Government health care system not a good idea
I like Guy W. Farmer's July 5 article, but I would change the title to "The Media's Love Affair with Obama."
Recently, I was in the hospital and watched a lot of TV. I began to realize Obama is on every day - so often, I used the mute button. I don't need to know his every move.
And broadcasting from the White House, that should be a no-no. Americans are suckers for "breaking news." Is this really on a need-to-know-right-now basis?
Another comment is on a good letter from Linda McDonald of Genoa about health care. Since I have recently been hospitalized and worked several California hospital settings, I began to notice what I consider horrendous waste of services probably billed to Medicare.
Without asking me, I was set up for too many tests without knowing why. I just suddenly found I was going for "a test."
Because I am elderly, "they" feel it is OK. So, I refused it. It didn't have anything to do with why I was there. A patient can refuse treatment. I also asked what each pill was for. I refused a couple of meds I didn't want, so I said, "No." Hospital staff do not like this, nor do hospital staff physicians.
I am against any government-run health plan. As a retired psychologist, I worked in hospitals. Why not clean up the one we have before going trillions more into debt?
Barbara Griffiths Ph.D.
Gardnerville
Columnist accused of manipulation, deception
On June 28, the Nevada Appeal published Bill O'Reilly's column alleging media deception in The New York Times regarding its poll with CBS News about health care attitudes in the United States. In reality, there were three items published: Poll results, a feature story and analysis of results.
He did not say that this poll, taken five times since 2000, resulted each time with 62 percent to 64 percent of respondents favoring government as the guarantor of health insurance for all Americans.
O'Reilly said the poll questions were offered (thus skewed) "mostly to Obama voters." False. A computer made random selections from 69,000 residential phone numbers across the country. Results were weighted to adjust for region, sex, race, marital status, age and education.
O'Reilly said more people in the survey voted for President Obama than John McCain but conveniently ignored that political views of those polled were 27 percent liberal, 29 percent conservative and 37 percent moderate.
O'Reilly wrote that the poll identified voter preferences in the 2008 presidential election as 48 percent Obama and 25 percent McCain. He ignored that these figures pertain to registered voters who voted, whereas the survey was more broadly based.
Per O'Reilly, "for a democratic Republic to work, voters need honest information." He, however, "cherry picks" what will support his preconceptions while alleging media "deception." Manipulation and deception are with him, not with the poll and associated articles.
William Hamilton
Minden
Society shouldn't dictate, control someone's life
For many generations, marriage has been between a man and a woman. Over the years, there have been relationships between same-sex couples in many civilizations throughout history. Thousands of people in today's society do not agree with same-sex marriages. Should society encourage traditional forms of family life? What is a traditional form of family life?
Many people have their own opinions and beliefs on how their lives should be lived based on their beliefs and traditions. In my opinion, granting legal marriage rights under the law should be expanded to gays and lesbians to assure that all citizens enjoy full human rights. Same-sex couples seeking marriage are obviously determined to stay together or they wouldn't be trying so hard to get married. They are human beings just like the rest of us. Why pass laws that would prevent them from filing income taxes jointly, or inheriting each other's property?
Our government makes it nearly impossible for a couple of the same sex to adopt a child in the United States, when for a married traditional couple, it is a quick process to become adoptive or foster parents.
The main reason why society is against same-sex marriages is because it is against the beliefs of the Bible. There should be a separation between church and state. When did society come to the conclusion that they can dictate and control someone's life? They are entitled to equal rights because they are human beings just like you and me.
Lorena Mendez
Carson City
The rest of the story about Treadway Park
I was somewhat disturbed to review the most interesting story (about Treadway Park) and then to feel that your reporter seemed to miss the real significance of this park and its founding. I don't think he was listening to the speakers, and seemed to miss the historical aspect of this event.
The role played by Tahoe Carson Hospital should have received a large amount of credit in the ownership and development of the parcel known as Treadway Park. The original players in the development were the Carson-Douglas Board of Realtors, Carson-Tahoe Hospital, with the use of Park and Recreation Construction Tax funding, and the designer of the park plan, a local engineering firm Resource Concepts Inc. CTH Administrator Tom Collier and the hospital trustees approved the plan in l984. The Realtors furnished labor, equipment and volunteer time to build the park. It was truly a community project. The Cirrus Corp. bought the old hospital in 2008 with the park land and then donated it back to the city.
Your reporter had a picture of Charles William Treadway "Bud" Rickey of Winnemucca and his daughter Rita Rickey Thomas of Placerville. Bud is also the great-grandson of Thomas B. Rickey and Aaron Treadway. T.B. Rickey was one of the most prominent cattlemen and livestock operators of the time. His holdings extended into Mono and Inyo counties in California and Lyon and Douglas counties in Nevada. At one time he managed over 25,000 head of cattle on his 200,000 acres of rangeland from his ranch headquarters in Antelope Valley, Calif., near Coleville. T.B. Rickey also provided the land for the Nevada Governor's Mansion in Carson City.
In my opinion, the bringing together of these two historic family names continues to bring alive much of Nevada's past and exciting history.
Chuck Saulisberry
Dayton
Pointing out percentages
of NV's D.C. delegation
Our Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid only voted 37 percent of the time in 2008, Sen. John Ensign (R) voted 86 percent of the time. Congressman Heller, 2nd District (R), voted 86 percent of the time.
Also, Sen. Reid and his sidekick Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are pretty much rubber-stamping anything that President Obama puts before the Legislature.
Charles L. Sheldon
Dayton