Letters to the editor 4-15

Drivers need to pay

attention at crosswalks

Have you ever been walking on a crosswalk and almost been hit? I think drivers should be more cautious and observe who is walking before they accelerate.

In the Nevada driver's handbook, it states "Drivers should always be prepared to yield to pedestrians." If they can't follow a simple law, they should get ticketed. I think more people are killed crossing in the crosswalk than exceeding the speed limit. Therefore, the police of Nevada should focus on the safety of the pedestrians like they do on the speed limit.

The other day I was walking home and a group of people almost got run over even though the group had the right to cross. A couple of minutes later, my friend and I almost got run over as well. The driver was not paying attention when we were crossing. Is it that we, the pedestrians, don't pay attention or the driver's fault?

I always look both ways before I cross and I see people not even paying attention to the road or sidewalk. This makes me really mad. For example, I was half way across the crosswalk when a truck almost ran my brother and me over. The truck was just centimeters away from us. If I didn't move, we would have been hit. The drivers should pay attention.

MAYRA IBARRA

Carson City

Yucca Mountain an asset

worth billions of dollars

Yucca Mountain is a rich state asset that can bring billions of dollars and thousands of high-paying jobs to Nevada. But our politicians won't let it happen.

Finally, the people of this great state are getting beyond the politics and fear-mongering and seeing the new vision for Yucca; not just a repository but a world class nuclear research, development, reprocessing, power generation and storage facility that is safe, and can generate more than $90 billion for Nevada over its projected lifetime, not including thousands of high-paying jobs and infrastructure.

This groundswell of support for Yucca is being led by Assemblyman Ty Cobb, who is introducing a resolution (ACR 16) into the legislative committee on Elections, Procedures, Ethics and Constitutional Amendments. It calls for the state Legislature to direct the Agency for Nuclear Projects and the Commission on Nuclear Projects "to take a neutral, science-based" approach and to "immediately seek payments of money from the federal government."

This resolution demands the support of the Legislature and every Nevadan. Let your assemblyman and senator know that you want to move beyond the politics of the past and transform the debate on Yucca Mountain to an open objective evaluation of the facts.

Ask them to support ACR 16.

Douglas J. Bradshaw

Gardnerville

Paslov's latest blather

borders on the comical

Your paper continually prints columns by Eugene Paslov. Why? Taxing is his answer to every problem. He is a typical Socialist: He likes to spend what other people earn. His latest blather is so over-the-top; it's comical.

Paslov must be a medical doctor because he diagnosed Limbaugh as a self-hater filled with loathing. I actually went to YouTube to see this Limbaugh speech. Limbaugh is anything but a "rock star." A fat man who sweats probably doesn't feel comfortable in a suit and tie. Limbaugh clearly called for Obama's socialist plans and liberalism to fail. So what? An opinion poll in August '06 showed that 51 percent of Democrats wanted Bush to fail. Obviously, Paslov must think the majority of Democrats are "unpatriotic."

Paslov quotes French attitudes as being very supportive of their taxes and government services. Might the editors require some references and substantiation? France has had horrible race riots in the last two years which were well documented. Things in France and England are not all roses on the health-care front either. Both countries' health-care systems have extensive waiting periods for services (unless you have additional private sector health insurance).

Paslov's analytical ability is at its best when he states that he believes in the two-party system. It's funny, yet informative that George Washington thought the two-party system would be the country's ruin. Maybe Paslov's analytical abilities were used to put our education system into its current state of incompetence.

JOHN B. HEERAN

Washoe Valley

What's the point if

voting isn't upheld?

Who or what gave the Legislature the right to go against the wishes of the voters?

Aren't they supposed to represent the people who elected them? Those same people voted for the smoking ban as it is now written " not how some members of the Legislature seem to want it written. I for one hope this bill dies a quiet death "never to be heard from again.

I really do not enjoy inhaling somebody's secondhand smoke while I am trying to eat my meal. I would imagine my opinion regarding somebody else's smoke is shared by most if not all non-smokers. What's the point in even casting a ballot if the vote isn't going to be upheld?

MARILYN STURGES

Carson City