Letters to the editor, Sunday, July 20

Column took rearview mirror approach

Les Smith’s guest column of July 9 regarding his view of wildlife management — best left to hunters and trappers — is what I call the “rearview mirror” version. Time and circumstance have made such ideas obsolete.

Today, with resident hunters and trappers numbering about 50,000 out of 2.7 million Nevadans (less than 2 percent), what goes on at wildlife commission meetings resembles a private hunting club more than a management system responsive to broader public values. Resistance to trapping reform, their “war on non-human predators” and failure to acknowledge public opposition to the “boutique” black bear hunt are three examples. But to his “whining-sounding” claim that sportsmen “pay” for wildlife, much could be said. Bottom line: 81 percent of Nevada is public land, owned and paid for by the general public. Wildlife which lives on that land is public property.

When hunters and trappers go onto public land and destroy public property (by hunting and trapping) without any recognition of the huge public subsidy being extended to them (and with no additional costs to them beyond what we all pay as citizens), it exposes an unseemly notion of entitlement which permeates our current wildlife management system.

Donald A. Molde

Reno

Veteran wants his wooden spoke wagon wheel back

How low can you get? I am an 85-year-old Korean War veteran. Recently some low life stole a wooden spoke wagon wheel that has been in my family for over 100 years. It was taken from my front yard. Actions such as this makes this veteran and, I am sure, many other veterans wonder if fighting for our country’s freedom included people who do not care for our basic principals. I am sure that it does matter, but it makes me very sad. It would be nice to have it returned!

Neal Goudswaard

Carson City

Writer has wrong priorities for Carson City

The writer whose letter you published July 10th expressed some very strange priorities. He supports supervisor candidates Helget and Bagwell because one of their top priorities is an animal shelter. He does not support candidates Abowd and McKenna because (according to him) their top priority is the Boys and Girls Club gym. He apparently thinks that some of Carson’s criminal problems are caused by unhappy animals and not unhappy kids. Come election day we will know who agrees with him.

Oscar W. Ford

Carson City

Willing to work to make a living

A rumor was started that some of the recent illegals are going to be sent to a center in Yerington. One of the responses on Facebook was they will be here to pick onions. I’m sorry but I’m tired of hearing illegals will do the work Americans won’t. What a sorry state, I’m 62 years old, and I’d rather go out in the fields and pick to support my family then sit on my sorry butt and live off the backs of my hard working neighbors. Our ancestors are turning over in their graves!

Judith Wooley

Dayton

What’s broken about immigration?

I hear everyday on the radio and television almost every politician and talking head, from both political parties, repeat the mantra, “we must fix our broken immigration system.”

So, I’m asking the question: “What’s broken about it?”

Can anyone actually tell me? Without using buzz phrases or political speech? In addition they keep repeating the phrase, “It’s the law of the land and we should follow the law,” when speaking about the Affordable Care Act or women’s free contraceptives or abortions. Well, isn’t the immigration system a part of the law of the land too? So, shouldn’t we follow the law on immigration? Just because there are all these immigrants in this country illegally and the immigration laws say they should be deported, it doesn’t mean the immigration law is broken.

I think people who are crying that the system is broken are just using it as an excuse to change the immigration laws to make it do what they would like it to do today to meet their agendas and not what’s good for this country. After all, the immigration laws have been the law of the land for almost 40 years. What’s really “broken” pertaining to the immigration laws, in my opinion, is the fact that our president doesn’t enforce them!

Loren B. Norris

Carson City

At-grade intersection a bad idea

I hope someone out there is listening and will do something to promote the reconsideration of the at-grade intersection for I580 and Highway 395. An overpass is expensive, but don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. The extra pollution, wasted fuel and safety issues of an at-grade intersection need to be considered. Perhaps some out of the box thinking can help with financing-toll road, federal money for interstate highways, penny per gallon gas tax, surcharge on vehicle registrations for Douglas and Carson counties; be creative. Carson City is a major city for this area and deserves better as do the drivers of 395 and 580/50.

Greg Emmers

Gardnerville