Letters to the editor for Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014

Eagle Valley course a better fit for changes

As residents of the Empire Ranch Estates neighborhood, we recently attended a Board of Supervisors meeting to learn about the city’s potential purchase of the Empire Ranch Golf Course. We were told that nothing would happen until a land appraisal is completed.

At a subsequent meeting with Supervisor Jim Shirk, we learned that the principal reason for this potential purchase is to get the effluent water rights, which are needed to keep the city-owned Eagle Valley Golf Course operating. Empire Ranch would then be closed and would be converted to “open land” or perhaps to soccer fields and a disk golf course.

If land is really needed for these purposes, perhaps Eagle Valley would be a better candidate for this transition. The access from Highway 50 is better there. Any benefits of using Eagle Valley as a golf course could be offered at Empire Ranch, which has a fully developed, tax-paying neighborhood around it.

James and Theresa Buzonik

Carson City

Government’s job is to protect, not provide

The outcome and/or effect on the overall economy when government(s) spends money are diminished versus when private money is spent in our economy. In reality the “cart is in front of the horse” when government(s) spend money. That is: a government agency in essence has a bundle of money (from taxation) and a person or company can qualify to get some of it if certain stated rules are met. In this case, individuals as well as companies will very quickly figure out how, with the least amount of effort, to put their hands on that bundle of money. That is typically why government agencies pay $300 for a hammer that can be had for $27.95 at a nearby hardware store.

On the other hand, in the open market a “product” or “service” is made available in return for a certain price. If that product or service does not meet the market or individual expectations then the product or service will over time disappear or be replaced by a competitor who can offer a similar or better product or service for a competitive price (Blackberry vs. iPhone).

A good government typically should not “provide,” instead it should “protect” the citizen and ensure that an equal effort results in an equal outcome. National security, police and fire protection are a few government products/services which should be provided. Let the marketplace prevail and let’s reduce government “Quantitative Easing.”

Herb Jesse

Carson City

Obamacare empowers government too much

So you think our country is going in the right direction? Congress needs to compromise with President Obama to get things done? What about your higher health care premiums and your lower coverage? Do you accept your high deductible and prescription costs? There is nothing affordable about this plan unless you’re homeless, an illegal alien, or unemployed — then it is affordable! Free! The responsible worker is being punished!

Government was never supposed to be our provider. If you are outraged about your situation, why not? The Constitution doesn’t grant the federal government the power to force the states to do anything. Obamacare seizes and usurps the state’s power to regulate insurance in violation of the Tenth Amendment.

Of course you know that the IRS is responsible with enforcing Obamacare by adding a penalty for not complying with the individual mandate to your taxes. In order to do this the law authorizes the federal government full access to all of your bank accounts. There goes our Fourth Amendment right which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and of the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee that our life, liberty, or property cannot be taken by the government without due process of law. Obamacare provides no provision for appeal from the arbitrary decisions of bureaucrats who will be making our health care choices for us. Enough said!

Judy Sheppard

Carson City

Energy dependence must end; use solar

Another article about solar power, only this one is about a solar power system that covers more than 5 square miles. The cost was $2.2 billion and could produce almost 400 megawatts of electricity, which would be enough power for 140,000 homes. At least they’re honest about the cost to produce this energy. Solar power costs two-and-a-half times as much as coal or natural gas power but they make up the difference by loans and grants by the federal government.

Using their figures, each home is costing the company $480 a year, and if you times that by 140,000 homes, the loss is $67 million a year. I also did not include the efficiency of the panel during the 20-year life cycle or the cost of maintaining the system. There are only six states that get the same amount of sunlight as this project. Thank God for that.

We have more coal, natural gas and oil than any other country, yet we are dependent on other countries for energy. Let us stop this farce right now and start using this energy. We can make these sources cleaner if given the chance. China and India do not care about pollution. We did not ratify the Kyoto agreement, but we have eliminated most of our pollution to satisfy it. By using the above mentioned energy sources and nuclear energy we can put millions of people back to work.

Patrick McIntyre

Stagecoach

This letter is about the Mr. William Dresser shooting. Does his pass history demand confinement? After the accident was he the only caregiver for his wife? Let’s look at his mental state on the day of the shooting. Was he getting the sleep he needed? Did he have help during the two weeks? Was he blaming himself for his wife’s pain? Did he listen to her for the two weeks begging him to do something? Did William develop a sleep deficiency similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

The State of Nevada may have to think outside of the box. Will it do any good to keep him in custody if he’s created his prison? Being locked up he will suffer financially, deterioration of his mental and physical health. He could be released in custody with electronic monitoring. With a 4-to-10 year sentence at 88, William will unlikely survive prison. Even if he survives, he will be financially ruin, lose his home and become a ward of the state.

Bottom line: Yes, it was murder, but what was his mental state? Was his mind fogged over which lead to sleep deficiency, PTSD and his wife begging for pain to stop? Is he a flight risk at 88, or could he be placed on monitored custody?

Arthur Millard

Minden