The V&T Railway supporters are pushing for its development with the aid of a special tax. I am concerned about this tax on all of us while only special interests benefit. How will multiple use interests benefit from a train going through Carson River Canyon between Deer Run Road and Mound House? For years, the old grade has been used by many as the only access to a good portion of the river and canyon. I am convinced that once the train goes through there, all other users, be it bikes, ATVs, regular vehicles, equestrians or pedestrians, will be prohibited from using the grade or a fair alternative. Federal guidelines prohibit the use of trains and other uses in the same alignment. I think we will be told that topography and private property will render an equitable alternative for a shared use trail/road cost prohibitive and environmentally damaging. So, if that tax is enacted, the majority of us who have utilized the grade for years will be paying for the loss of our access to the river and canyon while one special interest benefits.
SKIP CANFIELD
Carson City
Peace symbol story gave him a headache
Your front page coverage of the "Peace symbol turns 50" should take a prize for the LARGEST WASTE OF A FRONT PAGE IN A LONG WHILE! The elaborate detail the writer went into to put a positive spin on a negative icon gives me a headache.
He's probably too young to have been spat on returning from Vietnam or even wearing a uniform. Who knows, maybe he would have been a spitter?
Conservatives still dismiss the symbol as a brand of the leftist counterculture, something that should be tattooed on Hanoi Jane Fonda's forehead.
Your willingness to acknowledge some positive effect on this nation by the "counterculture" is evidence that your editors are swayed so far left that they cannot produce an impartial newspaper.
Luckily, they are not in step with this great community.
It's been said a million times and ways but the only reason the counterculture and left-wingers are allowed to exist and spew their garbage is because patriotic and duty-conscious Americans have died in combat to pass the right along.
Like nearly everything produced and celebrated in the 1960s, we would all be better off without that "footprint of the American Chicken."
For those of us that desire peace, and fought for it, spelling it out in ENGLISH is more palatable.
BRUCE ROSIN
Minden
Appreciation for Monte Fast's work
It's a sad day in Carson City to learn of Monte Fast's retirement from FISH.
This man is a man among men. He is compassionate without compromise, innately fair and honest without deliberation, just and righteous in calm or foul conditions.
I've been fortunate to work with Monte at FISH. I have witnessed Monte energizing the clients and workers to success and instilling in them a dedication to the goodness of themselves and the community. Monte is the teacher that we all remember who inspired us and who gave us knowledge and grace.
Through the supreme generosity of the good people of the community, Monte has been enabled to cast a legacy of caring nurturing and helpfulness few have accomplished before.
FISH owes the people of Carson City and beyond much gratitude. We must now bow in return and say to Monte, thank you, we have learned from you, we have benefited from you many times over. Take care, be well.
ROBERT A. SIMPSON
Dayton
Wilderness doesn't mean giving land away
In the letters for March 25 there was a heading "Wants no part of wilderness designation." As I was out of town at the time of the Smith Valley meeting discussed in the letter I can only assume that the bulk of the letter was an accurate report of the reactions of those present. However, someone needs to disabuse our readers of the utterly ridiculous closing comments relating to Federal Wilderness in general.
Wilderness designation does NOT "give our lands away" to anyone! Wilderness area can only be established on land which is presently owned and will continue to be owned by the citizens of the United States, mostly in National Forest, National Park or BLM land. No "special interest groups" obtain ownership of such lands or benefit from them. There is absolutely no danger that such designation will result in "denying Nevadans access to their own backyards." Hunting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, camping, riding your horse or paddling your raft, canoe or kayak will be in no way restricted. PEOPLE will not be excluded, but they will be required to leave their high-powered, noisy, gas-guzzling, destructive weed spreading toys outside.
LARRY TAYLOR
Carson City
Democrats mistrust the people's will
Some Democratic voters seem upset with the possibility that super-delegates will overturn the primaries' popular votes. Democratic upset escapes me because the super-delegates' potential to substitute their judgment for the people's is absolutely consistent with current Democratic political thought.
The Democratic Party is four-square in favor of ever-increasing national government power. Increasing regulation instead of allowing us to behave as we choose and increasing taxes instead of letting us spend as we choose are two prime examples. We, the party believes to its core, too often make bad decisions. We need supervision and such supervision is better provided by the government than by the marketplace.
The marketplace, after all, is composed of mere ordinary people acting in their own self interests; those in government are wiser and make wiser decisions.
The parallel is perfect. Mere voters are only acting to select the candidate who reflects their values; the DNC is wiser and makes wiser decisions. Super-delegates are the mechanism by which the wise DNC provides the needed supervision.
People require supervision to make sure they live their lives wisely. Democratic voters require supervision to make sure they select their candidate wisely.
What is the problem?
DAVID CAMPBELL
Carson City
Bush, Heller are keeping us safe
Dick Cheney recently made it clear that pursuing the terror war is the right thing, regardless of opinion polls. Who could blame letter writer Vince Coyle for failing to recognize real leadership when he sees it? Public whim dictates all Democrat policymaking.
Maybe Coyle was on Phobos during Clinton's peace-through-weakness administration and missed the CIA shootings, the WTC, Cole, Khobar, and U.S. embassy bombings, and 9/11. Dean Heller clearly remembers these events and supports the Bush policies that keep us safe.
History repeats itself. Vietnam forced an earlier Republican administration to wipe up after a Democrat foreign policy cock-up. Now Democrat anti-war zealots think the fog generated by waving cardboard signs and writing letters will conceal their party's guilt for the thousands of mostly civilian deaths from their support of Clinton's inaction.
Jill Derby's announced vanity rerun at Congress this year puts me in mind of Pia Zadora's stab at show business. Nevada's biggest loser would be Harry Reid in drag, trying to surrender the battlefield to the jihadis. I'm thankful voters in the Congressional district are too wise to ever let that happen.
Work for a Republican majority in Congress this fall to support Dean Heller's good work.
LYNN MUZZY
Minden
Biomass problems are widespread
I have been on the inside of the biomass problem for more than a year. A lot of erroneous things have been put in print about the subject. It really can be summed up with saying there were/are too many chiefs and too few Indians on that project.
It started with two state employees coming up with the idea and getting a bid from a company that had NO experience with biomass plants. The state believed all it was told, a huge mistake. First, a single fuel hybrid is very inefficient. A dual fuel should have been built to avoid the 'lack' of fuel problems seen now. The payback from selling power back to the net on either fuel is the same.
As for the two state employees, it was said in an article here that one retired; sorry, he was fired. The second was taken off the project. The company that built the plant has been the source of most of the difficulties as of lately. They had no startup team, just an older guy that had no wood-fired boiler experience. He has succeeded in putting a lot of the major components of the plant in questionable condition.
A new company was hired a few months ago that has the expertise to start and run the plant effectively but with the state's budget crunch the old company is maintained with the thought they will foot the startup costs. In the last two weeks, several startups have been attempted with breakdowns stopping it every time. The contractor has blamed everyone but themselves because of lawsuits being bantered back and forth. Two knowledgeable guys were falsely blamed for an obvious mistake by the contractor and fired.
That plant has run a lot more than three days in a row as stated in an article, it has run weeks at a time but not in full auto as it should. A 30-year boilerman recommended the new company brought in to take over after it is accepted by the state, avoid this plant at all costs - my opinion exactly!
RONALD MCBROOM
Carson City
A team approach needed to gas prices
I had to purchase gas for my car this morning. I was unpleasantly surprised with the four cents a gallon increase from yesterday's price. Since I bought my car five months ago, the price of gas has increased 64 cents a gallon. FYI in January of 2001 the price of a gallon of gas was $1.50 a gallon - today $3.43.
I want to strongly suggest we take a positive approach to the rising price of gas. As a nation, we need everyone to be part of the solution to develop an alternative to fossil fuels. Hydrogen is one possibility, electricity another. I received an e-mail that showed the development of a car that runs on water. You would not have to have a special infrastructure for water like you would have to have to purchase hydrogen. I would like to have the "market" decide by voting with their dollars.
Remember the word, TEAM, Together Everyone Accomplishes More. Our economy needs a TEAM approach to develop an alternative because at this moment we are addicted to fossil fuels. If you have an opinion of the state of our economy now, wait until you see the state of our economy when gas reaches $4 or more a gallon for regular gasoline.
There are two ways to cook a frog. One way is to place the frog in a pot with water and then turn on the heat. The frog does not realize it is being cooked. At this moment, we are all frogs getting cooked by three cents a gallon here and four cents a gallon there. We need to get out of the pot and work as a TEAM.
KEN BEATON
Carson City
Deputies handcuffed by new laws
Sheriff Furlong is seeking help to control the gangs of this city. The police officers of today have to go by the laws that have been passed. They have to tell the suspect not to say anything and if they can't afford an attorney, one will be provided to them.
I don't see why the citizens have to pay for this. This law only helps the attorneys make a fast dollar. If we could get it through to the criminals' and gang members' heads, "is the crime worth the time?" it would help a lot.
I worked for Bill Furlong in the 1970s. He taught me to treat everyone as you would want to be treated under the same conditions.
Police officers today have their hands tied overall by the new laws. I don't care what school or law degrees you have, it won't mean a thing if you don't have common sense.
What I'm trying to say is that we need fewer attorneys in public office and more people with common sense.
PARD HOSKING
Carson City