Letters to the editor

Medicaid recipients are falling through cracks

Dear Gov. Guinn:

I have been reading about Medicaid budgets in the papers, and I am asking if you are including budget money for a Nevada Medical Needy Program.

I am sure you are aware of all the disabled people (to quote Medicaid officials) who fall through the cracks. These people are not children and not elderly. They are citizens of Nevada who are uninsurable. Are you aware that these people are dropped from Medicaid when their income goes over the federal poverty level? In my case, this is over $1,000 a month - no matter what the medical costs might be for that person.

I am on dialysis and wish I could move up the transplant list. I am frozen on that list until I find secondary insurance or go back on Medicaid as a secondary insurance. The transplant center has frozen me, and if a perfect kidney for me came in next week, it would go to someone else as I do not qualify without insurance/Medicaid.

There was an article in the local paper about me, and my parents' phone rang off the hook (I live at my parents' home with no address or phone number of my own) with others in the same boat - dropped from Medicaid because their Social Security disability check went over the poverty level.

The newspaper articles made me laugh as they said the number of people were dropping on the Medicaid system. Sure they are dropping, the people are dropped like hot potatoes as soon as they get a cost of living raise that puts them over the federal poverty level. There will be more homeless people living in cars and tents on the public lands, thank you Nevada. This is cruel and inhuman punishment.

There have been lawsuits around the nation that say a prisoner cannot be denied a kidney transplant but Nevada can do this to the citizens not in prison.

Only you and our state Legislature can fix these laws that were made before we had the great medical treatments of today. We need to allow our citizens to get well and back to making money in the state and pay back into the system.

I can live on dialysis for many years, and the state pays my Medicare premium at this time. My prescriptions alone nearly eat all of my Social Security check. The 20 percent that Medicare does not pay is on me. I have proven with my records that I cannot pay this 20 percent in hospital fees or dialysis so Washoe Medical and others have excused me from payment and are probably charging the state. If not for my parents, I would be on the street or in shelters, and I am 36 years old.

Please help Nevadans take advantage of the modern medical miracles and help us by giving us a Medical Needy Program that allows us to go back on Medicaid if our medical expenses drop us below the poverty level. Also do not deny anyone the chance at health by saying no to transplants.

WILLIAM DUPREE

Carson City

City needs to get up to date on enforcement

Here we go again.

From reporter Peter Thompson's (appropriately related to Snowshoe, I'm sure) article, the city code enforcement officer says he never heard of Code 11.12.070. Did he just get here from Florida? How much is he getting paid to not know his job? OK, Marv, have at it.

MICHAEL DUNN

Carson City

City's behind schedule on snow removal

Regarding the article, "Walking in a winter danger-land" Jan. 6, I find it amusing that the city has a law that I have 72 hours to clean my sidewalks or I could face a heavy fine. And yet the city does such a poor job clearing the streets.

I live on a designated "snow emergency removal route" and have yet to see a plow. A school is at the end of the street. I did see someone in a pickup truck plow one lane down the middle of the street, but it was not a city vehicle.

By the time this letter appears in print, it will be too late. Can we citizens fine the city when they do not do what they're supposed to do? And while the city should know which streets are "snow removal routes," I live on Slide Mountain Drive, between Marion and Carriage Crest. Your 72 hours is up, by a week.

ED DEUSENBERRY

Carson City

Here's hoping V&T can connect to the museum

I recently had the opportunity to visit Carson City for the second time this year. As my family skied, I did my normal exploration of Carson City, Virginia City and Dayton. Through my love of history, I once again explored and photographed one of my favorite areas.

It was actually very nice to visit the railroad museum without the kids so that I wouldn't hear that constant comment, "These trains all look the same to me." It is great to see the progress being made on the rebuilding of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad. I understand fund-raising is going strong, easements are largely in place and enthusiasm is running high.

My greatest hope is that the civic leaders, business people and politicians all work together to make sure there is a physical rail connection between the rail museum and the completed railroad depot on the Carson River.

History buffs, normal tourists and Nevada residents will all benefit from the exposure afforded your great state after this short line is restored to her magnificent past, and most importantly that some of her restored rolling stock will actually be on that track again. This connection will spark an interest in this famous short line that will be shared by fans around the world.

BLAIR VAN VLIET

Palm Desert, Calif.

Reroute truck traffic along College Parkway

We should wake up and fire any of the politicians who voted our city manager a $10,000 bonus. Are your streets clean? If you are an out-of- state truck driver coming from Reno looking for Highway 50, you drive down 395 until you get there. If the city manager was on the beam, she would put a sign where it says Virginia City and send them down College Parkway. That would be the smart thing to do. Also, from the other direction, send them down Stewart Street.

About a month ago, we had a three-car accident at the capital. Traffic was backed up to Highway 50. Police were at the accident. No one was sending traffic around the accident.

Our police are doing many fine things but not enough. If the volunteers would take off their uniforms and make a survey of how many cars go through the lights from Safeway to south at Sav-On, we would be surprised. In Oakland, if someone steps off the curb on the other side and you don't honor the pedestrian, you will get a ticket. Try crossing 395 from Cactus Jacks to Sav-On. You step off the curb and five to eight cars will try to run you down. If the sheriff would take off his uniform and try to cross the street, he wouldn't be running for election.

We need to wake up. I am not trying to run down our police and firemen but only management.

CHARLES HERMAN

Carson City

Poem sums up feelingof adopted daughter

Tears filled my eyes when I opened the front page and read about Pat Hunter finding her son. They were tears of happiness. I also gave up a child for adoption in 1963. I found my daughter Susan in 1992. Since I found Susan we stay in touch with e-mails and phone calls. Plus, she has come to Carson City several times to see me.

Susan just sent me a beautiful poem for Christmas, and I would like to share it with your readers. So in honor of Pat Hunter and all the other women who have given up children for adoption, this poem is dedicated to you with love.

Just Two Different Kinds of Love

Once there were two women

who never knew each other

one you do not remember,

the other you call mother.

Two different love ...

shaped to make yours one.

One became your guiding star

The other became your sun.

The first gave you life,

and the second taught you to live in it.

The first gave you a need for love.

The second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality

The other gave you a name.

One gave you a seed of talent

and the other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions,

the other calmed your fears

one saw your first sweet smile,

the other dried your tears.

One gave you up,

it was all that she could do

the other prayed for a child to love

and God led her straight to you.

DONNA BATIS-WUNGNEMA

Carson City

Constitution gives us all the freedom to choose

This is in response to a letter of Dec. 31. I would like to address a few of the points that were made.

First, I failed to see how the writer's "status" was "compromised" because he voted in a "major Northeastern blue state." How or where he voted should have no bearing on his status as a native Nevadan. He insults those natives who are proud to live here, and are proud of the choices they made.

Furthermore, placing a label on ones' character by closet diagnosing a psychological condition is rather harsh. You see, the "recent string of conservative paranoia," as the letter put it, is really nothing more than the opinions of other individuals. Moreover, the freedom to express those opinions being exercised. In regards to his statement, "there is no evidence outside of colloquial paranoia whatsoever that sex, violence or other suggestive material has increased in intensity over time," I disagree.

I am by no means an ultra conservative, nor am I a liberal; however, I do not recall, as a child, ever watching on television anything more than a kiss (especially during the day). I wonder if the writer can honestly say that sex and suggestive material have not increased over time if he compared "Miracle On 32nd Street" of past, to "Bad Santa" of today. Just that comparison alone suggests that the evidence is indeed not "subject to interpretation," but rather an examination of facts. The statement that a letter writer "is like the misled majority of Bush supporters, under the opinion that America is a Christian nation ..." is, in my opinion, a slam to those Americans (that includes native Nevadans) who did not vote for Bush and who believe that this nation is primarily Christian (the facts support that it is), and hold fast to the Constitution that was based on Christian values.

There has been a gradual, and "steep moral decline in the U.S.", as an earlier letter stated. He just failed to mention gradual. This did not happen overnight. This decline has occurred at such a slow pace that it allowed people to become complacent secondary to the repetitive conditioning; gradually increasing controversial material, while simultaneously decreasing shock value.

The beauty of the Constitution is that it works from all sides. We are blessed with the freedom to choose. Perhaps that is why I find it confusing that letters would resort to generalized character assassination when trying to make their points. I do not feel that the masses of conservatives feel threatened. They are simply stating their views. As pointed out, this is a constitutional right. One cannot be hypocritical or contradicting when exercising this right of opinion; otherwise, the views expressed lose validity and fall on deaf ears.

I encourage everyone to continue to express their opinions. Don't attack the individual, debate the issues. I have an open mind, with my own opinions as well. I welcome another's views. That is how I learn. I might not always agree, but then again, I am blessed with that right.

TINA LUCE

Minden

District attorney didn't see conflict of interest

What does our district attorney, Noel Waters, say he believes constitutes a conflict of interest? I think his answer and the end result will surprise all of you, or not.

For some of you who may not already know the story, on July 15, 2002, I was down at the Carson City Courthouse protesting the non-release of a sealed grand jury report. This report harshly criticized our public officials and Assistant DA Anne Langer.

While I went inside to rest my back for a minute or two, I was pulled into the lobby and was assaulted by one of the courthouse bailiffs. I was charged with trespassing in a public building. The police took several pictures of my injuries on July 15, 2002. On July 16, 2002, I filed a police complaint against the bailiff for assault and they took several more pictures and sealed them and placed them into evidence where they have remained even to this day. My complaint was turned over to Langer, where it sat until the statute of limitations ran out in 2003.

More than two years would pass when I would finally go to trial on Nov. 8, 2004, only to be found guilty, not by a jury of my own peers, but rather by Judge Tatro. You talk about being a good ol' boy. Read the transcripts and then you'll know what I mean. We are appealing my case. Anyway, this is the gist of the story. Now comes the conflict of interest.

During Mr. Waters' own sworn testimony some years ago, he was asked: Does the DA ever have a conflict of interest on a case and what would determine whether there's a conflict of interest? "It can be any number of things. It might be a personal relationship about a particular person. It might be a person in a case that is somehow related to my office. Most anything that I think under the rules of ethics might constitute a conflict of interest."

What happens if your office determines there's a conflict of interest as to a case? "Well, I have the option to seek someone else's - some other office's assistance in resolving it or handling the matter. There was a case involving a police officer over at the sheriff's office a few years back. I asked the Douglas County DA's office to be involved in that." It seems that Mr. Waters finds an employee of the court getting a traffic ticket a conflict of interest, but not an employee who allegedly assaults a disabled woman and leaves her with injuries that now require surgery to repair the damage that was inflicted upon her person. Is there something wrong here?

Last spring, Carson City and several employees were served with a federal lawsuit. Would you like me to tell you what Mr. Waters' testimony on a conflict of interest between defending and prosecuting a client/employee is? I think I'll save it for another day. Shame, shame on you, Mr. Waters. Shame, shame.

TONJA BROWN

Carson City

Sometimes you can't even get the rebates

This is in response to the letter from Pete Bachstadt of Dec. 20.

Right on, thanks Pete, for speaking out. There seem to be rebates on everything now days.

I bought a computer package a while back. I mailed everything they asked for, even cut off all UPCs, all receipts, and the model and serial number. A couple of months later, I got a post card back saying I did not qualify. I see in Sunday's paper the ads have even some food products, shampoos, small appliances, all with rebates. This is just another way of doing more to us, or is there something in the fine print I am missing? I'd sure like to know.

D. PRATT

Carson City

Douglas High band deserves better play

On Nov. 20, the Douglas High School band went to Fairfield, Calif., to compete against 33 bands. They returned with eight trophies including the Grand Sweepstakes Award.

I believe such an achievement should have free coverage, not just a small article in the Record-Courier with only a few members in the photo.

The whole band and flag team and Mr. Z deserve better than this.

The Carson City High School band rated a full page in the Sunday Personal Appeal section. Why not the same coverage for such an outstanding performance?

PHYLLIS LETKO

Gardnerville

Here are few (possible) predictions for new year

I am looking deeply into my crystal ball and foresee the following events in 2005:

The elections in Iraq will be a huge success and a stable, legitimate government will be formed. The transition will be peaceful, and no more American lives will be lost.

Gasoline will drop below $1.50 a gallon and oil companies will suffer record losses.

Dubya will appoint logical and moderate jurists to the American courts.

Reasonably priced medicines will be made available to all Americans as drug companies admit they have been gouging the public for years.

Carson City supervisors will admit the roundabout on Fifth Street is a massive failure, and tear it out to replace it with a stoplight.

Athletes will forswear the use of performance enhancing drugs. Players will take across-the-board pay cuts and grateful owners will drop their ticket prices to make professional sports more accessible to the average person.

Michael Jackson will be proven to be a normal individual who is simply misunderstood by all but his diehard fans.

The wealthiest 1 percent will insist that they pay their fair share of taxes and will disavow the tax cuts previously granted.

Microsoft will release a version of Windows that has no flaws or security issues.

Illegal immigrants will ask to return to their home countries and agree to apply for legal entry.

Retailers will resume the practice of refraining from advertising Christmas sales until after Thanksgiving.

Republicans and Democrats will agree that partisan politics must end and will work together for the common good.

Right wing activists will drop their opposition to educating students on birth control, realizing that teaching only abstention doctrines has the same affect that drug programs have had over the years.

Intelligent life will be discovered in the White House.

Happy New Year and April Fool!

STEVE ZUELKE

Carson City

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