Letters to the editor Jan. 20

Salary cuts take money out of economy

Front page headline: "Salary cuts will save state $600 million." That's sheer stupidity. That's $600 million that will not go into the local economy. That's grocery money stolen from state employee pensions when we all know prices will never stop rising. If there was a threat to cut Social Security by five percent, you think no one would protest?

If the new GOP administration was honest, they'd point out that this policy is contrary to their own ideology. They always say that people know how to spend their money better than government does, but now they want to take money away from the people and put it into their own coffers.

The only way they can get away with this is that the target is public employees, and thanks to years of vilification in the right-wing press, everybody hates public employees. Oh, not personally - that nice librarian finding books for the kids is OK. It's really cool to find the public restroom at the park open and clean, but those awful state employees, they do nothing all day and get rich, and then live in the lap of luxury on their pensions after just 30 years of public service.

Bye-bye to hundreds of millions of dollars that won't be pouring into the local economy. Hello to pensioners who will now necessarily be utilizing food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare and other social services. And this helps us how?

Leigh McGuire

Stagecoach

You can make a difference by donating blood

While living in San Diego, before moving to Carson City, I gave blood at least five or six times a year. I started donating to help a friend who was having heart surgery, and just kept doing it and wished that I had started sooner.

I just made my first Carson City donation in December and plan on donating each time I am eligible. It doesn't take a lot of time and isn't painful. I would encourage everyone to make a difference in someone's life by donating blood, plasma or platelets as much as possible.

David Knighton

Carson City

Editor's note: There will be a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Michael Hohl Honda, 2800 S. Carson St.

Do not try to change history in 'Finn'

This is in reference to an article Jan. 7 relative to a question asked, Should publisher alter original text of "Huckleberry Finn?"

In my opinion, it should not be altered. As soon as we allow this to be done, we find all sorts of excuses to alter other parts of the book. History is history, and we should accept it as such. If the words are too strong for today, they could be deleted out with just a few letters showing. The word was part of our history. Although it is improper to be used today, the reader must accept the fact that it was used in the time the book was written.

The danger is that we have changed too much already to have a true historical record of certain events. Truth in reporting should be the sole purpose of writing history. Let's not color the events of yesteryear by today's standards.

Robert Maule

Carson City