Letters

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Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

Watch me now. 8:50 a.m., Friday, May 26.

All right. If I can get everything done today that I would typically get done on Friday and Monday, I’m going to get a three-day weekend. Don’t want to get sloppy, you know, don’t want to cut corners or half-ass it.

My health is good. I hope yours is, too.

Helped give first aid to some kid who crashed hard on his skateboard outside my window yesterday. We had to call his mom to take him to the hospital. I feel sorry for her for all the medical expenses she’s going to incur.

My vegetable garden should get planted this weekend.

I need to fix my garbage disposal.

Hunter’s fine.

I really enjoyed putting together this week’s cover story.

Something about my cat.

—D. Brian Burghart brianb@newsreview.com

You have to wonder

Re “Travus T. Hipp 1937-2012” (Upfront, May 24):

Well, a timely well-written remembrance/obit honoring the positive energy of a unique tribal elder. While Dave McQueen remained comfortably numb at all-news KCBS and Scoop Nisker got Cumulus consolidated, when Ace Young and Paraquat Kelly seemed to just fade away and radiate, Chandler Laughlin III kept on keeping on, analyzing and commenting on the “hip” travesties all around him.

Sometimes you might have wondered about the source of enlightened outspokenness on the X or on the Pig on the Radio, and now you can be sure that the outrageous insights were emanating from a Silver City church and a Red Dog Cabale Creamery alumnus who, these days, is sorely missed. Rich Zimmerman San Francisco

Kinda hipp

Re “Travus T. Hipp 1937-2012” (Upfront, May 24):

I visited the Grand Sierra Resort this afternoon and noted a few changes.

I went to play nickel keno and enjoy a beer. I sat at a machine that was next to a large, cleared area that was square with a low fence around it. For some reason, it reminded me of a corral, and the employed walking around it seemed like a herd walking off the farm food with a few laps around the OK Corral.

I am sure it was just my perception today. Felt a little off! More importantly, I made an observation in the bathroom that I thought should be looked at further in the restrooms next to the cashier. The floor is black and shiny and has an excellent reflection of any stall inhabitants and what they are doing. I could be thinking wrong, again. Mentioned last but observed first were these new lampshades that looked like they were made of big loops of oversized cash register tape. Tell all your friends. They are to die for.

In memory of my friend Travus T. Hipp from the Comstock to the waterfront of Sausalito where this Gate 5 girl tied up her skiff. Then back again. Love you.

Sharon Elser Reno

Darn it!

Re “The secret life of Google” (Feature story, May 24):

This was a great and informative article. The Google campus is an amazing place, and I’ve enjoyed visiting there as well.

Just a minor correction, though: SpaceShipOne is not a NASAvehicle. It was designed by Burt Rutan/Scaled Composites and Mojave Aerospace Ventures, and is notable primarily for being the first successful privately funded manned spacecraft.

Rutan went on to design SpaceShipTwo with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, who plan to start offering private tourism to suborbital space after the craft has undergone flight and safety tests. D.J. Tilley Reno

Use your freedom of voice

Re “Mic check” (Arts & Culture, May 24):

The producers, sponsors and fans of News and Views would like to thank the Reno News & Review for taking the time and dedicating the space to showcase Northern Nevada’s diversity of podcasts.

Collectively, we take this medium—talking into a microphone and recording it with a computer and putting it on the internet—seriously, both as a venue for entertaining banter and as a place for the exercise of free speech.

So, while we indeed discuss “Otterpops and the benefits of Taco Bell while drunk,” as described in the News & Review’s article, we also like to think we do a good job profiling an evolving culture in Reno, with interviews of guests who are helping craft that future. And in that effort, we challenge convention, calling the city’s powers-that-be to the carpet, as with our recent discussion of the city’s proposed food truck ordinance. (Reno City Council member Dave Aiazzi accurately described this conversation as “reductive.”)

Listeners of News and Views come for the discussions of things like the hell that is the parking lot at Whole Foods, or even our popular segment “Letters From Scott Walquist,” but they stay because they believe in freedom … and isn’t freedom what it’s all about? Jim Scripps and Ryan Jerz Reno

No hate from conservatives

Re “Hate that” (Letters to the Editor, May 24):

I will ask Craig Bergland a question regarding his letter attacking conservative views: Can you cite one example of a hateful letter or opinion that backs up your premise of hateful commentary by conservatives?

I have asked this of numerous writers in the past and have yet to ever receive a response. Whenever I have written to this newspaper’s letter to the editor section I have always given my email address and will do so again below.

I am not claiming that no conservative has ever written a letter or voiced an opinion that could be described as hateful, but compared to the liberal progressives there is no rational comparison.

I will state that at least in this newspaper the opinions offered by its readers are usually without the usual venom expressed by so many liberal progressives throughout the media.

Your quote of “By your good deeds ye shall be known. Not by your bank balance,” is something we should all keep in mind. Below is an excerpt from a Thomas Sowell Nov. 28, 2006, column:

“Anew book, titled Who Really Cares by Arthur C. Brooks examines the actual behavior of liberals and conservatives when it comes to donating their own time, money or blood for the benefit of others. It is remarkable that beliefs on this subject should have become conventional, if not set in concrete, for decades before anyone bothered to check these beliefs against facts. What are those facts? People who identify themselves as conservatives donate money to charity more often than people who identify themselves as liberals. They donate more money and a higher percentage of their incomes. It is not that conservatives have more money. Liberal families average 6 percent higher incomes than conservative families. You may recall a flap during the 2000 election campaign when the fact came out that Al Gore donated a smaller percentage of his income to charity than the national average. That was perfectly consistent with his liberalism. So is the fact that most of the states that voted for John Kerry during the 2004 election donated a lower percentage of their incomes to charity than the states that voted for George W. Bush. Conservatives not only donate more money to charity than liberals do, conservatives volunteer more time as well. More conservatives than liberals also donate blood. According to Professor Brooks: ‘If liberals and moderates gave blood at the same rate as conservatives, the blood supply of the United States would jump about 45 percent.’ Professor Brooks admits that the facts he uncovered were the opposite of what he expected to find—so much so that he went back and checked these facts again, to make sure there was no mistake.”

Perhaps a more “liberal” research into the facts and history of these opinions could enlighten you and the many others who tend to spout this sort of nonsense.

Fred Speckmann Reno

Editor’s note: We don’t provide letter-writers’emails to the public.

Our Mission To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages people to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Editor/Publisher D. Brian Burghart News Editor Dennis Myers Arts Editor Brad Bynum Special Projects Editor Ashley Hennefer Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Photographer Amy Beck Contributors Amy Alkon, Megan Berner, Matthew Craggs, Mark Dunagan, Marvin Gonzalez, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Dave Preston, Jessica Santina, K.J. Sullivan, Bruce Van Dyke Design Manager Kate Murphy Art Director Priscilla Garcia Associate Art Director Hayley Doshay Editorial Designer India Curry Design Brennan Collins, Marianne Mancina, Mary Key, Skyler Smith, Melissa Arendt Art Director at Large Don Button, Andrea Diaz-Vaughn Advertising Consultants Gina Odegard, Matt Odegard, Bev Savage Senior Classified Advertising Consultant Olla Ubay Office/Distribution Manager/ Ad Coordinator Karen Brooke Executive Assistant/Operations Coordinator Nanette Harker Assistant Distribution Manager Ron Neill Distribution Drivers Sandra Chhina, Jesse Pike, John Miller, Martin Troye, David Richards, Warren Tucker, Matthew Veach, Neil Lemerise, Russell Moore General Manager/Publisher John D. Murphy President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resource Manager Tanja Poley Credit and Collections Manager Renee Briscoe Business Zahida Mehirdel, Shannon McKenna Systems Manager Jonathan Schultz Systems Support Specialist Joe Kakacek Web Developer/Support Specialist John Bisignano 708 North Center Street Reno, NV 89501 Phone (775) 324-4440 Fax (775) 324-4572 Classified Fax (916) 498-7940 Mail Classifieds & Talking Personals to N&R Classifieds, Reno Edition, 1015 20th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 or e-mail classifieds@newsreview.com Web site www.newsreview.com Printed by Paradise Post The RN&R is printed using recycled newsprint whenever available. Editorial Policies Opinions expressed in the RN&Rare those of the authors and not of Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permission to reprint articles, cartoons or other portions of the paper. The RN&Ris not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form. Cover design: Priscilla Garcia Feature story design: Priscilla Garcia

THIS MODERN WORLD BY TOM TOMORROW

Vote with your brain

Have you noticed? It’s an election year. We’ve decided not to endorse in the primaries, although maybe there’s some races that should be called. Many of the people in this office, like many of our readers, are registered nonpartisans, so we don’t get to play in the corrupt reindeer games that do little except ensure that incumbents and rich people get to win political office.

We’ll give you some clues, though, how we’d recommend you vote.

First, don’t vote just because it’s your habit. If you don’t know who you’re voting for, skip the race. You don’t have to vote in every single race. The fact that you may recognize their names but don’t really know what they stand for should be a giant red flag.

Do a little research online on our website, www.newsreview.com/reno or on rgj.com, and you’ll be able to figure out for whom you actually want to vote— as opposed to who’s really been good at spending money on campaign advertising or asking rhetorical questions on Facebook and Twitter.

It’s become very obvious, particularly in the Reno City Council races, that the good old boys have opened up the pocketbooks for their development candidates. These are people who represent the very ideas that have the city of Reno on the verge of bankruptcy. You’ll note as you go through endorsements and campaign contributions who has alliances with money and power. (Best site to view campaign contributions is Nevada Secretary of State’s office, http://tinyurl.com/72pl8z5.) Frankly, Ross Miller’s form is pretty crappy, but just select the race you want and also type in the year 2012, and check to see who has the big money and who the big donors are. You’ll see patterns pretty quickly.

You watch. We’re putting our cynical chips right on our shoulders, but few people here at the RN&R will be surprised if these independent “business” candidates don’t get right in line to spend a few more STAR bonds or other subsidies on a development project just off downtown.

For Reno City Council, the most important characteristic a candidate should have is integrity. In every single race, there are candidates with strong connections to the human community, strong connections to the business community and a long history of private volunteer efforts.

In some races, like the school board trustees, District E, it’s clearly a contest of who has the best qualifications for the job. Look at their campaign websites to determine who is best qualified. For example, in this year’s District E race, there are three candidates running to decide how your children are educated. One has an associate’s degree from Truckee Meadows Community College. One has a bachelor’s from the University of Nevada, Reno. One has a doctorate in education and 17 years teaching. We’re just saying. You probably want someone to administer your children’s schooling who has had enough respect for education to bother to get one.

Many of these races are just plain old partisan politics. If you didn’t bother to go to the caucuses, and this is the first time you’ve given a thought to who you’re going to vote for, then maybe you should just stay home. On the other hand, for those who’d care to investigate, this editorial should give you enough direction to choose for yourself who you want deciding the future of this city, county and state. Ω

What actor should play you?

Century Sparks 14, 1250 Victorian Ave.

Dona Westbrook

Child-care worker I would like Sharon Stone to play me. We’re relatively the same age, and I think she’s really glamorous and classy.

Al Adrian

Teacher Tom Cruise because he’s an action hero, and I think of myself as a person of accomplishment.

Nic Biltz

Sales associate I always thought Dwayne Johnson, just because that’s as big as I want to be, and if I were to be in a movie, I’d say that he fits.

Timmy Humphreys

Cashier Johnny Depp. He’s a bad-ass. He looks good, and he’s a great actor. He can play pretty much any part out there. He’s full of excitement.

Teresa Gubanich

School psychologist It would have to be Angelina Jolie because she’s the most beautiful woman on the planet.