Ask health-care providers for meningitis information
I am writing to inform the public that there is a vaccine available for bacterial meningitis, the disease that killed Justin Talley, the 20-year-old man. My heart goes out to his family, as I also have a 20-year-old son. Both my children have been vaccinated.
As stated in the article, this disease is highly contagious and all older children and young adults should be vaccinated. Perhaps some of you have seen the ads on TV. This disease truly can kill in 24 hours. Please call your health-care provider and ask about being immunized for meningitis. The Carson City Public Health Department on 900 E. Long St. also has the meningococcal vaccine. Their phone number is 887-2195.
Shots are given Thursdays only and cost $16 for children younger than 18 years old. Please give this serious consideration. Your child's health depends on it. Thank you.
DIANNE SOLINGER
Carson City
Environmentalists, Democrats driving U.S. gas prices backward
Did anyone notice that the price of gasoline started to drop from its record prices almost immediately after President Bush signed the executive order to approve drilling in the Gulf of Mexico?
Did anyone notice that the price of gasoline increased by about 20 cents per gallon within days of President-elect Obama's choice for Secretary of Energy? The choice for Energy Secretary is Steven Chu, an anti-oil drilling, anti-coal power plants fanatic.
Even as I write this letter, the price of gasoline is inching up toward $2 per gallon, in spite of the recession! It will continue upward to its previous highs or higher until the United States resolves to drill for more oil, makes provisions for more power plants (to power our electric cars) and creates a sensible energy policy.
Is anyone aware that the Chinese have a pact with Cuba to drill in the Gulf off the shore of Cuba? Why should the United States not drill in the Gulf if China is going to drill there?
Another question. Do you think we can recover from this recession without reasonably priced and adequate oil supplies? Windmills. Solar power and the other "green" sources of power can't power trains, planes and large trucks.
I wonder how many people who voted for Obama remember the effect on the economy during the OPEC oil embargo during the 1970s?
If the fanatic environmentalists had as much influence on Congress and the president 100 years ago that they have now, horses and oxen would have been outlawed because of their generation of methane and manure and our ancestors would have had to plow their fields with manpower.
The extreme environmentalists and the upcoming Democratic administration may yet accomplish what the Taliban and al-Qaida have been unable to do, drive the citizens of the United States into the 17th century.
If you want a responsible energy policy for the United States, yourself and your ancestors, write or call your Congressmen and make your opinion known.
DON GURNEY
Carson City
State retirees, workers of Nevada unite!
Listen up all Nevada state employees and retirees, time is running out for you to face your responsibility.
Why is it when there is a budget shortfall it always falls on the shoulders of the state workers? It is fact that state employees are being treated without consideration and appreciation. This great state could not function one day without these dedicated state employees, not so for the Legislature that is going to make the decisions for their future.
And it is obvious they are tired of being treated like Cinderella. Not only is it nearly impossible for the employees to survive on their wages, their health benefits are being slashed as well. Does the Legislature have the same wages, retirement and benefits? Better check this out! Then there are the ones that are going to be without employment at all. What has happened to this great state? Could it be managerial incompetence?
Then there are the retirees that can no longer get a job, none available, if they were capable. So cutting their health benefits is taking from the disabled. Is this what Nevada and America is all about?
Raising mining taxes a bit and increasing the room tax on tourists who can afford to vacation just might be a novice idea. Do you think tourists want to vacation where the area is in a depressed state? Would you? Guess this might be too simple.
The privilege is always yours to write letters to your senators and congressmen voicing your opinion. Let's all pull together and attend the Legislature hearing that affects our health benefits when it is announced. The more in attendance the better. (Heaven forbid if every state worker takes a sick day!) The responsibility is yours, no one else's, so unless you are satisfied with your situation please join the rest of us.
BILL AND MARIE SWEETWOOD
Nevada state retirees
Carson City
Prison management
placed above public safety
Your safety is in the hands of an obscure committee. Three recommendations have been forwarded to the governor:
- Move the Division of Parole and Probation under the Department of Corrections.
- Move all probation functions under the office of the Supreme Court Administrator. Parole functions are shifted to NDOC.
- Break up probation and court services by district court area and place it under each district court. All pre-sentence writers and probation supervision would be under the district courts
Let's examine each idea:
First, P&P currently makes recommendations about using public safety as its first criteria. If NDOC operates both the probation and parole system, it may use probation and or parole revocations as a population management tool. What is more important, your safety or prison management?
Currently P&P supervises both probationers and parolees as a single population.
If broken up, each probation and parole unit will need its own office space, furniture, computers and a separate computer tracking system, two Interstate compact offices, two fugitive apprehension Units, two restitution collection systems, two management teams and two sets of support staff. Clearly the counties or the state cannot afford this. This does nothing to increase offender supervision and make the public safer.
Separate parole and probation supervision is the California model.
Los Angeles County probation officers stay in the office. In Los Angeles, most offenders report to kiosks, insert a card, and have a time stamped photo taken. That is their sole contact with the offender. It is paper probation. Offenders usually are not revoked until they have committed a new crime.
P&P Chief Bernie Curtis recognizes the potential threat to the public's safety and is vigorously opposing the change.
Currently, prison population is declining, parole and probation populations are stable or declining and new cases appear to be declining.
This does not save money, improve government efficiency, or protect the public. In fact it grows government, incurs needless duplicate costs and places prison management above public safety.
EDGAR MCDONALD
North Las Vegas
**Peggy needs to OK this letter before publishing**
Between us chickens, the
fox is guarding the henhouse
Dear Mr. Fox,
We, the people of the chicken hatchery, wish to comment on your administration of our hen house. You promised us that when we, on your word, provided 350B chickens to alleviate our egg shortage, that it would go a long way to alleviate the problem.
Now we find that you want 350B more chickens and your cousin foxes will monitor egg production.
Somehow I feel you're just going to leave us with egg on our face.
JOE HANUS
Carson City
Return of lost keys
proves good folks exist
There are still good folks around.
On Monday, Jan. 12, I needed both sets of keys to my car when I went downtown. I visited several stores in Douglas County and Carson City.
On Tuesday, Jan. 13, I couldn't find the second set of keys. In my mind I retraced my steps on the 12th. I didn't think I lost them at the first store I revisited, which proved true. The second store was Smith's in Carson City and there they were at the customer desk. Someone had turned them in.
I don't know who turned them in, but I thank them and want to let them know I really appreciate it.
JOHN CROSSLEY
Carson City
Obama not the one
for all, no way, no how
Alas, as I walked through the valley in the shadow of books, I feared no evil for the further I ventured into this valley, into this place where one can go to find a book, CD or magazine, I felt safe because I saw a bright light ahead of me.
This light was guiding me, helping me in my time of loneliness in a country that has been taken over by the liberals, the left wing wackos and, with my belief in the Lord, I knew I was getting closer to the one true light. I felt safe, I felt like I could walk on water if the Lord asked me to.
As I walked further down the aisle toward the light I felt my heart speed up with the joy at the pure thought of seeing our Lord. I could hardly take a step forward because the light grew brighter and brighter with each step.
As I turned the corner I slipped my sun glasses on because at that point the light was blinding me, I walked forward into light. What the heck? Was this a joke? Some sort of prank being played on my senses?
For there, sitting on a table in the middle of the book store was the source of the bright light. I stood there in front of this so-called table, more like an alter of sorts piled high with information on the "one." I felt like crying, I felt my skin start to shrivel up, I wanted to run away but the light drew me closer and closer. At this stage I was about to get sick.
The "one" has been chosen and we should honor him. We should pay homage to the great "he is" in buying all the crap that he has for sale.
Guess what Obama, you ain't all that and you aren't my savior, no way, no how. People walking by talked in soft tones as if they were afraid of offending the "one." Obama ain't no god and you people that think he is, wake up.
LEE ELLIOTT
Carson City
Backs of Americans
bending, soon to break
Did everyone read the article on the mega American Embassy in Iraq? (Nevada Appeal, Jan. 6.) It is ten times larger than any of our embassies in the world and built at a staggering cost of S700 million.
Now, according to our government, it can't house and feed the homeless and poor, can't repair decaying bridges across the nation and our school children will suffer lack of services, all this because of lack of funding. I am tired of our government officials putting aside the needs of their constituents (us) for the wants of the president, big money and countries around the world. When do we matter?
Unfortunately, our government has shown us time and time again that we do not matter. I say we do matter and we deserve better. This country is in a downward spiral and our people are floundering - $700 million for a building in Iraq? What about us? (Get it? We are the U.S.); the homeless and poor, health care, Social Security, home foreclosures and high unemployment?
What about the bailouts the government is handing out? How many of us is that really going to trickle down to? (First the CEOs will get their salaries and bonuses, even though they have mismanaged these companies. And don't forget, they are not even being made accountable for the spending of this money.) We are our government's No. 1 priority. I say let's bail out our people and make this country the strong, great nation it once was.
A government is only as strong as the backs of the common people. Our backs are bending, soon to break. Am I the only person who thinks we are becoming a Third World country, invading and dictating to others, and going broke in the process?
SANDRA MEDEIROS
Stagecoach
Eliminate consultants
and see what that saves
There is already talk about no raises for state workers in the next biennial budget and possible increases in the portion the employees and retirees pay for their health care. Now the governor is proposing up to 6 percent salary reductions.
During my 40-plus years of employment a significant amount of time was spent analyzing and monitoring budgets.
When a hiring freeze is implemented because of budget constraints, as is the current situation, a state agency is required to submit to the State Budget Office a request and justification to fill a vacant position. The request is often denied. But instead of accepting the denial and making necessary adjustments, which would result in a real cost saving, the state agency often does an "end around" by hiring a "consultant" to fill the position.
Very often the "consultant" is a former agency employee who has retired and comes back as a contract employee. The cost of the employee is not charged to the "payroll" part of the state budget, but to a different budget category. Some of the rationale used for this decision is that money is saved by not having to pay "employee benefits" to the consultant. Even though the "consultant" does not get paid "benefits" and the state does not have to follow the state personnel rules for a "permanent employee," in most cases the state does not save money because a consultant is paid more per hour and the cost is just moved from one budget category to another.
Before the state Legislature passes legislation to cause state employees to have their wages reduced, the state needs to eliminate every "consultant" under contract and see how much money that will save.
The Legislature needs to ensure that whatever changes are made, they are applied equally to classified and non-classified. There are way too many people being paid by the state who bypass the rules of the State Personnel Commission. It is long overdue to correct these unsound practices.
JOYCE PEIRCE
Carson City
State workers unfairly
asked to balance budget
I fail to understand the rationale behind the governor's apparent refusal to recognize that the state of Nevada has finally reached a point in its history where the state needs to find a consistent source of income. There are people in this state who somehow believe that government services should not be paid for by its very users, the citizens.
It was a wonderful situation when gaming and mining could support Nevada. We relied on others to provide the funding that paid for our public works, health and human services, our justice system and public education. Well, times have changed. Nevada no longer has the corner on gaming. And, then we have our current national economic crisis. Times are tough.
To help alleviate this recession, our governor is not seeking to establish any long-term, permanent solution. Instead, he has chosen to have state workers and teachers pay for the state's debt. He has not asked all the citizens of Nevada to pay the state's expenses (in some places this is called a tax, but heaven forbid Nevada should have a structured, fair tax). No, only some Nevadans will pay. I wonder that if the 6 percent pay cut isn't enough, perhaps we could ask an additional identified group of people to pay, perhaps those with blue eyes or people who watch TV.
State workers and educators are employees. They work for a living, so why should they be fined in order to pay for the state deficit? Doesn't it make more sense, and wouldn't it be better for Nevada, if everyone were invested in the state's economic recovery and paid a little, rather than a small group paying a lot? How about if everyone is fined at, say 2 percent, rather than a small group paying 6 percent? We can call it a citizens' fine. Then we can continue with our head in the sand and use that traditional, rally round the flag slogan, "No New Taxes."
KAREN SCOTT
Carson City