Editor:
In response to Terry Burnes' comments in The Record-Courier on Friday, I am stunned that Mr. Burnes can make such sweeping and patronizing assumptions about a person he has never met. I am offended that Mr. Burnes would insinuate that I can be manipulated into actions that are politically expedient at the beck and call of another candidate. It is at once sad and laughable that he is willing to judge me based on misinformation and assumption. Perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised, after all, Mr. Burnes is a Sustainable Growth Coalition proponent and the SGC has shown itself to be the master of misinformation and assumption.
Let me be perfectly clear on why I am running for District 1 commissioner. My sole motive was, if Mr. Lynn did not prevail in the primary, to provide the voters at large with an option other than the SGC agenda. Had that come to pass, I would be the candidate that actually had the good of our county as their first priority. Bare in mind that Dave Nelson, who changed his residency from a home he owns in District 3 to a rented home in District 1, admitted that he moved just to run for this seat. If he had pure and sincere motives for becoming a county commissioner, serving the good of the county, why didn't he run in his own district? The reason is clear - Doug Johnson, the SGC-backed commissioner, was already running in District 3, making it redundant for Dave Nelson to run in his own district. I, on the other hand, have lived in my district since 1999.
I find it hard to believe that Mr. Burnes is actually suggesting that the voters of our district disenfranchise themselves from the electoral process by boycotting this election. What result is he hoping to achieve? It seems, Mr. Burnes, that if you wish to be taken seriously as an advocate for your vision of our future, your ongoing sour grapes attitude needs to change.
I would also like to correct some misinformation in Mr. Burnes' letter. I do not now and have never worked for Greg Lynn Construction. I am an independent Realtor who works with and sells many builders' projects. I have been fortunate to represent many of the fine builders in this valley over the years.
I am confused about Mr. Burnes' logic in assuming that because Mr. Lynn is a developer that he is pro-development. Does he know that Mr. Lynn was one of the chief architects of the growth ordinance? How does that make him pro-development?
Lastly, please don't jump to the conclusion that, because I am a Realtor, I am in favor of paving the Valley. I assuredly am not. I have lived in this beautiful valley for over 23 years and am very concerned about preserving our rural quality of life. I am not, however, blindly committed to an agenda that will spell sure death to any hope of economic recovery.
Anje de Knijf
Gardnerville
Editor:
Last weekend I was precinct walking in the upper Johnson Lane-East Valley area of Carson Valley. While I appreciate the independent lifestyle of many of the residents I noticed many homes did not have clearly posted street addresses. Fortunately I had the luxury of time to look for house numbers. I fear emergency responders do not.
I urge all of us to take a few minutes to check if our house numbers are clearly visible. Be sure they are large enough to see, not obscured by overgrowth, blocked by vehicles, etc. We may be preventing future heartache.
Jan Muzzy
Minden
Editor:
The East Fork Swimming Pool Board has never responded by e-mail or in writing to concerns of consumers with regard to closing the bathrooms. The board chooses not to publish their board minutes online.
In April, all were told that the the board would take five months to evaluate the locked door policy. At the last meeting, six months having passed, the present board gathered all past board members in a contingent show in stating that the "special use bathrooms" will remain locked and they will not open it to accommodate the other disabled folks using the pool. The previous boards did not have these rooms locked.
I am deemed totally disabled with M.S. by ADA guidelines, but would not qualify to use these "special use bathrooms" but for the fact that I told Kyle Hamilton that I need a wider seat to be able to dress. What a shame the board that they can't see the obvious and take people at their word. The smartest avenue would be to open one bathroom for the others with disabilities to use while keeping one locked for "special use." You force the hands of people that should be able to use a handicapped room, if we bring, not use, a quad cane we then qualify for use under your review, or we could all tell Kyle Hamilton that we need more room to sit and change, as I did.
I would again question what the legal has advised you on this, or perhaps you again forgot to investigate this parameter. I believe you have opened a foul can of worms or better still, a pool of sharks.
Madelyn Diedrichsen
Genoa
Editor:
Having been neighbors and friends of Greg Lynn since we moved here in 2003, we have watched Greg attend countless county commissioner, and other meetings in Douglas County. As a long-time resident, he is always looking out for the best interests of the county and what will keep the Valley the entity we all love.
He looks down the road years from now, trying to figure out how the infrastructure can accommodate the growth that will eventually occur.
We applaud his deliberate, cautious approach, and know that decisions he will make as commissioner of District 1 will benefit all of us.
We came from a community in California that grew from 6,000 to over 45,000 in 16 years.
The roads did not keep pace with construction and the 26-mile commute which was 30 minutes became an hour in each direction. Obviously, we don't want that happening here.
Please vote for Greg Lynn as District 1 commissioner.
We know that his decisions will be well considered and the Valley's best interest validated.
Roger and Pam Brekas
Gardnerville
Editor:
Let me introduce myself. I am Andrea Schaefer, a Douglas County volunteer dealing with homebound seniors. I have been driving seniors for the last two years to doctors, libraries, shopping, thrift stores, etc.
Mr. Settelmeyer, you might recognize my name if you recall two e-mails sent to you regarding the cutting of funds, mileage reimbursement for senior companion (which you never answered).
I want all three Assembly candidates to understand that I am not giving up on making sure this program stays. I am, as well an advocate for AARP, dealing once again with seniors. Two of you already have the honor of being a senior, I myself was very lucky to retire at 55, and am now trying to give back to the community to help the homebound folks in Douglas County.
I would hope and pray that all three of you think about the seniors living by themselves and have no way of getting out. I am sure all three of you get out all the time. Try locking yourself up in a room for 365 days during the year, have no one to talk to unless the phone rings and have no family for support, This is what I deal with day in and day out. Funds need to be made for this program to help these folks out, so they get some type of enjoyment and see the outside world.
I don't think anyone understands how these seniors feel. Just the other day I received a phone call from the East Fork Fire District. I thought they were looking for a donation, but instead they were calling because one of my seniors had fallen and broken her wrist. She requested that I come get her instead of using the ambulance, since she wouldn't have a way home when done. I told them I would come, this was at 6 p.m., I live in Gardnerville and she lives in Indian Hills. To make a long story short, she had a broken wrist, I got home at 10 p.m. Today I took her to the doctor and they put a real cast on her arm. She is left handed, and broke her left wrist. There is no one to help her. If she went to a home the state would be paying $80,000 a year to care for her.
I thought the point was to get the seniors to stay at home. If the state or county doesn't want to pay mileage for me to help these seniors, then we should send them to a home and see what the bill will be in years time.
My point, whomever gets elected, please don't forget the seniors. They need companionship, they like to get out, go shopping, banking, library's, thrift shops etc. It doesn't take much to make them happy, and it's sure less than $80,000 a year to be put in a home and be forgotten. Would you like to be put in a home and forgotten? I don't think so. So when thinking about the budget think about the seniors who have made this country and are now having a tough time. The money needed for this program is like $2,000 for the year. This isn't much when you think of the waste we have in our government.
Andrea Schaefer
Gardnerville
Editor:
The Douglas County Democratic Central Committee is sad to report that several campaign signs for local Democratic candidates and for presidential candidate Barack Obama have been defaced, removed, or otherwise vandalized within the last two weeks in Carson Valley.
We would ask the people who have perpetrated the vandalism to please cease. Although we may be on opposite sides of the political fence, we all have the right to our opinions. Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of our American way of life, and we would accord this right to other political parties as well as to ourselves.
Gim Hollister
Douglas County Democrats
Genoa
Editor:
Some people living in Douglas County have a primitive idea about politics. First of all, to have a Democracy, it requires that there are at least two active, viable political parties. Douglas County has been predominantly Republican for so long that some people have forgotten a few important points. First, they lack civil respect for rival parties and seem to look at people from other parties as "enemies."
Secondly, they do not seem to realize that it is against the law to deface, vandalize, destroy or remove political signs on someone else's private property, when they are placed during the legal time for primaries and general elections, and that they could and should be arrested for such behavior, charged, fined, and even spend time in jail for their crime. Those arrested for these crimes will then have a criminal record.
I challenge all thinking voters in Douglas County to learn the facts and do some critical thinking, rather than continuing to vote Republican because of family tradition or local social pressure. Our country needs a new direction to regain fiscal and social health. And it's time for all voters to accept the fact that it is healthy and necessary to have at least two active, viable political parties in Carson Valley and to be able to engage in civil debate on issues without social stigma, and without the childish behavior of vandalizing and stealing the opposition's yard signs.
Jane Foraker-Thompson
Gardnerville
Editor:
I truly believe that if you have to earn the right or privilege for anything yourself it has many times more value. For that reason I am not surprised where the get-rich-quick, entitlement attitude that is so prevalent today has taken us. I believed this when I was young, insisting on earning all the cost of my education, even though my parents could and would have helped. When I left college I saved for five years to get a down payment for my first house. It was not easy, but it was worth it. Today, if we can't have what we want immediately, we think that it is not worth the wait.
The current financial debacle is a prime example. It can be traced, easily by me to the 1970s.
I guess I have always been a fiscal conservative, while I admired Teddy Roosevelt as the monopoly breaking Bull Moose that he was. I have fought the battle for fiscal responsibility for many years. Check out the name David O. Maxwell, CEO of Fannie Mae (one of the first but not the last, liberal Democrats to hold this post) from 1981 to approximately 1991.
Prior to this he was CEO at Ticor Mortgage Insurance or TMIC where I worked with him as national director of claims. We butted heads because I was a fiscal conservative who believed only those deserving of home loans should get them. Mr. Maxwell, as CEO directed the underwriting staff, who did not report to me, to approve every loan that we received an application on. He believed affordable housing was the right of every American, an entitlement, if you please.
I left TMIC because I could not convince management of the fact that they were going to go into the red very soon if this attitude did not change. A year after I left TMIC, they went bankrupt because of excess claims. Too many loans that should have been denied for the sake of the borrower. Underwriting a loan is both an art and a science.
This entitlement attitude is alive and well even here in Douglas County. By the way, now that we know what happened at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, shouldn't we be concerned? It was an attitude of a free lunch. Will we ever learn there is no such thing as a free lunch? Will we ever learn there is no such thing as affordable housing where land is too expensive?
I ask each of you to consider these facts when a county commissioner here in Douglas County says, " We just have to have affordable housing here in Douglas County."
Call me an elitist if you wish, but I believe that people have more respect and honor for themselves and others if they have to work for what they get. You get better, stronger, maintained homes and neighborhoods when people can afford them. This is my wish for Douglas County.
Dave Nelson
Gardnerville
Editor:
Here is how the working public can save for retirement. I was a Civil Service Employee working for the Navy. We had a supplemental program for retirement under the FERS program called the Thrift Savings Plan. The Navy put in matching funds up to, I think, 5 percent to 10 percent of my salary contribution. We could select how the fund was invested. We had several investment funds to choose from, conservative to aggressive, or safe to moderate risk.
I spread mine across several funds to minimize my exposure to risk with 50 percent going to the S&P500. The only fund I tracked was the S&P 500. When the markets were down I changed my contribution so I could buy more shares of the 500 and less of another fund. They always cycled back up and higher. When I left government service in 1999 after just 15 years of contributions I had $98,000 in my TSP account.
So when Sen. Mc Cain wants to privatize Social Security it is a system not unlike TSP.
Also we had a book full of heath providers that we were able to choose from. Most of the costs were paid by the employer and some paid by us. Most all working people except for some minimum wage folks have insurance. The large numbers of uninsured you hear about are illegal's, homeless, and welfare recipients, or people who have recently been laid off or fired.
I am sorry for carrying on but I am frustrated by what is said and not explained to the public, the treatment by the media and gotcha attitude
Edward Goldberg
Minden
Editor:
So, "Saint Sarah, the barracuda" comes along to save McCain and the entire Republican regime. Wow. Remember, the vice president has no job and no say in administration policy works. The veep only is there to break a tie in the Senate, preside at the meetings, and wait for the president to fall over dead!
Does she, or McCain for that matter, have a clue about the intense war of terrorists all over the world, or the Bildaburg's or the Tri-Lateral Commission, the workings of the World Bank, the skuzzy dealings behind the house with the "red door," or skull and bones, etc.?
Wake up boys and girls and learn what it's all about. The repubs only like McCain (in the beltway) so "they" can pull his puppet strings.
We're trillions in debt, we're mired in an endless war in Iraq to save the oil companies' assets so that the companies' rebuilding of oil infrastructure in Iraq are not broken again, so McCain knows that we must have troops in Iraq to protect them. Maybe forever occupying.
So, where the heck is Carne Asada Bin Lada? Still skipping Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkistan, or whatever? Where are the "Mission Impossible" guys when you need them? The war mongers don't want to find him. Turmoil is so much more fun. "Big daddy" will protect us...not.
John D. Patrick
Minden
Editor:
Obama's plan would invest $150 billion over 10 years to subsidize alternate energies. We are already subsidizing ethanol $10 billion a year amounting to only a minimal effect in energy supplies and causing worldwide food shortages and price increases.
Entities that have major investments in these alternate energies have interest in seeing Obama elected. He proposes to auction off 100 percent carbon emission credits with cap and trade system to manage it. This is based on a questionable theory on manmade global warming promoted by Al Gore.
This would result in massive manufacturing job losses in the United States, not the 5 million fictional jobs he promises, because developing countries like China and India would not go along with such restraints. He intends to tax the oil company profits " already taxed " and give all families $1,000 energy credit. The total oil company annual profits are approximately $100 billion a year - approximately 8 percent return on investment, low by industry standards - with major share earned internationally and ownership of these oil companies is American's through mutual and pension funds along with stock ownership. The current government take on domestic oil supplies in the form of lease costs, royalties, corporate taxes and retail taxes on gasoline are five times the corporate profits with no risk or effort on their behalf.
This type of reckless taxation would make us even more dependent on foreign oil supplies. Instead, the Democrats should consider the welfare of their constituents and allow domestic drilling while developing alternate sources as advocated by McCain and Palin. For every additional 1 million barrels per day domestic supply equals $30 billion in additional revenue to government along with lower gasoline prices because of the increase in supplies.
Mark Tarvainen
Gardnerville
Editor:
In the Oct. 1 issue of The Record-Courier, Dan Ballard attempted to "set the record straight" saying: "The subprime loans were the creation of the Clinton administration and the Democrats who passed this legislation in 1999 ..." A modest amount of research would have shown that there was no legislation passed in 1999 without the blessing of the GOP, then firmly in control of both houses of Congress.
John O'Neill
Minden
EDITOR:
The board and committee members of Kids' Fishing Derby 2008 would like to express their overwhelming gratitude to all of our participating sponsors.
Thanks to your community involvement in the 19th annual Kids' Fishing Derby was once again a great success as it still remains the biggest free derby this side of the Mississippi.
Thanks to sponsors 1-Way Auto Care LLC, A Touch of Class Craft Show, A Touch of Experience, AA Worms - Optimum Bait Co., Accolades Trophy and Engraving, ACE Hardware, All American Tire, American Family Insurance, American Trout and Salmon Company, Antiques Plus, Aquarium of The Pacific, Aramark Corp, Atlantis Casino Resort, Baby Willows Petite Boutique, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Bing Materials, BMHC, Bo's Crafts, C&B Crafts, Cabela's, Carl and Marilyn Malkmus Foundation, Carson City Toyota-Scion, Carson Fly Fishing Club, Carson Lanes, Carson Nugget, Carson Valley Accounting, Carson Valley Chukar Club, Carson Valley Golf Course, Carson Valley Inn, Carson Valley Lodge No. 33, Carson Valley Medical Center, Carson Valley Realty, Inc., Carson Valley Residential Care Center Inc., Carson Valley Swim Center, Carson Valley Transmissions Inc., Cinderlite Trucking Corp., C.K. Bailey, CMC Joist and Deck, Corley Ranch, Corral West No. 48, Crafts for Everyone, Crosby Lodge, David Walley's Resort, DB Designs, Diamond Peak Ski Resort, Dick's Fuller O'Brien Paints, Nevada Appeal columnist Don Quilici, Douglas County Sheriff's Protective Association, Douglas Disposal Inc., Parigini Orthodontics - Dr. Rick B. Parigini, Dragon Dental, Inc., Eagle Claw - Wright and McGill Company, Eagle Valley Golf Course, Eastern Sierra Feed, Eddy Street Book Exchange, El Dorado Savings Bank, Elliot Ames Nevada, Inc., Especially For You, Fine Signs, Fleischmann Planetarium & Science Center, Freeman's Crystals and Crafts, Gardnerville - Carson Valley Kiwanis, Todd Glanzmann, Greater Nevada Credit Union, Hamdogs, Harvey's Casino Hotel and Harrah's, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Ironwood Stadium Cinema 8, J & G Coins and Jewelry, J & S Digital Satellite, J.T. Basque Bar & Dining Room, Janice M. Burgman, Jay D. Marriage, DDS, Jethro's Oven and Grille, Job's Peak Internal Medicine and Family Practice, Kathy McNulty and Family, Kent W. Gabriel, M.D., Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Kuntry Klutter, Laurels by Laurie, Lavender View Farm, Mark Smith Tire Center - Les Schwab, Lisa Meyer, Mason Valley Fish Hatchery, M & B Enterprises, Margaret Godde, Mark Fore & Strike Sporting Goods, Mason Valley Residence Ltd., Mayhorn Financial Services LLC, McDonalds, Mickey's Big Mack Sportfishing & Charters, Minden/Douglas Elks Lodge No. 2670, Model Diary, Mort's Auto Body, Nevada Landworks Corp., Nevada Mobile RV Service, Nevada Wildlife Federation, Norman Williams, Norris Auto Body, Inc., Ormsby Sportsmens Association, Panchitas, Inc. Killer Salsa, Papa Murphy's Take n Bake Pizza, Park Place AM/PM, Douglas County Parks and Recreation Department, Play It Again Sports, PolyPhaser Corporation, Port of Subs, Precision Inc., Raley's, Red's Old 395 Grill, ReMax Realty Affiliates, Richard Nye, Richard Wright Wood Craftsman, Robert and Rita Gloner, Scolari's Food, Shade Concepts, Sharkey's Casino, Sierra Nevada Active 20-30 Club No. 730, Sierra Physical Therapy, Silver State Towing, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Snap-On Tools, Sorensen's Resort, Camille Souders, Sportsman's Warehouse, Starbucks Coffee Company, Starbucks Roasting Plant, Stor-All, Sugarbowl Resort, Super Shammy4U, Tahoe Donner Ski Resort, The Jewelry Box, The Ridge at Tahoe, Topaz Lodge & Casino, hair stylist Trudy McCann, United Rentals, V & A Honey, Veterans of Foreign Wars Topaz No. 3630, Video Library, Walmart Supercenters No. 1648 and Wild Island Family Adventure Park.
Pamela Rodrigues
Gardnerville
EDITOR:
Douglas High School would like to thank the following professionals that have donated their time to serving the community at the athletic clearance night hosted on May 21, 2008.
The school would also like to thank the following doctors, nurses and other professionals for the free physicals were given to all new and returning athletes: Carson Tahoe Therapy, Tahoe Fracture and Orthopedic Clinic, Dr. Gregory Kenney, Dr. Hillbrick, Jeffrey R. Cummings, M.D. - Sports Medicine/Trauma/Orthopedic Surgery/Team Physician US Ski Team, Stephanie Callister - PA, Dave Ramsey - PA, Chris Wittorff, ATC, PTA, Jill Turria, Anthony Cabral, Luiz Pimental, Kyle Hamilton - Physical Therapist, Steve Yasmir " Physical Therapist, Nurse Practioners: Sheree Pharris, Registered Nurses Sandy Wartgow, Sara Maul, Irene Roth and Caroline Longre and Douglas High School Athletic Booster members Emily Pfaffenberger, Danette Morgan, Denise Rudnick and Leanne Emm. Thank you, also, to the Douglas High School staff members and coaches for coming out to help in the event.
Cathy Rahe
Douglas High School
