Editor:
After attending two of the three hearings pertaining to Valley Christian Fellowship's special use permit; it became quite evident that a sympathetic ear was bent in favor of the church. One of the concerns pointed out by the surrounding homeowners to the purposed building site, was the loss of their views. The response to this by the commissioners was that we as homeowners do not own these views. That being said; considering that the homeowners have paid substantially more for "view lots," and are being taxed accordingly, there should be an equal property tax adjustment for said loss of their views by the county due to diminished property values.
Additionally, Mr. R.O. Anderson, (the church's representative) stated that the new purposed facility would accommodate up to 800 parishioners. Assuming the church will grow in congregation; 800 parishioners and only 186 available parking spaces, well you do the math. You don't have to be a civil engineer to figure out where the overflow will go.
It seems to me that the church's other options, i.e., ample and suitable property sites that are available within the county that won't cause the anxiety and stress to the neighbors surrounding the approved location. Keeping in mind that the homeowners surrounding said approved location don't have many options other than to sell or live with it.
Sharon Day
Gardnerville
Editor:
It is refreshing to see how many young citizens are applying themselves in the Carson Valley middle schools.
The young men and women listed in the honor rolls must be very proud of themselves, as I am sure their parents are.
We are proud of you also, keep up the good work.
Mary Jane Harding
Ruhenstroth
Editor:
In his letter to the editor on Feb. 4, Mr. Zaroff states, "This is the conservative method to curing all our ills. The present day thinking of the Republican Party in Congress is to let the lowering of taxes (which will again, benefit mainly the rich) recreate the millions of lost jobs. Do you honestly think that a continuation of the Republican trickle down theory will pull us out of our present day debacle?"
Mr. Zaroff, which economic model do you believe in? One where government gets bigger, costing more and more, and requiring more and more tax dollars. More and more taxes from the private sector results in higher costs (inflation), or cuts in payrolls (loss of jobs, pay and benefits) etc. In economics 101 you should have learned real increases in ones standard of living can only take place through higher productivity in both the private and public sectors, not more government services or more government employees. It is not conservative ideals that have led to our current debacle, but the lack of those conservative ideals by the Bush administration and others since the 1930s. President Reagan did a good job in a lot of areas, but he failed as governor of California and as President of the United States to decrease the size of government. If we are to enjoy real economic growth, a higher standard of living we must get government back to 20 to 25 percent of gross domestic product.
I remind you there was a time, not too long ago when a man could support his wife and children with one wage earner in the family, provide health care for his own family. Is it simply coincidence that all governments (local and national) have increased in size and now it takes two or more wage earners to support a family?
Blame the rich if you must, but maybe it is the liberal agenda and always larger government that is to blame.
Too many government employees and too many taxes.
While our standard of living, by the previous statement, has declined over the past 60 years, our government has grown and taken more and more dollars out of the private sector. In 1950, just after World War II all government spending was about 27 percent of gross domestic product. In 2004 it was 46 percent of gross domestic product.
The answer to our problems is not more and bigger government.
As a matter of fact we have a very good example of government trying to increase taxes by priming the pump with redevelopment dollars right here in Douglas County.
The $24.7 million deal with Riverwood Redevelopment is a prime example. Government should stay out of stimulus and just do the work of government, it should become lean and mean like any private sector business. Many of us told the county commissioners that this was liberalism run amok. We rely too heavily on government today, it is our downfall. Americans need to once again become self-reliant and take our destiny back into our own hands.
Dave Nelson
Gardnerville
Editor:
As a public service to Record-Courier readers, here is a summary of a correspondence course on socialism from a self-appointed critic of Assemblyman Settelmeyer that has been running in The Record-Courier's "Letters" pages.
Lesson 1: Anyone who failed to plan ahead for the foreseeable event of aging has a higher claim on your earnings than you do. If you work for a living and someone needs help, you really work for them.
Lesson 2: For the politicians who made the policies in Lesson 1, and those who enforce them, payment of taxes is optional. Only those nominated to an Obama cabinet position must pay, and only the minimum required to get through the Senate hearings. Caution: Nominees whose tax evasion was too flagrant may have to drop out of the process. However, unlike a normal working citizen, they will not be prosecuted.
Lesson 3: This claim does not apply trust fund babies like Jill Derby or Ted Kennedy who dip into their inheritances. It's ok for the government to redistribute the earnings of working people, but the idle rich are excused.
Lynn Muzzy
Minden
Editor:
In December 2008, a conference of the most highly respected climatologists in the world was held in Poland. To U.N. dismay they concluded that "manmade global warming" was a hoax. They were unwilling to forfeit their reputations for the benefit of Marxist ecologic machination or the acceptance of junk science promulgated by a certifiable ideologic moron (Professor Gore) who has accrued riches because of public ignorance. Their criticism was devastating to the social engineers. At present 650 scientists have refuted Gore's myth by a ratio of 12 to 1 versus the ecowackos. Why isn't this common knowledge? Because it's politically inconvenient for you to know.
The planet has been cooling for a decade. How cold must it get before it's not attributed to global warming by the social engineers and their unknowing prey? The Arctic and Antarctic ice masses are increasing. Polar bear population has doubled since the 1960s. "Manmade global warming?" For the record there is no relationship between carbon dioxide level and planetary temperature. An informed public would be infuriated, so they are not informed.
At what point do the "intelligentsia" consider the hoax to be an affront? Have our students been misled through indoctrination? Yes. Some deliberately, and and some because the teachers have been misled. Are we nonlearners? I hope not. Why would the greatest country on earth cripple its industry (the ecologically most sensitive and disciplined on the planet) with unfounded restrictions? We are being lured and driven to impose draconian restrictions on our industry by President Obama, Prince Harry, Princess Pelosi and all too many of our representatives. Sound incredibly stupid? It's not to a socialist.
We have more prosperity and freedom than any country in world history but liberals would have you consider Socialism or have it imposed on you incrementally. Socialism has failed everywhere. In essence, everyone gets to share misery equally. It's kind of "trickle up poverty." The best example of the product of capitalism vs. socialism on on a like populace was the happy fate of capitalistic West Germany vs the miserable fate of East Germany post WWII.
The socially progressives would have you believe that they are more prescient than our Founding Fathers. Not bloody likely. Consider the Dufi we have misrepresenting us. They consider that we are ignoramuses. Every city, county or state suffering liberal ideology in practice is bankrupt or on the verge of bankruptcy. Is this a coincidence or a clue? You're not supposed to notice. The solons pander to every constituency and presume your IQ is your hat size. It would behoove us to become more informed and active. We should be teaching our children and grandchildren American history. If they don't understand their heritage of freedom they won't be alert to protect it.
"Vigilance is the price of liberty" (attributed to Thomas Jefferson).
Dick Witzig
Gardnerville
