep watering those golf courses ... at least when everyone stinks because of lack of showers, droops around because of dehydration, and mopes around because of the drastic effect on the economy, your cars are going to shine, your grass is going to glow, etc.

Build pipelines now! The question will be, from where? The answer is, from wherever necessary that has more than enough water; from the North Pole if necessary.

James Hamilton Moore

Las Vegas