Opioid crackdown could hurt pain patients

In response to your recent story on Gov. Brian Sandoval’s summit on drug abuse: The media, politicians and insurance industry are biased toward patients who, with proper monitoring, need opioids to treat their non-cancer chronic pain.

I testified at the governor’s two-day summit and at the Legislature’s Committee on health care last month. I had documented research articles showing that non-cancer chronic pain patients are not the cause of opioid overdoses. These patients are well informed, have already tried alternative treatments, and are successfully treated long-term with opioids.

Despite my testimony and the testimony of others, the R-J article didn’t mention that patients are suffering needlessly because physicians are scared to death of the Centers for Disease Control, the Drug Enforcement Agency and politicians who are vilifying the proper use of opioids in chronic pain patients.

In a June 22 teleconference, Gov. Sandoval stated, “I do not want to interfere with the doctor/patient relationship.” Yet the Nevada Legislature is preparing to do just that.

Richard L. Martin

Henderson

Team name

The Las Vegas NHL team should choose Nighthawks as its nickname. The species “common nighthawk” is native to Nevada. It also comes out at night, so it fits the Las Vegas theme. It glides through the air looking for insects, darting in and out — much like a hockey player does on the ice. And we need to conserve these unique creatures and others in the nightjar family of birds.

Cris Tomlinson

Las Vegas

Please reconsider

I agree with Jean Brandt’s Saturday letter. I, too, am very upset with the notice that the Taste of the Town column will be available only online.

There are many of us who turn to that feature every Wednesday. I am older (much) and I consider the Review-Journal to be my entertainment. Taste of the Town is way at the top of my list of articles to read first.

Please, please do not take this article away from us in print. What’s left after you take away all the things that are good to read about? There isn’t much left but politics, killings and accidents. Most of us don’t want to read the bad stuff. It’s all a downer.

Please reconsider. Please.

Barbara Link

Boulder City

Taxing matter

In response to your Saturday article, “Clark County gas tax cap proposed”: County Commissioner Steve Sisolak thinks pegging tax increases to a 4.5 percent inflation rate is fair to the taxpayer. On what planet is he living? The U.S. inflation rate has averaged 1.85 percent over the past decade.

Most of the proposed road projects are for tourists getting to the casinos. The casino interests are also asking for higher taxes to build a new stadium and to construct more convention space. It seems the casino owners and our politicians see the local taxpayer as an endless spigot of money for their pet projects.

The final indignity foisted upon Las Vegas residents? Some casinos are now charging locals for parking.

Maybe we should increase taxes on the casinos for the road repairs. And let them pay for increased exhibitor space and new stadiums. The citizens of the valley need to stand up and demand no new taxes. Vote against the gas tax.

William Wood

Las Vegas