Letters to the editor

Planned Parenthood was an excellent alternative

I recently had an aliment that required I see my primary care physician. I called the office and found that it would be a little over a month until I could be seen. I didn't feel I could wait and I wanted to avoid the emergency room and urgent care fees.

In the news that morning, Planned Parenthood was referenced and I thought, "What the heck?" I called and was able to get in same day! If that wasn't crazy enough, there was less than a five-minute wait once I arrived, and the physcian's assistant, Rebecca, was phenomenal.

My perception of Planned Parenthood before was that it was a hub for teens in need of contraception and disease testing - not for a 30-something mom like me just needing primary care. I was surprised to find that they do men's health, too.

My bill was also a surprise: a little over $50 for a non-insured. The next time you can't wait to see your primary care physician, OB/GYN or urologist, this place is an excellent alternative.

Michelle Lehmann

Carson City

Give imagination a chance

This note is in praise of the new landscaping and metal sculptures in town. The sculptures are charming and whimsical, some downright humorous. Trees and shrubs set off the sculptures with green softness.

This beautification project has been years in the making, and its movers and shakers deserve tremendous praise. They are: Gardeners Reclaiming Our Wayside (GROW) spearheaded by member Mary Fischer; Sen. Harry Reid; the Nevada Department of Transportation; and the city of Carson.

To those who might question the wisdom of financing the project in these times, the truth is the funding comes from a federal beautification grant, with Carson City contributing a minor amount of dollars and some staff time.

To those who might be critical of the project for other reasons, please keep an open mind. Our imaginations are being awakened to something new and fanciful in our town.

Susan Paslov

Carson City

Why is columnist taking European Union to task?

In response to Tom Purcell's Aug. 26 piece, I guess it's just a matter of perspective why a columnist in this paper decided to lay into the EU for adopting more sick leave into what already seems like an overly generous workers compensation package, insinuating they were a bunch of lackluster, freedom-hating slackards who deserve their puny economy.

Maybe he's right. I'm not qualified to say, but I don't think it was the EU whose over-indulgence, short-sightedness and lack of leadership precipitated our mess in the first place. It's not the EU government that continues to run up our gazillion dollar debt, and whose parties can't even pretend to sit down to talk intelligently about a budget. And it is not the EU citizens who come unwound and shoot up restaurants, theaters, churches and campuses.

I don't know, but maybe it's time a few of us turned the flashlight inward for a change and ask ourselves some tough questions about how we live. You know, before we get all self-righteous and such.

Kelly Jones

Carson City

Quote says it all about GOP

When confronted by a reporter at the recent GOP convention concerning several outright lies being promulgated by the party's standard bearers, Neil Newhouse, a Romney pollster, replied: "We're not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers."

Could there be any better indication of the road Republicans will be traveling between now and election day?

John O'Neill

Minden