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Letters

To the editor

Nighttime lights not wanted

To the editor:

Congratulations to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors for unanimously approving an outdoor lighting ordinance. I remember asking the California Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to do the same thing back in 1964! Now if we could just get the other counties and cities around the lake to follow your lead, then maybe we could all again enjoy the magnificent night skies and horizons that once enhanced our lives here in the mountains. I do hope that this ordinance also applies to the departments of transportation as they are the major contributors when it comes to unwanted lights.



Jim Hildinger

South Lake Tahoe



Bike lanes are edging out cars

To the editor:

Have you noticed when driving around that the bike lanes are getting wider and the auto lanes are getting smaller? On many streets the bike lanes are a full third of the width of the roadway.

I also see many new paved bike paths next to roads that are in need of repair. Are we giving this recreation a priority over our automobiles? And who is paying for it? Automobiles are a necessary mode of transportation.

I have a unique idea. Let’s let the people who use it pay for it, instead of the usual property owner or automobile driver. All other vehicles that use the roads are taxed in multiple ways; even my dog has to have a license and he rarely uses the roads.

Building roads wider to incorporate bike lanes and paving bike roads through the woods has to be expensive and should be paid for by the users.

Automobiles, motorcycles, and boats are licensed and taxed as personal property and their fuel is taxed; even vehicles that don’t use roads such as boats, snowmobiles and dogs have to purchase a sticker, so why not bicycles, since we spend a large amount of money providing facilities for them.

Wayne Bonesteel

South Lake Tahoe

GOP trying to steal away Fla.

To the editor:

Did someone say conflict of interest! Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris – who issued the order to shut down Florida’s presidential recounts at 5 p.m. Tuesday – is a Republican, a co-chairwoman for Bush’s presidential campaign, actively campaigned for George W. Bush, and serves in Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s cabinet. Her decision is likely to be the deciding factor in who wins the United States presidency. If there was a whisper before that there is a concerted effort on in Florida to steal the presidential election for George W. Bush, it has now become a roar.

Ron Lowe

Nevada City, Calif.

Family believes in airport’s value

To the editor:

We own a townhouse in Tahoe Keys. Our family is composed of my husband and self, four adult children and spouses, and four young adult grandchildren. We have all been totally frustrated because there has not been any air service into the Tahoe airport. We live in Southern California and it is a nine-and-a-half- to 10-hour drive, or we have to stay overnight on the way. Our families also live in Southern California and Oregon – a long trip either way.

We were delighted that Allegiant Air started service again, but understand that there is still opposition to the airport. From articles in the South Lake Tahoe local paper, there is still opposition to allocating any city funds to subsidize the facility.

When we first bought our townhouse years ago, there was direct air service and we could fly into Tahoe for the weekend, which we did often. Our family members could use it frequently, summer and winter.

How can anyone say there is no economic benefit? While at Tahoe we buy food at Raley’s; bring home fast food; patronize restaurants; go to the movies; support a hardware store, barber, pharmacy, cleaners; use utilities, the ski runs; go to the casinos; and on and on … Surely an airport greatly benefits the casinos.

Without an airport we only come up to Lake Tahoe twice a year and our families seldom use the townhouse. We are a very small unit of your population, but I’m sure our position is multiplied many times over.

As to one businessman’s suggestion that you should support the Reno or Sacramento airports instead – that is ridiculous. We’ve tried that. A two-hour trip there and back, and a difficult drive during the winter snow season just discourages your possible visitors.

The economic benefits may be perceived by some to be “indirect,” but considering our expenditures as just one small group of visitors, the benefits are large to all the lake communities. We are hoping the community will make a strong commitment to the airport.

Thank you for your time, and patience with my typing errors.

Mrs. Howard W. Lees

Irvine, Calif.


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