Letters to the Editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Recycling bins are not garbage dumps, Pahrump!

Really, Pahrump? I am so upset. I have been a recycler since the early 1970’s in Portland, Oregon. Pahrump has a great bin set-up in the Walmart parking lot. I use it weekly.

I am shocked to see that people are using these bins as garbage dumps. Blankets, lawn chairs, baby diapers, broken carts with wheels are items clearly not intended for the recycle plant.

True, the “instruction” guides on the sides of the containers aren’t particularly large or helpful. But any thoughtful human has to know that a broken lamp of porcelain is not included on the list of permitted items.

While I am encouraged that so many people do use the recycling asset of our community, I am increasingly dismayed to have these bins filled with garbage that negates the very concept of “saving the planet.”

C’mon Pahrump, we can do better than this.

Patty Vinikow

There’s moral high ground, and then there’s reality

It’s easy to claim the moral high ground when you have a steady paycheck, when you are not worried about losing your home, your car and can feed your family, but that moral high ground is held up by those who aren’t getting a check, are worried about losing their home, their car and can’t feed their family.

The governor insists that people “Stay home for Nevada”, it saves lives, but what about the people whose lives are now ruined? Those on the moral high ground wail and moan about those who want to allow the businesses to be allowed to reopen, they shout to the heavens that they lack compassion, they are greedy, care more about corporate profits than people.

But I say those on the moral high ground lack compassion and don’t care about the restaurant workers, valets, bartenders, waitresses, casino workers and the tens of thousands of people in Nevada who have lost their jobs, homes, cars, families.

As long as they feel safe on their moral high ground, they don’t care about those of us who will lose their business and can’t pay their employees, about those small business owners who get thrown in jail for trying to do right by their employees.

It’s easy to claim the moral high ground when that ground is held up by those who have lost everything.

Michael Garman