Letters to the editor

Try to find a doctor who takes Medicare:

In reply to Robert Carlson's oppositions to proposed cuts to health benefits and subsidies to Nevada employees, it should be noted that while Mr. Carlson worked for lower wages a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce study found that state and local government workers in Nevada earn 28 percent more then workers in the private sector.

In the private sector they also work diligently or they "bit the bricks" and the Medicare they receive is taken out of every paycheck they earn. Then just try to find a doctor who takes Medicare as opposed to private insurance.

You made the remark that brothels should pay taxes. If you would spend time in the brothels you'd know they already pay taxes.

Judith Wooley

Dayton

Toxic side effects of drugs note addressed:

In December, the Associated Press reported on a commentary published in the journal "Nature," which advocated the use of psychostimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall, drugs routinely prescribed for the faux disease Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), to boost the brains of healthy people.

Among the seven authors are a medical ethicist and the editor of "Nature" as well as purported scientists. Two of the authors admitted consulting for pharmaceutical companies.

Other than a brief reference to "managing the risks," nothing concerning toxic side effects was mentioned in the AP article. Ritalin and Adderall are Drug Enforcement Administration Schedule II drugs (controlled substances), in the same category and pharmacologically similar to cocaine, having the same dependence profile. All the psychostimulants are characterized by a nonspecificity of effect, meaning they are equally harmful to everyone. They work by interfering with normal brain function while producing a host of adverse reactions.

During the 1990s, through its voluntary reporting MedWatch program, the Food and Drug Administration received 2,993 adverse reaction reports, including 186 deaths, involving Ritalin alone. The FDA estimates that only 1 to 10 percent of all adverse reactions are reported, which means a minimum of 1,860 deaths actually occurred during that decade.

On March 22, 2006, before the FDA ADHD Drug Hearing, I testified on the role of the public schools as the frequent gateway for the diagnosis and drug treatment of ADHD. The FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee was charged with examining the adverse reactions resulting from the ADHD drugs in four areas " psychosis (including mania and hallucinations), suicidality, cardiovascular disability (including death), and aggression and violent behavior " and deciding if a heightened Black Box warning should be placed on the drugs. About half of the 42 witnesses were pro-drug.

Many of this group were doctors, all of whom disclosed financial ties to drug companies.

The authors of the "Nature" article appear to be operating within an ethical vacuum, pushing harmful drugs while remaining silent concerning their documented toxicity. For those in the psychopharmaceutical industry it's business as usual.

SHARON KIENTZ

Carson City

Three budget questions posed to Gov. Gibbons:

Now I read that Gov. Jim Gibbons is going to cut all state workers pay 6 percent to help "balance his budget?"

I have three questions: 1. When was the last time the governor received a raise, and is he going to get a cut? 2. When the last time the Legislature and state officials received raises? Are they getting a cut? 3. And, last but not least, why did, and how can we, "rein in" on the $30,000 raise the judges just received this month?

As far as I am concerned, in my opinion, the governor went against all ethical standards when he agreed to give the judges a raise. You cannot give and take and legitimize these actions. We must and have to respond to such an act by the governor.

Have you ever heard of the word "Impeach" Gov. Gibbons? We the public have the right to request, do and act on anything we believe the governor is doing that is against policy, ethics and due process, and the will of the people.

I say bring up the word "Impeach" and see if finally we get a reaction from Gov. Gibbons. He falls into the same category in my book as our soon-to-be-ex President Bush.

BARBARA SCOTT

Carson City