Letters to the editor for Sunday, May 18, 2014

Health food store deserves recognition

Dubois’ Health Food Center & Herb Shoppe celebrated its 50 anniversary! Phil Dubois and his staff have done a wonderful job of giving Carson City and its surrounding towns a place where we can buy the best of what a health food store offers. If they don’t have it, they’ll order it for you, and he’s been doing this for 50 years.

I would think that this would be celebrated by the Appeal with a feature article in the Sunday paper. After all, it’s been 50 years! Instead, all they got was a small article on the inside of the paper, after the weekend celebration. I’m not sure what the Appeal could do since the anniversary has passed, but at least a feature article would be great. After all, new people who are just starting get this treatment. Wouldn’t you think that a business which has served the community for 50 years would be deserving of the same thing?

Rita Valent

Dayton

Candidate deserves vote for personal, political views

Jim Wheeler is an honest man. He is not going to approve new taxes. Other politicians and liberals expect us to agree to new taxes.

Jim Wheeler is one of us. He knows that government has grown too big and expensive, and he agrees with us that the solution is to get rid of unnecessary government and to cut down the cost of government. He runs his personal life and political campaign the same we do.

In contrast, Jim Wheeler’s opponent helped Gov. Gibbons bring Common Core to Nevada. The legislation that allowed Nevada to participate in the second round of President Obama’s Race to the Top competition was rushed through by Gov. Gibbon’s team in the special legislative session in late February 2010. She was in charge of that team.

Her kind of effectiveness is polar-opposite to Jim Wheeler’s common sense conservatism. I thank my lucky stars that Jim Wheeler is running for District 39 Assembly. I urge you to vote for him on June 10, 2014, in the Republican primary election. Early voting starts on May 24.

Jeanne Shizuru

Gardnerville

Politicians more concerned about power

Personally I am fed up with partisan politics, and this Benghazi issue is the worst. Downplaying four Americans who were tortured and killed for the sake of an election is despicable and un-American. Those Democrats who do not want the Benghazi Committee are not Americans! They are not!

This Benghazi issue is not a Democrat/Republican party issue. It is an American issue! No American leaves their people behind to be tortured and killed ... no American does that. Every American in politics or not should want to find out who is responsible for the “stand down” order given to a four-star general who wanted to help. Then this un-American person should be tried, convicted and sentenced for treason! I don’t care who it is.

Apparently these Democrats condemning the Benghazi Committee are more worried about “party” in power than about Americans being brutally tortured and killed. They have forgotten that our representatives, regardless of party, are there to serve and protect the American people and not their own personal interests. These Democrats need to be deported and sent to Russia or Cuba where they belong. Enough with this “party” crap. Start thinking “American!”

Robert M. Hellen, Sr.

Carson City

Candidate kept promises of first campaign

Thoughtful voters contemplating the primary campaign for Assembly District 39 could benefit from a little perspective.

Jim Wheeler ran for the Assembly in 2012 because the then incumbent “Republican” voted for a fat tax increase that feathered the nests of Las Vegas lobbyists representing government contractor clients. That tax hike killed jobs and damaged Nevada’s economic prosperity.

Candidate Wheeler promised, in writing, to oppose raising taxes. Assemblyman Wheeler has earned performance-based number one ratings from the American Conservative Union, Nevada Policy Research Institute, and Citizens Outreach based on his voting record, but his behind-the-scenes work to cut the size of government also deserves recognition.

For the first time in Nevada history, a gun control bill passed the Nevada legislature, last term. Assemblyman Wheeler fought against that bill and helped craft Gov. Sandoval’s veto message that killed it. The NRA and Nevada Firearms Coalition have both given him an “A” rating.

The citizens of Assembly District 39 are well represented and enjoying better governance today because Jim Wheeler kept his promises.

Marshall Goldy

Gardnerville

Assembly candidate answers questions promptly

The purpose of my letter is to express my hearty support for PK O’Neill. I have personally vetted both Republican candidates for the Assembly seat in Assembly District 40. Of the two, Mr. O’Neill responded to my questions promptly and gave answers that convince me he is the stronger candidate in standing for the rights of Nevadans.

Equally important as his answers was the fact that he took the time to discuss the issues, and in doing so, showed his willingness to truly serve the people. My vote is for PK!

Kate Morra

Carson City

Governor does what’s best for Nevada

I want to say thank you to Gov. Brian Sandoval for implementing Nevada’s health insurance exchange and expanding the Medicaid program. The governor moved beyond partisan politics and instead did what was best for Nevadans.

Before implementing the Affordable Care Act, Nevada had the second highest uninsured rate at 23 percent, just behind Texas. We are now on track to dramatically reverse this statistic, improving the lives of thousands of Nevadans who otherwise would have no health insurance.

As a former Medicaid administrator and now working in a community health center, I have seen first-hand the ability health coverage has to improve a person’s quality of life. I have also seen the devastating impact the lack of it has on the health and finances of individuals and families.

Much work still needs to be done. In particular, we need to increase the number of health care providers and health centers. We also need to improve mental health services as well as access to basic health care in rural communities. However, I believe the governor’s decision to implement the ACA will profoundly improve health care in Nevada for decades to come.

In state government we had a dark joke about Nevada’s poor standing in many national health care measures, “Nevada is last to be first, and first to be last.” Not any more. Thanks again, Governor.

Charles Duarte

Minden