Misery means money

Years ago, food producers knew they could greatly increase profits if they could eliminate spoilage and extend the shelf life of their products. Their solution was to get approval to include hydrogenated oils as an ingredient.

A small article in the news about the harmful effects of hydrogenated oils prompted me to research the subject on the Internet. What I found was shocking and convinced me that hydrogenated oils should be prohibited.

If you're an old-timer like me, you may recall when Crisco, a hydrogenated product, was first introduced. Because it didn't sell it was initially given away. However, its use opened the door for more and more products containing these oils. Now they can be found in many of the items in the supermarkets.

Unfortunately, there is very compelling evidence to suggest that consumption of these oils over time causes diabetes, breast cancer and increase the risk of heart disease and other disabilities.

Why then are these oils allowed on the market? Apparently because sickness is a multi-billion-dollar industry. And apparently because the harmful effects of these oils were ignored by the media and the Food and Drug Administration.

While a death certificate may list the cause of death as cancer, heart failure, etc., there is a good possibility that the underlying cause is the continued consumption of these oils.

If the incidence of diabetes would suddenly reduce to the amount existing 80-100 years ago, the pharmaceutical industry would lose billions. After all, more sick people equates to more money.

If the information on the Internet is correct, some European countries limit the amount of these oils to 4 percent in any food and some ban them altogether.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Some producers are advertising products that are non-hydrogenated and contain no trans fatty acids.

I encourage everyone to look into this matter. Most product packaging lists an address and often a toll-free number and e-mail address. Perhaps they will listen if enough of the producers are asked to stop using these deadly oils. It certainly could help if the FDA was flooded with demands to put our health ahead of special interests.

Leonard J. Coenen

Political distortions

Usually during the political season, as some call it, many take the opportunity to cheer on their candidates, and well they should. Such is the case of Rick Gregersen in last week's Pahrump Valley Times ("Sheriff DeMeo doing his best," July 14, PVT). However, once the sarcasm is over, things that are mentioned as "facts," should be just that, not parroting for your candidates' distortions and misstatements, which some say masquerade as lies.

Case in Point. Gregersen parrots that the Board of County Commissioners hasn't given the sheriff enough resources or officers. Strange. The sheriff says proudly in his recent brochure that he has added 14 officers, all in Pahrump, since he took office, but then says the commissioners have cut his budget by more than a million dollars and gave them all plaques in a recent meeting for their "generosity."

Which is it? Check with the Nye County Comptroller's office and you will find that the NCSO budget this year is the largest in history, $11.3 million, up from $9.5 million in 2002-03. So if this misstatement is said enough in open county commissioner meetings, people believe it, right Rick?

The old saying is if a lie goes unchallenged, it becomes the truth and so it has for Gregersen and many others.

The fact is, the NCSO has the largest number of street deputies ever, with 45 alone working Pahrump, including the many positions of lieutenant and above. It will be up to the voters to figure out why crime is at an all-time high and the solve rate for crime is at a 12-year low. If you keep saying "I can't, I can't, I can't" enough times, then I guess you can't.

Since space is limited, I will address only one other aspect of Rick's rant. He parrots, again, the sheriff, by saying the CSI unit never existed. Take a look at my Web site, <a href="http://wadeliesekeforsheriff.com">wadeliesekeforsheriff.com</a> and see a very clear photo of the mobile forensic crime lab, with CSI certified technician/detective John Marotta and I holding a $15,000 piece of modern fingerprinting/forensic equipment, one of approximately $300,000 worth of crime scene investigation equipment bought for the non-existent mobile lab.

I developed a CSI program through a partnership with Las Vegas Metro, the best in the game, whereas John and Jack Hennigan were certified as crime scene technicians, with Det. Chris Redmond set to join them.

That didn't happen after I left office, and the program went away. If all goes well, it will be back.

John left the NCSO and is now the chief investigator for the D.A.'s office. The best case he ever solved through his CSI training never happened, at least not as we first thought and it saved us many hours of investigation.

The call came in as a homicide, but through John's vast training and his great ability, he was able to show through clear and convincing blood spatter evidence and other factors, that the victim died while having a seizure and was not murdered, just like what you see on "CSI," except this was real.

A final note. I read the sheriff's complaint of constantly being "misquoted" when he misspeaks. He shouldn't complain too loudly. No newspaper or TV media covered the descent on Pahrump last Tuesday by the FBI; allegedly investigating federal criminal civil rights violations regarding a 65-year-old man shot in the back with a taser when, as the sheriff put it, he "refused to obey a lawful order to comply. He resisted the lawful order and was brought under control using a taser." Many question whether a taser is needed to bring a 65-year-old man who has a problem walking as it is "under control," and the FBI probably asked the same question when they interviewed the sheriff Tuesday.

But the day wasn't lost. There was no press present to misquote him.

Wade A. Lieseke Jr.