Letters to the editor for Thursday, July 23, 2015

ORVs making flash flooding worse

The problem of storm water runoff and soil erosion caused by Off-Road-Vehicles (ORVs) is well understood and documented by various government agencies. US Geological Survey maintains a bibliography of studies done on the subject. One study concludes: “In the Mojave Desert, surface runoff was typically five times greater and sediment yield (in runoff) was 10-20 times greater in ORV-impacted areas than in undisturbed areas.”

Wow! Five, 10, 20 times greater! This explains why an inch of rainfall causes such a catastrophe in areas of Douglas County impacted by ORVs.

We cannot stop the flash floods, but if we can make them several times less destructive by moving the ORV activity away from homes and further into BLM, why don’t we do that?

Sheriff Ron Pierini can help with this problem. We already have laws prohibiting operation of ORVs in the neighborhoods and close to homes where they create problems for residents. All he has to do is enforce these laws.

As existing trails are pulverized by heavy usage, off-roaders are creating new ones. The number of trails is growing. As a result future storms will produce more runoff causing more damage to more homes and may cause human casualties.

No matter what we do, we will always have some flash flooding, but if we continue to allow ORVs to operate close to our neighborhoods flash floods will continue to grow in intensity and destructiveness.

Mark Garic

Minden

Congress needs to defund Planned Parenthood

We have all complained or shaken our heads at the endless examples of how our government wastes so much of our hard-earned money. Well, Planned Parenthood receives more than $500 million from taxpayers every year! This week we found out that, according to Dr. Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s senior director of medical services, Planned Parenthood is selling baby body parts to the tune of $30-$100 per specimen (depending on whether it’s a heart or a liver or a lung). The

left calls this “tissue,” but this doctor names the organs: hearts, livers, lungs; those are organs, not just “tissue.”

This is so wrong on way too many levels to list here, but it is also illegal! “Buying or selling human body parts is a federal felony,” (42 U.S. Code 274e). “The commercial trafficking of body parts from an aborted baby is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or fine of up to $500,000,” (42 U.S. Code 289g-2). To see the video for yourself, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/07/15/congressional-state-investigations-into-planned-parenthood-underway-after-undercover-video-goes-viral/.

This is an example of the worst kind of human depravity murdering babies and selling their organs for profit. And all the while telling the mother that she is “well within her rights and doing the best thing for her own happiness.” Will anyone give this issue more than mere lip-service? Will Congress defund Planned Parenthood?

God help us all.

Teri A. Cotham

Gardnerville