Letters to the editor 04/06/09

Smoking bill would supercede local laws

Secondhand smoke is deadly to everyone. Because secondhand smoke is not safe at any level of exposure, the only way to protect non-smokers from it is by banning smoking indoors. In reality, disallowing smoking from indoor employment areas protects both smokers and non-smokers.

The Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act, which is in effect now, disallows smoking in most indoor places and lets each county in Nevada to create and enforce its own laws on smoking. With the new proposed bill, SB372, the ability to enforce and create smoking laws in any county in Nevada would become significantly reduced.

It would prohibit the ability of local law enforcement or local health agencies from being able to enforce any type of smoking law. The new bill would also exclude local governments the ability to pass any stronger law against it. By passing this law Nevadans would actually lose part of their voice in local government.

In addition to reducing local government powers against smoking, the new bill would allow smoking areas in grocery stores and restaurants where minors are very commonly present. Pushing the excess of deadly and unnecessary habits onto children should not be allowed anywhere. Passing SB372 would reverse all of Nevada's progress against smoking in the last 20 years and put us in a worse position than where we were before the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act. Support smoking and support lung cancer. Don't be a supporter of lung cancer and oppose SB372.

KATIE MCFARREN

Carson City

Bailouts for automakers set a bad example

The automakers are asking for more bailout money, for what? To manufacture more cars. Problem is, nobody's buying the cars that are already made and sitting in the dealers lots collecting dust.

Your average person cannot afford to buy a new car, even if they have a job, and the unemployed can barely make the payments on the car they have along with any other bills, rent, utilities, etc.

The new administration is doing the same as the old by telling us to 'spend spend spend' and they are leading by example, a bad example at that.

GEORGE LEMOS

Carson City

Amending state's helmet law a good idea

AB300 does not repeal Nevada's helmet law, it amends it, giving an adult the choice to wear a helmet or not. Those under age 21 will still be required to wear one.

The proposed amendment requires the rider to have one year riding experience and have passed a state approved motorcycle safety course.

This will bring Nevada's helmet law in line with the majority of the rest of the states in the union. Polls taken found that 75 percent of motorcyclists avoid traveling through or vacationing to states that mandate helmet use.

The effectiveness of a helmet as a safety device is debatable. Utah, without a mandatory helmet law and the same population has half the fatalities of Nevada with a mandatory law. This is true with other helmet choice states. Considering the dire need to attract tourism and the questionable value of a helmet to save lives, if often causes neck damage, and the loss of another personal freedom; Amending Nevada's helmet makes sense.

JOHN BLAND

Elko

Generosity is always a meaningful act

There always seems to be a time in every person's life that gets tough and almost unbearable. Unfortunately the time for me is now. And I understand completely that I am far from alone in this.

What seems to get me through the hard times are the people. Not just friends and family either.

Sometimes the kindness of strangers means the most. It is automatic to take care of those closest to you. But when someone goes out of their way to help you without even knowing who you are, it means so much more.

There is a man named Benny down here in Gardnerville that I like to call Santa Claus. This man is generous on every level.

He is retired now but has worked hard all of his life and definitely deserves to kick back, relax and enjoy his life. Instead, he hardly ever gets to kick back or relax, but he never forgets to enjoy life and loves to help others do the same.

I can't begin to write down all that he has done for my family and so many others. I am so thankful for Benny and hope that his generosity can be contagious. I know it has been for me.

MICHELLE SCHALK

Gardnerville