Letters to the Editor June 25

Editor:

As I look to when I will be closing my shop "Yesterdays," I would like to thank some folks. Thank you:

1. to the town leaders of Gardnerville, for absolutely nothing.

2. to the people who told me my customers could park in the dirt lot across the street.

3. to the water company, who put flyers on the cars of my customers who parked in the dirt lot across the street, stating it was private property and the next time their cars would be towed.

4. to the small percentage of vendors, who, six months into my year lease, bailed on our business venture. And a sincere and heartfelt thank you to those who stayed.

5. to the oil companies, who will have a hand in turning our quaint little hamlet into a ghost town in the near future.

6. to the city planners, who for some reason are building strip malls when there are empty old shops and buildings up and down 395.

7. to the town manager et al., who after losing at least six antique shops and other businesses over the last two years, have suddenly decided to revitalize downtown. You go.

8. a sincere thank-you to a few of the other shop owners who continue to work in support of each other.

9. and another sincere thank-you to all the wonderful customers who dropped in for coffee and cookies, good music, chat and purchased so many of our unique items. I had a ball, wish it could have lasted a bit longer, and hope to see you one day as I'm walking into town to grocery shop, as I can't afford to drive.

Seriously, though, many sincerest thanks to all who supported "Yesterdays" " you know who you are " and I'll be eternally grateful for all your time, effort and love. Best wishes and much luck to all those retailers who are hanging in there during this time of economic uncertainty.

Wonderful changes may be just around the corner, down about a mile, right at the light, and straight ahead for about four years.

With my tongue planted firmly in my cheek,

Candy Stewart

Gardnerville

Editor:

It has come to my attention that there is a fallacious rumor being floated around Douglas County that Citizens for Accountable Government is being run by a bunch of Democrats. As I said in my Guest Opinion in The Record-Courier on June 6, CAG transcends any political party affiliation, and I meant it.

To set the record straight, we have Independents and a large number of Republicans involved as well as Democrats. CAG recognizes that everyone has their personal opinions about particular issues and ideologies, but they check them at the door so to better focus on the larger picture of accountability by elected officials and transparency of the government process. We couldn't be more non-partisan or unbiased.

As noted in my guest opinion, we are conducting interviews with the candidates for county commissioner. To date, four of the 10 candidates have come forth to be interviewed by CAG, one from each district where seats are up for grabs.

Unfortunately, some of the candidates appear reluctant to be interviewed by CAG, though I can't imagine why or what they fear from us. We have no agenda other than to provide the voters of this county with a fair and balanced appraisal of their positions on issues of importance and how, if elected, they intend to improve the way in which Douglas County is governed.

I must say that being on the interview panel has been a privilege and an honor. We have enjoyed spending two hours with each of these candidates to get beyond campaign slogans and spin. We look forward to sharing our observations with the voters of Douglas County in a head-to-head comparison based on answers to identical questions asked of each candidate.

Of course, we want to make our comparison available to voters before the Aug. 12 primary election, so we will be wrapping up interviews by June 26.

We intend to have our document available by mid-July, and will share it with you, Mr. Editor, with the hope that you will find our findings worthy of publication in The Record-Courier.

Robert S. Ballou

Minden

Editor:

Imagine my surprise, when hearing of plans to shut down the Nevada State Prison on Fifth Street, in Carson City. Supposedly, budget strains have helped the powers that be decide that the $19 million saved by doing so, closing the prison, would help the budget crunch.

Never mind that our prison system is dangerously over-crowded. Never mind that early release for lesser crimes is practiced widely, allowing criminals back into society before they have paid their full debt to society.

However, and more to the point, I sent Gov. Gibbons a letter, back on the first of April, suggesting and demonstrating that we can turn an expanded prison system into a revenue stream/job producer for the state coffers.

That's right ... actually make money on our prison system. My example showed where we could gain $70 million for 2,000 prisoners. The Carson prison is said to hold 1,000, so I guess that would mean only $35 million in revenue. Isn't that more than $19 million?

An international company by the name of Wackenhut has been doing so, very effectively and efficiently and, yes even wildly profitably, for decades. One can easily Google the name and find their financial information, etc.

My letter to the governor pointed this out and suggested Nevada seriously consider importing out-of-state prisoners, for a competitive fee per day, into newly built, funded by bonding " which the income/revenue stream would surely pay back " prisons across the state. They could be built far away from population centers, yet close enough to provide sorely needed revenue for rural counties.

After several follow ups, wondering if I was going to receive even a courteous response, sluffing my idea off, I finally heard back on May 23.

The letter from the governor simply states that he had forwarded my letter to Director of Corrections Howard Skolnik stating "I know they have looked at contracting out some of our facilities in the past. They will be happy to study the feasibility of this plan again."

Am I missing something here? Is it better to close down a possible profit center, cutting jobs and making our prison system ever more crowded, or is it better to find ways of creating more jobs and contributing revenue to the state fund?

It drives me crazy, to see government wasting opportunities, in order to take the road of least resistance.

Rick Campbell

Gardnerville

Editor:

Did you ever wonder who's really at fault for the high price of gas and other fuels? Take a look at the superenvironmentalists who's obsession goes beyond reality.

These people (Republicans, Independents and Democrats) have in one way or another prevented the construction of new refineries for the past 30 years and consider any new oil drilling as anathema.

And in this same period the need for fuel in America has more than doubled.

Take Alaska, for instance.

The superenvironmentalists have prevented oil drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for over 10 years.

I doubt any of them have actually been there so have no idea of what conditions are and have been brainwashed into believing it a "Pristine Wilderness." My wife (who is 1/4 Alaska native) and I have been going up to Barrow every other summer to see the bowhead whale hunts.

Bowheads, by the way, are on the increase rather than endangered. We've flown over to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a few years ago and inspected a test well that was on the coast (not in the Beauford Sea). From a 4-acre site they were able to drill a dozen wells in every direction with no spills.

The heavy equipment was brought in over ice roads in winter so as not to disturb the delicate tundra. We had to wear semi-airtight clothing and masks to protect from the clouds of mosquitoes, gnats and other insects in summer.

In winter the temperature drops to -70. Polar bears, moose, reindeer and other animals avoid it like the plague because they can be blinded and die. It is the most hostile place on the planet and a perfect place to drill for oil

This past week a bill was before a house committee to allow some offshore drilling on the Florida coast. It was defeated by hypodemocrites who said it wasn't necessary. At the same time, oil rigs from China, India and South America were pumping oil from the same location, 50 miles from shore on the Atlantic shelf.

The superenvironmentalists are also responsible for many of the homes that burned last year in South Lake Tahoe and this week in northern California. Environmental restrictions prevented residents from clearing brush, trees and pine needles from their property.

Dan Ballard

Gardnerville

Editor:

Maybe we should become a nation of winos? Consider, we can get Two-Buck Chuck (for $3) or we can get Five-Buck Gas (for, probably soon, $6 to $8 or $10). What's the choice?

All we need is one non-drinking driver to run to the store to buy Two-Buck Chuck (for $3) with all we save on gasoline by staying home, worrying about nothing.

By staying home we won't work, won't produce, won't keep our jobs, won't keep the economy going, but also won't use any gas. Won't even use any heating oil or propane because we won't need it with all that wine we've consumed.

No brainer.

On the other hand, nobody will go to work to produce the wine, the price of wine will go up, the store will close, and we'll all run out of money.

Oh, maybe we ought to drill and refine oil so we can still buy some gas and just a little wine. Healthier, too.

Judy Jacobs

Topaz Lake

Editor:

It is with great thanks that I salute Nancy, Ann, Jane, Dottie, Jason, Evan, Chuck, Carol, Sally, Terry, Debbie, Tom and Maggie Tracy.

Thanks to Linda Fisher for our lady of liberty, and Bud for the state of Nevada cutout. These two items and these people made our float simple and appropriate.

Thanks again.

Graham Hollister Jr.

Genoa