Letters to the editor for Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Sandoval and Fiore display a lack of range knowledge

Gov. Sandoval and Assemblywoman Fiore should sign up for Range Management 101 before speaking out on Bundy’s livestock trespass. Anyone who has been off the highway in Southern Nevada knows that grass is scarce and easily destroyed by large unmanaged herbivores. Livestock grazing is not the best use of these lands, and Bundy was told to remove his cattle. His cattle remain, grazing for free, even after 20 years of losing court cases and wasting the taxpayers’ money in this media show.

Our elected officials and the public should remember that these are not BLM lands, they are public lands. These are my lands, just as much as Bundy’s, who is essentially a thief for stealing forage and other resources from these lands. I resent this. If these were his “ancestral lands,” he would be able to produce a deed. Instead of an argument over “federal takings,” the conversation should be about private individuals stealing public lands from other Americans.

Sorry his son got zapped with a stun gun, but his family — and now outside militia groups — have threatened federal employees with real guns and they have responded appropriately to protect themselves, contractors and others on the scene. He is not a hero and should not be portrayed as one.

What is especially telling is that the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, usually very quick to support grazing on public lands, is silent on Bundy’s situation. He is an embarrassment to ranchers in the West who pay their bills and graze responsibly.

Andrea J. Minor

Carson City

Reedy has a rich history in area, thinks creatively

By choosing Robin Reedy for Assembly District 39, we can select someone who already knows this community having actually lived in our district for more than 25 years. She has a “can do” attitude, always thinking outside the box, and never stopping in her quest of doing something for her community.

Here is just one example. Having been brought up in a difficult childhood, she recently founded a Douglas chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness for which she serves as chair. Reedy’s more than 20 years of public service as well as her many years of volunteer work makes her my choice for Assembly District 39. She creatively thinks outside the box.

Do you really want another two years of mediocrity from her opponent? Vote for Reedy, Assembly District 39 in the June 10th primary!

Sheri Cox

Gardnerville