Letters to the editor for Sunday, May 21, 2017

Trump spinning his wheels on petty nonsense

Why does our current president concern himself with late night talk show hosts’ opinions and get into feuds with such figures as Rosie O’Donnell?

I do not remember a former president of the United States who was as concerned about such things as President Trump. He should be more concerned about governing the best he can, having such a difficult job, rather than being distracted by attacks on his personal image.

Which is more important? It does not take a rocket scientist to answer this question.

Glade Myler

Carson City

Thoughts on net neutrality

In response to James Smack’s commentary on May 12, in my view it is vague as to content and boisterous as to political rhetoric.

The 2015 rule classified internet service providers (ISPs) as common carriers and prohibited them from blocking content, throttling traffic based on content, or being paid to prioritize certain content through “fast lanes.” This was based on Title II of the Communications Act of 1934, enacted to regulate the Ma Bell telephone monopoly. That regulation has served us well and survived legal challenges to the neutrality regulations.

As a consumer, I find that perfectly OK. If I were an ISP, I would probably think that restricts my ability to grab more money at the expense of consumers. I would probably spend a lot of money to make net neutrality go away, which they have.

Janet Walls

Minden

Revenue-generating ideas for Sen. Heller

I read with interest the front-page story in the Lahontan Valley News about Sen. Heller wanting permanent PILT funding. If Heller had his head screwed on right, we wouldn’t have to worry about the “pittance” in lieu of taxes.

His unreasonable opposition to the nearly-completed nuclear waste repository and reprocessing facility at Yucca Mountain could be the answer to a lot of problems. Couple that with a transfer of public lands to the state and counties and we could have a tsunami of cash rushing into Nevada.

For lack of a safe place to store it, nuclear waste has been piling up around the country for decades in states that would pay a handsome price for a chance to get rid of it. Much of this waste could be reprocessed, as is being done in France, and sold to nuclear power plants around the world.

On the public lands issue, studies have shown that mismanagement by federal agencies costs an enormous amount of money whereas the release of the land to better management by western states and counties who would be better stewards than bureaucrats 2,000 miles away would turn those losses into profits.

This includes the national monuments being reviewed for reversal. And don’t forget the huge expansions the Navy and Air Force want for their training ranges in Southern and Northern Nevada.

If politicians like Heller would put on their thinking caps and consider some of the more intelligent alternatives they wouldn’t have to go, hat in hand, to beg for “pittances” in lieu of taxes. The money would come rolling in from honest labor and intelligent enterprise.

Jim Falk

Fallon

Dire consequences come with Trumpcare

Regarding Trumpcare, this piece of legislation greatly harms Americans.

As a new mother, my emergency C-section would be considered a pre-existing condition and increase my insurance premiums. We cannot stand by and let this happen.

Please consider all the consequences that this will bring.

Daphne Abrams

Gardnerville

Not Nevada too!

On the front page of Wednesday’s paper — “Nevada Attorney General Faces Ethics Probe” — another “got ya!” A negative article written by an Associated Press reporter regarding this state’s attorney general.

Not until one reads two-thirds of the way through that column does it finally state, “took the recording to the FBI … the federal authorities found Laxalt committed no criminal offenses.”

And the Democrats reholding a hearing anyway. Why? Oh, yeah. Laxalt might run for governor. Stupid me, I thought all this BS was back in Washington, D.C. Please let this state hold its head high and follow the straight path. No BS, just the truth and honesty, if that’s not too much to ask.

Mike Zola

Carson City