Act now, before it's too late, to halt global warming
Global warming is threatening so many species that could be saved if our government does something now. According to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, 20-30 percent of the world's plant and animals species will be at increased risk of extinction if we do not act now.
The House has passed legislation to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and take steps to safeguard natural resources and wildlife threatened by changes in climate. Please use all the sources you have to help bring about this change. Our senators must see how important this is to future generations. What do you want to leave to your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren? Thank you.
Ms. Marilyn Clemenza
Carson City
Critics don't know what they're talking about
Wall Street and insurance companies are the favorite whipping boys of the uninformed, and insurance companies were targeted again by one letter writer.
Other than being able to spell insurance and Wall Street, the letter writer has not the vaguest notion of what they write. Normally, I can simply ignore the comments of the uninformed, but now I tire of it simply because for 40-plus years I worked for insurance companies in the claims end of the business, and that is where one truly learns the insurance business.
First and foremost, I know of no industry that is as seriously regulated as is the insurance business. Of course, they need to make a profit, otherwise the investors along with your pension investments would go in the tank. Costs (premiums) are the sole result of loss experience, period.
A couple years ago, I watched an interview with a large company CEO who, when asked if politicians and other government hangers-on could run a business, answered, "If they could, we would have hired them."
But people in government, which is the root of all our problems, always turn their venom on those business leaders who do what politicians could never do - make the economy function.
Vernon M. Latshaw
Gardnerville
Carson City Sheriff Furlong is soft on illegals
In Guy Farmer's column (Oct. 25), he talks about cops and illegal alien gang members. Sheriff Ken Furlong knows where to find these vicious criminals, but he can't find the stomach to arrest them.
It appears it took a visit from the mayor of Salinas, Calif., to wake Kenny from his deep slumber. He's been shamed into admitting his sanctuary-city policy is a dangerous, dreadful disaster.
All illegal aliens are criminals, not just gang members. They must be arrested. This isn't a federal problem as a weak-on-crime Furlong would like us to believe. This is a local problem and must be solved at the local level. Kenny chooses to treat illegals as a protected class.
Furlong and his senior staff care more about promotions and politics than performing good police work.
It's important to point out, beat cops risk their lives performing difficult work. These officers are eager to please their superiors. If Furlong told them to arrest illegals, they would.
Furlong demands that selective policing will be tolerated in Carson City. He will decide which laws will be enforced. He will decide who can break the law with impunity.
Politician Furlong should resign his job as sheriff as soon as possible. He seems to be more interested in becoming mayor or a member of the board of supervisors. Legal residents of Carson City are suffering at the hands of this lazy, part-time cop.
Robert Sennett
Carson City
Are state workers in for more furloughs?
I don't know if I'm the only state employee with many concerns, but I guess I will find out if anyone responds to this letter.
The rumor is we are going to be asked to take two more furlough days. I don't know about any of you, but I can't pay bills if that happens. But, they keep hiring and giving upgrades to existing employees. Does that make sense to anyone?
I just would like someone to explain it to me. For people that make $75,000 to $100,000 a year, it probably doesn't hurt them that much, but those of us who make less than $40,000, it really hurts.
It all boils down to this: We are making less money, the prescriptions (mail-in) have doubled. Our benefits are crap and getting worse. Just venting and worried.
Karen Hemsworth
Carson City