LETTERS: Too many public servants only serve themselves

To the editor:

Brian Aiken’s recent letter concerning the public sector’s unparalleled wage and benefit packages was quite alarming (“NPRI fills vacuum in watchdog role,” Feb. 18 Review-Journal). To make matters worse, given the recent policy change in Henderson to control the release of information to the press (since reversed), it appears that the government is getting tough about keeping taxpayers in the dark.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman is trying to force a soccer stadium on taxpayers who don’t want it and is against allowing the people to have a vote on it. How much money is the city of Las Vegas going to waste?

Local government officials have created a good ol’ boy club of public-sector leaches who go from one job to the next, bolstering retirement packages along the way. Local and state governments include numerous retired schoolteachers, police officers and firefighters, helping make laws to further advance the lifestyle of their public-sector brothers and sisters. Our Legislature has even had a few of them double-dipping, like John Oceguera.

These people claim to serve the public, but mostly, they serve themselves.

NATALIE ADAMS

LAS VEGAS

Coach Rice needs to go

To the editor:

The UNLV men’s basketball team needs a new coach. After watching Boise State score bunches of uncontested layups in a 53-48 victory Feb. 18 at the Thomas &Mack Center, it was quite obvious that UNLV cannot play competitive defense at the Division I level.

UNLV constantly gave up the baseline and driving lanes to the opponent. The Rebels were outrebounded by a much smaller team because they don’t box out the opponent after a shot.

Meanwhile, Coach Dave Rice keeps stating that he is proud that his team keeps playing hard. The Rebels have to play hard because Mr. Rice hasn’t taught them the fundamentals needed to win. Mr. Rice inherited a great program from Coach Lon Kruger. After Mr. Rice’s first two years, many of Mr. Kruger’s recruits left UNLV for other programs or the pros. Most of them probably realized that Mr. Rice and his staff couldn’t help them improve and opted to look elsewhere.

Mr. Rice has repeatedly said that he needs time to develop the program that he wants and UNLV fans expect. It seems funny that Mr. Kruger could turn around Oklahoma in one year, with marginal talent, and Mr. Rice can’t put a good team together after four years of high school All-Americans rolling in and out of his program. He even had the No. 1 overall draft pick in the NBA — Anthony Bennett — and couldn’t beat a good Mountain West Conference team. Dave Rice’s excuses are old, and it’s time for him to move on.

JAMES REILLY

NORTH LAS VEGAS

Saluting Wade

To the editor:

I wanted to thank Steve Tetreault and Keith Rogers for the fine and comprehensive article they wrote on the special and well-deserved Johnny Foster Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Troy Wade (“‘Nuclear growth still hot issue,” Feb. 19 Review-Journal). This award recognized the longtime and important contributions Mr. Wade made to the U.S. nuclear program and the overall national security of the country.

I am a longtime associate of Mr. Wade at the Nevada Test Site, was his deputy at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and, more importantly, his friend for 50 years. I have never known an individual whose No. 1 priority, after his family, was the security of this nation.

As is often the case, people such as Mr. Wade go unrecognized for their contributions, as they perform their duties without any fanfare or publicity. So it was especially appropriate that he was recognized by his peers with such a prestigious award. Mr. Wade is a longtime Las Vegas resident, and his contributions to the community have been many. I consider it an honor to have had the opportunity to be in the wide circle of his many friends, and I salute his service.

NICK AQUILINA

LAS VEGAS