Saturday, August 14, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

LETTERS: Sunset Park belongs in Third World city

To the editor:

I am glad the Review-Journal has turned its attention to the awful state of Sunset Park (Aug. 11). I fully concur with what John Erlanger says. Indeed, I am astonished that our city has allowed the park to deteriorate and that this neglect has received so little attention.

As a resident of Clark County, I visited Sunset Park regularly for many years. But no more. as I can no longer tolerate the dirt and general disrepair. If anything, your article understates how bad things have become. Anyone who visits parks in other states will feel ashamed. The park is poorly designed and woefully maintained and seems more appropriate to a Third World city.

I do not believe that water conservation explains matters. We can afford the water for our only large park. If we are worried about water, then we must start with our casinos and places such as Lake Las Vegas. From my observations, some portion of the blame also should be borne by park workers and their supervisors. We have many workers in the park but I never see them do anything. It is not surprising that the park is in bad shape.

So thanks Review Journal for bringing this important issue to our attention. And please have some follow-ups.

LEIN-LEIN CHEN

HENDERSON

Wrong response

To the editor:

Relative to the various articles in the Aug. 10 Review-Journal related to terrorism threats (and tapes), specifically the claims of ignorance from our local politicians and various elected and appointed officials:

What is laughable is the (apparent) fact that Oscar Goodman, Undersheriff Doug Gillespie and Rep. Shelley Berkley (among others), choose to debate whether or not "they were told" by the feds that Las Vegas was a potential terrorist target. This simply tells me that our elected officials don't have the wherewithal (or interest) to work proactively on our behalf. They have to be told?

Wouldn't it be more appropriate if the response from our officials was, "We asked and they didn't tell us"?

Is it possible that those in whom we entrust the financial and social well-being of our city are so financially self-centered that they forgot to ask? Should the public even accept a "you didn't tell me" response?

BARRY NORTON

HENDERSON

Real grades

To the editor:

There are many good things to say about the Millennium Scholarships and Jane Ann Morrison has stated them eloquently in her recent column, "Too many Millennium scholars put state in wonderfully costly bind."

Left out, however, are the totally unacceptable numbers of Millennium scholars who have to take remedial English and math.

This is an excellent opportunity for the Legislature to cure a major structural defect in the program and end a lot of obvious grade inflation. Take a page from successful state programs in Kentucky and Georgia and restrict the necessary grade point average to core studies. A's in physical education and multicultural studies will no longer count.

It will be up to the Legislature, not the university establishment, to make this correction. The post-secondary educrats will do nothing that might decrease enrollment and cut into their pyramid building.

KENNETH RECORD

LAS VEGAS

Reluctant Kerry

To the editor:

In Tuesday's paper, Herman Gordon writes that we should determine who approved the decorations for John Kerry. I agree. Unfortunately, Mr. Kerry has not signed a standard Form 180 releasing his personnel records.

Mr. Gordon states that these are unclassified documents. That is true. However they cannot be released without Mr. Kerry's approval because they are personnel records. Same as for any veteran.

As for the reaction of Mr. Kerry's commanding officers, they have already stated that they are not sure how some of these awards received approval. Why the reluctance, Mr. Kerry?

JON L. LEWIS

LAS VEGAS

Tax credits

To the editor:

As a home-schooling dad I appreciated your recent editorial on the growing home-school movement. But toward the end, I found something troubling: You seem to be calling for vouchers and tax credits for home-schooling families.

Yes, it is annoying that I pay taxes into a state "education" system that I find useless. Of course, I would find it just as useless if I had no children at all.

The education of my children is my responsibility and right, and I have no call on the wealth of others to subsidize my efforts. More to the point, I don't want government help, because I know the ultimate cost of that help will be much more than a couple thousand dollars a year in taxes.

Government subsidies are carrots that always come with a big, ugly stick of regulations and codes. And even though a tax exemption simply allows us to keep money that's ours to begin with, the government doesn't see it that way -- it considers it a "tax expenditure" which obligates the beneficiary (that is, the taxpayer) to jump through state hoops.

I don't need some pedagogic satrap deciding how my children will be educated -- that's why I'm homeschooling in the first place. I'll take a tax cut, in the form of a general reduction of taxes we'll all enjoy when enough of us finally wise up and get rid of this grasping, enervating monstrosity misnamed the "public school system."

SCOTT BIESER

RIVERSIDE, CALIF.

Word play

To the editor:

Regarding Richard Lake's Aug. 11 article on John Kerry's pronunciation of "Nevada": All I can ask is, "Slow news day"?

I was at the Thomas & Mack to see Sen. Kerry. There were more people in attendance than at the Democratic convention. It was the most energized political crowd I've ever seen. Do you think anybody cared about Sen. Kerry's pronunciation? He's from Massachusetts, for cryin' out loud. That's how the man talks.

The big news is, he's against Yucca. George W. Bush is for it and he pronounces "Nevada" properly. (Unlike the word "nuclear.") Small comfort when the first shipment of nuclear waste arrives on our doorstep.

BRIAN ROUFF

HENDERSON

Interest rates

To the editor:

I concur with Ralph Nader's recent commentary on payday loans. They suck the lifeblood out of desperate borrowers who do not have access to legitimate loan sources.

But in Nevada, there is a darker side to this problem. Nevada has no ceiling on interest. In most every other state, charging 400 percent or more interest is called usury. In Nevada, it is called business as usual.

RON MOERS

HENDERSON

Felon votes

To the editor:

In response to the July 11 article "Progressive groups seek to get out felon vote," I would like to reiterate the importance of educating our state's ex-felons about the new law affecting their voting rights.

The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada is a strictly non-partisan, nonprofit organization working to empower Nevada communities. We register any eligible person to vote, without concern for his party affiliation. We targeted former felons for one of our voter registration programs as a continuation of our involvement with this issue over the past six years.

I am appalled that the executive director of the Nevada Republican Party is not embracing the restoration of voting rights for every eligible person in this state, even those with prior felony convictions. It is disheartening to read that he is questioning the integrity of our work when so much of our work is aimed at protecting the integrity of our democratic process.

The goal of our voter registration program is to strengthen the voices of the people in this state, not to strengthen the power of any particular party. Many of the people we've helped have been disenfranchised for 30 or 40 years, and are some of the most politically interested and energized people I've ever met. Given Nevada's sad voter turnout statistics, I wish everyone were so excited about exercising his right to vote.

LAUNA HALL

LAS VEGAS

The writer is a field organizer for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada

Vegas bound?

To the editor:

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a proposed ordinance that could hamper plans by Wal-Mart to build supercenters within city limits.

Oh, heck. Now Californians will have another reason to move to Las Vegas.

S.G. HAYES

LAS VEGAS