Letters to the Editor

Meth is a devastating problem in community

Regarding Neil Rombardo's commentary, I believe methamphetamine is a devastating problem. My research shows that the overwhelming majority of Nevada's methamphetamine comes from Mexican drug cartel super labs, which can produce enough methamphetamine to supply the entire country.

The Drug Enforcement Agency's statistics indicate that in 2010, there were seven meth lab incidents in Nevada, compared to 83 in 2004. The diminishing numbers indicate that meth labs in Nevada may not be a significant source of our meth problem.

In your commentary, you talk about the amount of money spent by taxpayers, the cost of the Carson City Drug Court, and reducing drug use. I am not sure requiring a prescription for cold medications containing PSE will do much to reduce this impact, unless there is some indication that the Mexican Drug Cartel is buying up large quantities of cold medication in Nevada and sending it back to Mexico for processing.

Your statement about the decline of crime in Oregon since 2006, and the passage of an SB 203 type law in that year, shows that correlation does not necessarily mean causation. All of the western states had a dramatic decrease in the number of meth lab Incidents from 2006 through 2010, and they did not all pass this type of law.

If we want to stop the catastrophic epidemic of meth in Nevada and our country, we might focus our resources on the Mexican Drug Cartels operating here, and not necessarily on the passage of SB 206.

Doug Campbell

Carson City

Musical theatre program at WNC needs saving

The times are terrifying. Not only are we scared of wars, acts of nature, terrorism, radiation from Japan and the ever-increasing price of gas, we are more than apprehensive of the future, where the current debt will leave the next generation, how the environment will melt under intense scrutiny and when everything will start making sense again.

What we need is a distraction, a high-quality, consistent, professional, mesmerizing, fun, community event, that builds confidence, brings people together and gives life meaning. Western Nevada Musical Theater Company has been giving Carson City and Northern Nevada exactly that for more than 20 years now.

Not only that, but director Stephanie Arrigotti and choreographer Gina Kaskie-Davis have devoted time, energy and passion, selflessly, time and again, to bring light to so many in the surrounding area.

Sadly, not only have the politicians failed to save the future, they have also managed to sacrifice one of the few things that make now bearable. WNMTC may have to close due to budgetary cuts imposed by an increasingly inward-facing Legislature upon the education system. A state treasure is about to be lost, to be sacrificed for no real gain and much, much anguish.

Now is the time to say no, the time to make your voice heard, time to S.O.S. Save Our Souls. Save the musical theatre program at Western Nevada College. Save WNMTC, save the future for us all.

Steve Burton

Carson City