Editorial cartoon relays misinformation
Your Sunday cartoon depicting the president holding up a bottle of "Obamacare" and its purported side effects is disgusting. Are you really condoning the lies and misinformation surrounding this critical issue? Shame on you. I've always known the Appeal to have a conservative bent but this is way beyond the pale.
Socialism? Are you joining the ranks of the tea party cranks on Social Security and Medicare, screaming at the top of their lungs that health care reform will deprive them of their rights? Please.
High deficits? The congressional budget office projects that this plan will reduce the deficit by $1.3 trillion over the next 10 years. The Bush tax cuts for the wealthy increased the deficit by more than that.
Denied coverage? How does the fact that insurance companies can no longer drop you when you get sick or exclude you for a pre-existing condition add up to denied coverage?
Abortions? The Hyde amendment, which strictly forbids federal funding for abortions, has been in effect for years.
Fewer doctors? I would think that they would be delighted that the insurance companies can no longer come between them and their patients.
Death panels? Please. This lie has been so thoroughly debunked that the only person that is still foolishly purporting it is Sarah Palin and, apparently, the Appeal.
If you think that the majority of your readership belongs to radical-right lunatic fringe, you may be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Patrick McGuire
Carson City
Fellow dog owners, keep dogs on leash or fenced
Like many residents, I have been taking advantage of the spring weather and talking long walks throughout our amazing city. It's a wonderful place to live where I can reach a rolling mountain trail just minutes from my front door. My trusty dog is the best walking buddy ever, we really enjoy our walks.
However, I have had some troubling incidents that everyone should be aware of. We have had two incidents of being attacked by other dogs that are not on leashes or fenced. Just because your dog is harmless, we are not interested in being barked at, chased and terrorized as we pass by.
One dog followed us for two blocks and another time we were attacked by two dogs while the owner was in the garage using a power saw, he didn't hear his unleashed dogs take off after us.
Fellow pet owners, you don't want your dog blocks away from home either. They could get lost or hurt themselves.
Gianna Marie Shirk
Carson City
This was not the change we needed
So, this is hope, change and transparency.
Over the past year, we have watched the creation and passage of a health care bill that included the use of bribery, fraud, blackmail and intimidation tactics normally reserved for the Gambino family combined with the bipartisanship and transparency of a Jimmy Hoffa-era Teamsters election. This was justified by favorable budget numbers created by former Bernie Madoff staff members currently employed in the Congressional Budget Office.
Bart Stupak traded his pro-life values for a bag of magic beans that turned out to be road apples. The executive order promised by President Obama is not only unconstitutional but is also trumped by law rendering it pretty worthless. Meanwhile, the bill that passed is filled with special deals as far as the eye can see. Since our guy Harry heads the Senate, one might conclude that Nevada would be among those states which received extra perks. Or not.
It is not bad enough that our children and grandchildren will inherit our debt, but now interest on student loans will be used to subsidize health care. Medicaid will provide half of the new insurance coverage, which will bankrupt the states. Social Security and Medicare will take a $570 billion hit, which will accelerate their insolvency. We have bigger government, higher taxes and rationed care, while those in Congress sip champagne.
Will Nancy Pelosi walk hand in hand in November with the members of Congress who have cleaned their desks and are headed home?
John Colyer
Minden
Time to send Harry back to Searchlight
In a March 17 article, Sig Rogich said how great Harry Reid is for Nevada. He discusses negotiations over water rights and asks "Who would you like to have at the table?" presumably working on behalf of Nevada.
I would like to see an honest person at that table working for Nevada. In my opinion, that would not be Harry Reid. We only need to look at the bribery in the health care bill first approved in the Senate to understand what he is about. The notion "that it has always been done that way," while true, doesn't make it right or legal.
We hear much about corrupt foreign governments when deciding to lend help or not. We need to end the corruption in our government now. Mr. Reid would be a great place to start.
Ron Stevens
Wellington