Letters to the Editor Sept. 17

Editor:

I am writing this letter to make a statement regarding the community's swim center.

In the last several months the board members have voted to close the rest rooms closest to the warm pool and the exercise room. This was done without input from the people that use both the swim center and the rest rooms. These rest rooms are for handicapped people, however the board has decided who is and who is not handicapped.

They, in their infinite wisdom, declared only those who cannot walk or move on their own as handicapped. These folks get a pass to use the rest rooms any time, there are two of them. Otherwise they are closed and locked to all others. The decision was based on two people who took advantage of the private rest rooms to stay inside them for up to four hours. This behavior is definitely not acceptable. However, to punish all those who under the wise leadership of the board do not fit their determination of handicapped is close to criminal, it is definitely discrimination of the worst sort.

After the meeting one month ago, with input from many of us who were not "allowed" to use the rest room they said they would discuss the possibility of keeping one open to the rest of the citizens. Well, the decision was made to keep both locked up, the excuse they used was people who have MS, or are blind or have explosive GI problems, or have to walk with a cane due to a stroke are not really disabled and they would also not be issued a pass, they could get to the other side of the swim center and be damned the illness.

For those of us who need access to these facilities, I am protesting. I suggest the rest of you look at your tax bills and see how much we are taxed to keep this center open for the benefit of all the people, not just the chosen few.

Frankly I resent paying the high tax cost and not being able to use the facilities. How about all of you? Make your wishes known, protest.

J.S. Peterson

Gardnerville

Editor:

Last Saturday night the Fish Springs Volunteer Fire Department held its annual spaghetti feed. This fundraiser was a great success. I am not sure exactly how many people attended, but it was an impressive crowd. I was working at the dessert table, and by the end of the evening hundreds of tasty goodies had been sampled.

This being a political year, we also had some guest candidates turn out. Stopping by were Doug Johnson, District 3, Dave Brady, District 2, and Nancy Epstein who is running for District 5, which covers over half of Fish Springs. State assembly candidates JoEtta Brown and James Settelmeyer also mingled with the partyers.

However, one person missing was Mike Olson, also running in District 5. I am not sure the reason, but I have to ask Mr. Olson, "Are you so sure you are going to win that you don't need to attend these functions?"

These are very important places to be so the people whom you are going to represent can meet you and discuss your positions.

I am hoping that all voters of Douglas County take this into account when they vote in November. Please cast your vote for Nancy Epstein, the candidate willing to listen.

B. Anderson

Gardnerville

Editor:

Sara Palin is now becoming known as "Sarah the Terminator" (after Sarah Connor of that television series).

I knew she was governor of Alaska but never dreamed she had that much charisma, sparkle, moxie and pizazz all rolled into one. My wife and I lived in Alaska, and taught school there. Alaskans are tough because "it's tougher in Alaska."

Our second Senate village idiot, Diane Feinstein (the first SVI is Harry Reid) stuck her foot in her mouth again by saying Palin had no experience (as if Obama had any at all). Feinstein should have done jail time for using her Senate influence to get government contracts for her husband who made millions, and then complained about Halliburton.

It will be lots of fun in days to come to see Sarah "terminate" the liberal Demomarxists.

Dan Ballard

Gardnerville

Editor:

This letter is not written to persuade you but rather to point out some very disturbing facts.

The Republicans have failed the American people. Stewardship (failed), and ideas (stale).

Now John McCain says he will bring change to Washington.

This is like the fox guarding the hen house, or a pedophile doing your baby-sitting. This election is not only about change. It's also about an unnecessary war that was based on lies.

It's about a lousy economy and a housing boom that went bust. It's about $4-a-gallon gas.

It's about America's dreadful reputation in the world. It's about federal inaction on a wide range of problems, most notably healthcare and climate change, but a bushel of smaller things besides. Deficit reduction.

We now have returned to Republican-led budget deficits again, after getting good surpluses under President Clinton.

Republicans continue to blame Clinton for everything that goes wrong under them, making a mockery of their claim to "take responsibility."

It's about 84 percent of Americans thinking the country is on the wrong track.

In other words, it's about the Republicans " their stewardship (failed), and their ideas (stale). McCain is committed to those failed ideas.

In the meantime, McCain and his people have made some batty statements. McCain described the manner in which Social Security has been financed for decades " the current generation pays taxes to help cover the retired generations' benefits " and hilariously called it a disgrace.

The long and short of McCain's position commits him to benefit cuts, because he insists that he'll "fix" Social Security without raising taxes. This was Christmas in September.

What do Americans want? Let me be a little presumptive here: America wants and needs everything that we have got from 1993 to 2000. You got 22 million new jobs. You got a balanced budget. You got a potential surplus of $5.4 trillion. You got an ascending middle class. You got a shrinking poor population " all in those years. You got peace. And that's what the United States wants again. We must change and redirect our country.

Jerry Denis Sullivan

Minden

Editor:

The Douglas County Public Library thanks the following local businesses for their generous donations: Ironwood Stadium Cinema 8, Subway of Minden, Big Daddy's Bicycles, Video Library, Pizza Factory of Minden, Danny's Ironwood Grill, and Round Table Pizza. Their support of the Teen Summer Reading Program made it a great success. During summer break, 105 teens read 123,152 pages.

A special thanks to Maxton Manufacturing, Perma-Cal Industries, Inc., and the Friends of the Douglas County Public Library for funding our teen summer events.

The Douglas County Public Library Teen Advisory Board assisted in all of our teen programs this summer.

Thank you, we could not have done it without you.

Your donations helped encourage teens to read.

Thank you again for joining together in this summer partnership that greatly benefited our area's youth.

Maria Pearson

Youth Services

Douglas County Public Library