Letters to the Editor for Oct. 10, 2018

Carson City didn’t meet a tax it didn’t like

Have you looked at your phone bill. Carson City has added $63 per year as a 911 tax. Just added it with no public input. The board of supervisors never met a tax they did not like. This would add thousands of dollars to the city revenue. We should have the finest 911 system in the country.

George Frazier

Carson City

Nevada State Prison needs to be saved

Over the years, there’s been quite a few old-structures that were removed in Carson City. Case in point: Where a Jack in the Box now sits, once stood a magnificent, 117-year-old locomotives shed, complete with waterworks, roundhouse, foundry, engine room. And much-more-real-neat-stuff.

In the late 1950s, then-California State Railroad Museum Curator Stephen Drew said it was: “one of Carson City’s most significant and long-standing architectural features.” Other than, myself, do those words mean anything to anyone else?

Yes, twas an actual time-capsule, an incredible-glimpse of old-Carson City, Nevada, which shall never pass this way again. Twas an already-made-museum for everyone who lives in or travels to Carson City. But rather than it being cleaned up, refurbished and money received from giving tours of the woebegone edifice, sadly it was torn down. With some of its pieces moved to its new location, where another, much-smaller, locomotives shed was constructed, which cost Carson City.

“Is it not the downtown area where you want our visiting tourists most, because Virginian City has always had the railroad-tour going on.” And now, even little Moundhouse got a piece of the action.

1991’s wrecking-ball, might return to Carson City. A still-standing, 156-year-old prison remains as the Roundhouse once did. Mark my words, and just like the Roundhouse, marked as a historical artifact, eventually someone will claim the prison an old-eyesore, and it will be demolished faster than it went up should money-enough not be collected to open it for tourism.

But that’s just my opinion.

Donald Paetz

Carson City

Rosen not focused on rurals

While I appreciate Jacky Rosen finally making time for rural Nevadans, it’s a little too late. She has been a candidate for the Senate for more than a year and has never made an effort to meet with us until now…a mere two months before the election.

If we aren’t a priority for her on the campaign trail, we wont be a priority for her in Washington. She can keep campaigning in Vegas and California. She has sent her message to rural Nevada loud and clear.

Angela LoGiurato

Carson City

Ballot questions: Watch out America

Thank you Nevada Appeal for all the detail on the ballot questions for the November election. Everyone should read them.

I notice that every one of the ballot questions state that they would require the Legislature to create a law. Isn’t that what they do anyhow, if it becomes necessary?

The Nevada Constitution can’t conflict with our U.S. Constitution. That would mean that the U.S. 10th Amendment applies to the Nevada Constitution as well. As I recall there is something in it about people that care about their country too, not just themselves.

If the women of Nevada want to exempt girly things from the sales tax all they have to do is find a legislator that agrees and will give them a BDR and get on with it. They don’t have to amend Constitutions to do that.

From my experience, my skeptical eye is beginning to see a hidden agenda here.

If amendments to any Constitution eventually become the norm, would there be a need for the U.S. 10th Amendment anymore? If that becomes the case, would there be any further need for the U.S. Second Amendment as well? Are “they” amending our safeguards out of existence?

If that is what this is all about I want to tell my friend Earl Pitts to adjust his thinking before he really gets sick. It’s no longer just wake up, it’s watch out America.

Pete Bachstadt

Carson City

Sisolak has former state senator’s support

In his Oct. 6 column Guy W. Farmer makes the assumption that Steve Sisolak as governor would try to make Nevada look more like California. No offense, Guy, but that’s absolutely not the case, and you nor anyone else who tries to fly that flag has any evidence for it. I’ve seen Steve in person speak about his pragmatic approach to business regulation and development, and his passionate commitment to aligning K-16 education of our Nevada youth with jobs of today and the future. He received his MBA from UNLV and started his business here — he has a total Nevada orientation. In contrast, Adam Laxalt just parachuted into Nevada a few years ago and released many long time Nevada deputy attorneys general in favor of colleagues from out of state who took years to pass the Nevada bar exam. He chose friends over people steeped in Nevada law.

Guy, you did note that many members of the Laxalt family have publicly stated their opposition to Adam Laxalt’s opportunistic use of the family name, while failing to share the family’s values. They also emphasized that he simply is not qualified to be governor, yet feel strongly that Steve Sisolak is. I was there when the statement was made. They endorse Steve Sisolak as a man who does represent Nevada’s values — which he’s proved during 10 years on the Board of Regents and another 10 on the Clark County Commission. Regarding family values, I respect the fact that Steve accompanies his 92-year-old mom to mass multiple times per week and that he takes pride and delight in his two daughters whom he raised as a single dad. Steve Sisolak has my full support.

Ernie Adler

Former State Senator for the Capital District

Carson City

Beauty in a Basket program successful

Each summer, Carson City’s historic downtown district is dotted with vibrantly-colored petunias spilling forth from an array of flower baskets.

“The Beauty in a Basket program began many years ago, as the first avenue for raising funds to launch The Greenhouse Project,” said Karen Abowd, TGP’s founder and president. “We had more participation than ever this year, and the program’s success is only possible thanks to the work of many.”

Among those involved in the success of this public-private partnership, are the basket sponsors, Carson City Parks and Recreation, John Cassinelli and Cassinelli Landscaping, Carson City School District’s special needs students, CHS’ plant science classes.

“I also want to thank our greenhouse manager, Cory King and our AmeriCorps folks for their guidance from helping our special needs kids plant flower seeds, all the way through to floral design of each basket,” Abowd said. “It takes everyone doing their part to make this a success – and that is enjoyed by the community and visitors throughout the summer.”

The early bird special maintains 2018 pricing and offers substantial savings. Cost is $225 for one basket and $400 for two. To learn more and to download the form, visit www.carsoncitygreenhouse.org.

TGP, located on Carson City High School campus, provides agriculture education for students of all abilities, and the produce grown there is distributed to organizations that aid the community’s food insecure. For more information, call 232-8626.

The Greenhouse Project

Look within your conscience

I write to those who supported the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court because of their pro-life beliefs: Look within your conscience. Does your belief in the sanctity and the support of life stop at conception and birth of life? Or do you extend that belief to the support of legislation for those who, for example, cannot afford healthcare, or those who can acquire only low-paying jobs that can not possibly support a family?

Jackie Field

Carson City

Typical government way of doing business

I suggested to the Carson City Utilities Department that it could save money by not sending envelopes with the water bill to people who pay their bill by credit cards.

The reply was it’s too expensive to make that change.

I then suggested they stop sending bills by snail mail to those people, and instead send them their bills by email. I got the same response; it’s too expensive.

Would it take more than a day for a programmer to change the computer to do that?

What has happened to a “can-do attitude?”

Walt Ratchford

Carson City

America needs Marty McFly more than ever

A couple of phrases come to mind: “Now I’ve seen/heard everything.” “I think we’ve hit rock bottom.” After watching and hearing the base of the Trump mob, mostly educationally and economically challenged, no doubt mostly Christians with only love in their hearts scream their go-to slogan “lock her up, lock her up,” with malicious intent toward a victim of sexual assault, I believe those two phrases are definitely in play. It wasn’t the traditional 30-year generational (in their DNA?) hatred of Hillary chant, this was aimed at a new target. A woman, assaulted in her teens by a white, privileged, self-confessed over-the-top beer drinking puking punk. She went on to earn a Ph.D, and become a professor at a university in California associated with Stanford. And our clueless President leads his neanderthals in victimizing the victim.

With the 60 percent still out there who have maintained their conscience during this nightmare, we have only one recourse. Our founding fathers got a lot wrong, but the ballot box may be all that we have left. Providing Putin, and the Republicans who control so many state elections (voter suppression anyone?) don’t completely nullify the process, we just might be able to save this ship. The ship called America, that unique experiment in democracy, that is floating without a rudder toward the biggest Titanic iceberg ever seen. And that will be rock bottom time.

Sometimes I believe we’ve been stuck in a Rocky Horror Time Warp, a Doc Brown Space Time Continuum, the Delorean and the Flux Capacitor on the fritz, and no one is able to come up with a device that can generate 1.21 gigawatts to bring us back to normal. Marty McFly, we need you!

Rick Van Alfen

Carson City

Put the ‘x’ in the right box

If you are complacent or apprehensive and do not vote, you will get the government you do not want. Because by not voting, you voted in absentia.

Nevada is only one of a few states which are “right to work” states. It means that union and non-union workers can work side by side on the same job.

An “x” in the wrong box could change that.

We currently have a seated senator with seniority, a valuable asset for Nevada. Each time a senior senator is reelected, he or she gains more seniority. Harry Reid was an example, which benefitted Nevada immensely.

An “x” in the wrong box could ruin this seniority.

Nevada has low taxes, no tax on food and few regulations, a simpler lifestyle and less stress on the body and mind. Nevada has an abundance of unencumbered open space to be explored.

An “x” in the wrong box could change that.

Welcome to you new Nevadans, you will love it here. Most of you are leaving states with high taxes, restrictive regulation, high crime and dangerous living conditions.

An “x” in the wrong box could create the same living conditions you are attempting to escape.

Vote wisely.

Fred Brown

Carson City