Letters to editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Correction to VFW post letter of thanks

In my previous letter to the editor, I failed to mention KNYE, the community, as well as the volunteers who have supported the food drive for the VFW over the last 15 years. This community and Karen from KNYE have been so supportive of this organization.

Please accept my humblest apologies for my failure to mention both the community and KNYE / Karen Jackson. I will strive to do better.

Martin Aguiar

VFW Post 10054 Commander

Impeach Trump because the facts are there

Apparently Karen Stone had her head buried in the sand when high level, non-partisan government personnel and Trump’s political ambassador, Mr. Sondland, all testified at recent congressional hearings, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump engaged in a quid pro quo by demanding the Ukraine president announce an investigation against the Bidens, and telling the Ukraine president that he, Trump, needed “a favor” before the $391 million assistance money, being illegally withheld by Trump, could be released to the Ukraine for its defense against Russian aggression.

Ms. Stone, are you calling Ambassador Songland, hand-picked by Trump, a liar?

Ms. Stone, did you pass eighth-grade math? Trump’s spending is adding red ink to the tune of about $1 trillion per year, much more than under Obama. If you have any children or grandchildren, are you going to feel good that they will be responsible for this added obligation?

Moreover, do you have any idea how many jobs can be created, paying $100,000 per job with a trillion dollars of borrowed money? Would you be surprised to hear that the number is 10 million jobs? And you claim we are so lucky to have Trump manage our economy. Furthermore, the purchasing power from jobs under Trump has not increased. Couples and families are having to hold two to three jobs just to make ends meet.

I think you act like a parrot who repeats what you hear from Fox News, one of the least trusted and least respected of all news media. It’s an insult to the truth that such people like Sean Hannity can spread lies, and especially sad that people like you believe these untruths. The owner of Fox News, Rupert Murdock, is an oligarch who promotes propaganda for his own selfish interests. Not even the Republicans in Congress are denying the facts about Trump’s impeachable behavior, so where do you get off?

Finally, your column of 11/29/19 is one of the most lacking in truth, and unintellectual that I have ever read. Please find an honest source for truthful information. Our democracy depends on the majority of Americans arriving at the truth. Something Fox News watchers are unable to find.

James Ferrell

Liberal progressive versus conservative views

The major and big difference between the “liberal/progressive” national Democratic Party political views of those such as two of my college professor friends and of people like myself is that they are more concerned with and more passionate about what I call the “identity-politics” issues and the “cultural-wars” issues while I am more concerned with and passionate about the economic, financial, bread-and-butter, kitchen-table, and survival issues of the lower and middle classes to be able to pay their bills. Thus, I am more concerned than they are with conservative-Republican desires to make cuts in Social Security retirement benefits and cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, and college student loans.

I have never had the heart to tell them that perhaps their priorities are colored by the fact that they both have combined incomes with their wives of over $230,000/year, while my wife and I fall under the official federal government category of “Near-Poverty” (between 100%-125% of the “official poverty line”).

My well-to-do friends are more concerned with and more passionate about issues such as racism, inclusion, the plight of minority groups, white nationalism, and the plight of illegal immigrants. They can well afford to.

But don’t misinterpret what I am saying here. I also DO care a lot about the “identity-politics” and “cultural-wars” issues. I just care more about people being able to survive economically and financially.

It is very hard and painful for me to listen to my fellow Democrats expressing more heartfelt and passionate concern for the well-being of illegal immigrants while expressing less concern and passion for the well-being of our poor, our near-poor, and our senior citizens who did all of the right things in life and now are struggling to survive and to be able to pay their bills.

Stewart B. Epstein