Letters to the editor

Hope culprits who took Lucky's bike are found

I am outraged that someone would be so heartless as to want to render Glenn Lucky without any transportation. Mr. Lucky is such an inspiration to me, my family, and countless others here.

I hope that the culprit(s) are found and prosecuted for this crime. I also hope that Glenn does not let this selfish act stop him from making his presence known in our community, and he keeps on riding and being an ever-present star, giving hope to others in our small city.

ellen hutchings

Minden

What's wrong with people who steal?

Why would someone do that to Glenn Lucky? He is so wonderful and we all worked so hard to get him that new bike and then someone takes it from him.

I hope they find whomever is responsible for this and take away something that means a lot to them. What is wrong with people these days? Go get a job and buy your own things. Quit being a burden to the rest of us. We all work hard for our money, including Glenn. Get a life, people.

Linda robertson

Carson City

Republican budget disaster for many

President Bush and his Republican controlled Congress are pushing hard to put through the President's fiscally unsound and morally wrong budget. If approved, the Republican budget will result in huge corporate giveaways and give America's wealthiest permanent tax breaks.

Bush's proposed budget will hurt the middle class and working poor by cutting funding for education, health care and Medicaid. Most seniors in nursing homes depend on Medicaid. This budget leaves out funding for "No Child Left Behind" and funds to help working class Americans afford college. Pell Grants are dramatically hurt by this budget.

The big push is on to put through the budget this week before the media and critics can have a chance to point out the huge program cuts and corporate giveaways. This Republican budget will also add more than $400 billion to our already enormous deficit. And President Bush wants us to go for revamping Social Security. I don't think so!

PATRICIA THOMAS

Carson City

Opening reserve to drilling is travesty

Public deception runs rampant in Washington. The bogus Healthy Forests Initiative will put communities at increased risk of wildfire by focusing on logging large trees instead of thinning small trees and brush control near where people live. The so-called Clear Skies Initiative is designed to circumvent the Clean Air Act and make it easier for large power plants to pollute, resulting in more human illness and mercury-laden fish.

By a narrow 49-51 vote the U.S. Senate recently decided to include opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling in federal budget legislation. This is payoff for the $4.4 million 2004 Bush campaign contributions from large energy companies.

The oilmen in the White House and Sen. Ensign want you to believe that our national security depends on it. Arctic Refuge oil, not arriving to market for 7-12 years, will not decrease foreign oil used and will not reduce gas pump prices. The amount the U.S. consumes each year (7.3 billion barrels) is increasing, and is more than the total amount of economically recoverable oil from the refuge. Oil companies benefit from high prices.

Our future security depends on reducing consumption of oil, since we have only 3 percent of world oil reserves. The National Academy of Sciences finds that technology can provide safe and efficient vehicles.

We should encourage and demand increased efficiency and use of alternative fuels that do not destroy our treasured lands and wildlife. We went to the moon in less than 10 years. We could be a world leader and provide sustainable jobs. Our land has been an important part of the American heritage.

Some in our government want to destroy the very thing that offered us freedom. Hundreds of documented oil spills on the North Slope provide ample evidence that harm will be done. The energy debate does not belong in a budget bill. When will our government act in the public interest rather than for narrow and corporate interests?

Jackie stroud

Carson City