Letters to the editor Feb. 26

After Korea, he knows evils of communism

Dr. Paslov says we don't understand socialism or communism.

Let's talk about communism. I made the landing at Incheon, Korea, in 1950. What did we find out when the communists took over? Everyone associated with government at all levels was killed. So were school teachers and anyone associated with Christianity.

Then we got into North Korea. When the Chinese came in and we worked our way out, some 90,000 North Koreans came out with us through the port of Hungnam. How many went over the land, I have no idea.

Next, the Americans came to liberate, to free - not dominate - to aid, to establish democracy. Too bad the folks in Washington don't do that for us now. Not with a democracy but with a move back to our constitutional republic.

Many settled in the L.A. area known as Korea Town. I still see in my mind during the Watts riots, the Korean businessmen, weapons in hand to protect their businesses from getting burned out - good for them. I would do likewise to protect my family and home here in Minden.

Who doesn't understand communism? I surely do.

Tony Klein

Minden

Without education, there will be no business

My, my, how better can the choices facing Nevada be shown than the juxtaposition of the proposed Nugget project and the letter titled "Paslov points out education shortcomings" in the Feb. 7 Nevada Appeal.

Neighbors' commentary, "Setting the record straight on Nugget redevelopment project," touts the expected benefits and he declares: "The Nugget's vision is to create a holistic business incubation system..." and "C4Cube has expressed an interest in creating a business incubator ..."

This vision will not be fulfilled if Jane Foraker-Thompson's observations continue to hold: "Nevada has difficulty in attracting new high-tech industries to Nevada due to the miserable level of education and extremely high drop-out rate statewide. People with children to educate are not willing to come here and submit their children to an inferior educational experience."

I also suggest that any successful business incubator requires a highly talented and highly educated labor pool to exist prior to establishing the business incubator.

I am fearful that Gov. Gibbons' expected special session will be crafted to further destroy Nevada's now fragile education systems. Absent the will to lead and allow the special session to increase taxes to at least maintain the education systems, you can kiss off any business incubator succeeding here in Nevada.

Michael L. Greedy

Carson City

Encourage politicians to revive Yucca dump plan

Sen. Harry Reid's boast that Yucca Mountain is dead rings hollow. The 1987 Nuclear Waste Policy Act remains on the books as the law of the land. Only the Department of Energy can determine if the Yucca site is unsuitable and whether it should be withdrawn from consideration.

In April, a group of 17 senators sent a letter to Secretary Chu asking why Yucca Mountain was no longer an option. They specifically asked whether he had discovered new research to discredit all that came before in support of Yucca Mountain, pointing out that neither the National Academy of Sciences, the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, nor any of our national laboratories had concluded that there is any evidence to disqualify Yucca Mountain as a repository.

Ever since 2008, the Energy Department has been pushing along its application before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to license Yucca Mountain as the sole repository. Late in January, judges met to review the merits of the application. The process will take three more years, and if allowed to limp along, the application will climax in 2012, a presidential election year.

The senator's options are therefore limited. Storing the waste where it is now, at nuclear plants across the nation, may not be legal, according to some legal experts.

Encourage our politicians regardless of party to put Yucca Mountain on fast track toward completion, for it would create hundreds of jobs and enliven Nevada's economy.

Stanley Paher

Reno