Letters to the editor 3-25

No prison breakfasts create revenue opportunity on eBay

Glen Wharton recently criticized Assemblyman Settelmeyer's call to eliminate hot breakfasts in prison as merely symbolic.

But why should prisoners start their busy days with a hot breakfast when most law-abiding American workers muddle by every morning without bacon, eggs and a toasted English muffin?

With Democrats and RINO Republicans in the Legislature busy raising taxes to fund their pet pork projects when they should be slashing costs, how refreshing that Assemblyman Settelmeyer is trying to save money and make prison a bit less inviting than a stay at Holiday Inn Express.

Wharton should appreciate the lower energy costs and reduced carbon footprint as we unplug the waffle irons and sell them on eBay.

LYNN MUZZY

Minden

It's the wow factor

for Sen. Harry Reid

Sen. Harry Reid and his Carson City office, wow, I cannot express how wonderful I think that Sen. Harry Reid and his Carson City office personnel are.

I had run into a very serious problem with Social Security that put me in a bad financial situation. After trying to resolve it directly with Social Security for three weeks and getting nowhere, I looked up Sen. Reid on the Internet and right on his Web site is a form that you can fill out and ask them to contact an agency on your behalf to help you with any problem that you are having.

I filled out the form, explained my problem in writing and faxed it. And do you know that within 24 hours I received not only a phone call from the local Social Security office, which believe me is not easy to get, but I also received a phone call from an extremely nice person in Sen. Reid's office to talk about the solution to my problem, which believe it or not, was solved that very day.

I was completely shocked and overjoyed with the help that I received. I have always liked the senator and I feel that he is good for us, but the events that took place have shed a whole new appreciation for him and his office personnel. They took the time to really help me, not just say they would help me.

I just want to say thank you Sen. Reid and thank you to your office personnel, you truly are remarkable people.

NIKOL MARIN

Carson City

Cell phone ban needed

How many more near accidents caused by people talking on phones while driving and not concentrating do I have to witness before real tragedy strikes?

How many more actual tragedies have to happen before we do the right thing and ban cell phone use while driving? Only this morning, I was crossing Highway 50 East next to Walgreens in Carson City on my way to work. A young kid on a skateboard crossed over with me. Halfway across, a woman in a brown SUV was turning left. She was talking on her phone, not looking and almost ran into the kid in the crossing. Luckily, I was just behind this kid and the driver's window was down so I screamed at her to stop " which she did, in very short order.

I continued to scream at her to "get off the phone and drive properly." I see this all the time and it is women who are the main culprits: They are so busy gossiping on their phones and not concentrating and don't seem to understand that they are in charge of a vehicle that can kill a person. To be fair, I also recently witnessed a businessman drive through a red light because he was so busy on the phone to even look where he was going.

So please can we ban cell phone use while driving " it seems to be the only way to make these people realize how dangerous they are to other road users.

KAREN LEMOS

Carson City

Comments about Obama misguided,

Dear Michelle

(This letter is In response to Michelle Schalk's recent letter about President Obama.)

Dear Misguided Michelle,

Refreshing?

In this bat-eared Marxist (admitted) dope addict's first 50 odd days he's: Insulted our No. 1 staunchest ally England; promised millions to a foreign terrorist organization Hamas; gave millions of dollars to a domestic terrorist organization ACORN; apologized to the Taliban; gave Iran a pass on nukes; tripled the national debt; quadrupled the deficit; effectively killed the U.S. economy; wants to allow union goons to force union membership on business; and now he's planning to destroy the best health care system in the world.

Transparency you say? Did you have a chance to read the 1,071-page $787 billion stimulus bill? Yeah, neither did I nor for that matter the Congress. Right after "The One" signed the $787 billion porkulus bill, the dummy House, presided over by liberal moonbat San Fran Nan, passed a new $410 billion budget bill riddled with earmarks, 8,570 of them to be exact. Did you get a chance to read that one? Yeah, me neither. Oh, and let me "refresh" your memory on HopeyChangey and I quote:

"Absolutely, we need earmark reform. And when I'm president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely." Barack Obama, Sept. 26, 2008.

Oh, and remember the Iraq drawdown you heard about last month? The one where a brigade originally scheduled for Iraq was going to Afghanistan instead? Well, a funny thing about that. In September 2008, the 5th Strykers Brigade Combat Team, after months of preparation, is ordered to Iraq.

Junior ARNDELL

Dayton

Governor's actions

draw criticism

Well, my cup runneth over with shame. It appears that the people of Nevada have made a grave error by choosing Gov. Jim Gibbons to represent us. I have to say that this is strictly my opinion based on what little insight I have.

The news media reported that you are giving some of your own staff raises. This makes you, again, in my opinion not worthy of the great people of this state. I have also followed your ridiculous antics having to do with the Division of Tourism. That division is one of very few divisions in this state that actually generates a profit. You are foolish in attacking this division. It seems that taking a profitable division such as this and cutting it back to a level where they may not be able to bring in any profit for the state is remiss. If you were the CEO of a company that did something like this, you would likely be fired by this type of action.

On the surface, this appears to be some type of personal agenda that you have with the directors of this agency for not sitting your pal who did not follow the standard procedures for applying for this job. Can you just be honest and tell us why you pushed so hard to sit this individual? The public would like to know.

Nine people at a minimum are going to be losing their jobs due to your agenda. I will bet that your staff raises would help to keep at least one of those persons employed.

I have a suggestion, why don't you resign your position and step into the ranks of those you are causing to be unemployed?

I think that the citizens of this state are now becoming victims of your actions and I wish you could pull in your arrogance, be flexible and do the right thing. The cocktail waitress, your divorce, people being fired while others are receiving raises, personal vendettas being aired at the cost and embarrassment of your constituents; where will you stop?

ED SUMMERS

Carson City