Letters to the editor 12-4

U.S. still dependent on foreign oil

During the Carter Administration, on Aug. 4, 1977, the Department of Energy was created. The reason for its creation was to get America off the "dependence on foreign oil."

Now some 31 years later we have a federal department with an annual budget of $24.2 billion a year, a staff of 16,000 federal employees, and about 100,000 contract employees. Guess what, we are still depending on foreign oil. As taxpayers did we get shafted and someone else gets the gold mine? It sure seems that way.

During this past election campaign we heard "Drill, baby, drill." OK, the campaign is over, the price of oil per barrel is down below $50, it may be lower, and we do not hear anything about getting rid of our dependence on foreign oil. The environmentalists have probably cornered your representative in Congress and told them that drilling for oil is off the table. The price is down and this crisis has passed; do not consider doing any drilling. I would bet that OPEC will get the price back up to over $150 per barrel by this time next year.

If the drilling issue does not come up shortly after our representatives are back in session in January, then I would say the environmentalists did get to them. I have to wonder who is pulling the strings of the some 545 people in Washington, D.C., who are supposed to represent you and me. Does your vote count or does the lobbyist and special interest money have more pull?

Now we know who has the gold and who got the shaft.

BILL PYATT

Dayton

Church's good works extend far, wide

I would like to offer some clarification about the pumpkin smashing event for youth at First Presbyterian Church. This event is a fun way for the youth to get rid of their decomposing jack-o-lanterns from Halloween. They aren't "edible."

Twenty years ago I chose the First Presbyterian Church because they extended the comforting familiarity of denominational church traditions I was raised with, enhanced by the open minds and hearts of this congregation. This church embraces opportunities to extend a loving hand. Pastors Bruce Kochsmeier and Alan Dorway have led members of the congregation to impoverished neighborhoods in Mexico to build churches, Mississippi to rebuild homes broken by Hurricane Katrina, refugee camps, San Francisco's Mission District, and Ethiopia. The First Presbyterian Church actively supports the Food for Thought Project and F.I.S.H. along with other local organizations working with those experiencing hard times.

The Dialogue to End Homelessness and Hunger was funded by our youth pastor, Alan Dorway, and his wife, Elizabeth. One would be hard pressed to find two people more passionate about these circumstances in our area. The Dorways have brought together people from all denominations to address conditions that create homelessness and allow children to go without food in Carson City. I would urge anyone interested in helping them to call Alan at the church office: 882-1031.

The choice to raise my sons in the First Presbyterian Church is one I have never regretted. It has extended myriad creative opportunities since they were little to contribute to those less fortunate and to be thankful for those opportunities.

KATHY BARTOSZ

Carson City

Wild horses not native to Nevada

I would like to comment on Nevada's obsession with the debacle of the "wild horse." The problem started when the Europeans discovered the Americas.

The horses that are on the range have very little in common with the "Mustangs" that were first here. I doubt those short, snub-nosed and, let's face it, ugly animals would grace the hearts of so many.

We now have animals that adapted well and who were introduced to the West, some even more recently as would-be cowboys found how much work and cost a hay-burner really was.

Now it is everyone's problem. I applaud the BLM for trying to deal with this, but they are hampered by vocal, emotional groups who offer little or no real solution to a problem that grows bigger every day. I wish they were as passionate about the mule deer, antelope, elk and other indigenous animals of the Great Basin which compete for the range along with cattle.

What about the bison? There was little outcry when the private heard that was an attraction for years in Jacks Valley and whose ancestors once roamed here were sold to slaughter.

I salute the passion of people like the Roses (letter Nov. 23) but if we let the wild horse roam as God truly intended they would be back on the European continent. Here in the Great Basin they will starve and die cruelly along with the other competing wildlife. They in fact should be sent back to Europe. But - they eat them there!

BOB FRANCIS

Carson City

Lyon County residents need TV service

Good morning Mr. McPherson. You are our (Silver Springs-Stagecoach area) representative on the Board of Commissioners for Lyon County, so I am appealing to you to carry the message of many residents.

There are only 83 days and counting until the TV screens for many Lyon County residents will be unviewable.

Lyon County residents who do not or cannot get cable for financial or location reasons or cannot afford satellite for TV reception will be left behind. Even though they may have prepared for Feb. 17, 2009, by investing in the digital TV converter boxes, the boxes will not work, as the county seems bent on abandoning the translators for Lyon County residents.

Please remember, many residents are already in pain economically, even without this recession. Those of you who are fortunate enough to have cable or satellite are better off than many.

I am asking, again, does the Lyon County 911 reverse calling system call us with Amber Alerts, extreme weather warnings, road conditions, breaking news, or give the residents a way to stay in tune with the rest of the world? Will the 911 emergency reverse call system ring us up to let us know who wins the next election?

I am suggesting the commissioners do not put off this discussion to re-evaluation of the need for the translators to be maintained by the county. Please do not wait until the new commissioners are seated, as it may be too late to reverse commissioners' unproven decision to abandon financial upkeep on the translators. Surely Lyon County could find the money, if a sincere effort is made to continue upkeep of the translators?

VIRGINIA JOHNSON

Silver Springs

Creative financing ideas for V&T Railway

Here's two fund-raising ideas for the V&T Railway recon folks. First, they could follow Goldman-Sachs' lead, convert into a bank holding company and apply for TARP funds from Hank Paulson or Geithner once he comes in.

Failing that, perhaps they could all apply for unemployment, or better yet call themselves a WPA-style program and get federal job creation funding from Obama directly!

Good luck guys.

JIM LOHSE

Reno

Smashing pumpkins was not sinful

This is regarding Betty Brinson's comments on Nov. 23 Opinion, stating smashing pumpkins is wasting food. I am a member of the First Presbyterian Church that you are commenting on and until you get the whole story, it is wise to not throw out your appalling comments.

Yes, a whole array of foods can be made from pumpkins; however these pumpkins that are being smashed were carved out and had candles lit in them and sat outside for Halloween. Now, if you know of places or people that can take these used, carved, day old or older pumpkins, please let us know and you can come and collect them. I am pretty sure there are a lot of homes in Carson, Dayton, Minden and the surrounding areas that throw away their used up carved pumpkins. Ms. Brinson, there are sins as you suggested; however, our youth smashing the throwaway pumpkins from Halloween is not considered wasting food or sinning.

CONNIE CORLEY

Dayton

Lt. Gov. Krolicki's acts not felonious

Regarding Lt. Gov. Krolicki's indictment: It might just be me, but I don't see how spending money on children's college education rises to a felony. Let's see. No money missing. Every penny accounted for. Sounds horrific!

In today's budgetary environment, do we really need these highly paid government officials in court arguing back and forth over whether the money should have been spent on this or that aspect of the scholarship program? Murder, robbery, rape: These sound like felonies to me. The elements of Krolicki's indictment do not.

I, along with most people I've spoken to, would like to see this whole process out in the open so we can judge for ourselves whether this is dirty politics or justice at work.

RICHARD MRAZ

Gardnerville