Letters to the Editor for April 8, 2020

Shoulda woulda coulda

All those lambasting the president for the federal coronavirus response should consider the following. Donald Trump has been in office for a little over three years. The national debt was $20 trillion when he took office and yet we were unprepared for a pandemic.

What have career politicians been doing for the last 50 years besides enriching themselves and promoting globalization, open borders, immigrant rights, bilingual education, unrestricted voting, common core, gender pronouns, global warming, gun control, identity politics, racial tension, abortion, higher taxes and government dependence? Like drunken sailors, they squandered the wealth of the nation and saddled future generations with crushing debt while neglecting our infrastructure needs and existential threats to our nation.

If fault is to be found, surely it lies with federal, state and local officials who failed to plan and prepare. The president is not responsible for decades of legislative inaction and misplaced priorities.

The left spent the last three years and millions of dollars investigating Russian collusion and pursuing impeachment. Maybe all that time, effort and money could have been better spent. I don’t recall media talking heads or congressional committees demanding action. In fact, they tried to curtail efforts to contain the virus by portraying travel restrictions as racist. So, spare us the Monday morning quarterbacking. Unless you have something to contribute going forward, please shut up.

Mike Rodgick

Carson City

Trump wasn’t in the game

Did Donald Trump drop the ball? Excuse me! In order to drop the ball, you gotta be in the game. The Donald has never been in the game.

Nothing to do but put him out in right field and hope for the best.

Without him you could have won the championship. Instead, you got the obligatory "participation ribbon." Only this time, that's not enough for our current right fielder. He thinks he deserves more. After all, he is the greatest right fielder of all time . The ratings prove it. There has never been anyone like him. No, the ribbon will not do. This guy needs more. So why not the Nobel Peace Prize? After all, no one in history has accomplished more than him. It's not even a contest.

And yet he is often flummoxed that so many of us do not see him in that same light. After all, he is the "chosen one." We need to show more respect and deference to his amazing brain, and his ability to bring people together and to get things done. Just a suggestion. When he does get his Nobel Prize, he should simultaneously bestow the Medal of Freedom upon himself. Surely that glorious "Daily Double" will convince us skeptics that we've judged him too harshly all along. With that ceremony, for all Americans to witness, he surely will usher in a new and unique sense of National pride and appreciation for one Donald J. Trump.

"Rick! Wake up. You're flailing about and having some weird dream!"

"Whew. Thanks Babe."

Rick Van Alfen

Carson City

Trump’s leadership comes through in briefings

Mr. Fischer’s letter suggested, “Trump should remove himself from daily briefings.” I had to chuckle as I read his missive. I read his letter carefully, hoping to discover some original thought.

President Trump’s briefings are valuable. The communication improvement from the beginning of the briefings right up to the latest is noticeable. I do agree with Mr. Fischer that the briefings have essentially enhanced his image. That, however, is not a contrived political plan.

His image is being enhanced by virtue of his demonstrated leadership. Watching his briefings with the medical, military, law enforcement and business professionals’ team demonstrates we have a president who is up to the task and is exceeding expectations. Those who seek to diminish his work are now alarmed because he is gaining favorable approval with each briefing, not because of his efficacy.

There is no constitutional requirement for the federal government to dictate how much emergency equipment state governors must purchase. It is just the opposite, the responsibility lies with individual governors. Big government specifically fails because it is unable to effectively coordinate the vast needs of our diverse states.

If assigning blame Mr. Fischer, I suggest a look in the mirror. In America, citizenship and problem resolution start with the individual citizen. If your issue is not resolved at that level, seek neighborhood help, then the city managers and finally to state and federal levels. The best place to find a helping hand Mr. Fischer, is at the end of your own arm.

James Rowen

Gardnerville

Dems too busy playing politics

During this time of crisis it's important that we all work together. The continued assaults by Democrats upon President Trump, as he and his medical team work to bring our country back, are nothing more than a continuation of the same old false accusations that began before his inauguration.

Trump works tirelessly everyday to provide the latest information on this pandemic while subjecting himself to the constant idiotic questions by reporters whose only objective is to catch him saying something they can sensationalize on one of their far left media outlets. They misquote him or completely distort his statements leading people who only watch these leftwing media outlets to believe our president is doing something diabolical instead of helping.

Maybe folks should look at who is really damaging our country. In an effort to help our unemployed workers and business owners the Senate put together a bipartisan Stimulus Bill. Instead of voting to pass this legislation and get it out to the people, Nancy Pelosi chose to delay it and fill it full of unnecessary and unwarranted “pork.” This “pork” money could have provided additional relief to folks who need it instead of to Democratic supporters, like the Kennedy Center, and had nothing whatsoever to do with the coronavirus.

And I, for one, am also sick of seeing Cuomo every morning droning on and on about needing supplies for New York and blaming Trump for his shortage. If he had had the foresight to spend some of his budget on stockpiling needed emergency supplies instead of spending it on failed “green new deal” nonsense, he may have been much better prepared and wouldn't have had to totally rely on the federal government to provide masks, PPE clothing, and respirators. We all know he has presidential aspirations and wants as much free airtime as possible, but enough is enough. It's time Democrats stop their constant partisan attacks on our president and work with Republicans to get this country back on its feet. The voters will decide in November who will lead our country back to economic recovery and prosperity.

Lynn Rader

Dayton

Supervisors ignored voters

Guy Farmer's commentary in the Nevada Appeal on March 28 set forth information on the cannabis industry that has influenced elected and other officials and changed a community's way of life.

Carson City residences voted “no” to recreational marijuana, but certain members of the Board of Supervisors had a better idea and developed a policy to ignore the voters’ decision and allow the "gateway drug" to be part of the community revenue sources. The mayor and sheriff proudly proclaim the revenues from the sale of marijuana would be used for a traffic unit. None of our officials had the foresight or considered the damage their policy would have on Carson City.

With the information provided from Mr. Farmer's commentary, the community considers "Pot Shops" now as being essential, and not subject to the Governor's Executive Order for closure. The Pot Shops are now “Drug Stores,” and our cannabis industry supporting Board of Supervisors should be referred to as the “Cannabis Squad” or “Drug Squad” whichever is appropriate. Their shenanigans in developing policies has created an open city as it relates to drug availability and use for our youth and others.

The 2020 election is in just seven months and those ethically challenged board members will be leaving. The elected new mayor and board should consider changing policies that would benefit the community and take the influence of the cannabis industry out of local politics and elections.

Paul McGrath

Carson City