Nevada
NEVADA VIEWS: Time for common-sense immigration reform
The United States has long been a beacon of hope for immigrants seeking opportunity and a chance to chase their own American dream. America has always been a welcoming nation to those who embrace freedom and the responsibilities that come with it.
But we also have a responsibility to balance defending our borders, our values and our way of life with welcoming those who wish to join us. Those responsibilities are not mutually exclusive.
It is time to have an honest conversation without fearmongering or name calling, and it is time to separate those who seek solutions from those who benefit from chaos. You see, comprehensive immigration reform is something the Latin Chamber of Commerce has been advocating for years.
I recently had a deep discussion with Gov. Joe Lombardo. He made it clear that he absolutely supports deporting immigrants here illegally who have committed violent crimes on American soil. He supports deporting those here illegally who committed violent crimes prior to coming to America. Who among us would disagree? While we know that it’s not the majority, it is the fundamental responsibility of our government to keep us safe. That includes the small-business community.
Those advocating for open border policies are making a growing problem worse. Those entering our country must be vetted quickly and effectively so that we may expedite the legal immigration process and immediately capture, return or incarcerate violent criminals before they cross our borders.
Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C., must come together to work through important issues involving undocumented immigrants who are already here embracing America and all that comes with it. Decades of a broken immigration system, leaky border and fluctuating policies have created an entire population of people who have been chasing the American dream, following American laws, paying American taxes and working to make our communities stronger, safer and more prosperous. It seems equally unrealistic and unconscionable that those who have embraced our system and our values would be punished for a problem created by politicians unwilling to solve our larger border issues.
America must secure its borders first to protect this nation and its people from those who would do us harm. We must remove any dangerous criminals here illegally. And then we must come together as Americans to fix the broken legal immigration system that has caused so much pain for so many people.
While priority No. 1 must be fixing the border crisis, the “deferred action for childhood arrival” and “temporary protective status” programs cannot be ignored. Presidents of both parties have used these programs to protect long-term immigrants who are living and working in this country. We know that standing up for Dreamers has strong bipartisan support, and the TPS program was created by Congress, supported by both Republicans and Democrats. Acting to extend TPS protections and grant new TPS designations for countries that clearly qualify will keep immigrants from being sent back to extremely dangerous conditions while ensuring they can work and contribute here.
Let’s bring transparency and efficiency to our legal immigration process so we can celebrate the workers, small-business owners and entrepreneurs. In Nevada, there are more than 6,300 TPS holders and 10,500 DACA recipients who pay taxes and strengthen our economy. I speak every day with immigrants who are opening restaurants and stores, working in hospitality and driving critical industries. Our state depends on these people, and without DACA and TPS recipients, Nevada’s economy would suffer.
American exceptionalism is not just an idea, it is the definition of who we are. It is time that exceptionalism is used to solve a border crisis and fix an immigration system that has not worked for a very long time.
Peter Guzman is president of the Latin Chamber of Commerce, NV.
Nevada
28-year-old inmate at Southern Nevada prison dies
A man serving time at the Southern Desert Correctional Center for felony reckless driving died last month, the Nevada Department of Corrections said Tuesday.
Shiloh Walker, 28, died at the Indian Springs facility on Nov. 24, a news release said. Cause of death was not listed.
Walker was serving a sentence of up to six years after a plea agreement was reached in 2022 following a DUI crash that happened May 31, 2021 in Las Vegas, according to online court records.
An autopsy was requested following Walker’s death, though results were not available as of Monday evening. Attempts to reach Walker’s family members have been unsuccessful, according to the department.
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.
Nevada
Is USPS breaking vow not to use Sacramento for Northern Nevada mail?
After widespread condemnation last year, the U.S. Postal Service backed away from plans to move its Reno mail-processing operations to Sacramento — but did it stay true to what it told the public?
The question arose recently after letters sent from one Carson City address to another in Carson City were both postmarked in Sacramento.
Northern Nevadans did not want first class mail sent from one Northern Nevada address to another going first to California. They sent a unified message to the USPS all the way up to the postmaster general.
Critics of the USPS plan were especially worried about delays from mail having to go back and forth over the Sierra during winter.
The Washoe County District Attorney’s office filed a lawsuit over the plan, the Washoe County Commission voted to oppose the plan, public comment was universally opposed, and Democratic and Republican elected officials from across the state joined to stop it.
Could it possibly have happened anyway? The answer is yes, temporarily, for a brief time.
How letters sent in Carson City came to be processed at Sacramento USPS facility
A reader told the Reno Gazette Journal they’d twice had letters internal to Carson City postmarked in Sacramento, so we asked USPS if the policy had changed.
“Mail processing for First Class mail that originates in Northern Nevada and is destined to Northern Nevada has not changed,” USPS spokesperson Sherry Patterson responded by email.
“However,” she added, “without the specific mail piece and class of mail, we cannot determined if there is an issue.”
The reader then supplied a photo of the two envelopes postmarked Nov. 5 in Sacramento, and this was shared with USPS.
“Our processing machine in Reno was temporarily out of service while we awaited a replacement part,” Patterson said after viewing the postmarks to nail down the specific date the letters went through Sacramento.
“To ensure that mail was not delayed during this time, we implemented a contingency plan that involved routing certain mail to our Sacramento facility for cancellation and processing. This measure allows us to maintain service continuity and minimize disruptions for our customers. We understand that this may cause some confusion, and we are committed to ensuring that all mail is processed efficiently and accurately.”
Bottom line: Regarding first class mail that’s being sent to and from Northern Nevada addresses, it’s still USPS policy to process that in Reno at its Vassar Street facility, she said.
The path these particular letters took, Patterson added, “is indeed an unusual occurrence.”
Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.
Nevada
Holiday loneliness affects thousands in Nevada as many face Christmas away from loved ones
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Loneliness has become a significant health issue for people everywhere, and the holiday season sometimes intensifies those feelings. For many, December looks like family gatherings, matching pajamas and bustling homes. But this time of year can also be very difficult for those who may be battling distance, work commitments or recent life changes.
Marc Valli, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, has lived in Las Vegas since 1988. He moved to Nevada to join a ministry and be closer to his wife’s parents.
WATCH| Shellye Leggett talks to an army vet who’s recently moved into Escalante at the Lakes assisted living facility
Holiday loneliness affects thousands in Nevada as many face Christmas away from loved ones
“I wanted to come and join ministry here. Also my wife’s parents lived here,” Valli said.
Valli’s wife Barbara, known to friends and family as Bobby, passed away in 2018 after 54 years of marriage.
“I’m still counting the years. We’ve been married 54 years,” he said.
His children moved him into Escalante at the Lakes assisted living facility in June, making this his first holiday season in his new home.
“People are very nice, they treat you good,” Valli said.
Come Christmas Day, the facility’s common room will be filled with residents ready for holiday activities, but Valli hopes to get outside these walls to see his family that still lives nearby.
“I have grandkids. One goes to Cal Poly. He’s here right now, but he’s on vacation, and then I have two little granddaughters, one’s 11, one’s 7,” Valli said. “I don’t know if they’re gonna come for Christmas or I’m going there.”
Gus Farias, the executive director of Escalante at the Lakes Assisted Living, says many of his residents don’t have family nearby. Keeping their spirits high throughout the holidays is an important task.
“We can tell when our residents are feeling down. There’s a lot of pressure during the holidays because some of our residents don’t have families that are nearby, but they have us,” Farias said.
The organisation A Mission for Michael released a study showing just how many people are expected to spend the holidays alone this year. Nevada ranked 43rd on the list of loneliest states, with more than 212,000 people expected to spend Christmas by themselves.
“It’s pretty surprising that there’s so many Nevadans that are gonna spend the holidays by themselves,” Farias said.
He says combating loneliness will take a community effort.
“When you’re at the grocery store or whatever, reach, look back and ask them, you know, wish them a merry Christmas or happy holidays and ask them how they passed their holidays in the past because we, we as a younger generation than our seniors, we can learn a lot from that,” Farias said.
It’s an effort that Valli says makes the holidays a little brighter.
“Oh, it makes a big difference,” he said.
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