Letters to the editor for Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015

I’m just an old fashion fool

Old fashion fool

I hear no ringing from the phone

Good news or bad

What can be happy my day is set

Or the telling of something sad

Letters it seems are never written

The mailbox empty and cold

Texting letters is now the norm

What I use is dry and old

Too much dependence on electronic screens

The newspaper I read for the news

The library with books for which I read

The computer for everything is what other people use

I know how to write because I learned to write

It’s what I was taught in school

My phone still works, just give me a call

Just to say hi to this old fashion fool.

Grant H. Wass

Carson City

Farmer wrong on ‘illegal immigrants’

Guy Farmer questions Gov. Sandoval’s plans for increased ESL spending.

Mr. Farmer traces this back to President Obama’s “executive amnesty” for illegal immigrants, “many of them school age children.” And so wants Obama to pay for ESL instruction here. But who actually gets to stay under the president’s order?

Well, let’s remember that anyone born here is a U.S. citizen. So children born here are not “illegal immigrants” even if their parents are. What Obama did is allow the parents to stay so their U.S. citizen child can get an education, grow up and live and work in the country in which he or she was born. Just like the rest of us. Those parents are the vast majority of those Obama allows to stay, about 3.5 out of 4 million, according to the Washington Post.

The rest benefit from relaxed deportation requirements that still primarily relate to the parents of children here under some legal auspices.

So the president doesn’t make young illegal immigrants eligible for schooling here. He primarily allows the parents of children who are U.S. citizens or otherwise here lawfully to stay and support their children.

And all Gov. Sandoval is saying is, “Let’s teach them English.” Which is essential to the rest of their education. And last time I checked, U.S. citizens are expected to get an education, the cost of which is traditionally born by states and localities.

It’s remarkable how Mr. Farmer can get so much so wrong so often.

Terry Burnes

Gardnerville

Principles that need to be adhered to

Here are three short sentences that I would like to have you read and consider.

We are advised not to judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge all gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics.

Seems we constantly hear about how Social Security is going to run out of money. How come we never hear about welfare or food stamp programs running out money? What is interesting is, the first group “worked for” its money, but the second didn’t.

Why are we cutting benefits for our veterans, no pay increases, and cutting our level lower than before World War II? But we are not stopping payments to illegal immigrants, such as monthly payments for each child, money for housing, food stamps and free education.

The above is something I read (not my own words), but something I thought needed repeating to the general public.

Please consider these pertinent facts when you go to vote in our next elections. Those that do not adhere to these principles should be voted out of office.

Neil Powers

Carson City

Tax money won’t get to classroom

Just a note for Gov. Sandoval and the legislators. Fourteen years ago, Gov. Kenny Guinn put through an $800,000 tax increase. This included a new state business license of $100. This was increased a couple of years ago to $200. The governor now wants to increase it to $400. When Kenny was asked if there was anything in his tax package for schools, he stated there was enough to take care of schools for a long time to come.

I have had several clients who were teachers and one family member. In 2003 and 2004 I asked all of them how much of the tax money they saw come in to the school room. They all told me that they never saw a penny get as far as the classroom. As long as we have that bloated bureaucracy called the State Board of Education we won’t see it get to the classroom this time, either.

Mike Enright

Carson City