Public schools already cut to bone

To the editor:

As time goes by, it seems that Nevadans are going to let the governor systematically send this state back to the Great Depression. I am writing of the proposed education cuts, in particular.

In rural Nevada, we have fought hard to get where we are in trying to compete with the more affluent urban schools, which offer many more classroom options and chances to advance to major colleges and universities.

We have a high school in Ely that has been rated "high-achieving" and "exemplary" in trying to satisfy the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. Now we are being told that many of our programs are at risk and there's a chance many of our teachers will be laid off due to the lack of money. We have no fat in our budget to cut in Ely. The days of meeting adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind may be at risk.

All school districts in Nevada will suffer with further cuts, not just rural schools. It is time for the governor to stop stroking his affluent business buddies, raise some taxes and find new revenue to keep this state going -- to keep us "Nevada proud."

Robert W. Moreland

ELY

Sour grapes

To the editor:

In response to your Dec. 19 report, "SAGE advice on state budget":

While the rest of the Southern Nevada work force was reeling in large paychecks amid a growing economy, most city and county employees took a reduced wage. These public workers bargained with their employers, the city and county governments, to make up some of the wage shortfall in the form of improved retirement benefits.

The system wasn't deemed "overly generous" at that time. A lot of well-qualified people were enticed to work for government by the bargain of lower wages and a more secure retirement. Now that there is a budget crisis, those who didn't make that move are wishing they invested some of their larger wages in their own retirement. Now the private-sector whiners are crying because they don't have our benefits. They blame us for our foresightedness but not their own shortsightedness. They blame those of us who have invested our 30 years at lesser wages for government's inability to balance the budget, and they want to take our retirement to do it.

I venture to guess that Veronica Meter, vice president for government affairs at the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, has negotiated some benefits like ours into her own compensation. Readers should examine her employer to see just where its policy priorities lie. Go to www.lvchamber.com/government/policy-priorites.aspx and you will see it is not with you wage earners. Ms. Meter and the chamber are saying to the world that all the government has to do is renege on contracts they have made with the retirees to balance the budget.

Larry Lawson

LAS VEGAS

Try producing something

To the editor:

In response to the Sunday letter from Michael S. Voorhees, a public servant who tried to compare his past pay raises to the profits of commercial and industrial giants ("Don't balance budget on backs of state workers"):

He does not attempt to compare himself to the employees of these concerns or many smaller struggling shops. Nor does he understand that the pay of the private-sector worker is tied to the continued profits of these concerns. Perhaps if Mr. Voorhees had to produce a profitable product that was in demand by consumers he would understand where the taxes come that pay his wages and benefits.

Maybe he would also be happier if he was put under the Social Security system for retirement.

Robert Raider

HENDERSON

Crunching the numbers

To the editor:

The chart on employment and unemployment in Saturday's Review-Journal shows some interesting numbers. Las Vegas' total labor force has grown from 969,200 in November 2007 to 1,015,500 in November 2008, an increase of 46,300. The number of employed for the same period has grown by 30,300. Thus, more people are working today than in November 2007. Yet all we see in the media are reports of the rise in the unployment rate.

The new CityCenter needs 12,000 workers (Dec. 19 Review-Journal). I feel bad for those in the Las Vegas Valley who have lost their jobs. I hope that they find work in the M resort and CityCenter.

David Meredith

HENDERSON

Keep out?

To the editor:

According to Norm Clarke's Sunday "Vegas Confidential" column, Donald Trump probably will move his Miss Universe pageant from Dubai to Las Vegas because Dubai stipulated that Miss Isreal could not participate.

Because Dubai World owns 50 percent of CityCenter, I wonder if it will put a sign in front of the $9.1 billion project that says "No Jews allowed."

STEVE RIEKEN

LAS VEGAS