Give Lied’s new management a chance

To the editor:

It is time for certain animal activist groups to stop condemning the Animal Foundation. The Animal Foundation is not the only homeless animal facility in Las Vegas with problems. As you can see, FLOCK’s Pahrump sanctuary is also now in trouble — and if you look real hard, you will see that none of the animal shelters in Las Vegas is without problems.

This has to do with all the do-gooders who think we should have 12 sanctuaries in Las Vegas, and each of them thinks they are better than the others. Best Friends is a qualified sanctuary, as they don’t fight with other shelters, but rather help other shelters. They have the land and funding to have a sanctuary, not a shelter.

All animal shelters have problems with overcrowding, sick animals and especially management. Don’t blame the shelters or management for taking in the animals. If people would spay and neuter their animals, keep their shots up to date, use microchips, keep cats indoors and dogs on leashes and in their yards or homes, the shelters would not have overcrowding problems.

Then top that off by stopping backyard breeders and puppy mills. I am sure you will then find a lot fewer homeless and sick animals.

Give the new management at Lied a break. They just started. You will see changes for the good at the Lied Animal Shelter — but again, there will still be a few problems, as there are in every shelter.

PEGGY SMITH

LAS VEGAS

On the farm

To the editor:

Discussions are taking place this week in Washington on the farm bill, which is reviewed by Congress every five years. The current bill gives subsidies to farmers, mostly large mega-farms, which encourage overproduction of corn, cotton, soybeans and rice.

Currently the top 8 percent of the farms receive more than half of the subsidies. The subsidies artificially drive down the price of these key commodities, making it impossible for smaller farmers to compete.

This policy not only hurts the small family farmer in the United States but, as these crops are then dumped overseas, it also makes it impossible for farmers in developing countries to compete.

The developing countries of the world do not want to depend on charity from the richest nations of the world. They want and deserve the opportunity to become self-sufficient. In most of these countries, farming is the key industry that has the ability to lead them toward self-sufficiency, but their farmers cannot compete against these mega-farms which are unfairly subsidized by the U.S. government.

I don’t believe the majority of Americans embrace using taxpayer money to pay out subsidies that prevent small farmers in America and across the world from producing and selling their goods. Unfortunately, the politics of power and re-election are again winning out over good public policy.

Because the Democrats have recently picked up congressional seats in several of the states that have effective mega-farming lobbying efforts, they are reluctant to pass a bill with any significant reform. They will likely pass a few insignificant cuts and spin it as being a victory for all small farmers. Meanwhile, the larger mega-farms will continue to support their Democratic representatives’ re-election efforts. Politics as usual.

JACK WINSLOW

LAS VEGAS

On speed

To the editor:

There is a new law in Virginia that seems very appropriate for Nevada. A driver who is picked up driving 20 mph over the posted speed limit can be fined more than $3,000. The fines will go to the rebuilding and construction of the roads and highways.

Not only would this help with much-needed road construction in Nevada, it would cut down on our out-of-control speeders and save lives as well. A good idea!

MARY E. MARTIN

HENDERSON

New Depression?

To the editor:

In response to Howard Adler, who in his Saturday letter asked: “How bad does the American economy have to be before the Fed cuts interest rates?”

Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that are “bad” and need addressing before our economy can climb up out of the pit that has been dug by this present administration. The interest rates are only the tip of the iceberg.

We have a war dragging all of us into bankruptcy; our balance of payments is completely “unbalanced” because we import almost everything; we have outsourced almost all of our manufacturing, and thus our employment opportunities; our middle class prosperity has been destroyed; our country is being overrun by illegal aliens who are bankrupting our health care and educational systems, and none of the current crop of politicians has the guts to do anything to stop the flow.

The “haves” at the top of the economic ladder seem to think all is going great — they have outsourced and diversified. People who are not lucky enough to have anything left to outsource must take jobs that offer low pay and no health benefits.

Our “representatives” in government had better take notice. Changes need to happen, and soon — and not just at the Federal Reserve.

DEANNA DALLY

HENDERSON