Letters to editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Reader disturbed by increase of hate crimes

Well, this is my third letter on this subject in what – six weeks? This is getting unnerving. Last Saturday night a rabbi was having a Hanukkah party at his personal residence. This took place near New York City.

A perpetrator broke into his house brandishing a weapon and physically attacked innocent Jewish people. I hear he was a 38-year-old man still living with his mother. Being in a similar situation, I know how wretched that life can be. Still, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

I do not know what to do about this situation. Perhaps Catherine Cortez-Masto, Jacky Rosen or Harry Reid know? One can only ponder.

Janice Gilmour

Bernie is a sure loser in the 2020 election

There are several Democratic presidential candidates who support Medicare for All who also happen to be viable general election candidates (unlike Bernie Sanders, who has no realistic chance of being elected president). If you actually want to see Medicare for All implemented, vote for Elizabeth Warren. Senator Warren can win, whereas Bernie Sanders is a sure loser.

Until these myopic, naive Bernie Bros. can provide a satisfactory explanation as to how Sanders would be able to successfully handle the following issues, which would certainly be highlighted by the GOP in a general election, their irrational insistence that Democrats vote for non-Democrat Bernie Sanders should fall on deaf ears.

1. Bernie Sanders is on the record repeatedly having unreservedly and uncritically lauded lavish public praise on a number of anti-American communist dictators, like Daniel Ortega and Fidel Castro for instance. (Have you ever watched Bernie’s infamous videotaped interviews on these subjects from August 8, 1985 and from June 13, 1988? You should.) In fact, Bernie Sanders is the only prominent American politician to express more love and respect for totalitarian communist tyrants than Donald Trump does!

2. Then of course there was Bernie Sanders’ still inadequately explained 1988 marital honeymoon in the Soviet Union, where upon returning to Vermont the Marxist socialist Sanders predictably and pathetically voiced his unabashed praise for the Soviet system. One would think that a reasonably intelligent man who is at least nominally Jewish would know better than to openly and unapologetically congratulate an anti-Semitic totalitarian regime for making their trains run on time! But no, Bernie is not nearly as intelligent as advertised. And furthermore, could you ever possibly imagine saying to your fiancé, “We’ll be spending our honeymoon in North Korea with the Dear Leader.” I didn’t think so.

3. Less well known is the fact that in 1963 Bernie Sanders lived and worked for several months on a Stalinist commune near Haifa in Northern Israel that explicitly saw the Soviet Union as its political role model. Sanders’ communal Israeli kibbutz actually flew the red Soviet flag over its compound, the very same red Soviet flag prominently displayed in Bernie Sanders’ office when he was mayor of Burlington, Vermont during the 1980s.

4. And then there’s that bizarre, incredibly disturbing “rape fantasy” article that Sanders wrote, which was published in 1972 when Sanders was a 30-year-old far-Left Marxist gubernatorial candidate in Vermont. Where does one even begin in attempting to explain just how awfully atrocious Bernie Sanders’ views were on the subject of rape? Well, how about this quote from Sanders’ asinine article: “A man goes home and masturbates his typical fantasy. A woman on her knees, a woman tied up, a woman abused. A woman enjoys intercourse with her man - as she fantasizes being raped by three men simultaneously…”

Why would you vote for someone like that to be president of the United States? We already have someone like that as president! We certainly do not need to replace one foolish, misogynistic, geriatric Russophile with another. There are more qualified, much less crazy Democratic candidates to choose from.

Get a clue, Bernie Bros. Senator Sanders is a sure loser in a general election, which is why (in addition to the 78-year-old’s recent heart attack) Bernie Sanders should drop out of the presidential race immediately.

Losing in 2020 is not an option. Democrats must nominate a candidate who can actually win.

Sincerely,

Jake Pickering

Tax proposal is sort of like ‘Robin Hood’

This might surprise you, but in 1999 Donald Trump proposed the passage of a “National Wealth Tax” of 14.25% on all individuals who have a net worth and net wealth of $10 million and higher. You can look it up online. Wealth differs from income.

He wanted the money generated from it to pay off the entire national debt with the remainder being placed into the Social Security Trust Fund to make it more solvent for additional years.

That is NOT something that conservative Republicans believe in.

“USA Today” newspaper loves the idea. So do I.

So should all “liberal/progressive” Democrats as well as many “moderates” and “centrists” and “independents.”

Right?

Take from the rich and give to help everyone else.

It is like Robin Hood.

It is part of my own political platform and agenda.

So why is Elizabeth Warren the only national Democrat who supports any version of it?

It is the ONLY way to pay for the new social programs that people like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez want.

The ONLY way to raise enough money to help people.

Why is a political NOBODY like me the only person pointing this out?

Why are the “compassionate” and “caring” liberal/progressive Democrats totally silent and mute?

Sincerely,

Stewart B. Epstein

New Pahrump cost of living getting like Vegas

Is it the administration’s new goal to run off the elderly, disabled vets, and low-income Pahrump people with higher rent requirements, higher power costs, new building permits, and higher cost of living?

Pahrump was a nice place where people could afford to live, now it’s like Vegas with high rents, high power, and higher cost of living.

Is what new Pahrump is all about to punish the disabled vets, elderly, low-income residents of Pahrump?

Bradley Rusk

Killing of Soleimani may have serious fall-out

Mike Pompeo, Trump’s secretary of state, defended Trump’s decision to kill Soleimani saying “It may be that there’s a little noise here in the interim.” A “little noise” is a ridiculous total understatement. Pompeo is now showing his ignorance and inability to comprehend the severity of this and should step down. There will be deaths directly connected to Trump’s decision to kill Soleimani. Those deaths are NOT “a little noise.”

He also claimed that the strike was aimed at disrupting an “imminent attack.” Does he really feel that an imminent attack would have been aborted by killing one general? Just the opposite. It would have given them even more reasons to continue their plan of attack. Trump’s real reason is the same reasoning he used when he repeatedly claimed that President Obama would start a war with Iran in order to win re-election. Now, with Trump facing a difficult re-election, he’s attacking Iran! What a hypocrite.

And the real reason that he didn’t go to Congress is because he knew his plan would get shot down by them. Again, Trump feels he’s above the law. He could have taken five minutes to call the Gang of 8 to let them know what a serious decision he was going to make. The man is way over his head and in a very deadly way.

Now, Iran says it would end all limitations on enriching uranium that it agreed to in 2015. This was the agreement that Trump dumped because he felt he could get a better deal. Where’s the better deal? The fact is that it is Trump who is breaking that original agreement and putting all of us in peril for nullifying it – not Iran!!

The most pathetic part is that Trump thinks he can bully Iran into submission. His lack of understanding and narcissism has put the lives of our soldiers, embassy employees, foreign allies and U.S. citizens in jeopardy. This man is a fool and a clear and present danger. If Pompeo is right, then let Mr. Trump put himself out there to be the target of “a little noise.”

CJ Stevens

Socialist, communist sympathies increasing

I watch with suspicion all of the antics of our “public servants.” Social Security, which I “volunteered” for in 1957 caused me to ask the question, “Isn’t this socialism?” That question got me thrown out of the office with the demand that I go forth and work for 50 years. I was advised that I would receive a pension from the Social Security Insurance Fund, which would remain tax free. Yeah!

Then Medicare became another voluntary government insurance program, socialism.

Then we have the TSA and Homeland Security. TSA is a government agency, forbidden from conducting unlawful search and seizures. Homeland Security was/is another “welfare program” that has proven to be an ineffective, distrusted agency, under the Obama administration. Then Obama began his first term by ordering folks to report any act that they found offensive, to our government. That directive reminded me of Cuba, East Germany, USSR and North Korea, where government “Snitches” are encouraged to charge folks with “crimes against the state.”

I am embarrassed to say that I am watching as Nevada slips ever closer to the socialist/communist sympathies that have become prominent since Obama assumed office. He was, and still is, a devout communist.

We have the “Red Flag Act” ready to be implemented in our state. That act provides the deprivation of constitutional rights to U.S. citizens absent due process. The commission of the act never sees a court, never sees the accuser, never sees charges filed, just the imaginary statements made by a disgruntled anonymous accuser. If you think this is the answer, then I suggest you all relocate to Cuba where this type of government is praised.

There is an 84-year-old veteran (Korea), retired police officer, and crossing guard in Massachusetts who had his Second Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights trampled into the ground. Based on baseless accusations, the Tisbury Police Department seized his concealed carry permit and his weapons and forbade him from requesting any written evidence that all of that happened to him without due process. Tisbury Police Department advised him that he was not charged with a crime, would not be prosecuted, would not appear in court, he was not allowed the opportunity to face his accuser, or a judge. If you desire to verify this action contact: Tisbury PD, 32 Water St., Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts 02568, telephone 508-696-4240. The slippery slope to socialism or communism is but inches away. The slide got a big boost in 2008 with the election of Obama. We now have 20 or so candidates for the presidency that avow their communist/socialist tendencies. This would have been unheard of in Joe McCarthy’s day. I’ll admit that he was a little heavy-handed at times but his fears were justified. Don’t ever forget Khrushchev’s statement as he pounded his shoe on the desk of the United Nations, “We will take over your country without ever firing a shot.” About 50 years have gone by, and we have allowed ever so slowly for those that wish to overthrow this nation the protection of their civil rights to do so.

It is your call. Now gun confiscation, illegals with Nevada driver’s licenses, then illegals with voter ID, then repeal of the first, second and fifth amendments, as a third world country. It has happened so quickly.

Wayne P. Brotherton, Sr.

Why should Pahrump residents vote Republican?

I have tried throughout my life to base my decisions on logic that told me how to benefit the most when it came to national elections. A few years ago I had a conversation with the district attorney. Neither of us could understand why a resident of Pahrump would vote Republican. For example, how did the huge tax cuts for billionaires like the Kochs, the Murdochs, and the Trumps benefit the residents of Pahrump? Especially when Trump and McConnell said, “We are going to have to take away the health care for the people to pay for the tax cuts.” I am certain that the Kochs, Trumps, and Murdochs have many more millions of net worth, but does the average Pahrump citizen even have $10,000 more in his/her bank account after the tax cuts for the rich?

To the contrary, I know Republicans who live in mobile homes, and live paycheck to paycheck. They don’t live here in fancy Manhattan residences, and probably 98% of them aren’t even millionaires. I also know some who drive around in hot old cars because they can’t even afford to have their air conditioners repaired.

One of them said, “I don’t like Hillary and will never again vote for a Democrat.” There have been many more felons arrested under Trump than under Clinton and Obama combined. If Hillary was so bad, how come the Republicans could find no wrong on her part after spending over $50 million of our tax dollars while doing 13 separate investigations? Even the Benghazi story was a lie put out only by Fox News and not verified by any other major and worthy news station.

Some say, “Look at the economy.” OK. Trump is running a deficit of nearly a trillion dollars, almost double that of Obama. Our national debt is expanding at 6% while our economy is increasing at only 2%. Let me explain this to Republicans. Trump is running our economy on a credit card. We all know how this will likely end.

But, most important, this election is not about Democrat vs. Republican. It is about defending our Constitution from being violated again by Trump, despite the fact that Republicans in the Senate have vowed to prevent a fair trial for the people. Can you imagine a trial in Pahrump whereby the judge would not allow witnesses testify to the facts? All of us have pledged allegiance to our republic. Why should we vote for one who has violated our Constitution?

Jim Ferrell