Letters to the Editor

Most politicians leave the public sector much richer

Mr. Ferrell’s letter to the PVT, on July 14 was fairly long on words but short on useful information, sounding as if fully embracing the U.S. Constitution while glossing over things that logically are in opposition of it and many of its principles.

I fully understand how powerful long-held and deeply invested emotions can overshadow real facts and justify one’s beliefs, it is difficult for logic to dominate emotion, to the point that they become detrimental, or as Adams said, “Facts are stubborn things”. That’s the area our flawed Founding Fathers impressed me the most, understanding human nature and particularly how emotions can override all reason. They certainly had blind spots, but made every human attempt to create barriers and safeguards against humans’ susceptibility to their emotions taking charge of those in positions of power.

These barriers have been subjected to assaults since the beginning (sometimes even with good intentions), and cracks are now visible. Think about all the recent political figures that have spent their lives in public office or made political connections to become lobbyists, advisers, the media, high tech, finance, etc. that have become quite lucrative, on both sides of the aisle.

It is extremely rare to find someone to leave the public sector with less financial worth than they had going in. Sanders spent years telling us “millionaires need to pay more taxes”, then suddenly he found he was a millionaire, so he just moved the goalpost to billionaires.

Our new president has a carefully fabricated persona of being a ‘working class’ politician yet has never held a working-class job for any length of time but has fed in the “public trough” for half a century and also became quite wealthy, with maybe some questionable activities that may not stand up to any real scrutiny. A well-crafted public persona is a proven emotional motivator either positively or negatively depending on where it’s from and how often it’s repeated. Sometimes the one in question hurts or helps that narrative by their mannerisms, again triggers their audience’s emotions. This is one of the biggest reasons I don’t particularly care to listen to any politician speak, I prefer to read what they say, then look at their actions and finally judge the results of those actions.

There are a few undeniable facts that are evident for anyone who cares to see them. First, we know the “Orange Monster” is crude and many find him obnoxious, even with these shortcomings, prior to the Chinese Covid-19 pandemic, the U.S. economy was showing great improvements for the nation as a whole, particularly with working people and real spendable income.

Next, for the first time since the 1950s, we were energy independent and actually an energy exporter. Then there were Middle-eastern countries signing agreements with Israel, with more considering to do so (until the administration changed).

Our southern border was becoming better secured and orderly through rules that were being implemented and understood clearly. Even the operation “Warp Speed” was ridiculed and mocked by the very people who are now demanding full compliance and contorting to convenience the nation. The “Orange Monster” had little to do with it and they are the true heroes.

I’m always interested and open to new factual information that would change my mind on important things that are likely to affect me, my family, my friends, and my country, as long as the information is factual or at least can be reasonably verifiable to be true or likely to be true, and not based on conjecture or personal opinion. Second, third, and even fourth opinions, even from experts is a lesson I learned the hard way long ago.

David Jaronik

Reader incensed by county commissioner’s ‘racial’ attack on the first lady

Nye County’s Third District Commissioner clucks that she is in her last term and that she feels free to insult the first lady while spouting all manner of pet conspiracy theories during commission meetings. However, the fact is that Commissioner Cox is eligible to be recalled by the voters of the Third District. Given her recent insults hurled at Nevada’s first lady, Ely born, Kathy Sisolak, Mrs. Cox surely has demonstrated that she no longer has the ability to conduct herself in a professional or responsible way.

I think that citizens of every political stripe, once they learn of Commissioner Cox’s recent kooky and rude comments; especially where she insulted our lovely and kind first lady, by calling her a Chinese and implying that her family was in some way profiting from COVID-19. I suspect that many businesses are profiting during these times, but I would certainly not attack our governor’s wife or her family based on hearsay, as Mrs. Cox has done.

I think that the press has a duty to actually research each charge made by Commissioner Cox and help the citizens to learn just which charges that Mrs. Cox has made are true and which are based on something printed on a nut-case website.

I suspect that when the dust settles, most of what Commissioner Cox said will be found to be just conjecture. As for insulting the first lady and her family, Mrs. Cox certainly has shown that she deserves to be recalled by the voters of the Third District, regardless of her term limited status. The citizens must not tolerate such a vicious and rude, “Karen” as their county commissioner for one minute more.

J. Tyler Ballance

The country is certainly not what it used to be says reader

What is happening to our country? Thinking back to the time that I grew up in, the 1950’s, I hardly recognize it. Back then we had families where the men worked, women raised kids at home. Now kids are handed off to school, day care,,or a babysitter. Everybody is doing their thing and families spend very little time together.

We worked instead of finding some government to support us. We did not have psychologists inventing things that they had to treat people for. I never heard of PTSD, ADHD or Bipolar and, I never knew anybody that had to have a service animal with them 24/7 to maintain their sanity.

Back then government was not so divided when Ronald Reagan was president, Tip O’Neil was speaker. They were on opposite ends of the political spectrum but would always come to the center and got things done. Now whoever has a majority takes the “my way or the highway” approach. Defund the police, now there’s a great idea, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that less police means more crime, and that’s exactly what’s happening in all cities mostly led by liberal Democrats, that have adopted the defund policy. They now realize their mistake and want to re-fund and re-build their police departments.

The problem is lack of personnel. Officers have resigned or retired and finding new recruits is challenging, police officers are not respected, underpaid and sometimes charged with a crime because someone made a video of them making an arrest that became violent. While less police means less security for all of us, Nancy Pelosi and other politicians are spending taxpayer money for their personal security.

Immigration - I am not anti-immigrant, in fact I am one, born in England, my family applied for a visa to come to America in 1958, after being vetted, vaccinated, and finding a sponsor, the visa was granted. Even back then there were illegals, when caught they were bused back across the border. Fast-forward to the present, we have hundreds of thousands walking in as if the border doesn’t exist. These are not vetted in any way, we know nothing about who they are, what their intentions are or what they’re bringing into the country. Many of those tested have COVID, so the untested probably do too.

So, while American citizens are advised to get vaccinated and wear masks, the illegals can access any part of our country and spread this deadly disease. Our fearless leader, Mr. Biden, made a huge error in judgement when he reversed the Trump policy of keeping them in Mexico until they were vetted.

I may be living in the past, but we had a simpler, less stressful life and didn’t need appointments and reservations to do anything.

George Cross

No excuse for frustrating experience at area DMV says reader

I wish to give a few thoughts on the DMV in Pahrump. I am in total amazement that we have come so far in the computer age and cannot cure the problems of the aforesaid DMV.

You go up there at 7 a.m. and stand in line for an hour before the door opens. Once you get in, unless you are one of the first 10-15 people, you could be there for several hours only to find that you do not have the proper documentation.

You then go home and attempt to obtain the aforesaid documentation and then you start the process over. This can be a two or three times or maybe longer process. You cannot convince me that this cannot be corrected.

When we switched over from chauffeur’s license to CDL (nothing but a money grab) I did my part and went with my current license and all of my paperwork to the DMV in Henderson to switch over. I got there early and stood in line like a good little soldier. What confronted me was a nasty, surly woman who I would not hire as a floor sweeper. I spent 24 hours of being insulted and humiliated at the hands of a person who couldn’t even shift gears in the truck I drove. After finally being approved by this thing that filled in as a DMV clerk, I was issued a license. Needless to say I was not a happy truck driver. As I walked out the door she said at the top of her lungs, “There goes another happy customer”, all the time laughing hysterically.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS. Most of this could be done on the computer. Please people in charge, fix this problem. If I ran for governor on fixing this problem alone, I would probably be elected by a landslide.

In closing, I would like to say thank you for all the people who read my ranting are supporting me. Since my experience with my CDL, I would like to say that the caliber of people at the DMV has improved greatly. Further, the people in the Pahrump DMV are usually very pleasant and it is not their fault. It is the system and its distrust of the public. God bless each and every one of you and God bless America.

Stacy L. Riney