Z and Coogie

What a refreshing article.

I really enjoy your stories about these playful exotic cats and their common sense upbringing.

These are the kind of owners every pet should have.

ELIZABETH GREEN

How long to pay

In 2007, our Nye County Commissioners spent $386,000 for the Bureau Veritass study without discussion pertaining to flood control for the Pahrump Valley.

This is according to Mark Waite, PVT, March 14.

This is a flood control plan which may never occur in the lifetime to anyone living in the valley today. (100-year flood).

Now the Veritass Group wants to sell bonds for $315 million to start the project of flood control costing owners of one acre of land $19,200 over 20 years.

Do you really want to saddle all of us with this burden for something that probably will never happen in our lifetime.

On the other hand, if, and I mean if, it happens as it did in 2003, how much damage was caused?

I was not present at the time but from what I have learned, it was less than $100,000.

I know you may think spending this $315 million is worthwhile, but I don't.

And I don't want to be saddled with an obligation of $19,200 for something that probably won't happen in my lifetime. Does anyone pay $960 a year for flood insurance?

Even if we passed, our flood insurance will not go down for 15 years.

We will pay for both for 15 years.

How many of us will be in the same house or even be alive in 15 years?

Better to spend some of that $315 million on a jail, wheelchair and baby carriage paths along Wilson, Basin and other places where needed.

GLEN HEESACKER

Why forget about SCORE

The recent ground-breaking for the Homestead Animal Hospital was worthy of an article, a picture recording the occasion the veterinarian who will run the hospital; various county individuals, the recent new animal hospital that opened; building designer and contractor; but not one word about Community Bank who arranged for the funds nor SCORE, the office that was the basis for the entire project.

Is it any wonder I am perturbed why a service that will eliminate the drive to Las Vegas for animal care and SCORE is not mentioned for the effort that was required to achieve this animal hospital?

The question that comes to mind: is the Pahrump Valley Times more interested in promoting individuals without recognizing the importance and value of having a office in Pahrump?

Prior to 2005, anyone that needed help or guidance for their business plans, new or existing, had to drive to Las Vegas for any help that might be available.

The long drive is now history and SCORE is available to provide free needed business service.

A few of the areas we provide help: business seminars, business plans, license requirements and possible loan sources.

Let us hope the next article on a business venture we help in Pahrump will also mention SCORE.

EDWARD MAZNICKI

[The article was meant to focus on the animal hospital, not on every conceivable entity that had something to do with its advent. Mr. Maznicki also complained about being cropped from the photo. -- Ed.]

Big money from class action lawsuit

I wrote last week as a former patient of the Endoscopy Center and the futility of class action lawsuits most of the time.

I feel individuals actually infected stand a much better chance of compensation if they sue individually, and let the criminal justice system punish these mopes.

In the meantime, to illustrate my point about class action lawsuits, I just received a check from "Edward D. Jones & Co." for settlement of a class action lawsuit begun in 2006. (Spahn v. Edward D. Jones & Co. et al.)

I was notified of the lawsuit back then, and the notification stated "no action required, all clients and former clients are automatically included in the lawsuit."

So I threw the letter away and forgot about it.

We got a letter and a check today. Well, the settlement was for $55,000,000. Yes, that's right, fifty-five million dollars. Wow.

After the lawyers divvied up about 40 percent of that, and who knows how much extra for expenses, the claimants got a check for the big payoff!

Not quite a fortune, it was $18.33 apiece. Boy-howdy, eighteen-dollars and thirty-three cents.

Also, each claimant will receive 1099-R and will need to report the settlement with their 2008 income taxes.

I'm going to cash that bad boy and go buy about five gallons of gasoline.

Class action lawsuits are a waste of time for everybody except the lawyers.

DAVID SALLEE

Some thoughts to ponder

Please forgive me if I push your political party buttons. That is not my intent, although I know it can happen.

It is most remarkable that we have two wonderful candidates as Democratic contenders for the Democratic nomination. I believe an honorable person is emerging for the Republican nomination as well.

In U.S. history, when only white men had the vote, they finally expanded the vote to include black men. Then it was 50 years before women won the right to vote.

Now, we stand at an opportunity to vote for a black man or a woman -- a wonderful moment in time.

Both candidates are admirable; the election of either of these will change how the U.S. is perceived around the world. We are witnessing the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.

Should we elect a black man, we will have taken a giant step forward. Should we elect a woman, we will have taken two steps forward, overcoming both racism and sexism.

Now, what is the particular charm of Obama? Consider how hungry our country is, particularly our younger generations, for a kind and gentle father figure in a time of "deadbeat dads" and "no dad at home" households.

Here is a fairy tale figure; handsome, articulate, no scandal, good father, good husband and a wonderfully inspiring man. If we understand archetypes, we will see the power he has; we can see what is happening all around us.

In a recent Newsweek issue of February, there is an article entitled "Barack's Rock" about Michelle, who by his own admission, keeps him grounded.

That is exactly the problem with archetypes; they do not live well in the rough and tumble real world. He has not had the basic training he needs yet to be planted in Washington., In fact, Michelle might make the better president, who knows?

To embrace Hillary is to put women as peers, and this is a major woman problem.

They have not known how to support one another; instead they have focused on other women's faults or imperfections. Women are afraid of the success of other women, while men learned through centuries of battle that their teammates were significant and they watched each other's backs.

Women feared for the man; brother, father, husband or son could be taken away by another female. Hillary has more to fear from women not supporting her than any other issue.

We therefore may break through in our struggle with misogyny in the midst of this election if enough people understand fear of the woman.

It is a residue of the Goddess and the need to have mind overcome emotion.

The Goddess reigned and the feminine mysteries ruled.

As that era ended, the masculine power came in, and the female found herself as "queen of the household" and the "good woman behind every capable male."

They have struggled ever since to walk side by side, but it could not come to pass until they achieved enough of the mental body to value creativity, insight and intuition.

Now the return of the divine feminine is showing up with her mysteries enriching the world once more. Anyway it comes out, the election will say more about women than it does about the candidates and women need to be aware of this.

If the best of all options came to pass, I would say: Elect Hillary and ask her to take him as vice president and train him. She will not take a second term. Prepare him for the next election, and meanwhile, use her practicality and for heaven's sake, get his wife on the team -- she is brilliant and we would have four most capable leaders and a vision for the new era.

This would be two steps toward the new and a path and a dream team for the future. Meanwhile, if I was Hillary and elected, I would make Bill Clinton the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and keep the man busy.

VERNE ZEIGLER

Oil essay shows little understanding

With no disrespect intended, the author of the anti-big-oil essay clearly has little or no understanding of the international oil markets or basic fundamentals of supply and demand.

The global demand for oil is exceeding the total available production capacity worldwide, period.

There is no "conspiracy" or "price fixing" within U.S. companies.

OPEC, on the other hand, has no qualms in maximizing their respective country's profits by various coordinated production manipulations.

Nor does the writer seem to have the slightest grasp of the staggering capital costs, technological challenges and environmental constraints that U.S. oil companies, large and small, confront daily, in order to make available the quantities of quality gasoline and diesel products that people depend upon.

This routine is all the more remarkable, given these products are always available in cities large and hamlets small, coast to coast, and in all extremes of weather, at all hours.

Most of all, there seems to be an absence of the most fundamental understanding of human motivation: Incentive and reward.

Let Hillary Clinton et al., "punish those greedy oil companies with excess profits taxes..."

I can then guarantee the results will be higher prices and/or shortages of gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas and many related essential by-products.

The ensuing economic chaos will be costly indeed.

One never obtains more production and output of any essential commodity by "punishing and taxing." You'll see.

PHILLIP MARK WILLIAMS

Silverton, Ore.