Ron Landmann wrote about "criminals" he and others "sent to Washington, D.C.," and singled out [Sen.] "Harry Reid" and his "criminal friends."
It serves no useful purpose to broadly characterize legislators as "criminals."
However, if Mr. Landmann has secret information of criminal conduct by Sen. Reid, he should make it available to Gregory A. Brower, who is the U. S. Attorney for the District of Nevada.
Mr. Landmann also wrote about an "$850 billion 'stimulus package,'" and said that amounted to "$277,826 for every man, woman and child in the U.S." Further, Mr. Landmann wanted his "money back."
I suppose the suggestion here is he has paid that amount in taxes at some point, and wants it all returned; he would therefore receive a free ride for all the government services during the years he paid "$278,826" in taxes.
But, perhaps the most injurious aspect of his view in not merely one of "entitlement," but bad math " for the perception it creates.
The discussed "stimulus package" is not $85 trillion as Mr. Landmann's math translates but $850 billion; that translates to about $2,800 per individual.
That is still a princely sum. But, in the dialogue of what government is doing right or wrong, all we need to begin with is, as Sgt. Friday used to say, "Just the facts, ma'am."
REED ROBBINS
Carson City
It would appear that Nevada's governor and lieutenant governor continue to live by their own rules and not those established by and for the people, as illustrated in the articles regarding the governor appointing Kirk Montero as the director of the Nevada Commission on Tourism.
The press secretary's explanation for departing from state law ("the post is to be filled following a search by the board,") was because it was "important" to fill the $117,000 a year post "as soon as possible ... It got to the point where action had to be taken." (The ends justify the means?)
NCOT Chairman Krolicki acknowledged that his commission "had not sent the names of three candidates (after receiving 67 on-time applications, unlike Montero's late application) for consideration. Does the word "dereliction" apply here?
Montero's only qualifications noted are his service in the local reservations office for Reno Air and his being station manager for US Air in Reno plus his two personal references from an RV dealer and from one of NCOT's commissioners.
Reservation managers manage the recording of bookings. They do not usually develop or advertise for those bookings. Logically, station managers are primarily responsible for on-time departures and baggage claims and, again, seldom participate in any marketing activities.
The director of tourism must be a person whose global knowledge of tourism and attitude toward the benefits that Nevada can gain with tourists must initiate new and repeat business. He or she must demonstrate energy, imagination, creativity and communications skills that can only enhance NCOT's mission. Diminishing the importance of Nevada's tourism while diminishing the staffing qualifications at NCOT would be disastrous.
Guy Rocha's resignation, noted in the same newspaper, where he emphasizes that "Tourism will no longer be able to sustain state government unless people are satisfied with a government so small it can't do very much at all," is a precursor of the current administration's plans for future "bailouts" by eliminating state staff workers and by combining the Economic Commission and the Tourism Commission ... a sure plan for failure.
NICK NICOSIA
Virginia City