Letters to the editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Friends calls it quits, thanks supporters

I am the president of the Friends of the Pahrump Community Library. This letter is written to thank all of our many supporters in Pahrump for their help over the years. The Friends were organized more than twenty years ago to support the building of a new library and its operation.

Over the years we have contributed many thousands of dollars to buy things for the library which were unavailable in their ordinary budget. For example, we paid for half of a new color copying machine.

For many years we have supported the summer reading program. We have raised much money through the sale of books donated to the library by citizens of this community. This has been done through annual sales and the operation of a book room inside the library. This has amounted to thousands of dollars each year.

Like many voluntary organizations, we have gone from almost 100 members to about a dozen. And we have all gotten older.

We have decided to terminate the Friends and their tax-free status. I met with the Board of Trustees of the library on March 12, 2018 and gave them a check for over $6,000, which represents the balance in our checking account. Our understanding is that this money will be used to support the summer reading program over the next several years.

Robert N. Alvis, President

Friends of the Pahrump Community Library

A reply to Assemblyman Chris Edwards

Is it wise to borrow more money and increase an already out-of-control deficit to stimulate an economy which is already doing well? Why is it that the tax cuts for the middle class are scheduled to expire in eight years? Could that have anything to do with the fact that it will be the year following a presidential election? Normally, increased deficit spending is done when there is a recession. Any tax cut is helpful to the economy, but what the middle class got are crumbs compared to what Trump and his cronies got.

Moreover, our future generations will be left with a larger national debt. Notwithstanding the fact deficit financing leaves us vulnerable to China, who just recently said that it may decide not to buy our treasury bills, which finance our deficit spending.

When I was a Republican we were opposed to reckless spending and deficit financing. George H.W. Bush called it “voodoo” economics. No true conservative can embrace irresponsible spending and taxation. Unfortunately, the Republican Party carries the label of voodoo economics.

Jim Ferrell

The Second Amendment actually protects us

I read your letter to the editor by Ralph Bazan, where he agrees with the following. I also read the article in the Review-Journal that presented former Supreme Court Justice John Stevens’ (retired) position that the Second Amendment must be repealed. Remember, any constitutional amendment that you wish to violate, en masse, and give up, en masse, is lost forever. For instance the unlawful search and seizure conducted at our airports by government employees of the governmental agency, the TSA. You approved, now watch the steady progression of attacks on our Constitution. Private sector security was not covered by the protections of the Constitution.

We have been told repeatedly that the “gun control bunch” only wishes to prohibit “bump stock” and semi-automatic “assault style” rifles and handguns. Think about that, for semi-automatic describes all revolvers, semi-automatic handguns and semi-automatic rifles. The only type left would be single-shot pistols and bolt-action rifles. But those prohibitions are only the beginning, for the ultimate goal is the complete repeal of the Second Amendment. We are told repeatedly “The repeal of the Second Amendment will eliminate all gun deaths. We are doing this so that ‘it never happens again’. (It being death by firearms.”

I watched the documentary about the “Ice Man” found frozen in the Himalayas, after being frozen for six millennium. It may come as a surprise, but he was murdered. He was shot in the back with an “assault weapon” of the day, a bow and arrow. Based on that bit of investigative information, bows and arrows must be prohibited. There was even a Roman repeating cross-bow that shot six or 10 bolts with a crank. Then the Chinese came along and invented black powder, which they used to kill enemy armies. That was the “assault weapon” of the sixth century. Do we boycott China? What a foolish question, for we have enhanced the economic state of China at the expense of our nation and become dependent on its products.

Be aware that Yamamoto stated that he was reluctant to invade the continental United States, for behind every bush was an American with a firearm to repel their advances. We have enemies just waiting in the “wings” for an opportunity to invade these United States, at its weakest moment. We are very vulnerable today, for we could never mount a defensive, nor an offensive World War III. Steel mills closed, coal industry suffered a severe blow, shipyards closed, Merchant Marines practically non-existent, electricity production reduced (steam plants shuttered), and no pool of enlistees of sufficient and able recruits to repel an attack on our soil. I watch the protesters and they cannot be relied upon to defend this nation. I watch the illegal immigrants, and while they protest and display a Mexican flag, I realize that at the time of war, they shall bail out and go back to Mexico for they owe no allegiance to these United States.

I get the impression that some of our politicians and a great many of the public sector employees, have a desire to undermine and overthrow our form of government.

Wayne P. Brotherton, Sr.

Counties provide critical services for Nevadans

On behalf of Nevada’s 17 counties, which serve a shared constituency of nearly three million residents, we ask you to join us in honoring National County Government Month this April. Counties provide many important services in all of Nevada’s communities including support for our seniors and most vulnerable, police and fire, justice and district courts, the administration of elections, district attorneys, public defenders, and the maintenance of roads, water systems and other critical infrastructure vital to our state’s economic health and public safety.

Counties are also an important part of the public health system—they help fund over 83 percent of our state’s nursing homes and provide significant support to public hospitals as well as to the Medicaid and indigent patients that hospitals serve. Clark County’s University Medical Center is the largest county hospital in Nevada; and some rural counties support public hospitals in areas where there would otherwise be no access to health care. Last year Washoe County invested over $60 million to protect seniors and children.

Counties provide services on Nevada’s public lands and to public lands users in urban and rural areas including emergency response, law enforcement, firefighting support, and roads. In fact, counties maintain over 65 percent of the roads in the state, a responsibility that county leaders recognize as crucial to our state’s economic sustainability and quality of life. NACO will be working with our federal partners to ensure that future transportation and infrastructure reforms represent the best interests of Nevadans and meet the needs of Nevada’s businesses.

Counties will continue to tackle major issues moving forward including the opioid and substance abuse epidemic that threatens our communities, finding solutions for those held in county jails who suffer from mental health issues, managing growth effectively, helping to preserve and protect our natural resources for the benefit of all, and continued service to our most vulnerable.

During the month of April, please take the time to learn about county government. Visit the NACO website: www.nvnaco.org, or visit us on twitter @nvnaco to find out more about what counties do and ways you can participate in county governance.

Dagny Stapleton

Executive Director

The Nevada Association of Counties (NACO)

NACO is the statewide association representing all 17 of Nevada’s counties.