Letters

Renown nurse credit to WNC Fallon

Recently my son-in-law suffered a serious head injury and was airlifted to Renown Medical Center. He received excellent care and is on the road to recovery. Times were scary. Times were tense. An RN named Jim helped us with his compassion and with his skill level; a truly fine person. We are very grateful.

Several weeks later, my wife was in the Renown ER with a painful shoulder injury. Again, we dealt with Jim, with the same good result.

This letter is not only about Renown or Jim. It's about Jim's nursing education. Jim stated that he graduated from the Nursing Program at WNC at Fallon. Part of his classwork and education was through an interfaced TV curriculum with other students in Fallon. It appears that this same program was used in Hawthorne and other rural Nevada communities to provide a quality education.

Nevada needs the best health care providers at all levels. This program must receive tax payer support. Law makers and administrators must ensure that the best talent can enter the medical care profession.

One can only be impressed that Jim became a fine, skillful nurse through this creative, high tech program.

My daughter also graduated as an RN from WNC in Carson City. Her classwork however, was completed at the campus.

It makes me proud to live in Nevada. The results are fantastic.

Richard bell

Reno

What I'd do if I were elected president

If I were elected President of the United States part of my inaugural speech would include the following.

To the leaders of the world, I am sorry for the past American policies and angering you and your citizens.

My fellow Americans, I feel as many of you that we tired of supporting the world and being the world police and so it is my goal to move as swiftly as possible to do the following:

1. Begin an immediate withdrawal of all American armed forces from foreign countries and bring them home where they belong. They will be used to protect our borders. The only Americans that will be seen overseas will be tourist and business representatives.

2. By my second year in office All foreign monetary aid will be cut in half and will end completely by my third year in office. Since America is such a bad influence on the world, America needs the money at home for more important things.

3. By the end my second year in office America will begin repairing our infrastructure, which will include, but not limited to, our roads and bridges, rail, and utilities.

4. America will begin working on a high speed rail system that will connect all states and provide thousands of jobs for Americans.

5. To our neighbors to the south, America will place our armed forces on the border. Since you have failed to stop your citizens from crossing the U.S.ÐMexico border. There will be a 200 meter zone north of the border that will be considered no man's land. If any of your citizens are seen within that zone they will not be detained, they will be considered invaders and will be fired upon and discouraged from advancing any further. I recommend that you place some sort of enforcement on your side of the border and discourage your citizens from approaching our border.

6. To the United Nations, you have worn out your welcome in the United States. It is time for the U.N. to relocate to some place like Jerusalem or Baghdad. The U.N. will have 3 years to vacate the premises.

ralph thompson

Carson City

Don't forget to read Novak's book

By all means read the books mentioned in a recent column by Guy Farmer, but after you put them down, pick up the book "World War IV" by Norman Podhoretz and the "Prince of Darkness" by Robert D. Novak. These are just two of many well observed, and researched books that give an entirely different slant on the ultra-left wing slanted Washington Post, and other well known and failing units of what likes to call itself "the mainstream media." What these publications along with television present is the virulent anti-Bush syndrome, because in objective reporting the unreported opposite side presents.

This is not a war about Iraq. It is a war about Islamo-facism that has been in progress since the 7th century A.D. to movements that found its legs about 100 years ago. The secular anti-Bush tribe (including Democrat politicians) does not want you to know about that. This is a conflict (not a traditional war) that shall continue another 40 years or so, and the end result bears directly upon American resolve to sustain itself.

That is not the message of the Washington Post. And no war ever follows a convenient script.

vernon m. latshaw

Gardnerville

Why small hike in Social Security

The government recently announced a 2.3 percent increase in Social Security benefits in 2008. This is the smallest increase in several years. The reason given for the smaller increase was a price drop in personal computers and consumer electronics.

My check goes for housing, food, utilities, auto and medical expenses. The most recent consumer electronic device I bought was a used toaster from FISH for three dollars. Last spring I bought four light bulbs. As you can see from my handwritten letter, I don't own a personal computer. IPods and iPhones are totally out of the question. Heaven forbid my TV breaks down.

Is it possible that my government would stall the impending Social Security disaster on the back of the current beneficiaries by applying an inappropriate index and weights?

Naw! Not my government.

DOUG FRANK

Carson City

These candidates are a sorry bunch

The Nevada Appeal has exercised great effort offering it's knowledgeable readers the résumés of presidential candidates whom the editorial staff deems the most popular. What a sorry list of misfits.

Is there a presidential candidate who isn't owned by Corporate America? Is there a candidate who, in their current government position, isn't already a tool of special interest groups?

It's clear to me, there isn't an honest presidential hopeful available to represent the people of this once great nation. I suggest the following:

Let's place the names of the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker in a hat. In addition, we'll include the names of a sewer worker, a mime, and a snake charmer.

Then, a student from a local elementary school can be introduced to the world of civics which is no longer taught in school. This kid can draw a name from the hat which will identify the next President of the United States.

How can we go wrong?

ROBERT SENNETT

Carson City

Media ignores other candidates

Are there only three Democratic candidates running for president? According to the media there are Clinton, Edwards and Obama. What happened to the other four: Biden, Dodd, Kucinich and Richardson? They apparently don't exist. Richardson was again nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In the AP article reporting this: "Nomination doesn't necessarily mean much." The reporter also included Stalin and Mussolini. What a negative statement. If it were Hillary, this would have been headline news. Has the media sold itself to the big money candidates? Shame.

BOB HILDERBRAND

Carson City

Drivers should take test every six months

After driving home today, I would like to propose Ð only half in jest Ð that the state require a driving test every six months in order to keep one's driver's license.

My current pet peeve is the "four-way stop" intersection and its occupants. Permit me to quote from the Nevada Driver's Handbook, available at fine DMV's everywhere:

"At an intersection where there are no traffic signs or signals, the vehicle on your right should usually go first."

Think about it this way. Your right hand - you know, the one you hold your cell phone with. If a car is on your right, it has the right of way.

Your left hand - the one you eat your fries with while you're holding your cell phone. If a car is on your left, then you have the right of way.

I'd like to specifically address the driver in the red coupe who was on my right as I pulled up to the intersection. She frantically waved and gestured to me. She thinks she's trying to be nice by allowing me to have the right of way, when it clearly belongs to her.

Unfortunately, with the sun glaring off her window, I can't tell if she's waving me through or swatting a hornet that's loose in the cabin. I squint. She waves. I shrug and squint some more. Is she having a seizure? Perhaps I should set down my fries and dial 911. The clock is ticking. More cars are arriving. We both go at the same time. Now she's really gesturing. Oh, I recognize that gesture.

Please, people. The person on your RIGHT has the RIGHT of way. Easy to remember.

Ignoring the rules of the road adds to the confusion, and allows body shop owners to send their kids Ivy League schools.

ROBERT FRENCHU

Carson City

SCHIP bill unconstitutional

The SCHIP bill supporters are all barking up the wrong tree! Like most liberals in both parties they ignore the very Constitution they swore to uphold. Do your homework! Read Article 1, Section 8 enumerating Congress' powers. After you find no permission for Congress to pass any such bill, read the Tenth Amendment which states "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Congress, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."

When are we going to get it through our thick skulls to test every bill against Article 1, Section 8? Let's get our liberty back!

BOB SHAW

Carson City

WNC catalog rule disappointing

I am expressing my displeasure with the Western Nevada College. The policy to no longer mail out catalogs to our residents is sad.

To obtain information someone needs to look at their Web site or call and request to receive a catalog. This is an inadequate way for the residents of our city to receive information on classes that may be of interest to them.

I taught a very unique class on how to buy meat and save money. The class was very successful, based on the students' comments. Fortunately, I happened to have been interviewed by The Appeal and my class became aware of the course only through this article.

The second class I offered had a minimal enrollment since the exposure wasn't adequate, so it was canceled.

I don't understand this, since the college receives 40 percent of the revenue for each class.

Their Web site shows a very large number of community classes canceled for the Fall semester. Many of these are probably due to the lack of adequate exposure.

Is this any way to run a business that would generate revenue? Doesn't the community deserve to have catalogs mailed to them?

My "meat shopping guide" class is even headlined inaccurately, as "Cooking" on their Web site!

RICHARD KIRLICKS

Carson City

City officials' actions a mistake

I would like to thank the Nevada Appeal for printing the editorial comments from Mr. Clark Russell on November 13th. I could not agree with Mr. Russell's opinion more and I am glad he chose to state that for all to read. The Redevelopment Authority and the Board of Supervisors have made a mistake in proposing to advance a large sum of money to a private real estate developer for any reason. Such transactions should be prohibited by law as a conflict of interest and misuse of taxpayers trust.

LARRY SAYRE

Carson City

Who runs the city?

Please help me get this straight. A Hillbilly comes to town and buys a rundown, empty box store. When he doesn't get his way, he holds on to it. Maybe he just wanted to keep it from generating sales taxes. Then, suddenly he sells it for several million more than it's worth. Interesting, because the person who bought it has now received several million back from the city. Nice. Maybe the city should just use eminent domain and take over the whole center for the better of the city! It seems as though shopping centers and auto dealers pretty much run the city.

WALTER OWENS

Carson City