Letters

Get out the vote

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

So, you probably noticed that it’s my nerdy, hairy mug adorning the editor’s note this week instead of editor D. Brian Burghart’s super serious Mr. Clean visage. That’s because our fearless leader has gone out of the country for a few weeks, off to Turkey. In light of the recent protests over there, it’s worth noting that, according to his Facebook page, Brian is “fine.”

Also, it’s probably safe for you to assume that any errors you find in this week’s paper were left in there by us intentionally so that Brian would feel like we missed him.

And don’t forget: Voting has begun on the largest, most prestigious popularity contest in the region: The Biggest Little Best of Northern Nevada. Cast your votes for your favorite local businesses, personalities and oddities.

Brian covered a lot of this last week, so my apologies to attentive readers with photographic memories, but in case you missed it, here are some of the details.

There are some new categories this year, and we ditched the least popular categories from last year. The spotlight this year is on “innovation,” a somewhat nebulous concept that will be largely defined by how people vote.

Only one ballot per email address, and we’re diligent about ballot stuffing, so don’t even think about it, but feel free to campaign. It is a popularity contest, so tell your friends if you want them to vote for you or your business.

We added an autocomplete function this year, largely based on last year’s winners. You start typing, and a list of possible responses will pop up. We did this to help make the voting as accurate as possible, but by no means is it any kind of endorsement or limiting factor. If you want to vote for something that doesn’t pop up on the autocomplete list, by all means go ahead.

You can log in to vote at www.newsreview.com/reno/ ballot/bestofreno13.

—Brad Bynum bradb@newsreview.com

Deregulate health care?

Re “Take back your health care” (Liberty Belle, RN&R, May 30):

This is an elegant and simplistic approach—as Chanelle Bessette put it, “remarkably simple.” The FDA was put into place to regulate the miscellaneous concoctions put out with dubious and unfounded claims. You would open the door to “cures” without merit and designed to fleece the unknowing buyer. We have enough of that in the food supplement market. It took some 10-plus years to get ephedrine tea off the list as a food supplement when it had dangerous levels of a “drug” normally used to treat asthma.

Do you really want to go to an “unlicensed” doctor? I will be one of the first ones to step up and say the medical system needs to be changed dramatically. Who has not been upset with spending upwards of 45 minutes after your appointment time for a doctor who will charge $300 for his 15 minutes with you? Yet your time is considered of no value to his $1,200 per hour fees. Why not charge the doctor back for your waiting time? When profit comes before patients, time for a new doc.

I do not agree that eliminating government regulation would result in a stable, competitive and low-priced health system as she would suggest, just the opposite. It would open the door for profiteering beyond what it is today.

A while back, I read an article which I wish I had kept. This county opted for a full disclosure system in medical. If a doctor pulled an “oops,” he would bear responsibility and disclose the issue. The results were a 1/2 reduction in medical lawsuits, a reduction of awards (read: reduction of attorney fees) and a reduction of insurance liability fees resulting in medical fee reductions—a system where the parties take responsibility. Wow.

Bessette suggested that the companies offer voluntary accreditation to force people to be more mindful about what they are consuming. That is a very optimistic approach (read: unrealistic). In a free market system, low cost would be the lead, not the individual engaging their brain on what may be best for themselves. The lowest cost does not equate with highest quality as profits dictate. She has failed to look at the ethics of corporations. Their first responsibility is to the shareholders. Collateral damage need not be considered if the profits remain. So it is my opinion that her proposal, however well-intended, would work the opposite of what she proposes. Open up deregulation and quality controls go. Reputations would not matter as long as the first ethical responsibility is met, ie: profits. The free market principle has its place, but quality assurance has to be there, too.

It is great to think that companies would work for the best interest of the public they are selling to. It is great to give the individual credit for “thinking” and analyzing what they purchase and not sue the rich corporations anymore. “Remarkably simple” does not work like that in the United States. Try asking your doctor for a reduction in his fees? There goes the Porsche. Ted Beecher Reno

TMWA response invited

Now that summer is upon us, we are being forced to water on specific days of the week. The days are controlled by the last number on your address. Odd numbers are “allowed” to water on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, even numbers on Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday. No one is allowed to water on Monday. (Truckee Meadows Water authority states it’s a day to recharge the system.)

The part that irks me on this schedule is that residents are “allowed” to water on the weekends. This makes zero sense for a couple of simple reasons! Most of us mow our lawns on weekends! There’s nothing better than trying to get wet grass out of the grass catcher on my lawnmower! A good number of us have kids who like to play on our lawns during the weekend, and due to this policy they need to wait until high-noon when it 90+ degrees so that the grass is not wet. I’m pretty sure the powers to be did not take any of this into consideration! Here’s a simple idea! NO watering of household lawns on the weekends, save that for businesses. Everyone waters on Monday. There should be plenty of reserve from the weekend! Odd numbers get Wednesday and Friday. Even numbers get Tuesday and Thursday. Lawn mowers and washing machines rejoice!

Scott Campbell Reno

A Knight’s tale

Please please please bring back “(Th) ink” by Keith Knight. It was the best cartoon in your paper. I always looked forward to reading Keith, followed by Bruce Van Dyke for my one-two brain punch. I save Keith’s cartoons and forward them to friends all over the world.

Sparky Allen Sparks

Thanks for sharing

Haven’t had a cigarette in over 24 [hours]. No more smoking tobacco. But I’m puffing up all the old pot and goodies from a decade ago to try to alleviate the pain. Now I’m just really fucked up, and it hasn’t helped. I wanna go somewhere and cry like a little girl, and fondle my lighter helplessly.

Craig Bergland Reno

More sharing

Stimulating letters last week.

To Courtney, the only real essence in your letter is the following sentence setting there lonely all by itself: Former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson—“In no case have we made a definitive determination that the fracking process has caused chemicals to enter groundwater.” And we all know that’s Ugly Slimy Shill Bullshit and invalidates everything you said.

To Alyna, It’s called an extra key. I finally made my sweetie put one in her purse, and now she NEVER locks herself out. Also, a rock will ’Frack’ture a window in need. Someone should take your phone away from you before you do serious harm.

To Fred, you still don’t get it. After initial costs, renewables use NO FUEL to run. No more drilling, digging, polluting, and gouging the public for overpriced manipulated speculative energy markets. No need for fracking, and instead using that great big perfect nuclear reactor in the sky incurs no transportation costs whatever, with a money back guarantee. That’s our Utopia. I’ve done everything solar from distilling, to dehydrating, to baking, grinding, pressure cooking and heating our domestic water supply and hot tub. To suggest fracking is necessary for a culture that ’needs’ heated toilet seats and lights on everywhere all night is valid. But not for one that hangs its clothes outside in the sun. I respect your ability to write, but your letter is true BS, dude. Pah!

Fracking is Death, just like Monsanto is Death.

Craig Bergland (Now seven days without a cigarette)

Big clubs need government

Re: “Parlor gambling” (News, May 30):

Think about it. Gambling brings in money and pays many of our bills. If you believe we can survive on little operations and forget the big operation, you’re crazy. The parlor gambling dilutes the gambling industry into a little here, a little there. I doubt that a Dotty’s Casino brings in tourists from out of state. It’s the big casinos and their big money for advertising that brings in the big bucks. I believe we should kill the small operations as they help kill gambling on a large scale, which is what we need. Anyone remember the red zone for gambling in Reno? Maybe we should bring it back in the form of rules for gambling operations that promote big operation, not small ones.

George Myers Sparks

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 Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Editorial Intern Sage Leehey Contributors Amy Alkon, Chanelle Bessette, Megan Berner, Matthew Craggs, Mark Dunagan, Marvin Gonzalez, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Sheila Leslie, Dave Preston, Jessica Santina, K.J. Sullivan, Kris Vagner, Bruce Van Dyke, Allison Young Creative Director Priscilla Garcia Art Director Hayley Doshay Design Melissa Arendt, Brian Breneman, Vivian Liu, Marianne Mancina, Skyler Smith Advertising Consultants Meg Brown, 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, Sean Karp, John Miller, Jesse Pike, David Richards, Martin Troye, Warren Tucker, Matthew Veach, Sam White General Manager/Publisher John D. Murphy President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resource Manager Tanja Poley Business Manager Grant Ronsenquist Business Mary Anderson, Tami Sandoval 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&R are 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&R is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form.