Voting in favor of V&T tax
I'm a native Nevadan and have heard about the V&T Railroad all my life. As a child, I watched the television program "Bonanza" with the Cartwrights on the Ponderosa and the V&T Railroad in Virginia City. Every child dreamed of riding the train and going to the Ponderosa. Part of that dream is gone with the sale of the Ponderosa. We can still ride the train for a short distance; however, wouldn't it be a thrill for the young and old to ride to Virginia City from Carson City and back?
The CC1 initiative will ensure that we will have the railroad built to last for our children, grandchildren and future generations. We have an opportunity to protect history rather than complaining after it is gone. We can take a proactive measure plus help our community with an annual income for years. What a unique idea for us. We usually have ideas to spend money without a stream of revenue to balance the spending such as the V&T will provide for 99 years to Carson City.
The 1/8 of 1 cent sales tax will cost about 3 cents a day to the average family. We throw that much and more on our dressers or in a jar of loose change every day. Use that small change to preserve our heritage for all time.
I'm asking you as a long-time supporter to vote "YES" on CC1 to bring this wonderful historic railroad to Carson City, which in turn is the catalyst we need to pump up Carson City's economy.
MARSHA BURGESS
Carson City
Defending Obama, but not voting for him
Richard Reneaux's letter claiming that Barack Obama is not an American citizen is so full of factual errors I don't know where to start correcting them. But I will try.
First, Obama was born in Hawai'i a year after Hawai'i became a state. That alone makes him a citizen. Second, his mother was an American citizen, which automatically makes him a citizen even if he had been born in Baghdad. John McCain was born in Panama to American parents. He's an American citizen. Third, Obama's live-birth certificate from Hawai'i has been seen and verified as fact. Fourth, Obama may become the first bastard president, but unfortunately, with the loose moral standards of many of today's young people, he probably won't be the last.
Next, you do not have to be a natural-born American citizen to be a congressman or senator. There are several legislators in Congress today who are naturalized citizens. This doesn't make them any less effective.
Now that I have defended Obama's citizenship, let me say that I very firmly agree with Carol Koon's letter that he is a socialist. His voting record indicates that he will continue to grow entitlement programs and that he will try to take away our constitutional right to bear arms by enacting strict gun control legislation. Most thinking people feel that Obama as president will be dangerous for America. Barack Obama's purported policies stink much like his initials.
CLIFF YEATER
Stagecoach
Don't waste your vote
I wonder where all the intelligent, informed voters have gone. You know the people that listen to the political ads and campaign promises and then take the time to look into each promise to see just how it can be accomplished and what it would cost. The people that take a few minutes to look into the background of the candidate and their voting record in the past, their associations and their integrity. Whether or not they have fulfilled their past promises to their constituents or not. Whether they will be able to fulfill their current promises or whether their political associations will dictate their actions.
In other countries the people were led to believe that they were voting for candidates that would improve their lives, but in the long run it turned out that these very politicians were the ones that turned their country into a socialist or communist country. We cannot allow this to happen in the United States.
It is important that each and everyone remember this country was founded on the principal of the freedom of each citizen to have the right to pursue their own individual ambitions and goals. To reach the top of their field and enjoy the fruits of their labors without anyone or any governmental entity taking their hard earned money to support others that would not work as hard to achieve the same goals.
No matter what political party a voter belongs to, it is their personal responsibility to investigate every candidate before casting their valuable vote for that person.
Too many in Congress have forgotten who they work for and the only way to remedy that problem is to treat our votes as the precious freedom they represent. If we don't vote with caution and intelligence we waste our vote.
DIXIE BUSCH
Carson City