Letters to the editor Oct. 17

Three strikes, Sen. Reid, and you're out of office

OK, the fights are on in the political arena. TV is plastered with ads slinging arrows at Sharron Angle and Harry Reid. Reid did this and Angle said that.

Well, here is where one resident of this great state of Nevada stands.

Forget what is said and look at what was done. Politicians can say anything, and will, to get that coveted political office. Just remember that actions do speak louder than words.

Reid shoved ObamaCare down the throats of Americans who did not want it. I, for one, do not like anyone shoving anything down my throat.

That's one.

Reid tried to sneak a "Dream Act" onto the defense bill favoring foreign invaders of our country.

That's two.

Reid has allowed 14 percent of Nevada to be without jobs, and the country to suffer with almost

10 percent out of work.

That's three.

Apparently Sharron Angle has said some things which have angered some special interests. That is bad, but they are things said, not done - big difference in my book.

Seriously, I would vote for Mickey Mouse before I would vote for Reid. I have had enough of this behind-your-back politician.

Robert M. Hellen, Sr.

Carson City

Explore the opportunities charter schools provide

Many parents of Carson City schoolchildren are seeking an alternative to our traditional public school system. The idea of attending a charter school as an alternative frequently brings questions and misunderstandings of what a charter school is. I hope to begin a healthy community discussion and to generate positive action with the goal of improving educational opportunities for Carson students.

Charter schools are usually started by a group of community members who are looking for something different for their children. They must meet the same academic standards as public schools. They are free and are funded by public money, the same funds that fund public schools. Typically, charter schools are not subject to the same rules, statutes and regulations as public schools, so therefore, can offer more flexibility and creativity with their curriculum.

The success of a student seems to always boil down to parent involvement and the people who are teaching and administrating.

Unlike public schools, where there is a strong union and teachers are tenured very early in their career, charter schools have the ability to pick and choose their staff, and are not mandated to keep a teacher if they are not doing a good job. This makes a big difference in the quality of education.

Our future depends on providing the best education our children can get. I urge parents to ask questions and get involved. Support our schoolchildren.

Monique Giron

Carson City

Food for thought on the health care debate

I propose a better analogy than that offered by Benjamin Linn in the Oct. 7 commentary. Let's suppose I live in a town with just two grocery stores. The stores' policy is to sell food at fixed monthly rates for a family of two, four, etc. Employers often pay most of this fixed cost, and I pay a small portion since I'm employed.

Unemployed and retired folks are on their own, usually ending up at the food bank or getting food stamps, or the emergency room due to malnutrition. Grocery stores aren't required to accept new customers: they are legally able to reject you if you are overweight since you will cause their bottom line to suffer.

Rates are set by the store as they see fit. The stores enjoy huge profits under this benevolent monopoly.

Eating is deemed to be a fundamental need in our society. The government steps in. It - us, really - realizes that grocery stores can improve their bottom line if they cover more customers, and that by adding a few grocery stores, competition will lower costs, just like it does in every other aspect of the economy.

The government doesn't force you or your employer to change stores but it does require all legal citizens to be accepted by the stores. Once this happens, government subsidies for the unemployed and poor drop and the overall cost of feeding the population declines. Editorials complaining about "socialism," usually written by someone with a job, continue.

Lee Elson

Carson City

Barking dogs destroying her peace of mind

I moved into my home a year ago. I chose it because it was on a nice side street with very little noise.

I have a neighbor who shares a wall with me, whose dog barks all day long while they are away. I have another neighbor whose fence is within six feet of my bedroom window who allows their dog to bark constantly.

There are tenants all over the neighborhood of about 50 units who allow their dogs to bark all hours of the day or night. It becomes quite the cacophony during nighttime hours, especially if one dog sets off the alarm.

Responsible pet ownership is not just about feeding your dog. It is making sure that your animal does not interfere with the peace and comfort of those surrounding you.

I don't have a dog. I have a right to expect sanity in my home. Instead, I listen to other people's dogs barking all day and night.

If you have a dog that you know barks, muzzle it. Be respectful. It is bad enough that we have to already deal with stereos that blast into neighborhoods, and ATVs with no mufflers, and straight-piped motorcycles, or big trucks with very little in the way of noise abatement.

Be a responsible pet owner. Allow me to live in peace.

Helen Newman

Dayton

Reid can do more damage to Nevadans than Angle

Considering the Senate race, consider what Harry Reid has already done? He voted against English as the official language, he pushed the stimulus bills, he orchestrated the Louisiana purchase, the Nebraska compromise, and special payouts to Maine, Florida and Massachusetts. He oversaw the auto bailout, the Wall Street bailout and the Obama health care, merely to highlight a few.

In Nevada, we rank first in foreclosures, bankruptcies and unemployment. In terms of stimulus money received, we rank 51. We ranked No. 1 in percentage drop of personal income during the recession, and we also rank No. 1 in personal income lost since it was over. That is behind Washington, D.C., which doesn't even have a voting Congressman. When it comes to bringing home the pork, Nevada could not do worse than last without powerful Harry.

What is on Harry's plate if he should be re-elected? Immigration amnesty, universal health care, tax increases, cap and trade, eliminating closed ballots for union representation, unionizing police and firefighters, a valid drivers license as the only requirement for voting. Harry only runs attack ads; he does not run on his platform because it is not what Nevada wants and needs.

In doubt, ask, "Who can do more damage to me and my family?" The most powerful senator or a freshman senator? I do not see why anyone would vote for him.

Sam Batdorf

Gardnerville

Angle's take on insurance coverage is correct

The anti-Sharron Angle TV ad referring to government health care and colon cancer needs to be reconsidered. All cancers need to be discovered early in order to be cured, ie. prostate, lung, uterine, pancreatic, breast and others.

There also are tests for other life-threatening conditions, many associated with cardiac problems. The government cannot possibly be expected to pay for the innumerable tests that people will come to expect.

Therefore, Sharron Angle's views are correct in spite of the misrepresentation by the media ads.

Dorothy Crowder

Carson City