Letters to the editor

Special interests are calling the shots in Congress

The majority of our Congress is controlled by a very small minority of special interest groups that contribute vast amounts of money to their campaign funds. These congressmen (congresspeople?) include Nancy Pelosi, our own Harry Reid, and all the other ultra liberal members of our Congress. It doesn't matter any more what the majority of the people want, the special interests are calling the shots. Democracy no longer rules, as Ms. Pelosi proved when she refused to allow a vote on oil drilling and shut Congress down last week.

As a result we have food and energy prices going through the roof, and no relief in sight. The special interests do not want us to drill for our own oil, want mandates to divert food crops for the production of ethanol, do not want nuclear energy, and do not want us to use our own vast coal supplies. We cannot physically grow enough food grain to both feed our people at a reasonable cost and produce enough ethanol or bio fuel to run this country.

Harry Reid says the oil companies already have leases on large tracts of land where they are allowed to drill, but are not doing so. Probably because they know the prospects of finding oil are marginal, and they, being good businessmen, are not going to risk the cost. They will drill, however, where there are known recoverable reserves, that being our coastal areas and ANWAR. Harry and company are fond of saying that it will take 10 years before appreciable production makes a difference, but they do not tell you that the world price of oil will fall immediately if we decide to produce more of our own.

I know that this country has to develop alternate fuel sources. Our do-nothing Congress needs to get off their collective backsides and set up a crash program similar to the Manhattan Project that developed the atom bomb. But for the foreseeable future we as a nation cannot survive without oil. Pie in the sky will not fuel our vehicles.

The voting citizens of this country have the power to change this scenario if they choose to use it. Special interest money can make puppets out of our Congress, and have already done so. The one thing their money can't buy is the vote of the citizens that keep these puppets in power. If we as citizens continue to keep these people in power, then we get what we deserve and it will not be pleasant.

DON QUALLS

Carson City

Ready to vote for a third-party candidate

This is the greatest opportunity in political history for a third party candidate to emerge and capture the presidency. One would not be in their right mind to vote for either of the candidates in this election. In light of the circumstances, why has one not appeared? Maybe there is something we as ordinary citizens do not know or maybe they are intimidated by or fear the powers of the two party system.

GENE ANDERLY

Dayton

Experience not most important trait for mayor

For the supervisor position, (Appeal columnist) Chuck Muth is applying the theory of "where the candidate stands on the issues." This is the best approach for selecting any candidate in any election for any position.

Wait a minute here comes Mr. Muth's flip-flop. When it comes to the mayor position the issues are not important. What is? Experience.

If we have learned anything through the Democratic primaries it is that millions of voters do not believe experience outweighs change.

For a CEO of Citizen Outreach, Mr. Muth has never contacted me regarding any of the important issues facing Carson City. If he had, he would have discovered I am in favor of law enforcement; at this time I am against downtown redevelopment " it is not going to solve our financial burdens and will only create more. We need something now to sustain our economy. I have a plan with a proven track record " the sports tournaments sponsored by our Parks and Recreation Department. Their economic impact brought in $17 million to Carson City in 2008. Build on this and we will have a strong local business economy that rivals that of any surrounding community. When businesses flourish everything else will follow.

As your Mayor three things I visualize for all residents and all businesses of Carson City: Prosperity, livability and opportunity. These issues will demand a full time mayor regardless of his experience. I am the only candidate who has embraced this concept.

JIM SHIRK

CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR

Carson City