Letters to the Editor for April 20

The truth of what happened to Key Pittman

I read with great interest Tyrus Cobb's column of April 14 on U.S. Sen. Key Pittman's mysterious demise. I discovered the truth in this story in an interview with Pittman's attending physician, Dr. A.J. "Bart" Hood, in 1977 while working at the Nevada Historical Society in Reno. I have since written a newspaper column and an article for Nevada Magazine on the subject.

While Cobb's playful column is generally accurate, there are a number of key errors (pun intended). For one, Gov. Carville was a Roman Catholic and not Mormon. The appointment of Assembly Speaker Berkley Bunker to replace Pittman in the U.S. Senate had to do with Bunker managing Carville's Southern Nevada campaign and swinging the Mormon vote in the 1938 governor's race. Bunker was a bishop in the Mormon church, but the bishop Carville paid homage to was Bishop Thomas K. Gorman of the Nevada diocese.

In addition, there was no consensus among Democratic power brokers as to who should be appointed to replace Key. Rep. James G. Scrugham thought he should be appointed; so did A. E. "Al" Cahlan, editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who had supported the Carville campaign; and, of course, Key's younger brother Vail, a former state senator, claimed he deserved it. Junior U.S. Sen. Pat McCarran weighed in on the appointment, was ignored by Carville, thus garnering the governor an enemy for life.

Perhaps these errors are the hazards one encounters when a Republican writes about the intrigue and flaws of Democrats. I look forward to reading Cobb's Republican version of colorful Nevada-style politics.

Guy Louis Rocha

Carson City

Schools should focus on teaching basics first

There have been numerous articles and protests about schools and how we should not take money away from them and about the poor quality of teachers.

The first thing that should be looked at is the children. How many of them come to school without having eaten breakfast and or much dinner? How many of the students can't speak English? How many of the students come to school after using drugs or alcohol or with a hangover from the night before?

How many teachers teach tests rather than how to learn, because their appraisals are based on the students score?

There is also the factor that the median IQ is 100 and that means half of the students aren't smart enough to be in the Air Force let alone make stellar grades in school.

The parents should look at themselves and how they raise their children before they blame the schools and protest for more money. They are spoiled and undisciplined. If they get into trouble in school, it is the school's fault not the child's.

Students caught cheating were given a flunking grade, and the parents complained to the principal and he changed the grades to passing.

Granted, some teachers are not the best, and the schools should be teaching basics and not all the extras.

When my son went to high school, he had a horticultural class, and he used it learn how to grow marijuana.

Walter Ratchford

Carson City

Inmates aren't suffering, state workers are

To Jaqueline Wallace, apparently it is you who needs to explain. Where do you get you're information? I would hazard a guess that the Enquirer, or as the inmates call it, inmate.com, is familiar to you.

In the real world we do live in, the first choice offenders had was to believe more about the priorities of life like families and friends than to lower their standards to the mistake you spoke of. The health care an offender gets is paid for by our tax dollars, not the inmate, not their families, but our tax dollars.

I wish that you and I got health care coverage as good as the inmates have, and at an $8 co-pay. Illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer don't come out of anyone's pocket but taxpayers'.

If an offender is caught fighting, or tattooing, horse playing or attempting suicide, then yes, he foots the bill. But that is still a lot less than you or I would ever see on the streets. Meals are well-balanced under guideline of a dietitian, and remember, paid for by tax dollars. What do you feed your children, Jaqueline, rabbit food and cottage cheese?

The only people suffering, are the people like Mr. Snyder and I who take furloughs and pay cuts to care for your family/offenders inside. Where do we get our information? We work in the prison system, you only hear about.

Ken Corzine

Reno

The plan to get America back on track

To save money in our country, send the illegals back - food stamps, free health care, free housing to U.S. citizens only.

Let foreign countries live their own lives - stay out - no fighting their wars.

Teach the high school kids how to work. Send them out - as part of school - with contractors, morticians, ranchers, farmers, grocers, bricklayers, and have them learn some manners and learn to work for what they want.

Limit the amount of money spent on electing the president and all elected officials. Curtail Air Force One and Two and limos to official use only, no pleasure trips.

Nobel Peace Prize money needs to go to veterans. Give them the wonderful care the illegals get.

Buy U.S.-made only, if you can find it.

Elda Kerr

Virginia City