Letters to the Editor Feb. 20

Public plan would lower health costs

The uncontrolled insurance industry and the cheating going on in the health care industry must be controlled. A government health insurance policy to compete with the private industry will bring down costs, and a clamp-down on the drug industry's misuse of the generic system would help, too.

Larry Tanner

Carson City

Money distorts argument on health care

How many members of Congress blocking this reform are without health insurance? How many of them have ever been without health insurance?

It seems to me any time money becomes the central issue for a social problem, the process becomes distorted to the point where the outcome serves the least number of people in the least satisfactory manner - and the costs balloon out of proportion.

We are a middle-aged couple who focus on keeping ourselves healthy. Our car insurance costs around $40 a month with a $300,000 liability and $100,000 personal medical policy with no deductible. In 2009, an affordable health insurance plan would have cost us $600 a month with a $10,000 deductible. Why the disparity?

Johanna Soliday

Carson City

Carson City's deputies on a power trip

I read with interest Ken Allen's letter of Feb. 10, "Deputies should show more courtesy to citizens," and I totally agree.

On more than one occasion, I have found these deputies to be rude, insulting and disrespectful, when there is no reason to be uncivil, especially toward people who have done nothing wrong. There is no reason for this, and no excuse for it.

And, if you object, then you are the one with a bad attitude. It's a power trip, plain and simple.

We need to elect a sheriff who does not condone this type of disrespect toward the citizens who pay their salary.

David Skamel

Carson City

Lax smoking laws not good for youth

In a recent letter to the editor, the writer questioned why underage smokers were not being cited at Mills Park. The answer? It is legal for youth of all ages to possess and use tobacco products in Carson City. That's right, our children are welcome to smoke all they want.

At a recent meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission, the issue of Mills Park was discussed. Sheriff Furlong repeatedly said there was nothing he could do about students' smoking there because it's not against the law. The only thing illegal for a minor is to purchase tobacco products.

I find this to be absolutely deplorable public health policy. Although adults are free to smoke if they choose, we should do whatever we can to prevent youth from starting. With current policy, we are essentially encouraging smoking by our youth.

If elected supervisor, I will propose a city ordinance banning the possession and use of all tobacco products by minors. I would encourage the current board of supervisors to do the same thing.

Sean Lehmann

Carson City

Objections to Paslov, Obama's liberal antics

"Fresh Ideas" columnist Anne Macquarie contributed a letter last month defending Eugene Paslov from a tide of reader complaints. If you remember Macquarie's shut-up-and-salute ObamaCare advertorial last August, here's another attempt to save a liberal from himself.

Paslov has a bad habit of smearing the character of his adversaries - Obama's opponents are racists; ObamaCare objectors are ignorant. Paslov's own critics are mean-spirited because they don't suffer his insults in silence.

Victimhood is integral to liberal theology. After a year in office, Obama is still banging his spoon on his highchair over the Bush economy. But he voted for the deficit before he inherited it, and he just rehired Bush's Fed chief. Now Obama wants a mulligan for his war on private enterprise that's killing millions of jobs.

Obama is going after some of that Scott Brown populism by attacking the financial industry. But when you're waving the bloody shirt over executive bonuses, you step on your own message by paying out billion-dollar bribes and running up trillions in debt.

Guy Farmer studiously ignored Obama's radicalism and utter lack of qualifications during the campaign. These days, Farmer pens thoughtful columns about his bewildered disappointment over Obama's predictable policy flops.

Mugged by reality. Now, there's a real victim.

Lynn Muzzy

Carson City

Nevada's population can't sustain services

Nevada's economic woes are not the product of lazy state workers or ineffective teachers as Gov. Gibbons suggests. They are the direct result of the state's low population.

Nevada has as many citizens as a modestly large city, yet tries to support two universities, an expansive community college system and state, county and city governments. It doesn't work because it can't work.

Close the universities and provide qualified students with generous stipends to study out of state; confine the community colleges to vocational education and stop funding courses for hobbyists and eliminate county government.

Quit trying to function like a state with 10 times Nevada's population and tax base.

Jerry Zadny

Kalispell, Mont.