Letters

Can you see it?

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

I’ve gotten a fair amount of guff for the early endorsements we’ve been running. I’ve gotta say, I don’t much care about other people’s opinions on this matter. Smart people, not necessarily rich people, not necessarily educated people, not necessarily plugged in people, have got to take the reins of this town, and there has never, in my memory anyway, been a better opportunity to do it.

We’ve written about the “plight” of downtown practically since the day this newspaper started publishing. I don’t think downtown casino execs believe there is a “plight” downtown. The most interest I ever saw from them—other than the fact they ran City Hall up until the developers took over in the early ’90s—was forcing the issue of the train trench, and I doubt any of them thought it was going to be more than a convenience to ensure their guests wouldn’t be awakened by train whistles. I don’t imagine any of them saw the trench as a salvation because they knew far better than any of us what the real effects of the spread of gambling across this country were.

So how do I read the actions of the casino owners? I see two strategies downtown.

The first is the take-themoney-and-run strategy: Drain every dime out of Reno until the properties are no longer profitable and then shutter the hotel-casinos and leave giant closed towers.

The second strategy I see is the last-man-standing strategy. One or two locally owned casinos, as long as there is little competition, will always be profitable downtown. Look at the amenities already offered, and imagine those amenities if they were to become exclusive to one or two casinos. Even a casino without a hotel could be one of the last men standing, and wouldn’t a closed hotel tower be inexpensive then?

Hey, you know me, I like to think about things. And wouldn’t one of those towers make for great first-home condos for the creative class that will be patronizing the restaurants and bars and tables in those downtown casinos? — D. Brian Burghart brianb@newsreview.com

What goes around

Re “Recorded history” (Feature story, July 26):

Mr. Paul Doege may not remember me, but he stepped up back in ’93 and allowed my album The Line-Don’t cross it to be sold in his store after Reno police pressured Mirabelli’s to pull the album off the shelf. He also donated half of the sales proceeds to the Reno police. I haven’t forgotten, and I’m happy to see he’s doing well. Gary Orlando Mason Phoenix

But are there tattoo shops?

Re “One vision for downtown” (Editorial, July 19):

I agree with your editorial and wanted to use downtown Santa Monica as an example. I moved to Los Angeles in 1980. I lived on the west side near the ocean. In Santa Monica, Third Street looked a lot like Virginia Street. Lots of empty buildings. It was very underwhelming until around 1989 when a bond issue provided funds to turn Third Street into the Third Street Promenade. They closed off the street to traffic and turned it into a pedestrian mall. It is now filled with restaurants with patios, bookstores, coffee shops, movie theaters and lots of interesting shops with plenty of seating to sit and people-watch. We here in Reno have the bones already in place to form our own pedestrian mall, as you suggested. As they said in Field of Dreams: “Build it and they will come.” Craig Pointes Reno

Only with a permit

Acouple of weeks ago, one could go watch a free movie Friday or Saturday night at the river pavilion, minus any visible presence of security guards.

Now, suddenly, ESI security is there asking people to submit to searches of their backpacks? I was there Friday the 20th, and a security guard asked me if I had any guns in my backpack, I said no. He still wanted to search it. Whatever happened to the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure? Has everyone forgotten about this right? The sudden presence of ESI is no doubt because of what just happened in Aurora, Colo. However, it is still within the law to carry concealed weapons in Nevada. The Fourth Amendment prohibits ESI from asking and even conducting searches of backpacks. If I own a gun, I do not have to tell anyone with the exception of law enforcement, which ESI definitely is NOT!

I do not own a gun. Ultimately, it can cause more problems than it is worth. Guns are for pussies like George Zimmerman too lazy to learn how to defend themselves. If one must own a gun, then one must learn to shoot to disable instead of kill. I have been mugged at 2 a.m. in downtown Reno, but I still refuse to surrender to living in fear and running off to purchase a gun. If I had a concealed carry permit, I am not going to throw away that privilege by acting the fool.

If someone wants to shoot indiscriminately into a public movie showing at Artown, then the ESI guards guarding the bridges will be safe, some of us will be wounded, some of us might starting shooting if we have guns, and some of us might rush the gunman and beat the living daylights out of him after what happened in Aurora, and the ESI guards will still be safe up on the bridges.

Yesterday, in a local coffee shop, I saw a customer walk in with a holstered gun on their hip. This person had no badges I could see, but this person was professional and very friendly. I applaud this person for not giving into the paranoia currently overtaking the country because of an isolated incident, for having the courage to wear it openly instead of hiding it. Chris Granger Reno Editor’s note: As an occasional CCW holder, I will mention that it is decidedly illegal to carry a concealed firearm without a permit.

Nobody drinks on X, moron

Re “Drug tests” (Feature story, July 8, 2010):

“Having had some experience with Ecstasy, I picked up a 12 pack of Corona Light.” I created an account on this website I’ll probably never visit again to tell you that you’re a moron. Drinking on MDMAis the reason why people die on it, defaming a wonderful drug that can be used responsibly. Also, assuming that your bath salts were Mephedrone was a silly mistake. If you were serious about what you were doing and not just writing for shock value, you would have reagent tested your product. It’s probable that you ingested a cocktail of drugs possibly including mephedrone; however, Methylone (bk-MDMA) and MDPV could have been part of the mixture as well. Those drugs are listed in descending order of pleasance. From the experience you described, I’m almost certain the majority of your dose was not Mephedrone. You had a mildly clever idea for an article, and an irritatingly stupid way of executing it. Ernest Cortez Los Angeles, Calif.

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 Contributors Amy Alkon, Amy Beck, 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

Where are you?

Re “Are you there God? It’s me, Jake.” (Feature story, June 28):

The great flaw Mr. Highton makes throughout this article is to equate the imperfections of those who profess to be Christian with Christianity itself. Any true Christian must acknowledge his own imperfections and sin; we are beings of a dual nature, that of the natural and of the eternal, and the one is against the other. This is simple Bible truth. The sum of the Christian faith is not to be found in its people; we should, indeed, live up to its precepts and doctrines as closely as possible, and we often fail, but it is found in the Savior and His word. Due to the short space I am allowed, I can’t give a detailed answer to this biased, strawargument-filled diatribe, but if you are looking to men to find God, as the song says, you’re looking in all the wrong places.

Mike Reed Herlong, Calif.

You’re wrong, again

Re “Action figure” (Feature story, July 19):

In 2002, Mayor Jeff Griffin was not “stepping down.” He had every intention of running again. He decided not to run shortly after Bob Cashell entered the race. And Cashell didn’t “nearly lose.” He ran against Mike Robinson and won pretty handily.

Mark Curtis Reno Editor’s note: With all the establishment support behind him and most of the money, Cashell’s margin was 53 -47 percent, prompting considerable surprise.

You’re right, again

Re “One vision for downtown” (Editorial, July 19):

Wow, two weeks in a row I managed to be in agreement with your editorial. There is no doubt in my mind that if the City Council and the various businesses were to apply the suggestions made in the editorial, then the downtown would be rejuvenated. A pedestrian mall on Virginia Street would get upscale businesses to populate the corridor and would benefit the casinos as well as the businesses that would venture the risk of relocating downtown. The examples given in the editorial certainly would give a most positive impression of Reno nationwide. The casinos have the money to promote events with greater frequency, and the more people come downtown the more these businesses would benefit. We are an eight-hour drive from Los Angeles, or a direct flight of less than two hours, less than four hours driving time from San Francisco, or a flight of less than one hour. The same is true of many other West Coast cities that would be a market for Reno as they once were. Perhaps it’s time for a general marketing meeting for businesses to offer their suggestions for a focused exchange of ideas for such a plan. Reno must no longer play second fiddle to Las Vegas. There need to be entertainment events on a weekly basis year round. We have the necessary stage venues in Reno, let’s get to work and stop the woe-is-me attitude of so many businesses. During a downturn in business, the only way to change it is to sell your way out of the slow times by offering a reason to come to Reno. Fred Speckmann Reno

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: Hayley Doshay Feature story design: Hayley Doshay

THIS MODERN WORLD BY TOM TOMORROW

Use the law

Ask any cop in Reno where they are most likely to encounter a tweaker in the city of Reno, and they are very likely to point at the weekly motels. And they are especially likely to point at two of them, but we’re not going to name names without our own evidence.

Meth is a scourge in this city. All anyone has to do is open their eyes when they’re near downtown to see the zombies with open sores on their faces and skeletal bodies. It’s very similar to the problems this city had with destitute alcoholics back in the ’80s—of course they hung around downtown, there was free booze all over the place, and people walked around with change cups full of little red drink tokes.

To tell the truth, tweakers are a great reason to stay away from downtown. They’re often suffering from druginduced psychosis and apt to get violent or robby at any moment.

We in the editorial department at the News & Review do believe that much more should be done for the victims of this plague, the users, to help them get off the drug and get real lives as contributing members of this community, but we’re not for coddling them. And for many of them, a run in with the law is the first step toward recovery.

City officials wring their hands and act as though there is nothing to be done. The problem is too big, police are overwhelmed, and they can’t hit the cookers/suppliers where they live.

Well, as a matter of fact, city officials can do something. They just won’t. And it can’t be because they haven’t figured out things to do. Maybe it’s related to this mistaken belief that highlighting issues that exist in this community is bad press to outsiders. It’s really hard to say. But doing nothing but giving lip service about how bad certain drugs are is tantamount to condoning them.

The drug war is a failure. Is there anyone who doesn’t understand this? But it’s put some very powerful weapons in the hands of cities that want to run the obvious drug trade out of town. Here’s one: It’s called the Asset Forfeiture Law, and it’s legal in Nevada.

Why doesn’t the city of Reno inspect weekly motel rooms on an annual basis? Part of the inspection would include swabbing the walls for residue of methamphetamine and heroin. Smoking meth or smack leaves residue on the walls. There is no level of healthful meth exposure for children or for unsuspecting renters. Owners should be prosecuted. It’s as simple as that, and it’s a publicsafety issue.

Weekly motels could be closed down by the health department until they are brought up to code. And if owners were shown to be in “possession” of these hard drugs more than a few times, the properties would be subject to forfeiture. Perhaps after cleanup, the city could sell them to establish drug programs or use them to alleviate the homeless problem in this community.

The problem isn’t that drug addicts gravitate toward places where they can beat a hasty retreat. The problem is that downtown and Fourth Street motel owners and managers know that drug abusers use the weeklies, and the motel owners profit by it. This program would force a change in heart from the owners and managers.

Busting addicts one by one does nothing to alleviate the problem. If we want to move the tweakers out of downtown, we’ve got to hit them where they live—the weekly motels on Fourth Street and downtown. Ω

Are you ready for the end of the world?

Asked at West End Beach, Donner Lake

Margaret Qualls

Homemaker Probably not. Just little loose ends with people I care about, probably haven’t been tied up, but that’s probably about it. I’ll definitely give it more thought, though.

James Spady

Football coach That’s a weird question. I’m ready, spiritually. Whatever happens, I’m ready to go see God.

Noel Young

Registered nurse I don’t know if I can handle that question. I guess not. Nobody is, so I guess not. Everybody loves life. Every moment of life is precious. You don’t want to think about the end of the world.

Matt Bower

Insurance broker I don’t think so. I’m not prepared. I don’t think it’s near. How could you be ready for something like that?

John Ishiga

Parts specialist No, because I believe in the Yolo. I don’t know if you’re heard of it, but You Only Live Once so enjoy it while you can.