Letters to the editor

My name is Ryan. I am 10 years old. Last Saturday I was at Target with my family and I accidentally left a bag containing the toy and DVD I had just bought in the parking lot. The bag also had my wallet with some money in it.

When I got home, I called up the store to ask if they could look for it. It turns out that someone had turned my bag in to the lost and found. It still had my toy, DVD and wallet (with all of my money still in it). I would just like to say thank you to whoever turned the bag in to the lost and found and also to the folks at Target.

It's nice to know there are still some honest people out there.

RYAN MICK

Carson City

Voted for Gov. Jim Gibbons, not Dawn

We voted for Gov. Jim Gibbons and expect him to do his business from the official residence.

Dawn Gibbons is a soon-to-be ex-wife and should go home to Reno. Her duties are over.

LINDA KERLEY

Minden

Don't believe the tax grab pamphlet

If you had a flier stuck in your door by "Nevadans Against the Tax Grab" (NATG) then you have received the MOST misleading, MOST underhanded, and MOST deceptive piece of trash ever distributed by the gambling industry.

NATG is, in fact, a Political Action Committee fully owned and operated by the Nevada Resort Association (the casinos) and headed by the (in)famous William Bible.

After all the usual lying garbage in the flier, NATG urges you not to sign the "teacher's union Tax Grab Amendment."

Which is OK if you want the casinos to keep netting $1 billion per month and not paying their fair share DURING A TIME OF SEVERE FISCAL CRISIS in Nevada. Remember the CASINOS GIVE AWAY TENS OF MILLIONS IN COMPS EVERY MONTH but when it comes to educating our children and grandchildren they turn to deception and trickery instead of being responsible corporate citizens.

If you want the casinos to be responsible citizens of Nevada then DON'T sign any petition by NEVADANS AGAINST the TAX GRAB.

Let's keep the money that has been to Macao and other countries here in Nevada. Answer the NATG's lies with SUPPORTING THE TAX INCREASE ON CASINOS.

STEVE LANG

Gardnerville

Appreciates quality of local theater

We went to see the "Damn Yankees" at the Community Theater tonight (Friday). I am always made happy by the work of the Western Nevada Musical Theater Company and this was no disappointment!

I want to tell everyone in this city to take advantage of these productions. I loved the steamy "Whatever Lola Wants" scene. Sami Busey was as good as it gets in that scene as Lola and James McDuffie was an adorable Joe, trying to resist. James DeZerga did a mean Applegate (satan). It was a lot of fun.

PAT HUNTER

Carson City

Veteran felt insulted by writer's view

Here are a few thoughts regarding the comments made by Michael Ivie in last Sunday's (May 3) "Another Opinion" on the Op/Ed page.

1. While Mr. Ivie has the absolute right to oppose President Bush's policies, I resent his questioning my "good sense" in supporting, and voting for, the president. I don't publicly insult those who disagree with me politically (unless it was started by them) and I would expect the same from them.

2. HOW DARE YOU SIR question my "GUTS" with your statement that supporters of the president don't have the "'GUTS" to enlist and serve yourself." I did my 4 years, 8 days active duty from 1967 to 1971 during a little thing called the Vietnam War - you might have heard of it, but if not then I suggest that you ask your employer (the Douglas County School District) if you can borrow one of their history books so you can read up on it.

3. Unless I missed something recently in the newspaper, the U.S. Army is still an all-voluntary organization as the government has not re-instituted the draft that forced many, many thousands of men into the military during Vietnam. Therefore your son (who I truly hopes comes home safely) "cuddles his machine gun, instead of his wife, while he sleeps" because he ASKED the Army if he could join them (instead of being dragged into boot camp via the draft).

4. As I said, you have the absolute right to publicly oppose the president and you also have the absolute right to publicly insult the many veterans of this war, as well as veterans of previous wars/conflicts, who do support the president. Just don't expect us to sit quietly by while you do so.

PAUL VECHIL

Gardnerville

WNC is a class act

The Carson City community should be proud of the class shown by the coaching staff of Western Nevada College Wildcats. After watching the last two years of the conference tournament finals, the comparison between the WNC coach and the College of Southern Nevada coach is notable. While Coach Whittemore conducts himself with class, Coach Chambers acted like an 18-year-old boy. Congratulations Wildcats for a great season.

ALAN GOFF

Las Vegas

Solutions to gas crisis are clear

With no end in sight, the price of oil and gasoline continues to rise to record levels. As with all important issues facing the American people, the "Do Nothing" Democrat-led Congress has its head in the sand (or elsewhere). The Republicans are no better when it comes to meaningful solutions as they cower in the shadow of Queen Pelosi. The same Pelosi who two years ago assured the nation that, "Democrats have a common-sense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices ..." Since then, the price of gasoline has risen by more than 60 percent. And there is still no plan.

Congressional leadership has been so out of touch that last week, Pelosi revealed in an interview that she doesn't even know how much a gallon of gas costs, claiming that it was more than a dollar below the actual price. The summer gas tax "holiday" being offered up by Mrs. Clinton and John McCain is a political sham and pandering at its worst.

When are we going to wake up and elect congressional representatives who understand that the U.S. economic engine is OIL-driven and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

Therefore, while alternative energy solutions should be actively pursued, those solutions are likely 10-15 years or more into the future. What is needed now is more domestic oil production, more refineries, more "clean coal" plants, (ignore Harry Reid) and new nuclear power plants.

All of this should be pursued while the alternative energy technologies are being perfected. There is no magic bullet that will allow us to change overnight from an oil-driven economy to alternatives.

We must continue to invest in fossil fuels but we can wean ourselves from foreign oil with strong effective leaders in Congress. Leaders who will not kowtow to powerful environmental and anti-nuclear lobbies; rather will make the right decisions to keep the U.S. economic engine the most powerful in the world.

Leaders who will not be distracted by hysterical claims of excessive oil company profits which benefit stockholders. The lack of congressional leadership in this country may result in the U.S. eventually fading to a third- world status "Nanny State" with the majority of the population dependent upon the government for survival.

Not what the founding fathers envisioned. Let's wake up before it is too late.

BILL JOHNSTON

Carson City

Wants answers from GOP before writing a check

Yesterday, my husband and I received two phone calls from the Nevada State GOP. Today the phone rang again, with the same request - a donation to the state party. We answered these three entreaties with questions of our own. If the state GOP needs funds so badly, why was our state convention "recessed" improperly, long before convention business was finished? We were told the party only had the room reserved at the Peppermill until 6 p.m., but word has it that this statement from the Chairman, Bob Beers, was untrue.

Now, the convention will have to be reconvened at great expense to the party and the delegates, volunteers and guests who want to attend. These three callers from the state GOP stressed how important the upcoming elections were to the party, and how imperative it was that we have a Republican majority in the Legislature. We asked these callers that if this majority was so important, how come at least half, if not more, of the delegates at the state convention were treated in such an unwelcome fashion? Did the party not want these people to help in a campaign that's so important? If the party did want their participation, why was a "walk-out" orchestrated, leaving this contingent in the hall dismayed and wondering why Sue Lowden, Bob Beers and their followers would just up and leave when a ballot count had not even concluded?

My husband and I were thoroughly confused when this happened. Should we get up and leave? There was our party's state committee striding out the doors, and numbers of delegates with them, some of them hurling invectives as they left. We chose to stay, as we had not seen nor heard any reason to leave. We were there to finish our party's business.

So, Nevada State GOP Committee, we wonder how you can hold your heads up and make these solicitous phone calls when you wasted the party's, and individuals' money and time by walking out? How can you call for party unity in next fall's elections when you couldn't even stay and work out differences with a group that has brought new blood and vitality to the GOP? When we have honest answers to these questions, then we would consider supporting the State GOP with a donation.

CYNTHIA KENNEDY

Virginia City

A plea to local drivers

While walking my dog on Saliman around 5:45 p.m., I noticed how fast people drive. Some were even racing each other to be sure to make the front of the line when the road narrows to one line just before Kingsley Lane. This is troubling because my teenager who is currently driving with a permit is often scared because of how people ride our bumper and they get frustrated because she comes to a full and complete stop! Please people slow down! After all it is the law.

Thank you.

DIANE REECE

Carson City

Food drive was a success

On behalf of the Carson City Post Office and our National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 709, we would like to thank our community and corporate sponsors for their generous food donations for our less fortunate, thanks to everyone we collected almost 47,000 pounds of food this year!

JULIA KERKLA

Carson City Letter Carrier