Letters to the editor for Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Weighing benefits, cost of religion

It appears that some of our local Christians are upset that our President brought up some atrocities committed by their ideological ancestors centuries ago. As if some weird statute of limitations exists on torture and murder. I won’t let you off the hook so easily.

It was no more than 25-30 years ago that Catholics and Protestants (Christians?) were fighting in Belfast in the name of your God. Innocent men, women, and children sent to their maker by (Christians?) only three short decades ago. Plenty of death, past and present. No need to blame Obama for speaking the truth.

As for fanatical Islamists, I have no use for sub-human behavior, and if someone exterminates them, I won’t lose any sleep.

I believe John Adams once said that “The world would be better off without religion.” I concur. I believe religion has bred bigotry and intolerance, which in turn has bred fear and violence. Always has, always will. Graveyards around the world are full of the evidence.

I also know that religion can be a source of good. Always has, always will. Millions of lives have equally been “saved.” The historic death and destruction, however, is just too much to ignore.

So this friendly neighborhood skeptic is committed to science, reason, technology, education and the arts, and tolerance instead supernatural dogma, fear and blind faith. Above all, I believe in a person’s right to privacy in all matters of life and death without religious/political interference.

Rick Van Alfen

Carson City

Pay your bill on time

Covering a meeting of the Stagecoach General Improvement District on Feb. 12, several customers attended the meeting to complain about late fees they were charged for failing to pay their bills on time.

One woman said she was only late twice in nine years (was in her pajamas and was not more than 12 hours late this time). Another unhappy customer complained and suggested the SGID call when they had not been paid the bill, complaining also about the USPS failure to deliver said bills in time — a valid point.

My comment at the time was, if they had not received their bill on time to call, ask why, find out the cost, write a check and deliver it ... on time, something I do every month and pay the bill in advance not waiting for the bill to show up! This is what I do, regardless of the source of the bill!

Chairwoman Jaimee McCoy informed them that the fees, due the 25th of the month, were reasonable and customary to the industry. The decision was made to continue the discussion at the next board meeting. Chances of price-changes are debatable!

Mary Santomauro

Stagecoach

Too many cars in Governor’s Mansion neighborhood

My house is at 704 W. Caroline St. I’m in the first block down from the Governor’s Mansion.

The problem is the pavilion built next to the Governor’s Mansion.

Our neighborhood has no street parking from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. most calendar days, including holidays (Thanksgiving for example). The governor’s pavilion is putting on programs pertaining to all different kinds of groups. Whatever happened to the Carson City Community Center?

When I told an individual at 7 a.m. Wednesday that my family was due in soon to park where I had put a “No parking” sign, he parked there anyway. When I told him that was very disrespectful to park there anyway, he said, “Shut up.”

It seems to me with all the moneys (funding, etc.), Carson City has, building multi-purpose athletic center when it’s not in use and could be used for group meetings so a few could be taken out of our neighborhood.

Betty Brinson

Carson City

More money won’t help schools

Alicia Kittess in her letter on Feb. 10 states, “I fear more money funneled to the schools won’t make them better.” I agree.

“Solutions 2015 — A Sourcebook for Nevada Policymakers” furnished by the Nevada Policy Research Institute has an interesting tabulation, of which the following has been taken:

State: District of Columbia; Spending: $28,402; Rank: 1; Reading score: 248; Rank: 51; Math score: 265; Rank: 51.

State: New York; Spending: $20,174; Rank: 2; Reading score: 266; Rank: T-30; Math score: 282; Rank: T-31.

State: Nevada; Spending: $9,650; Rank: 44; Reading score: 262; Rank: T-38; Math score: 278; Rank T-41.

State: Utah; Spending: $7,749; Rank: 50; Reading score: 270; Rank: T-13; Math score: 284; Rank: T-27.

State: Idaho; Spending: $7,624; Rank: 51; Reading score: 270; Rank: T-13; Math score: 286; Rank: T-21.

State: Median of 51; Spending: $18,014: Rank: 5; Reading score: 262; Rank: T-38; Math score: 283; Rank: 30.

The two lowest spenders, Utah and Idaho, had better scores than the two biggest spenders, District of Columbia and New York.

Differences such as cost of living, etc., exist; but due to the large differences between the spending and the results, there has to be other factors that need to be considered and checked.

We are being required to compete on a worldwide basis, and we owe it to our children and grandchildren to prepare them for the battle. It starts with a good foundation in the basics of education.

People are not against spending for education if they feel their children are getting their money’s worth.

Sanford E. Deyo

Minden