Letters to the editor for Sunday, May 22, 2016

Bathroom initiative destroying America

Obama and the federal government’s directive to school districts to allow kids to choose their bathrooms based on how they feel about themselves is Obama’s continuing agenda to destroy America as we know it.

After spending time thinking more about this, it might turn out to be a huge financial benefit to my family. My grandson is a pretty good athlete, but I don’t think he will be a top recruit in men’s sports for the top colleges. Instead we are going to have him/her go out for all the women athletic sports where he/she should be at the top of the rankings. With this he/she should have all the major colleges begging for him/her to attend their schools with full scholarship.

Thank God no college tuition debt for us.

Terry Davis

Gardnerville

Chancellor should be proud of good works

It is a truly sad day for the Nevada System of Higher Education and its thousands of students when a man of Chancellor Klaich’s competency, compassion and depth of character is forced to retire early due to an unending and inaccurate public relations war. An effort undoubtedly perpetrated by parties who profit from the peddling of out-of-context emails as if they were the gospel truth.

As a former longtime resident of Nevada and college student who had the opportunity to work and collaborate with Chancellor Klaich on countless occasions, I can say with total and absolute conviction that Mr. Klaich is one of the finest people I have known in public life. I can only hope that history will reflect first and foremost the many good works that this chancellor pursued and achieved on behalf of the students and Nevadans that he served.

Adam Cronis

Phoenix, Ariz.

New fence at gun range is unnecessary

My friends and I have been using the Carson City Rifle and Pistol Range (near the dump site) for many years. It has easy access and is well maintained by the city. Now the city has installed a fence and a gate. I was told that it is to prevent malicious folks from entering the site at night and vandalizing the site. (The gate will be on a photo-timer to open at dawn and close at dark).

What vandalism? Though there may have been some problems with vandalism, neither I nor any of the numerous friends who have used the site have seen or heard of any destructive activity. Certainly not enough to warrant many thousands of dollars for a fence. What other intent does the Carson City administration have for the rifle range, now that its use can be “regulated” at any time? Was the public ever consulted on a need for a fence?

Folks from miles around the area travel to the Carson City rifle range. I and others have used the site for night training. What will happen when there is a malfunction of the gate? Someone may become trapped on the site at night. Someone who has traveled many miles may not have access. What will prevent those with malicious intent from going around the gate, or worse, by destroying it?

This is another fiasco by a government who has a solution looking for a problem.

Craig Ozer

Reno

What is the truth?

In a recent letter to the editor a member of my opponent’s campaign team stated as fact that 70 percent of the “Down Town Project” (DTP) expenditure was for “vital infrastructure.” Not the truth. Here are some facts.

On Feb. 4, the Board of Supervisors approved a contract for the DTP totaling $8,123,682.85. That contract included $1,220,572.07 and $48,556.53 for utilities on Carson and Third streets. These are facts. No other elements of the DTP are “vital infrastructure” needs. Landscape, paving, electrical, signage, and sidewalks were functioning as designed. There was no “need” to replace them. This is a natural fact. It has not been contorted or shaded to fit an agenda. The cost of “needed” utilities does not add up to 70 percent of the DTP contract.

Another campaign worker for my opponent wrote that the DTP is a “gamble.” Now that is a truth we should consider. We should not “gamble” with taxpayers’ dollars.

Nobody can deny the water and sewer systems in the downtown corridor need attention and is not debated here. I want our water to flow and toilets to flush. Pedestrian safety and accessibility are issues our government should address. We did not need to spend $12 million to address these issues. This is the truth.

We want the truth. We can handle the truth. We need change in our local government. I can help bring that change.

Maurice White

Candidate for Ward 2 Supervisor

Protect west side’s open space

In the last days of 1989, I ended my 10-year exile to the relatively flat land of Michigan to return to Sierra Nevada, landing in Carson City. I roamed, wandered, prowled and photographed (pre-digital) all the hills, mountains, gorges, gullies, caves, ranches, and waterfalls about the area. When the city initiated an Open Space Planning Committee, I attended all its meetings and offered the use of my photos to help publicize and promote the concept of protected open space within the rapidly urbanizing city.

As plans proceeded the editors of the Nevada Appeal devoted a section in each of several weekly features to help familiarize their readers with the Open Space proposal being formulated. In concert with Juan Guzman and Vern Krahm, I provided a number of slides depicting open space areas worthy of protection. And a few of those published images depicted open fields west of Mountain Street, which now have their Open Space character severely threatened.

Needless to say, I am in enthusiastic concert with the other writers who are advocating for protection, and purchase by the city if necessary.

Larry D. Taylor

Carson City