Curious decision from the Planning Commission
To the editor:
Something strange is going on with the Clark County Planning Commission. On Aug. 8, against a staff recommendation for denial of the entire request, against the Enterprise Town Board's strong opposition, despite 25 neighbors speaking against the Blue Diamond and Buffalo project, against 93 cards of protest and no cards for approval, two lawyers from Kaempfer Crowell Renshaw walked into the chambers and went on to persuade the Planning Commission to approve the Warmington Blue Diamond LP project.
I'm not saying these two lawyers are not good. They dressed it up, gave some predictions and showed how they "compromised." But when it comes right down to it, the project still calls for three-story, high-density apartments to be built in the middle of rural estate homes, and they aren't that good.
WILLIAM BACON
LAS VEGAS
Too busy writing tickets
To the editor:
Living in the west part of the valley I have seen a dramatic rise in the number of police concentrating on traffic only, from the same officer handing out tickets from midnight till dawn at the same stop sign to motorcycle cops who practice the exact same routine daily (riding up and down, ending up in the same place every 10 minutes.) Las Vegas is mired in a depression. We lead in unemployment, foreclosures, nose-diving property values, etc., but the cops sure get their revenue.
Which leads me to a situation where I actually needed a cop. My wife and I were attacked by a lunatic apparently so high on dope that after I managed to fight him off, I hit him hard enough with a board (lucky it was close by) that he should have stayed down, but he popped right back up and told us he was going to walk 20 feet to his house, grab his gun and kill us both.
We managed to get to our car and speed away. I pulled into a corner gas station and called 911. After 45 minutes waiting, I gave up. I was bleeding from my head, hands and arms, and I needed to go to Quick Care. I saw at least five units roll by me on Desert Inn, and two of the units were ticketing speeders. The bottom line is: Police do not care to be public servants, they prefer not to "help" citizens.
I think I know why my attacker was not worried one bit about the cops. This wasn't an adrenaline pumping traffic stop after midnight or busting gang-bangers. It was just a couple who were going to file a police report and request the cops go to the attacker's house, and then I was on my way to urgent care.
These cops are very quick to the trigger, here. The dead may be a mentally challenged adult living with his mother or a veteran at Costco or a confused man trying to park his car, it doesn't matter. It just wasn't exciting enough for them, I guess.
JERRY CRAFTON
LAS VEGAS
Mitt moves to the center
To the editor:
Mitt Romney and the Republicans are like new lovers who have been on their best behavior, decide to get married, and then slowly, to the dismay of each, let the real person burst forth.
Mr. Romney is really a moderate Republican, and everyone knows it. He's right of center on fiscal issues and slightly left of center on social issues. To accommodate the voters he needed to win the nomination, he adjusted his views. Everyone knew that, too, and the only reason he won is because the rest of the field was simply un-electable.
Now reality comes a-knockin'.
Mr. Romney has to deal with the fact that he is dependent on the ultra-conservative (and dominant) wing of the new Republican Party and skeptical-of-Mormonism evangelicals to win. That's a very prickly mix because, at the same time, he has to somehow add independents to that "big tent" - without alienating the base. I don't think he (or anyone) can do that, and his latest statements give a glimpse into his growing desperation.
Mr. Romney has been consistently saying he'll "repeal and replace" ObamaCare. Now he's saying "There are some parts he likes and will keep." To the base, this is a scary reminder of Ted Kennedy calling Mr. Romney "Mr. Multiple Choice" in that now famous 1994 Massachusetts senatorial debate. And voters will no doubt soon be reminded that, in those days, Mr. Romney believed that "abortion should be safe and legal in this country." At some point voters will react. More independents will drift Democrat, more evangelicals will stay home, and moderate Republicans will not be sure which Mitt Romney would show up in January should he win.
Still, it ain't over yet.
Many in those groups desperately want to see a change in the White House, so they'll stick with Mr. Romney. How he performs in the upcoming debates and how he addresses the change-in-position criticisms that will surely surface will determine whether his current pickle is a sweet one or lip-curling sour.
DRAKE COLLIER
LAS VEGAS
And another thing ...
To the editor:
If you are trying to run readers off, you are doing a very good job. With all the loose pages in the front and the back you have to be a juggler to read section A. The loose pages belong in the middle of the section, where they have been for years.
If you don't have a proofreader, you should hire one, and if you do you should fire one. On Monday, Sept. 10, the TV listings were a repeat of those from Sunday, Sept. 9. It won't do any good to print a correction because it will be a day late. It seems like there are always mistakes or things printed on the wrong day.
The new comics that began about a month ago are the most unfunny and moronic that I have ever seen. The good part is it only takes me about half the time to read the comics as it did before.
CHARLES BOOCKS
LAS VEGAS
