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Time for the wake
To the editor:
Norman Herring's March 7 essay, "Let the university professor serve," is a concise and articulate eulogy for the Constitution. That it was delivered by a public employee makes it doubly appropriate.
According to Mr. Herring, the Nevada Constitution does not clearly define the separation of powers doctrine. Really? What say we take a look: Article 3, Section 1 -- "The powers of the government of the State of Nevada shall be divided into three separate departments -- the Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial -- and no persons charged with the exercise of powers properly belonging to one of these departments (Howard Rosenberg as UNR professor) shall exercise any functions, appertaining to either of the others. ..." (Howard Rosenberg as regent.)
Not clear? Only to public employees like Mr. Herring who don't like it and want it out of the way. Once he has imperiously dismissed the core principle of the Constitution, Mr. Herring can offer the rest of his essay ridiculing the Review-Journal for its poor logic and reasoning. His babble about statute and contract law is a prime example of the intellectual gymnastics in which today's "best and brightest" public sector elite engage to justify their assault on the Constitution.
I don't understand why Mr. Herring bothered. He and his colleagues have won. The Constitution is dead and the public doesn't care. Every election proves that more and more. There's certainly no need to waste any time explaining anything.
Let the victors enjoy the spoils.
KNIGHT ALLEN
Las Vegas
Saving Social Security
To the editor:
With your editorials of March 5 and March 7, it is clear that your partisan campaign to unseat Sen. Harry Reid is well under way. Your shameful unwarranted attacks on Sen. Reid will not wash. Sen. Reid has stood tall in the battle to preserve Social Security and our Constitution. He has worked hard on behalf of all Americans, in spite of partisan populist posturing like yours.
It is obvious that we can now look forward to a year and a half of Reid-bashing and the alternate praising of your anointed candidate, Rep. John Ensign. It is a transparent campaign that will not wash with the Nevada electorate.
In the interest of accurate reporting you ought to change the name of the Review-Journal to the Republican-Journal.
STAN KOWALSKI
Las Vegas
-- To the editor:
With the recent defeat of the balanced-budget amendment in the Senate, the Social Security Trust Fund has again narrowly dodged a bullet. Nevada seniors owe a debt of gratitude to Sen. Harry Reid. His unwavering support for the exemption of Social Security from the balanced-budget amendment is a tribute to his political courage in the face of heavy pressure.
Sen. Reid stood alone among the Nevada delegation in Washington on this issue and did what he knew to be right -- not just for seniors, but more importantly, what is right for all Americans. We appreciate his good service to the people of Nevada, and America.
JULIAN WALLACE
President
Seniors United
Las Vegas
Editor's note: The above letter was also signed by Lillian Wallace, executive director of Seniors United; Dalton Wellman, president of the Nevada State Council on Senior Citizens; Heleana Gross, president of the National American Notch Association's Nevada chapter; Len Vizzaccero, chairman of the Southern Nevada Council UAW Retirees; Bill Petrak, 1st vice president of the National Council on Senior Citizens, Clark County chapter; and Ken Mahal, president of the Nevada Senior Coalition.
Treat tobacco like alcohol
To the editor:
Some old ideas work in some situations. Nevada has selected the wrong old idea to control sale of tobacco products to minors: The state criminalized it. That means another bite out of the law enforcement budget and further court backlogs. Other cities and counties have found a better old idea.
Clark County should pass a statute requiring a license to sell tobacco products. The first sale to a minor shall result (for example) in a two week license suspension and a $200 penalty. A second sale could be a two month suspension and a fine of $1,000. Upon a third offense, the license is revoked -- no more tobacco sales to anyone.
Enforcement is paid for by license fees and penalty fees. We will need a couple of administrative law judges, and some non-police enforcement officers. The teen-age buyers are usually volunteers. There are no new police costs, no pressure on the district attorney to prosecute minor offenses, and no further drain on the judicial system.
Guess what? It works just like an alcohol beverage license -- a tried and true system. In most jurisdictions, sales to minors have dropped to zero.
MORTON FRIEDLANDER
North Las Vegas
Playing with fire
To the editor:
Having a monkey roaming recklessly through the dynamite factory can be disastrous enough, but when that same monkey starts demanding more matches to play with -- look out! Things could get explosive.
It was interesting to see that our beloved mayor, Jan Laverty Jones, is now insisting on having veto power on the City Council. Then, according to the formula printed in the newspaper, all she needs is for one council member to wimp out on a vote for reconsideration of a previously voted-on item that she did not agree with, and she gets what she wants ... whether or not it's beneficial to the citizens of our city.
Now it is up to our legislators in Carson City to decide if they will go along with her scheme. When this important veto bill comes up for a vote by our legislators, may God give them the wisdom to just say, "No."
WILLY McDONALD
Las Vegas
But no convictions
To the editor:
Reading and listening to Al Gore and Bill Clinton protest that they did nothing illegal in their fund-raising activities reminds me of the Chicago hood in "Guys and Dolls" who proclaims to the cheers of his entourage that he has had 32 arrests but no convictions.
STAN AMES
Las Vegas
Agree or disagree? Write us at letters@lvrj.com
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