Letters to the editor for Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013

Illegal residents get to blatantly flout the law

I see that we here in Nevada have made it legal to aid a large group of criminals in their criminal activity. It is still a crime (both state and federal) to be here illegally. One criminal was on TV saying how now she could get a license, and it would be legal when she drove her kids to school and drove to her job. She admitted to driving without a license every day and working illegally. Whose identification did she use to get her job? Gee, another crime she commits every day.

So by giving the licenses, we are aiding them in their crimes, so it can no longer be a crime to hide or destroy evidence for your friend. If it is legal to aid one criminal it has to be legal to help them all. Seems to me if our attorney general really cared about the law, she would be in front of the Supreme Court overturning this travesty.

Rob Cobb

Carson City

Obama and Congress undo years of progress

Everyone, you have to admit that President Obama and the 113th Congress have undone all the laws, rules and edicts for the American people it took some 237 years to accomplish. Please note the following quote by Abraham Lincoln: “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.”

For some reason, I surmise that the Constitution, American history, and American government are not mandatory subjects that are taught in schools anymore. The “X” generation does not question any of the rhetoric that is pushed at them, and this is a disgrace.

We are at an impasse with the present administration, and let’s not forget at election time to not vote for one single incumbent for re-election regardless of party.

Craig M. Lewis

Carson City

Pay is far too high for Carson library director

Over five months ago, the former city library director instructed Pontifex, the city’s compensation consultant, to measure compensation for her position against Nevada public library districts despite a national job market. Consultants offer specialized expertise and objectivity. Thus, should a position incumbent control the methodology used to establish the incumbent’s salary grade range?

Just two other Nevada library districts contain comparable populations served (Lyon and Elko). Open positions on the American Library Association’s website illustrate comparable and much larger library districts are paying their directors much less than Carson City. The locally-based state librarian, serving all 2.8 million Nevadans, earns $23,000 per year less in total compensation than the recently-departed city librarian serving 50,000 plus.

Pontifex completed its library director compensation review over a month ago; it offers four comparison alternatives: Northern Nevada, Southern Nevada, Nevada, and nationwide. Yet the library’s oversight board has held no public discussion and received no presentation of Pontifex’s results — as Oct. 24 interviews loom. Shouldn’t the job have an equitable salary grade range before someone is interviewed? This same body previously absolved itself of responsibility for the library’s defective roof, spent millions on unjustified programs and buildings, and relentlessly pursued an unnecessary new library building.

Applicants deserve to know potential salary before interviewing. Will the library posthumously and inappropriately craft the salary grade range to a favored individual or prudently set boundaries based on the job’s duties measured against nationwide peers? “Fire, aim, ready,” summarizes the ongoing lack of sound management practices at our city’s library.

Fred Voltz

Carson City

Impeach Obama and everyone in Congress

With all of the talk regarding our government shutdown, it’s very obvious what needs to happen. We, as Americans, need to impeach President Obama and all the members of Congress now! They have brought such dishonor and disgrace to our wonderful nation by closing our memorials and historic national parks. To top it all off, our veterans’ rights are being trampled on because greedy Obama and Sen. Harry Reid don’t have the money to pay for our military funerals. These are people from all ages, including World War II veterans who served our great country and gave their lives for our freedom!

Furthermore, Obama has chosen to force feed his “Unaffordable” Health Care Act down people’s throats while he and Congress get to enjoy their unlimited wealth and power. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of extremely hard working Americans are suffering with furloughs for almost an entire month!

Once this fiscal tragedy is over, Obama won’t be remembered as having been elected as our first African American president. Instead, he gets the honor of being our worst president ever!

Joshua Dealy

Carson City

Man vanished after dog bit walker’s legs

On Oct. 8, a co-worker and I were coming back from a lunchtime walk up above Carson Tahoe Cancer Center. As we entered at the west side of the parking lot, we encountered a man in a pickup truck. At that time he let four dogs out of the truck, all without leashes. The dogs came running toward us, barking and growling aggressively.

A reddish colored heeler-type stopped in front of my co-worker and me. A black lab-mix ran around behind us and bit the back of both my right leg and my left thigh. The man stood by during the entire time with no attempt to control the dogs. The dogs eventually ran back to the truck and the man put them in the back. When my asked his name, he claimed it was Lee or Lou and last name was something like Leskowitz. She asked him to wait there while she got me back to the office. She went back outside and the man was gone.

This man has been seen with his dogs by other employees on the hospital property before. It happened so quickly that neither of us was able to get his license plate. A report was filed with animal control, but an employee there claims his paperwork documents the dog as a stray and that the case will be closed. I guess it’s up to me to find this guy. I am asking anyone in and around the Carson area to please be on the lookout and notify me immediately. His dogs are dangerous and aggressive. The bites I received left major puncture wounds and severe bruising.

He appeared in his 70s, was about 5 feet, 10 inches, heavyset, with long, thin, grayish-white hair and a white beard. The truck was a red and white late ’80s or early ’90s Ford extra cab two-door truck with a red camper shell.

Debbie Moore

Carson City