Letters to the editor, April 15

Will project draw tourists to downtown?

Dr. Eugene never-met-a-government-program-I-didn't-like Paslov is again demeaning those citizens who are opposed to the City Center Project.

He equates us, along with Guy Farmer and probably Sam Bauman, to mindless cretins confronting the highly intelligent dreams of the learned population of Carson City. I have not yet met any among my acquaintances who are in favor of this project. The opposition is not a pack of sub-human troglodytes.

How is this learning center supposed to attract tourists and rejuvenate downtown? Having lived here for 40-plus years and having held a library card since our library was in the basement of what is now the Children's Museum, it's difficult to believe that this new plan will make us the Alexandria or Ephesus of the 21st century.

To say that our Board of Supervisors are the know-all and be-all for the city is a little over the top. Why are you afraid to put this to the vote?

Bob Hilderbrand

Carson City

Wait for results before coming to conclusions

In a brief response to "(ethics) Probe against Shelley Berkley an election year ploy" by Ilene Zusi in the letters to the editor section April 6, sometimes turnabout is fair play.

In December 2008, misappropriation charges by the (Democrat) Attorney General Catherine Cortez Maesto were filed against now (Republican) Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki, after he publicly stated he was going to run for Harry Reid's Senate seat.

A Las Vegas judge later dismissed the charges exonerating Krolicki, but only after the charges were the focus of much media attention, and much too late to challenge Reid's senatorial seat.

The response from the Democrats at that time was that we need to let the legal process work, and it was not a political maneuver. So, let's all wait for the outcome of the ethics probe before rushing to conclusions.

Doug Campbell

Carson City

'Gift' has one expensive price tag to taxpayers

In response to Ursula Carlson's commentary on the City Center Project, you said, and I quote, "Despite the misinformation floating around, this project is only possible because of the Mae B. Adams Trust and the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation's large private gift to Carson City."

The first definition I found said that a gift is something given voluntarily without charge.

Please stop saying this is a gift to Carson City, because it comes with a $23 million price.

Sunni Enciso Heinrichs

Carson City

BLM should explore other horse roundup options

I was pleased to read the article, "Land managers try new method to capture mustangs." At the same time, I was disappointed to see the horses were being completely removed from their public lands.

A better method was used in fall 2010 when a roundup was planned for the Pine Nut Range Herd Management Area. Wild horse advocates wanted desperately to stop the use of helicopter roundups.

Many of these horse bands were used to seeing people and could be easily captured by using the 'Bait/Trap/Release' method. Advocates met with the Carson City Bureau of Land Management office, asking if the above could be used instead. BLM agreed.

As a result of the combined efforts of all parties, no horses were removed from the Pine Nut HMA. Instead, mares were trapped, treated using birth control methods and released back to their family bands.

Horses outside the HMA that were captured were subject to selective removal - especially the weanlings - as advocates are more easily able to find them good homes.

This method works so well, it's being used as a model at other HMA roundups. It allows advocates to become involved in reducing the needs for large and very dangerous removals.

Also, this method reduces BLM's overall costs associated with this type of gather by not having to put removed horses into long-term holding facilities.

This is a win-win situation for everyone - especially the wild horses.

Bonnie Matton, president

Wild Horse Preservation League