Letters

Good, better, best

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

I don’t know how we keep outdoing ourselves on this Biggest Little Best of Northern Nevada. I mean that in all humility, it’s never really what we do here in the World Headquarters of the Reno News & Review—I mean we all play our parts, but it’s success is really what you readers do with it. As I’ve mentioned a couple times, we had a record year. I kind of thought we’d peaked out at around 3,888 in 2011, since we hovered around 3,000 since then, but this year we had an astounding 5,093 verified voters.

I’ll tell you the reason for this. While we’ve always—since they were invented anyway— encouraged social media campaigns, changes in how Facebook works and the adoption of various other platforms created a whole new ballgame this year.

Just think about it. Businesses that have a national or international base have always had a leg up in the voting in these types of popularity contests. For example, when we had paper ballots and before we put them in their own category, the casinos’ marketing departments could win any category they shot for. Now businesses like the whorehouses can overwhelm any local in categories where they try. This is in no way cheating; it’s how the rules are set up. We’re calling it the Citizen’s United effect, where those with the greatest resources take elections.

Greg Golden’s Bizarre Guitar & Guns was another one that just blew us away with their social media firepower: 154,881 likes on Facebook? That’s awesome! If they can just motivate 1 percent of their people to vote, well that’s 1,549 voters right there. Obviously, a lot of their friends, though, don’t know Reno, so we see votes for chain stores that we haven’t seen since we lovingly quarantined the casinos. Again, we can only tip our hats to their campaign.

As always, thank you to the artists, designers, sales people, delivery drivers and editors who make this the most beautiful and accurate Best Of in the region or even in the nation. Most of all, thank you to you voters and businesses who keep this thing growing and evolving year after year after year. —D. Brian Burghart brianb@newsreview.com

Thanks for the memories

I wonder if anyone can remember what it was like before insurance companies or corporations took over our lives. It used to be that people could make the decision whether they wanted insurance or not. Health, life, home, auto, you name it. Now it is mandated that everyone has insurance for, well, everything. Insurance companies are responsible for the cost of everything they cover to soar. It used to be that people could pay their medical bills. It used to be if they experienced a disaster, people could afford to fix it. Now if they don’t have insurance, the average person can’t afford even minor medical bills. If they experience a comparatively minor disaster, they can’t afford to fix the damage. That is why we are all forced to carry insurance.

These corporations may say they pay out more than they take in, but, I aver that this is not the truth. They pay a portion of the charges made by hospitals, doctors, restoration companies, etc. I think ObamaCare was well intended to help the people with their health care. Insurance companies will not allow people to afford health care. How many people continuously pay auto insurance, homeowners insurance, etc., and never file a claim? I think that most fall into this category. The American public has been led to believe that insurance is good and necessary. I believe that we were and would be much better off without it. Insurance fraud is rampant. People used to settle their debts without insurance. Whose idea was it to force everyone to dole out about one-third of their incomes for insurance? I can just see all the “brainwashed” people adding up the benefits of insurance. Look at the other side. Insurance companies are largely responsible for the failure of health care in this country. No other country lets insurance companies control the health of its citizens.

Rhonda Whiteside Sun Valley

Or just eliminate the Constitution

Re “Forward into the past” (Feature story, July 17):

There’s a movement to stop U.S. Senate elections, so let’s abolish the Senate. Instead of a Senate, any legislation passed by the House of Representatives must be approved by a majority of the governors of the states before it goes to the president for an approval or veto. If the president vetoes the bill, the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in the House and a two-thirds majority of the governors of the states. Who better to represent the states than the elected governors of the states? John Everhart Reno

Trainor should shut up

Re “Angry women shouldn’t use the ‘F’ word” (Let Freedom Ring, July 17):

How kind of Brendan Trainor to inform us ladies on how severely we are to react to blatant sexism.

This article could have very easily focused on over-the-counter contraceptives, however, the author chose to attack women. It is offensive that the RN&R would even allow a man to openly tell women how to behave. What is this, the 1920s? Katie Colling Reno

Unionize for religious freedom

Re “Angry women shouldn’t use the ‘F’ word” (Let Freedom Ring, July 17):

Hobby Lobby can lord over its employees for a simple reason: They have no union. If the workers had a strong union, they could administer their own benefit plan on their own terms, with no interference from the boss. But now “Right to Work” means the right to work, for less, in a cloister. And it’s fine to call these overlords nasty names—after that just please go organize! There are unions for retail workers. Try RWDSU.info. Make some calls, start taking back your workplace rights. You and your workmates can change the game. … Beyond the worker abuse, there’s an even more corrosive aspect to this ruling. The Roberts court has opened the door for any kook to make a personal religious objection to most anything. This isn’t something you strike a balance on. We’re either a secular nation of laws, or we’re not. We can’t survive as a federation of little private theocracies. Only theocrats gained anything by this ruling. Scalia and pals have started an unraveling. … And who celebrates our new Owners’ Paradise? Libertarians! Why, don’t fret if your birth control is now out-of-pocket. Pull yourself up by your fallopian tubes! Get some pliers and copper wire down at Hobby Lobby, and make your own IUD. Fab up a few extra and trade one to Sue Lowden for a chicken. Maybe a POP display at the Bundy Ranch gift shop? Gals can save about $1,000 over those fancy IUDs that doctors sell. “Free market” to the rescue! ... Why do Libertarians always prescribe more anarchy to fix the chaos caused by Libertarian anarchy? Outgoing Libertarian Party of Nevada Chair Joseph P. Sylvestri summed it up pretty well: “We are infested with idiots.”

C.G. Green Reno

Oh, the hypocrisy

Re “Corporations are people, just like us” (Left Foot Forward, July 10):

The Hobby Lobby decision allows closely-held corporations to potentially claim religious exemption from covering any medical treatment. Some “people” have religious objections extending to in vitro fertilization. Try paying for that benefit out-of-pocket. What about “people” whose religion prohibits any medical treatment? When medical treatment is an “outof-pocket” expense, the cost can be prohibitive. According to a New York Times June 30 article, “How Hobby Lobby ruling could limit access to birth control,” an IUD implantation and follow-up care cost a minimum of $1,000. Even if an employee manages the four-figure bill, Hobby Lobby might have religious objections to her using sick-leave. Respecting Hobby Lobby’s “religious convictions” may be hazardous to a woman’s health. Pregnancy can be fatal for some women, requiring effective contraception. A blood clot history rules out most birth control pills. True, women can purchase their own contraceptives, but that defeats the purpose of the Affordable Care Act. How can a corporation having “religious” objections to some contraceptives have no objection to investing in companies that manufacture those contraceptives? And why don’t they object to vasectomies, Viagra, or other male medical treatments? Hobby Lobby’s sheer hypocrisy makes my blood boil! Merle Levy Sparks

A big thank you

I want to give a huge thank you to all the guys at the Reno Bike Project for their efforts, knowledge and assistance, which they provide with courtesy and professionalism. I have been self-servicing my bikes at the RBP for a couple of years since moving to Reno and have found it an excellent and affordable way to keep me and my family riding, while developing my own bicycle repair knowledge. Biking in our communities is a huge way we can all contribute to solving a number of national plagues and epidemics: obesity and lack of exercise, air pollution, dependence on foreign oil and an overstressed population. Whether you need a “burner bike” for the playa, a used bike for your kid to trash getting rad on the jumps, a commuter bike for yourself or just need to engage in some self-fulfilling personal bike repair—it always feels better to do it yourself—check out the RBP, and in no time, they’ll have you hanging up the keys, forgetting where the gas station is and enjoying the clean Sierra Nevada air we all are blessed to enjoy. Marcus Combs Reno

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 Staff writer Sage Leehey Contributors Amy Alkon, Woody Barlettani, Bob Grimm, Ashley Hennefer, Sheila Leslie, Eric Marks, Dave Preston, Jessica Santina, Todd South, Brendan Trainor, Bruce Van Dyke, Allison Young Creative Director Priscilla Garcia Art Director Hayley Doshay Junior Art Director Brian Breneman Design Melissa Bernard, Brad Coates, Serene Lusano, Kyle Shine, Skyler Smith Design Intern Geraldine Centinaje Advertising Consultants Joseph “Joey” Davis, Gina Odegard, Bev Savage Senior Classified Advertising Consultant Olla Ubay Office Manager/Ad Coordinator Karen Brooke Executive Assistant/Operations Coordinator Nanette Harker Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Manager Anthony Clarke Distribution Drivers Sandra Chhina, Vicky Jewell, Joe Medeiros, Ron Neill, Andy Odegard, Clayton Porter, Christian Shearer, Marty Troye, Warren Tucker, Matt Veach, Gary White, Joseph White, Margaret Underwood General Manager/Publisher John D. Murphy President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resource Manager Tanja Poley Business Manager Grant Rosenquist Business Nicole Jackson, Tami Sandoval Lead Technology Synthesist Jonathan Schultz Senior Support Tech Joe Kakacek Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalinn Jenkins 405 Marsh Ave., Third Floor Reno, NV 89509 Phone (775) 324-4440 Fax (775) 324-4572 Classified Fax (916) 498-7940 Mail Classifieds to 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.