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President Hillary

When the presidential election finally elects Hillary and she sheds the label of "former First Lady," will her husband be referred to as the "First Gentleman?"

WILLIAM BECHT

Captain, NCSO

Reality check

Every day we are hearing more reports, from every quarter, about the slumping real estate market and the growing number of foreclosures. An especially high number for the Southern Nevada area. One can legitimately ask, "What took so long?" Not one report so far, that I've seen or heard, has addressed the underlying problem.

In the early 1980s when interest rates went through the credit market roof, there was an effort put forth to keep the residential real estate market inventory moving forward, which could keep the lenders, realtors, appraisers, builders, construction workers, etc., working, as this supposedly is the cornerstone of our economy. The vehicle for this was creative financing, adjustable rate mortgages and no down loans and a number of other schemes to keep the buyers coming.

Of course, this was your grandfather's worst nightmare. He knew that buying and owning were two completely different matters. But times were passing the old gentleman by and now it was acceptable to live beyond your means and go from paycheck to paycheck. It was okay to have a wallet full of credit cards and owe more than you could hope to pay, which left you incapable of saving anything for that rainy day he warned you about.

Soon we had several generations like Stanley Johnson on TV, who is up to his eyeballs in debt and can't even pay his financing charges. Like Stanley, we needed help, but it wasn't forthcoming.

The lending practices continued, disregarding the obvious: that living beyond your means had expected consequences. A job loss, an illness in the family, additional children, a factory closing, a forced relocation and God forbid, a downturn in the economy. Any one of which can have a disastrous effect on you economic situation, endangering the very roof over you head.

Sadly, that is where we are today and the poor overextended chickens are coming home to roost. Sadder yet, the roost for many is being jerked out from under them. Until we get back to basics and expect people to show financial responsibility for what they buy, we can expect this problem to persist. Perhaps it is time for a reality check in the way we have been doing business and whether it is in the best interest of the consumer or the seller.

YVONNE SABLICH

Thank you

We, the family of Barbara L. Raehn, would like to offer our deepest thanks to Visiting Angels and Nathan Adelson Hospice.

The girls with Visiting Angels have helped our mother for quite some time now and did so with compassion and professionalism. Thank you, Dawn.

Nathan Adelson was superior in not only helping Mom, but all the nurses were more than willing to answer any questions we had and to give support to us. Thank you to all the nurses who helped.

Barbara L. Raehn passed away on Thursday Sept. 6.

Thank you all.

PATRICK AND WENDY VAN ENGEN

Recycling at Wal-Mart

I was so thrilled to see the recycling bins at Wal-Mart. Thank you to Pahrump Valley Disposal and those responsible.

My concern is stuff just being thrown in the bins without being bundled or bagged. I can't imagine getting in there and sorting everything. We don't want to ruin a good thing and hope everyone can be neat when recycling. We could also get more in the bins that way.

I've felt so guilty about sending plastic to the landfill that I've saved it in garbage bags and send it home with friends in Vegas or relatives in Reno. They just love taking my trash home, ha.

CAROL WEATHERS

Response to Rust letter

This is a response to a letter I received from Town Board member, Don Rust, dated Aug. 29, wherein he was upset because I requested responses from him and the others; why copies of my enclosures to all five members, hand delivered (in 112 degree heat) to not only town leaders, but to Nye County Commissioners--on Aug. 29, which never produced one response.

The enclosures were: a copy of an excellent article in the RJ, re: how small towns and cities could provide taxpayers a bigger bang for their buck. My own personal note was also included, which I foolishly thought would bring positive feedback.

In exasperation this dreamy-eyed taxpayer repeated this foray two weeks later and received from the lady bureaucrats similar assurances that the documents were placed in all the respective mailboxes.

But it was another week until I started getting a few responses and was informed that the mailboxes were NOT under lock and key. My pea brain wondered if this case of the missing copies involved a stealth insider mole, bent on insulating our elected officials from nosey tax strappers, or just a sloppy method of operation.

Please keep in mind of what this taxed to death watchdog experienced on my last visit to the Town Board on a day of infamy in 1995: a young mother demanded $25,000 for little league uniforms and without batting an eyelash, the do-good board gave her the booty with nary a dissent.

"Folks isn't it enough that we taxpayers built the world class ball fields which cost $15,000 a month just to light them and many a time--coming over the hump in the wee hours, the shining lights were still burning and not even a rabbit in sight," I shouted.

What a response from the salvation five. Like mannequins, these spendthrifts just sat there--unconcerned for my First Amendment rights to seek redress of my grievances. Silence is not golden, but YELLOW in my book.

Shortly thereafter, a few of us civic-minded patriots decided to recall a couple of these liberal tax wasting shysters. We needed to get 1,153 petition signatures in order to place the question on the ballot for a yes or no approval by registered voters. On the parking lot of the old post office, we accumulated over 200 signatures in a couple of days, until we were forced off by two mercenary/law men.

A liquor store owner/sympathizer gave us his blessings to gather more signed petitions on his parking lot; but the next day received an anonymous phone call: "If you don't get rid of those guys you'll lose your license."

Needless to say, our conscientious effort to clean up this corrupt community failed miserably. So much for Pahrump democracy.

Mr. Rust in no uncertain terms whipped/lashed me, "I'm appalled that you and other like you think that by limiting your taxes you will receive more service, better government and a better economy." Freedom is not free.

What about WASTE, FRAUD AND CORRUPTION in good ole podunk Pahrump, sir?

Why did our know-it-all masters need a costly study to bring in an outsider, highly paid PR specialist to serve as Fire Chief? What happened to qualified local firefighters for consideration--and what became of our dedicated volunteers?

Dreaming to play catch-up with big cities by spending our money modernizing our fleet of vehicles is akin to converting our rural community into an expensive crime ridden city. Why is there an absolute need for a horrendously expensive ladder truck? I am not aware of any skyscrapers filling our horizon.

Is it mandatory that our police cruisers be parked at local supermarket lots with engines running on fast idle and air conditioners set on high, locked and driverless, in triple digit heat no less?

My old-fashioned penny-pinching habits doubt very seriously if that practice doesn't cause extensive damage to an engine. Heat in the number one enemy of internal combustion, or is that foreign to our local economizers?

Time for a good housecleaning--from top to bottom in the new old west. Death and taxes are inevitable, but being taxed to death sure as hell ain't.

VINCE BOGDAN