A plastic Reno for tourists
Its really disgusting to hear this developer talk about making Reno attractive to tourists (RN&R, Neon Line, 01/11/22). They are simply going to make Reno just like every other gentrified, homogenized, whitewashed, boring cities all over the USA. What makes cities interesting are their unique characteristics and one of Reno’s was the old school motels and hotels. Whoever says the area is now “safe from fear of being accosted by bad actors” is probably someone who never went to Fourth Street anyway. This just reeks of prejudice against low-income people. No developer should be allowed to buy up this much land.
Valerie Williams, Reno
Citizens need voice in planning
I think it’s important to note that the main takeaway for residents anxious about developer shenanigans (RN&R, 01/11/22 ) such as these is to take (or take back) direct citizen control of the planning process, beginning with neighborhood planning groups which form the backbone of planning. This has to occur early, is its own process, and before politicians and developers get their hands (and deep pockets) involved. The former, in obvious and inherent conflict of interest, are principally interested in expanding the tax base, while covering their tracks with nice platitudes. The developers, obviously, are all about the bottom line, regardless of whatever they say.
Long after both are gone, the residents will be living with the results of their decisions.
Don Berinati, Reno
A pocket full of politicians
The Reno City Council merrily approves every gentrification project that comes along, blind to the effect of those giant, destructive projects on the future of the city. Reno has always been a tourist town. But there was always housing available for the workers in the casinos and other tourist businesses. No more. Every time high-end projects are approved, it is at the expense of housing for low-paid workers. Housing costs and rents rise (RN&R, 01/14/22) not only for the bottom half of the wage scale but for middle-class residents as well. Thanks to the developers having most Reno politicians in their pockets, Reno will soon be like Aspen (Colorado) and other towns where only the wealthy can afford to live. We need to elect candidates who will stand up to the out of state developers and not put their campaign wallets above the public good.
Phil Carter, Reno
Feds should protect wolves
The recent news that 20 wolves from Yellowstone National Park have been killed by hunters and trappers is heartbreaking evidence of the need for the Biden Department of the Interior to finally act and protect these wolves as senators, congress people, scientists, a former director of the USFWS, Tribal leaders, and activists have been imploring them to do.
Hunters in Montana can sit just feet outside of Yellowstone National Park using bait and recorded calls to lure wolves out of the protected area to their deaths. In Montana, they can kill as many as 20 wolves each (10 by gun and 10 by trap). In Idaho, there is no limit.
The Biden Administration could have prevented this slaughter and must act before it gets worse.
In August, Dan Ashe (the former Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under President Obama) wrote a Washington Post Oped urging Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to act and issue emergency protections for gray wolves as permitted under the Endangered Species Act. Mr. Ashe outlined exactly why she should act and under what authority.
To date, President Biden and Secretary Haaland have ignored the former USFWS Director and his pleas to act. He followed up in December with a letter signed by directors of zoos and aquariums in his role as CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This also has been ignored by Biden and Haaland.
We learned last year that Secretary Haaland has twice opted out of scheduled meetings with Tribal leaders seeking to speak with her in support of re- listing gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act and engaging in Tribal consultations before any future policy decisions are made.
Secretary Haaland and President Biden owe the country better. In her role as Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Secretary Haaland is entrusted with the caretaking of our natural spaces and the species that live in them. She is not living up to that mandate.
Please join me in writing to the Department of Interior at doi.gov and ask that Secretary Haaland finally act to stop this unsustainable killing of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies before it is too late. It took our nation decades to bring these wolves back. Idaho and Montana can destroy this progress in just months if the Biden Administration continues to ignore them.
Norma Odell, Chico, Calif.
Nevada’s fraudulent electors
It has come to public notice that a fake, fraudulent certificate of electors was presented to the United States Congress (and the National Archives) by Nevada Republicans. This fake document was one of a series of nearly identical templates sent to Congress by several swing states. Just by coincidence (no doubt) among these (signatories) is Jesse Law.
“Law has served in both 2016 and 2020 as the Nevada Director of Election Day Operations for the Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. Campaign where he trained over 1,000 volunteers and attorneys to observe the vote and report anomalies and potential fraud.
Law served on the Presidential Transition Team in the General Counsel’s office where he worked with Cabinet Level nominees to prepare them for their eventual confirmation. On January 20, 2017, Law was appointed by the President to serve as the White House Liaison for the Export Import Bank of the United States, serving as a Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer for that agency at different times.
In 2015, Law served as liaison between the Nevada Republican Party and the Trump Campaign operations. In 2007, Law joined the Clark County Republican Party, and he served from 2010-2017 as an elected representative of Clark to the Nevada Republican Central Committee.
Law worked for the Nevada Republican Party from 2012-2014 and then again from 2019 until early 2021 where he handled political campaign strategy.”
Jeremy Hampton, Yerington
EDITOR’S NOTE: In addition to Jesse Law, the Republican electors who signed Nevada’s illegitimate document (which also was presented to the National Archives) were Michael J. McDonald, James DeGraffenreid, Duward James Hindle III, Shawn Meehan and Eileen Rice. McDonald is chairman of the Nevada Republican Party. Hindle is vice chairman and DeGraffenreid is a national committeeman. Meehan and Rice are associated with the Douglas County Republican Central Committee. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has said while he “cannot confirm or deny the existence of an investigation, rest assured that this matter is on our radar, and we take seriously any efforts to rob Nevadans of their votes.” He added that: “There has been a sustained effort to invalidate the 2020 election and to downplay the shocking actions that took place afterward. My office cannot and will not accept any efforts to overturn a free and fair election. Voting rights are fundamental to our democratic republic, and we will continue to protect them.”
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