Letters to the editor for Sunday, March 20, 2016

Nevada’s caucus system is flawed

I agree with Jim Hartman’s opinion concerning the need to get rid of this ridiculous caucus system published in the March 13 edition of the Nevada Appeal. I’ll share my experience.

In my small district, there was a difference of only one vote (out of 42 votes) between the two candidates. Because of the skewed mathematical process, one candidate got two delegates, the other got one. My vote did not count at all.

Also, some of my employees could not vote at all due to work schedules. The solution is so simple, just go back to the old way we used to have, remember those things called a voting booth? Every vote should count, regardless of your party. Elections, after all, should reflect the will of the American people.

Willy Webb

Owner of Genoa Bar

Trump is a circus act

How sad a nation we’ve become when tens of millions of Americans (overwhelmingly white) enthusiastically, hysterically, and occasionally violently support a clown running for president.

The current Republican Party with Trump leading the way proves without a doubt the quote attributed to P.T. Barnum was spot on. The dangerous twist to this fact is that the suckers aren’t just spending one thin dime to gawk at the freak show. They are the freak show.

I doubt Reagan, Nixon and the gang back in 1965 ever thought their “Southern Strategy” would become such a debacle. This whole movement wreaks of hysterical ethnocentrism, dangerous jingoism, and extreme xenophobia. Trump and his people have locked onto preaching fear, racism, sexism ... you name it, to “make America great again.” Are you kidding me?

Do I want to go back eight years to a Dow Jones of 6,000, Wall Street corruption, and home foreclosures by the millions? To a nation on the brink of depression, with a president who invaded two countries by misrepresenting about weapons of mass destruction, and then left Obama to clean up the mess? Our president has been an intelligent statesman on the world stage; comfortable in London, Paris, or Berlin. The world respects America again. It’s already great.

And now millions of you want to replace the president from eight years ago with a clown. Step right up, ladies and gentlemen. The circus is about to start. May your God help us.

Rick Van Alfen

Carson City

City leaders have misplaced priorities

I read with interest the commentary by Paul McGrath on Feb. 28. A response is due from the Board of Supervisors regarding the use of our “road tax dollars.”

I live in Ward 4 and can attest to the many potholes, cracked streets, patchwork that falls apart, poor storm drains, etc., of the roads in this area, as well as many other areas within Carson City.

At Sonoma Park off Baker Street, I found the blue protective rubber material on the children’s climbing apparatus had peeled away from several stairs, exposing the hard metal underneath to fall on, as well as creating a trip hazard from the torn rubber material. I called Parks and Recreation to fix the situation. When we returned to the park, the blue protective material had not been replaced. The hard metal was painted over in blue paint, and tripping hazard still there for children to get hurt on.

All eyes in Carson City leadership are turned toward beautifying downtown, with more expense than is necessary, showing little regard for the rest of the city.

Frances Ross

Carson City

Celebrate spring by eating vegan

After another winter of severe snowstorms and floods, I look forward to March 20, first day of spring, balmy weather, and blooming flowers.

Hundreds of communities welcome spring with an observance of Great American Meatout, asking neighbors to explore a healthy, compassionate diet of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains.

Indeed, 56 percent of respondents to a GlobalMeatNews poll said they were or are reducing meat intake. U.S. per capita red meat consumption has dropped by more than 16 percent since 1999.

Mainstream publications like Parade, Better Homes and Gardens, and Eating Well are touting vegan recipes. Even the financial investment community is betting on plant-based meat start-ups, like Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods, while warning clients about the upcoming “death of meat.” The reasons are ample.

Last year, the World Health Organization found cancer to be associated with consumption of processed meats. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended reduced meat consumption. The media keeps exposing atrocities perpetrated on factory farms. And animal agriculture remains chief contributor to climate change and water scarcity and pollution.

Each of us should celebrate our own advent of spring by checking out plant-based foods at our supermarkets and vegan recipes on the Internet.

Chandler Castanetta

Carson City

City’s approach on water policy is outrageous

So, let me get this straight — the citizens of Carson City have reduced their water usage voluntarily and as required by watering restriction, right? Yet because of our successful conservation efforts, the city has declared that its “enterprise fund” approach to water/sewer will experience a budgetary shortfall, and is considering raising our rates to cover that shortfall? How absolutely ridiculous!

Considering water and sewage as an “enterprise fund” is a huge rip-off perpetrated by the city! Since when is sewage treatment and water distribution to taxpayers supposed to generate profits for any municipality?

Claiming that “the continuing drought” requires raising already excessive water/sewer rates is a totally self-serving excuse for doing so, and obscures their real objective of meeting “budgetary projections” on the backs of citizen rate-payers, who are at the mercy, whim and fancy of the financial-types in city government.

A previous city engineer accurately stated 20 years ago that our water distribution system is woefully inadequate in capacity to serve a growing population, and that watering restrictions are but a mere band-aid, where major surgery is needed. That analysis obviously fell on deaf ears.

Charging us more for using less (as requested and mandated) makes no sense whatsoever, regardless of any ill-conceived budgetary projections relating to providing basic services, including but not limited to, flushing one’s toilet or washing one’s clothes/dishes. Oh, or having a lawn, I might add.

Bottom line — we get punished for our successful conservation efforts? Outrageous!

Freeman Johnson

Carson City

Remember to screen pets for diabetes

No one can truly prepare themselves for the worst; I honestly believe that. For over five months, even with the help of insulin twice a day, I watched my cat slowly wither away from the effects of diabetes.

I tried so hard to get a handle on it, but it was too late and it wasn’t caught in time. The nurses and doctors at Doc’s Veterinary Hospital, in my opinion, did a fantastic job trying to help him. But even their hands became tied when there were no other options left.

And he was always such a playful cat, too. A real little buddy. His face was the last think I would see before going to sleep, and it was right there the moment I woke up in the morning. Does this sound like a pet you may have?

It’s a pathetic, heartbreaking ordeal to witness and I plead to everyone to bring their pets to a clinic the moment they notice their pets drinking massive amounts of water all the time, or losing a considerable amount of weight and have become thin and downtrodden — even if pets are overweight, please have them checked out immediately. It’s a simple blood test and well worth it in the long run.

Really, it’s nothing to laugh about because diabetes in animals is no joke. They, too, suffer from the effects just as humans do; maybe even worse. The only real difference is, humans can tell you where it hurts. Our four-legged little friends cannot.

Donald Paetz

Carson City