Letters to the editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Gee thanks, Social Security Administration!

Last year the Social Security Administration increased our benefit “because of a rise in the cost of living.”

However, they increased the Medicare deduction by the same amount so that the net benefit was the exactly same as the year before.

They did the same this year, but there must have been a clerical error somewhere because the net benefit is one dollar more than the year before.

Wow, one whopping dollar for the whole year to compensate for inflation. We’ll try to be prudent and not spend it all in one place.

Our elected representatives in Congress, with the emphatic support of our hopefully soon-to-be ex-president, have pushed through a tax “reform” bill that will result in a massive transfer of wealth from the middle class and poor to the giant corporations and filthy rich. It will also increase the budget deficit by over a trillion dollars and take away health insurance for millions of people.

According to the latest poll, only 29 percent of Americans support the bill, and there are massive protest rallies all over the country opposing it.

Aren’t our elected officials supposed to represent the interests of their constituents instead of serving the billionaire donors who finance their election campaigns? Am I the only person who thinks that there is something wrong with this picture?

David G. Alexander

Residents gain recognition during recent pageant

Janet “Scotty” Winegar, locally known for her leadership in the Ms. Senior Nye County Pageant and as dance director for the Nye County Starlets, was singled out during the Ms. Senior Universe Pageant, which premiered at Planet Hollywood’s Saxe Theatre in Las Vegas, November 25-30, 2017.

Ms. Winegar, a native of Scotland and better known as “Scotty”, was crowned Ms. Senior Scotland Universe 2017, due in part to her more than 25 years of dedication to Nevada senior pageants and senior institutions.

Also recognized was Stormi Caprice, another local lady, who along with Scotty, consistently plays an important role in managing the “off-stage” intricacies of helping dress pageant contestants, coordinating with lighting and audio technicians, and attending to various details associated with pageant productions.

Scotty expressed both surprise and delight when she received her crown and was presented with a banner, then asked to stand for a photo op with Kat Ray, founder of the (Nevada) Ms. Senior Universe Pageant.

Ms. Ray, who is well known for her involvement in state and national programs that recognize ladies of elegance (those over the age of 60), ranked in the top 10 at the Ms. Senior USA program held in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 2013.

Ralph and Margaret Bazan

Valor Quilters thank community for support

As we begin a new year, the Nye County Valor Quilters would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for all the support the community gave us this past year through private donations and our fundraisers.

We want to especially thank Spring Mountain Motorsports and Mountain Falls Golf Course for their generous gifts for the Chance of a Lifetime fundraiser. We also want to thank the GI Store for allowing us to be involved in their Veterans Day celebration.

With your support, we will be able to award many beautiful quilts to deserving veterans in 2018.

Gratefully yours,

Nye County Valor Quilters

You can bet on more Republican inflation

A new Republican wave of inflation has just been guaranteed by Trump Republicans adding another two trillion to the already out of control deficit spending.

I listened to Carl Icahn today and he said “our currency is being devalued as we speak.” A new republican depression is likely to come about in the near future. Today’s homeowners have mortgages to the tune of six trillion dollars. When they can no longer make their mortgage payments, they will be forced to move out of their homes, causing a severe depression to come about. However, there are some steps we can take to give us some protection.

Some good protection can be had by investing in gold, oil, land, and industries related to water, such as fishing and ships that move oil and other needed items. Unfortunately, incompetent Republican administrations cannot be responsible with paper currency. The printing press money, backed by Republican hot air, is just too much of a temptation for them.

The paper currency, which has been watered down by huge additional deficit spending, will decrease in value, causing hard assets like gold, land, oil, and certain water-related industries to have higher dollar amounts of worth. I, for example, will not invest in any note or bond that has its full repayment due several years ahead. That is almost a guaranteed loss since the Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates to curtail inflation, thus causing previously purchased bonds with lower rates to decrease in principle value.

Oil is good because machinery and transportation that move our goods must use it. They don’t make more land, which is needed to grow food or graze livestock. Gold has always been a scarce and often an expensive metal and cannot be reproduced by a Republican printing press.

Of course, the Trump billionaires, Trump’s buddies, and the Russian oligarchs, knew all this before they decided to water down our currency. The Koch brothers, for example, are well protected with vast holdings of oil, land, gold, and industries to harvest the waters and also move the goods. Since we have to have these items, they simply raise their prices. And guess who pays? It is Johnny Lunchbucket, who so eagerly voted for Trump. Will Johnny ever learn or will he continue to be a victim of Fox News propaganda?

Information herein is not financial advice. Potential investors should consult professional sources before making investments.

Jim Ferrell