Letters to editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

The high cost of bickering

I recently read a couple of articles I found to be most interesting.

One of these articles was about the experimental Small Nuclear Reactors (SNR) going to Idaho to be built there. Why would these SNRs go to Idaho when we have the Mercury Test Site here in Nevada, the perfect place to build these SNRs?

The second article I found was the governor of Idaho bragging about all the jobs (approximately 1,000 jobs) that will be going to Idaho for construction of these SNRs.

I found this to be very depressing, another golden opportunity Nevada misses out on. For those of us who have lived in Nevada for a long time, can you think of another great opportunity we Nevadans missed out on? The answer is: The Cyclotron. I now wonder just how many other golden opportunities Nevada has missed out on. The answer is: Unknown at this time. Why is it Nevada is getting passed up by these big projects? Can anybody guess?

Let me explain what happened about the Cyclotron. When the Yucca Mountain Repository Site was being built, Senator Harry Reid, supported by some Nevada legislators, put up so much of a stink with all their constant bickering to the federal government, complaining about so many things involving the construction and the use of the Yucca Mountain Repository, the federal government decided to give Nevada no more federal government contracts.

The end results of this failing to recognize Nevada and its potentials has cost Nevada and its citizens an incalculable amount of money and much-needed tax revenue, taxes such as sales tax, fuel tax, room tax for those who stayed in motels and trailer courts, etc.

Regarding state revenue, what are we losing by not licensing the Yucca Mountain Repository Site? It can be assumed the state of Nevada is going to charge a very high rate for licensing to the companies who need to get fuel rods recycled with the use of Yucca Mountain, the transportation to and from Yucca Mountain on the highways, and roads designated by Nevada for such transportation purposes, along with the licensing and costs at a profitable rate to recycle these fuel rods.

If anybody has questions regarding what I said in the previous paragraph, I suggest you contact Harry Reid in Searchlight, Nevada, to ask him why the Cyclotron was not built within the Mercury Test Site and built-in Texas instead.

Ask him why Nevada is no longer getting federal government contracts. I am quite sure he will answer any and all questions very politically by saying a lot of words and get nothing said, which can be pinpointed as an answer to your questions.

A lot of the legislators, or politicians in Washington, D.C., if you prefer, think of Nevada as an acute pain in the butt because of all the bickering they hear from Nevada. I wonder why?

This great state of Nevada has some issues to deal with. This constant bickering has cost Nevada millions of dollars annually we can’t afford to lose. With Nevada being in such a financially unstable economic condition as we are at the present time, can we afford to not license Yucca Mountain Repository?

Can we afford to see other states get the same projects we are not even being considered for by the federal government?

The taxes are not just for the construction and installation of these various projects, but, the people it will take to staff these installations.

The monies will be generating tax revenues by these employees in years to come along with the initial construction costs.

Now is the time to look ahead to see what we can do as Nevada legislators and citizens alike to encourage such construction programs to come to Nevada instead of looking backward to see what passed by Nevada’s capabilities to other states with lesser capabilities.

The best thing the Nevada legislators can do is to support the licensing of Yucca Mountain Repository and ask what Nevada can do to help the federal government, and go from there, then stop the bickering!!! We have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

Perry Forsyth

Moose thank community for fundraiser success

On behalf of the members of Pahrump Moose Lodge #808 and Pahrump Women of the Moose Chapter #1141, I want to offer a sincere thank you for your awesome turnout and generosity at our donation dinner on August 10th.

Unlike other donation dinners that we stage for charitable and public service organizations throughout the Pahrump Valley, we staged this donation dinner to raise funds to help the Moose Lodge pay for a badly needed new stove to replace a 25-year-old, miserably failing stove.

Pahrump, not only did you step up to the plate for us, you knocked it out of the park, raising $3,278.25, allowing us to nearly retire the debt that we incurred to purchase the new stove. And thank you to the Dean West Smokin’ Gun Band for entertaining us throughout the event.

Thank you, Pahrump. You are the greatest!

Dennis London

Administrator, Pahrump Moose Lodge #808

Reader takes former commissioner to task

The national debate is not about citizens owning guns. I own guns and will fight as hard as the next guy to keep them. Dan, name one Democrat who has advocated abolishing our right to own guns. You used Chicago as your example of why strong gun laws do not stop killings. Virtually all the killings in Chicago and Illinois are one-on-one by gangs. The national debate is about killings in mass with deadly assault weapons by mentally unstable people. Clearly, you did not even mention assault weapons, nor did you present the case of why they should not be abolished.

You incorrectly stated that Obama and the Democrats “held the House, Senate, and presidency for years.” Truth, they held it for the first two years, after that the Republicans controlled the house for the next six years. Also, on health care, maybe you should again read the preamble of our Constitution wherein it states, “provide for the common welfare.” How can we provide for the “common welfare” and ignore the health needs of our citizens?

Also, you mentioned the killing of nine people by stabbing. How often are there killings in mass by stabbing? You also mentioned the numerous killings by another deadly weapon, the automobile. I agree. But, you did not mention that we require car drivers to be licensed. Why not require gun owners to be licensed? Why have a double standard? Further, seldom is an automobile intentionally used to kill another person, although it has happened in Las Vegas on rare occasions.

Moreover, you stated that “gun laws…should be driven by state, not federal laws.” This makes no sense at all because just a short while ago, the shooter in Gilroy, California, was denied the right to purchase an assault weapon there. He then came to Nevada where he purchased the deadly assault weapon he used.

Finally, you stated that “government was not the answer.” Wrong. Government should protect us. Why do we have police? I do agree with you when you wrote, “We will never be able to stop sick, evil people from doing evil things.” But, Dan, why should we make it easy for them? There was a ban on assault weapons for 10 years under Clinton and it worked. Mass killings by assault weapons were greatly reduced. What is wrong with saving lives?

Jim Ferrell

P.S. Dan, you were a great county commissioner, if you run in my district I will vote for you.