Letters to the Editor

The case for a Nye County aviation unit

Here’s a what-if for you.

Wouldn’t it be a fine thing for our soon to be rejuvenated sheriff’s department to be equipped with a helicopter? Right. They’re hugely expensive machines, but consider:

Having a helicopter available for law enforcement and other safety purposes would greatly enhance the capabilities not only of the sheriff’s office, but Nye County government as a whole. Moreover, in a geographically large county such as Nye, which by various accounts is either the second or third largest in the United States, an aviation unit could be a tremendous asset in furthering economic development.

I will leave it to the imagination of our political leaders in exploring that potential.

The prime question of course concerns acquisition. From where and at what cost might Nye County obtain a helicopter? The short answer could be our “Uncle Sam.”

Lately we’ve been hearing a lot about the militarization of police forces throughout the country. Whatever your opinion on that issue may be, in my estimation it is a far better application of certain American stockpiles when they are made available for continued use within our own country, rather than simply being kept in storage or selling them to foreign nations … Did I hear a chorus of “You betchas” from fellow taxpayers?

With regard to the cost of operation: Fuel costs may be offset by applying a portion of traffic law enforcement fines, an earmarked gasoline tax and funds set aside from general revenues. There may be other funding sources as well, such as state and federal grants.

As for pilots, in my view two volunteers from among our highest achieving sheriff’s personnel, should be selected for flight school. One of the best helicopter training facilities I’m aware of is operated by the U.S. Army aviation training center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. I’m sure there are others closer to home.

From an operational standpoint, our county aviation unit, under functional management of the Nye County Sheriff, would as stated serve primarily for use in law enforcement and for overall public safety needs. No flights up to Lake Tahoe for that special dinner engagement. No trips to Carson City or elsewhere for routine conferences, etc. All flights must be approved for purposes that would reasonably accrue to the benefit of Nye County.

As a local taxpayer I earnestly believe that procuring a helicopter to support legitimate needs within Nye County would be an asset of immeasurable value.

Ralph Bazan

In Ron Lowe’s fantasy world:

1. The make-up of the Congress of the United States is all wrong because it doesn’t meet his particular standards, i.e. the majority is not liberal. The members of Congress should be mostly liberal Democrats, regardless of how the rightful votes of the United States citizens add up. These voters were obviously wrong or all the districts (thousands of them across the fruited plain) were delineated incorrectly.

2. All conservative people hate blacks, gays and women. This “white boys’ club” would apparently include Condoleeza Rice (first black female Secretary of State), Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court Justice whose wife is white), Ben Carson M.D., (black neurosurgeon who has saved tens of thousands of lives including the lives of white men and women) and Gen. Colin Powell (black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff). And let’s not forget the current resident of the White House who wouldn’t be there without a significant number of votes from the “white boys’ club.”

3. Identifying oneself in order to cast a vote in the United States is a requirement that skews the outcome, contrived by conservatives, even though most of the people who cannot provide an ID to vote would more than likely vote Democrat with or without an ID.

Somehow, the requirement to provide an ID to cast a vote, the most sacred privilege in America, is bizarre even though you need an ID to use a credit card, cash a check, see a doctor, check into a hotel or board an airplane.

4. Obstructionism? Two words: Harry Reid.

5. Anyone who votes differently from Ron Lowe is politically nonsensical.

Ron Lowe, I believe that it is you who thinks that Democracy is dangerous. In your fantasy world, the only rules and laws allowed should be those enacted by one party: yours.

Linda DeLaMare