Letters

My 15 minutes

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

Pretty much the usual week here at the world headquarters of the Reno News & Review. My face is still half-paralyzed from the Bell’s Palsy (a weird little irritation caused basically by a virus causing a pinched nerve on the left side of my face). First, there was that guy on Friday who threatened on Facebook to catch up to me on the street. That’s the kind of stuff that’ll get your day started on an adrenalized measure. I was half-tempted to send a screen grab to his superiors up at the community college, but you know, I’m hardly a tattletale.

There was the Gawker. com story, http://gawker.com/ what-ive-learned-from-twoyears-collecting-data-onpoli-1625472836.

It’s pretty cool. The last time I was working for a national publication, Time magazine, the internet was barely exploding. More like a Ladyfinger than a Cherry Bomb.

But this Gawker thing. Hits on our Fatal Encounters website skyrocketed. People keep calling me for interviews. I don’t even know half the people I’m talking to, but I’ve always had an open-door policy, so when Jim Bohannon or Majority Report or Jake Tapper wants to hear my lamebrain meanderings, well, it’s a pretty deep receptacle.

The funniest thing is this: Fifty-two years old, nobody ever asked me to be on CNN before, and suddenly half my face is paralyzed. It’s like a country song—except I guess that would be on Fox News.

At any rate, this issue is the fourth installment of Fatal Encounters. It’s actually my favorite because I learned so much doing it. This process of moving from one topic area to another, like a newspaper version of The Wire, has accomplished everything I’d hoped it would. It’s not that I’m that smart, I’ve spent many years proving that point, but it doesn’t take too many smarts to see a train careening out of control down a track. —D. Brian Burghart brianb@newsreview.com

Yes on Question 3

I believe that inappropriate and unreliable funding of public schools is like a social cancer. Cultures that don’t value the importance of education are most at risk. The signs and symptoms first appear in grossly overcrowded classrooms that lack basic materials and receive minimal support. The effects are so devastating, it must begin to spread. Soon the entire school staff is debilitated by its attempts to bandage the wounds. The principal is forced into emergency and reactive management. With no time for proactive planning or improved systems, the school’s condition continues to deteriorate. The cancer starts to metastasize beyond the schools.

The symptoms are felt by upper-management. The signs are outdated textbooks, students sitting on floors, classrooms with broken heating and air conditioning units, computers that don’t work and growing complaints from angry parents. Eventually, even the best school superintendents get the blame. Even the most well-meaning school boards feel compelled to micro-manage and become hypercritical, to the point that shocking legal mistakes are made. These mistakes distract from the cause at hand and deplete already minor funds.

The chaos that started in the classrooms is now systemic. At this point, the state’s school performance statistics rank at the bottom in all categories. Its leaders who long ago refused to act are now totally incapable. If the state’s future workforce and its ability to attract new business are to survive, voters must take matters into our own hands, with an initiative.

Fortunately, a new and ingenious cure has been found. It’s a small 2 percent tax on Nevada’s largest business’s imposed on their taxable margin. It includes enough deductions to protect the state’s truly struggling enterprises, while at the same time preventing its wealthiest corporations from evading any and all taxes, including those who allow themselves to be bought by foreign companies to hide profits. This cure was first tried in Texas. The results have been spectacular! With a culture that values the education of its children and the political courage to force fair taxes, this politically conservative state’s ability to attract new business is the envy of a nation.

Of course, like most treatments, there are side effects. The symptoms are inflicted by the forces that initially helped to cause and now perpetuate the disease. The signs are the misinformation and boldface lies that spring from deep pockets and reach out to a culture easily manipulated by frightening tales of doom and those who can’t afford to report or politically represent the facts or the truth. This November, Nevada’s citizens will be fortunate enough to order such a cure. By voting Yes on Question 3, its voters will prescribe a measure that provides the appropriate and reliable funding an ailing school system and a desperate state needs. All we must do now is choose between big corporation profits and the education of our children and future. Vote Yes on Question 3, The Education Initiative for the future of our state and our schools. Doug Smithson Reno

No problem

Re “Happy birthday, Chief Mieras” (Editorial, Aug. 7):

Good editorial. It was a media rush to judgment, and the board was unfairly crucified as incompetent. The recent court filings by both indicate there was more to the story.

Thanks for keeping us honest. George Myers Sparks

Bulls-eye

Re “The EPA gets it right, for once” (Let Freedom Ring, Aug. 14):

Excellent! Finally someone, namely Brendan Trainor, nails down exactly what the EPA is doing! James Jerard Raleigh North Las Vegas

Hand over the heart

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

I have no problem whatsoever with granting a corporation all of the rights granted to any other person, including the right to its own religious views. I ask only one thing—that the corporation show up in court, raise its hand, and orally accept the standard oath/affirmation—just like any other person. After doing so it must then be given the opportunity to orally present a statement and to orally respond to questions from the lawyers representing both sides of the issue. It may not send in its place a lawyer, an employee, an officer, a stockholder, a bondholder, or any other “representative.” If a corporation fails to appear and testify in person, it will forfeit the case at issue—just like any other person.

Robert Leavitt Sun Valley

Education Initiative is bad

Real impacts from the proposed Education Initiative. Would you feel a tax which forced you to borrow money to pay the taxes was fair, because you did not have enough take home pay? In many businesses, “gross income” and “cash flow” are vastly different, and borrowing would be necessary. There is no current federal or state tax which is so egregious. Would you think it fair if you were taxed, even if you had little or no take home pay? The Education Initiative does! If your take home pay was $2,000 per month, would you think that a tax of $1,000 per month was unjust? Would this have a negative impact on your ability to care for your family? The Education Initiative asks this of some businesses. Businesses will cut expenses, raise prices, reduce jobs, and reduce future pay increases because of this tax. Businesses looking to relocate to Nevada will look elsewhere. Every Nevada citizen will pay more for all goods and services. There is no guarantee the tax revenue will increase school budgets! The Education Initiative is a poorly thought out, damaging tax! Vote NO on the Education Initiative! Lex Adams Stateline

Destroying theater

Re “Pawn stars” (Art of the State, Aug. 21):

Whenever I sit to read one of these theater “reviews,” I ask myself, “How does someone who clearly has no interest in theater review it?” Jessica Santina often seems to have made up her mind to hate the production before she even steps foot into the building. Also, recounting the events of the play and giving away plot points is not reviewing. It shows lack of research, it’s sloppy and damaging to the entire theater community.

Ashley James Reno

Sly-ed into retirement?

Re “Act your age” (Film, Aug. 21):

Thanks for yet another timely warning Bob, although anyone who goes to a Stallone movies gets what they deserve. Decades ago, when Boris Karloff was in the twilight of his career, he appeared in a number of execrable “horror” flicks and Time Magazine opined, “Sometimes it’s sad to see an aging actor attempting to ‘eek’ out a living when he should be hanging up his spurs”... or words to that effect. The eek part cracked me up. If I was smart enough, I’d come up with a similar crack for Mr. Stallone. But I’m not. Work on it. Steve Waclo Carson City

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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. Cover and feature story design: Brian Breneman Cover Illustration: Jonathan Buck OPINION | NEWS | GREEN | FEATURE STORY | ARTS&CULTURE | ART OF THE STATE | FOODFINDS | FILM | MUSICBEAT | NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS | THIS WEEK | MISCELLANY | AUGUST 28, 2014 | RN&R | 3