Letters to the Editor Aug. 14

Be wise when tossing your butts

Why do some of those who smoke have to litter their lit and unlit cigarette butts all over the place and hang their cigarettes out their car or truck windows? We are in a dry part of summer and all of us need to be fire-aware. Yet there are still those who could care less about anyone or any issue other then themselves. These careless poor addicted souls feel it is beyond their responsibility to properly extinguish their butts and dispose of them properly.

Forgive me, my tolerance is exhausted. I feel sorry for you having to spend an average of $6 or more a day for a pack to support an unproductive, unhealthy, unsafe habit. Wise up to the tobacco companies and challenge your addiction. Write down a pros and cons list. The journey will not be easy, but the rewards will far outweigh the difficult struggle. In the end, the truth will set you free.

Ann Burke

Carson City

2 companies face challenges differently

Hear the story of two corporations, one courageous, the other cowardly.

American Airlines, which went from the No. 1 carrier to No. 3 in less than two years, makes a bold move to not only stay alive, but to restore themselves to their former prominence. They quickly address their needs and contract to purchase 436 new jets, amid dismal numbers for their prospects and discouragement from insiders. This is the kind of fighting spirit it takes to succeed in business, and be sure that my next travel plans will be made with American Airlines.

Borders booksellers, on the other hand, put their head in the sand and ignored their problems for years, and when they finally became unmanageable, they opted for the easy road out. They filed Chapter 11 and closed down a few underperforming stores.

Now, just a quarter later, when they did not see immediate results, they pulled the plug. After coming into our little hamlet and plowing asunder all competition, they, in a cowardly act, leave us without a bookseller because times got tough.

As upset as I am for my loss, I feel as bad for the very wonderful people who have served me at our store. Their commitment to excellence is obvious, much more than that of the Reno store and many other retail outlets I visit. I thank them all for a wonderful time and will miss them.

Kelly Jones

Carson City

Story missed the point on GOP-Dem showdown

I take exception to the cherry-picked information and egregious slant of the article in Saturday's paper: "Senate Dems give way to GOP to end FAA shutdown." Nowhere in the article was the actual point of contention between the parties mentioned - the union-stripping "No vote is a NO vote" provision, which would essentially destroy the rights of FAA workers to organize for safer conditions. The GOP, in their headlong rush to dismantle all unions, again overreached. The short-term resolution the president signed put over 70,000 people back to work and saved the country billions of dollars in taxes, achieving this without giving away the rights of union workers. Yet the article sneered openly at Democrats for "giving way," "wavering," "feared getting steamrolled," "gave up the fight."

Give me a break. It's enough that the GOP-controlled House, after screaming about "jobs" being their first priority and holding the country hostage over deficit reduction, ended up with a "compromise" that will kill job growth - but that gave them only 98 percent of what they wanted, so that in a final, petulant pout, they left town for vacation without funding the FAA, throwing tens of thousands out of work and losing a steady, dependable source of revenue. That representatives like our own Joe Heck could go along with this, knowing that it would virtually shut down air service to Ely, all over some GOP stunt, shows what children they really are. But the paper of local record should at least tell the truth about it.

Leigh McGuire

Stagecoach

Get Republicans out of Congress

Suicide bombers are an interesting bunch of folks. They are willing, even eager, to destroy themselves for the mere opportunity to harm others. And often, the people they go after aren't even those who especially disagree with them. For most suicide bombers, anyone will do. It's about a cause or a belief - or it's just about lashing out.

We saw this sort of behavior last week in Congress. A Grand Bargain was on the table with both massive spending cuts and some revenue increases. It would have cut the debt by $4 trillion. Most Americans favored this balanced approach - Republicans, Democrats and independents. But this deal wasn't delivered. Instead we got much less debt reduction and we got a fine demonstration of our leaders' inability to compromise and put our country and our citizens ahead of ideology.

The result has turned out even worse than it initially appeared. Because of both the small debt reduction and the demonstration of dysfunctional government, America's credit rating has tanked. This will cost every man, woman and child in America thousands of dollars in additional taxes, reduced government services and increased interest. It didn't need to happen.

The Republican leadership stood behind their suicide bomber tea-baggers' protecting special tax breaks for business jets and oil companies, even when it would damage our country, our economy and our citizens. And when it was counter to what most of us wanted. Americans don't need these Republicans in Congress, ever again.

Randy Carlson

Carson City