Letters to editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Closed store always gave good customer service

On February 28th, Jewelry of Romance closed after many years of great service to our community. It was always a good experience going there and being treated so well, no matter what the problem, a battery or repair.

Let me tell you this: Jewelry of Romance is open and has the same great service as before. Thank you Laura for re-opening this fine store. I highly recommend this to anyone needing their service.

Jim Cornell

Still waiting for all the good things to come

In a commentary (PVT 7/24/19), former Nye County Commissioner Dan Schinhofen dismisses Trump’s tweets by saying they “distract from all the good things he has accomplished.”

We can all agree that there is an abundance of distraction coming out of the White House. As for all the good things, it’s more like beauty being in the eye of the beholder. People tend to see what they want to see.

More money in your paycheck because of less tax withholding? Okay. Except that many had to pay on the other end. Being cozy with the North Korean dictator who seems to play the president like a violin? A chummy relationship with the Russian president who wants to influence our elections, and wherever else he can intrude? Engaging in belligerent trade wars, a strategy that some economists question? Keeping jobs in America?

There are areas in our country where great expectations have fallen well short of reality. And most recently, the president won approval from the Supreme Court to authorize billions for construction of a wall along our southern border; disregarding recommendations that would be less costly and probably more effective. It is puzzling that the court has overridden congressional budgeting authority.

But of course praise must be given where praise is due. Just keep in mind that a stopped clock is accurate twice a day. In the long run, American’s best hope is to have a leader whose efforts actually benefit the majority, rather than serve as a demonstration of power or to garner self-congratulation.

Indeed, it is unity, not divisiveness that Congress should focus on. Trouble is, the Congress is often stymied by a chief executive who doesn’t comprehend the manner and means by which unity is achieved. Compromise is not in his vocabulary. Rather, we’re subjected to “my way or the highway.” One recent example. Remember when the president walked out of a budget hearing because his preferences weren’t being favored? Then he whined about it in front of the news cameras.

But you were right on the money, Mr. Schinhofen, by suggesting that Trump shouldn’t run for the good of the country. That, friends and neighbors, could be a meaningful first step on America’s road to recovery.

Ralph Bazan

Mueller’s report did not accomplish anything

One would assume, according to Mr. Stewart B. Epstein, only the news on the right are biased in their news coverage. While I agree there is bias on the right, there is at least equal or more on the left.

While I’m not a college professor and I don’t even own a sport coat with elbow patches, I am very, very capable of doing my own homework on issues that are important to me.

For example, the Mueller testimony was lacking in both the right and the left on one extremely important factor. Hearing Mr. Mueller repeatedly refer to so many questions as being “out of his purview”, even seemingly totally unaware of things like “Fusion GPS.”

Now any fair-minded person would recall the main focus of the entire special council was to determine “all” areas of Russian meddling, which any fair-minded agent would look at both horses.

As it turned out, only one horse got a thorough examination. Watching Mueller, he clearly looked confused much of the time, or lost, he didn’t seem very familiar with his own report.

One could easily conclude he was more of a figurehead than actually involved, which was driven by “investigators” whose main goal was to “get the president out of office by any means.”

I’m very sure if there was any real evidence to do so they certainly would have.

Just for practical purposes, I did not vote for Trump in 2016, but that does not mean I must join a Trump hatred group, fueled not by reason, only emotion.

David Jaronik

Would great leaders tolerate Trump’s rhetoric?

So, our ex-commissioner, Dan Schinhofen, doesn’t think Donald Trump is a racist. Since the time his father, Fred Trump, was arrested at a KKK rally, Donny learned that people of color are not his equal. Sadly, the once dignified Republican Party faithful keep making excuses for his racist comments and policies.

Would Abe Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower tolerate the rhetoric of the man in the White House? I think not. These Republican presidents had dignity, class and integrity. They would be disgusted and ashamed of his racist tweets.

Mr. Schinhofen, was Donald Trump racist when he called Neo-Nazis “good people” or referred to nations with large black populations as “S***hole” countries? How about when Mr. Trump labeled Mexicans as “murderers and rapists” and said immigrants at our southern border were “subhuman”? Was he racist when he calls cities with many minority citizens “infested” or says black politicians are people with “low IQs”? I could go on and on (the Central Park 5, lying about “the squad” calling America “garbage —not true, the Muslim ban, calling black athletes SOBs for protesting police brutality, etc.), but you would excuse each and every racist comment and action by this president.

We can agree or disagree on many issues facing this country, but disavowing racist rhetoric should be something we all should be willing to do. The man is president of the United States and must realize his hateful words do matter.

Dennis Crooks