Cost of Living Allowances

Kudos to Commissioner Butch Borasky for his dissenting vote on the new manager's employment agreement.

The new manager may be worth it, but for any bureaucratic assembly to presuppose that a COLA is in order a year in advance is not good guessing.

Further, I would think more interesting for reporter Mark Waite to ask the other three commissioners why they vote "yea" for such an agreement. Could it be that the three commissioners are looking for a COLA soon?

In my opinion, COLAs are a spreading cancer with no cure that first emanates from the higher offices to eventually filter down to the underling who becomes the victim of the act.

Five percent of $118,000 is $5,900, where 5 percent of $40,000 is only $2,000, hardly enough to pay the increased cost of the kids' underwear, much less for the cost of gasoline and bread and milk.

And the underling gets no car to drive or other amenities (parking space, etc.) that the executive gets.

Yet their blood is the same color and their needs no greater than the peon.

I often wonder if cost of living allowances are to cover Barbie doll pedal or electronic cars, fancy snowboard ski resort tickets, a convertible for the college student, pedicures for the significant other or such items that seem to become necessities of those in high places, or $400 haircuts for that matter.

I have trouble getting my money's worth for $10 per cut.

The Wall Street Journal may have some concept of acting on Wall Street but I don't believe their ticket tapes see a year ahead, nor do they always project common horse sense.

Thanks for listening.

BOB WEETHEE, VISITING COMMONER

It takes a team and we did it

This letter is to let the people of Pahrump know how lucky we are to live in such a caring community.

Our recent food drive for No To Abuse was a tremendous success. We could not believe the number of people who gave to this worthy cause.

Frazier Furniture would like to thank everyone who participated by donating food and for all that gave of their time Saturday for our final drive.

Our thanks go out to the Pahrump Valley Times, Karen from KNYE Radio for publicizing the event, No To Abuse for their assistance and to all our family for their help and support.

It takes an entire team to make any event a success, and Pahrump, together we did it.

MARION AND RON FRAZIER

Not tired or corrupt

In my opinion, Marla Zlotek, besides being extremely well qualified, is the only candidate for judge in District Court 5, Dept. 1, who isn't "used up and tired" or corrupt.

Also, by virtue of his legal education and his length of experience, Michael Neu is (in my opinion) the best qualified candidate for justice of the peace.

STAN DAVIS

Thrombophilia awareness

I write this letter for myself and on the behalf of many others in support groups that I belong to.

We have approximately 2,556 FLV-pregnancies and 830 members for factor Leiden support and growing stronger every day.

This is a serious condition inherited by our parents and/or their parents etc. Some of us, including me, cannot have a full-term pregnancy due to the lack of knowledge of some doctors. I have clotted while on Lovenox, a blood thinner with baby aspirin, while some can carry to term.

When I approach a doctor about this condition, they ask, "What is that?" and I have to state it's inherited thrombosis and that they can understand. Yet having to show them my medical records is a drag.

I have to carry my information on this matter for it can be life threatening.

If there is a clot in our bodies and we don't catch it, the clot can travel to the heart, brain, lungs, etc., therefore we die. Many of us with factor V Leiden have a high risk of clotting.

Insurance companies will not cover the needed blood thinners for many of our group, even in other countries. Because many doctors and hospitals don't know of this condition, we have to carry medical alert bracelets and come prepared.

I feel there should be a standard mandatory test available when entering a hospital or surgery center to determine if we are a clotter or a bleeder so the proper steps can be taken.

We also feel that more and more people need to be aware just how serious this condition is.

When flying we have to wear special stockings to keep blood moving around so the blood circulates. When driving we have to drive for only so long before pulling over and stretching to walk around and prevent clotting.

I myself cannot carry to full term in a pregnancy. I had an argument with a hematologist how I needed more Lovenox to sustain full term. She said no, it was the proper dosage with baby aspirin and I still miscarried.

We [the support group] are always having a constant discussion if strokes, heart attacks and migraines are FVL related. This is a silent condition where only a blood test can determine if one has it or not.

I myself have had numerous surgeries before finding out, and I was lucky. I moved about, not listening to the doctors when they prescribed bed rest, which saved my own life. I kept myself from clotting.

When I had my second miscarriage, it was only then they tested me for this. Women need to be tested much sooner than before they have two miscarriages. This condition should prompt a mandatory test to be run at the early age of 13.

We need to spread the word on this condition where many people out there do not know they have this and should be made aware of this.

Organizations need to help others in need who cannot afford the blood thinners due to the insurance not covering them. We in our groups rely on research from the Web and other individuals experiences. The one Web site we go to all the time is www.fvleiden.org.

JOANNE DETWEILER