Letters to the editor

Wants a fair bailout, not a fast one
I believe we should not give the president another multi-billion dollar blank check. We did it for Iraq and it will be a trillion dollar war before we are done.
I would wait until each major financial institution is ready to go bankrupt and then determine if we let them go under or take other action. When we decide to work with an institution we should make sure the share holders are wiped out; we are not in business of bailing out folks who made a bad investment.
Next we make sure the top management of the organization does not collect millions from their failing company. If they don’t go along, let them go under and then pick up the pieces. The form of a bailout should be to take over assets that are eventually sold and the U.S. government gets paid first. If there is anything left, pay it out in order of debt seniority.
There is no rush. I never believe someone when they tell me that I can only get this best deal if I act now. I get that from used car salesmen. We have been in this mess for awhile and will be for awhile yet. No need to rush.

RONALD H. ADAMS
Dayton

Pay heed to the wisdom of our Founding Fathers
I’ve heard if you study history you can change the future. Obviously our leaders ignore history.
Abraham Lincoln, “I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country; corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in High Places will follow, and the Money Power of the Country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the People, until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and the Republic is destroyed.”
Thomas Jefferson, “Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.”
Benjamin Franklin, “All wars are follies, very expensive and very mischievous ones.”
Why is it the wise are greatly ignored and ignorance greatly rewarded?

BRANDON OLINGER
Zephyr Cove

Was never a fan of Airport Authority
Reference is made to the Bob Thomas commentary of Sept. 12 on the Carson Airport Authority. I was city manager from 1978 to 1985 and during my tenure I never had the luxury of having an assistant city manager. I do not know a Mike Rody.
I have no knowledge of his other "facts" but Bob did not start on a factual basis.
During my tenure we were addressing major issues including water, sewer and transportation. The airport was not even on the radar screen. However, if the Board of Supervisors would have directed me to address the issue I would have most definitely sought a solution.
Bob has given his 20-20 hindsight on the present airport situation so here is mine. I would have opposed the creation of the Authority in the first place.

DON HATAWAY
Carson City

Don’t let CEOs profit from financial disaster
As Wall Street rebuilds, it must open its doors to a new age of transparency, accountability, and seriousness of purpose by allowing upper management to forfeit all past, present, and future golden parachutes, especially those CEOs who left companies in negative positions, yet left with a $50 million golden parachute! Open up all the books for close scrutiny and possible criminal prosecution, when deemed applicable, and go back even further than 1999, to the 1979 standards of law!
Furthermore, Congress should put a 2-year freeze on all foreclosures, or cut the mortgage payments by 50 percent. It would allow the country to bounce back faster than anything else, instead of Congress debating the bailing out of the wealthiest corporations to the tune of $700 billion.
I find it quite ironic that Henry Paulson, our Secretary of Treasury, is one of the key people responsible for creating the crisis, starting in 1999, and now is claiming he will solve it! He and Sen. Phil Gramm, who pushed through Congress the deregulation we are using to date, and who recently called the American people whiners. Until Gramm made this statement, he was on the fast track to be McCain's Secretary of Treasury. And as a further side note, when Henry Paulson took over Goldman Sachs in 1999, better known as "Mr. Risk" on Wall Street, the company was $20 billion in debt, and when he left it, is was $100 billion in debt. Nothing like failing upwards, would you say?
The letter he turned in to Congress, section 8 stated; “Decisions by the Secretary, (meaning himself) pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to the agency discretion, may NOT be reviewed by ANY court of law OR any administrative agency!”

ANNELIESE PUTHE
Carson City

Clinton caused economic collapse
Just heard a political remark by Harry Reid over the radio. He and his Democrat cronies in the Congress seem to be suffering from a form of dementia — memory loss. He blames the Bush administration for this “financial meltdown” when in fact it is a Bill Clinton legacy.
In the 1990s, Clinton took President Jimmy Carter’s “Community Redevelopment Act” and added new regulations that FORCED lenders to take high risk loans or face government penalties. Yes, greed and over-leveraging developed, but what we are seeing today is the Clinton administration’s ideology carried to fruition by Harry and friends. They heartily approved of Clinton, and made his social reform programs law.
These “quasi-government” agencies were not only mismanaged under the Clinton administration, they were financially raped by the Clinton cronies. Fannie Mae was fined and promised to change its accounting practices and ways of managing risks, but it and Freddie Mac continued to be pressured by the Clinton administration. It was this social experiment of Clinton and his fellow Democrats that brought us to this state, NOT the Bush administration.
And now Harry and friends have once again stuck it to the taxpayer by bailing out two of their own “institutions,” institutions over which they supposedly had oversight. Harry, your oversight obviously is as poor as your hindsight. I suggest you revisit your own voting record during the Clinton administration. You may wish to retract your statements. They are not true, and you know it.

JOAN E. REID
Carson City

Not all done in the name of the flag is noble
In response to Gary Nigro's 09-11-08 letter, I must say that you have to careful what flag you pledge allegiance to. He wants to pledge it to the U.S. America — the Constitution that once valued black Americans as being only 3/5 of a person. America has treated the original owners/occupants of the land — American Indians — as second rate indigents. Adding up the black slaves and American Indians, America has killed and abused over 1,000 times the number of people so treated by the Nazis. It has done it for a far 50 times longer.
Germany is sorry for what happened by that Austrian ugly dictator they were temporarily controlled by. America isn't sorry for how they treat blacks or American Indians. America forced men to go get maimed, mayhemed or die in Viet Nam just because that country was having a civil war which didn't threaten the U.S. American has now sent both men and women to Iraq after being told lies by the U.S. president. Truth be told, the only reason we are there is that America's vice-president’s company, Haliburton, makes billions of dollars by selling military equipment. Americans die for Haliburton's gain — and agree to do such.
America is egotistical and lies about Americans inventing the internal combustion engine, car, and other inventions which were actually invented by Germans. The U.S. Supreme Court says that health care is not a human right and America allows millions to go untreated and suffer and die. Germany has insured 100 percent of its citizens. So has every other industrial country in the world. But not the U.S.
I pledge allegiance to a flag that is black, red, and yellow, not red, white, and blue. Because I live by a higher moral code.

WOLFGANG NORDMEYER, J.D.
Carson City

Obama’s resume not unlike Lincoln’s
Abraham Lincoln served for a short time in the Illinois State Legislature, had a very successful legal career, served two years in Congress and was arguably one of our best presidents, ranking along with Washington, TR Roosevelt, FDR and Truman. He made a national name for himself with the Lincoln/Douglas debates.
Barack Obama passed up lucrative offers from major NY law firms after graduating from Harvard (editor of the prestigious law review) in order to serve as a community organizer, served in the Illinois State legislature, taught law for 12 years at Chicago University and has served four years in the Senate. He made a national name for himself giving the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention.
I would say his background stacks up pretty well with Lincoln and if he could come close to Lincoln's presidency the nation would be well ahead. By the way, contrary to popular opinion, Lincoln was a consummate politician.
No comment on Sarah Palin's experience.

RONALD H. ADAMS
Dayton

Obama’s plan reminds him of Hitler Youth
So, Marilee Swirczek thinks Obama intends to protect our Second Amendment rights because he was endorsed by The American Hunters and Shooters Association? This is what the NRA Web site has to say about that. “When you learn who actually runs AHSA, their motives and the method behind their madness become amazingly clear. Indeed, AHSA’s board of directors and executive leadership reads like a Who’s Who of the Gun-Ban Elites.”
In the interest of brevity, I won’t list all of the executives of AHSA and their anti-gun activities that the NRA Web site did. The Web site closed with this comment: “The bottom line is that the American Hunters and Shooters Association is nothing more than a front group for extremist politicians seeking to divide gun owners and deceive you into supporting anti-gun candidates.” The NRA is not the only Web site that tells the truth about this phony organization.
If anyone is really interested in knowing about the real Obama, I recommend going to Google and typing in “civilian national security force Obama.” This is what Obama proposed during a recent speech in Colorado Springs. Most of the liberal press has chosen not to report it. It smacks of Hitler’s Youth Corps, Mao’s Red Guard and Stalin’s KGB. Read some of the comments. If it doesn’t scare the H--- out of you, it should.

DON GURNEY
Carson City

Impressed with care at medical facility
The Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center continues to expand its capabilities. The most recent is ContinueCare. This excellent facility, of which I have first hand knowledge, is located at the original Carson Hospital site. It is designed and staffed to provide long term convalescent care and rehabilitation. We are very lucky to have here in Carson City this Medical Center. Let me explain why.
I was privileged to be the second patient to be cared for in ContinueCare. I was moved from the Cardiac Unit, where I had a heart valve replaced, and ContinueCare was like coming home to caring, expert members of your own family! You can tell that the staff has been carefully selected by management. Most of the nurses have gray hair, there must be close to 500 years of combined nursing skills applied to keeping the patients comfortable and speed up the healing process. Mixed in are younger nurses and trainees, learning from the best.
This new facility is managed by Dr. Jose Aguirre, Director of Medical Personnel and Char Foerschier, Chief Nursing Officer. Replacing a valve in my strong but 86-year-old heart was no “piece of cake” and I found it very reassuring to have these directors frequently drop by my room, both to check on my progress and to just make a friendly visit! It gives a warm feeling to know that even top management cares.
I feel very fortunate to live here in Carson City, with my new heart valve — thank you Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center for giving me back my life!

FRANK E. CHASE
Carson City