Actually, government has big role in economy
To the editor:
P. W. Allen's statement "that this country's Constitution did not place the government in charge of the economy" is off base (Wednesday letter).
One need only review Article I, Section 8, which enumerates the powers of Congress: "to lay and collect taxes," to "provide for the common Defence and general Welfare," "To borrow money, "To regulate commerce." And if that were not enough, the Founders, in Washington's first term, established the Bank of the United States, protective tariffs and a national debt, all thought to be good means of fostering an industrial economy and the country's reputation for paying its foreign debts, ergo its integrity.
Such were the policies of the Founders, or Federalists. Such emphasis on the federal government's role in the economy is to be seen in the fostering of the nation's transcontinental railroads, land grant colleges, and homesteads during Lincoln's Republican administration.
Indeed, for good and for ill, Republicans have utilized the federal government in the economy as much as or more than Democrats. Think of the administration of Theodore Roosevelt, another Republican, for the first major conservation and serious anti-trust policies, the Meat Inspection Act and the Food and Drug Act. And then there was the Interstate Highway Act of 1957 under the Eisenhower administration.
This review should at least suggest that Republicans have used the federal government to one economic purpose or another, just as Democrats have, Mr. Allen's letter to the contrary notwithstanding.
Perhaps we should review those uses of the federal government for guidance in rebuilding our economy today.
Stuart Weiss
LAS VEGAS
Is Hillary bitter?
To the editor:
Since Hillary Clinton started losing to Barack Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, she seems to have gotten pretty bitter.
Now I see she has begun to embrace religion and guns. Pretty ironic.
Glenn Wyatt
LAS VEGAS
Doctor vs. doctor
To the editor:
On Sunday, the Review-Journal published a letter to the editor from Leonard Kreisler, M.D., regarding the Nevada Board of Osteopathic Medicine and osteopathic physicians in general. Dr. Kreisler's facts are so removed from reality that it is difficult to address all of them in such a short response.
Dr. Kreisler states that Dr. Larry Tarno runs our board as a "one-man show." I don't recall ever seeing Dr. Kreisler at our meetings, nor any visits to our office that would support this conclusion. Contrary to Dr. Kreisler's opinion, Dr. Tarno is not a member of the Board of Osteopathic Medicine. He is the executive director.
Our board consists of seven members (five physicians, one attorney, one lay person). The osteopathic board relies on two full-time employees, along with Dr. Tarno, to organize and collate information on a day-to-day manner. The decision process for all board actions is the responsibility of the board members, not the executive and secretarial staff, as Dr. Kreisler falsely states. I have personally found Dr. Tarno's experience and wisdom invaluable during my tenure on the board, and he is not only an excellent physician but a great resource of information.
Dr. Kreisler continues on to comment on how "weak" the clinical years are for osteopaths. This is probably reflected by the fact the Dr. Kreisler, who was licensed in 1972, is more than 35 years removed from his clinical teaching years. As in most technical fields, training programs are continually revised and improved, and it is inappropriate of Dr. Kreisler to assume that only he has the "key" to determine what proper physician training is.
Physicians attacking other physicians is as productive as politicians attacking politicians. In response to Dr. Kreisler's comment concerning the multiple use of single-dose vials, there is plenty of blame to go around. Individual M.D.'s, D.O.'s and nurses are all currently being investigated, and I would assure him that should our board receive any complaints, they will be promptly be addressed.
What is important now is that all members of the health care community work together to improve quality patient care and restore public trust.
Daniel K. Curtis, D.O.
HENDERSON
THE WRITER IS CHAIRMAN OF THE NEVADA BOARD OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE.
To protect and serve
To the editor:
In response to recent letters on last week's coroner's inquest: I wondered how long it would take before members of the Henderson Police Department were crucified.
How quickly the murder of Las Vegas Sgt. Henry Prendes is put aside. This man gave his life in an attempt to subdue the suspect, and even then, there was criticism as to how he handled the situation.
How many citizens are ready, willing and able to pass the stringent background investigation and test and enter and complete the academy and field training to become a law enforcement officer? Obviously not many, otherwise our local entities would have people banging down their doors with successful applicants.
Before jumping on the ACLU bandwagon and that of the high-priced attorneys hoping to make a buck, walk or run a mile in the shoes of our local law enforcement.
As the criticism flows, these men and women will put on their uniforms, put aside the name-calling and bashing and go out and serve us. They will continue to respond to calls that can result in life-altering decisions for all involved, they will try to help those in need to the best of their abilities and, at the end of the day, God willing, they will go home to their loved ones safely.
Kim Kirwan
HENDERSON
Ageless
To the editor:
Pope Benedict XVI turned 81 this week, and he is doing just fine. If the pope can do just fine, what makes one think Republican Sen. John McCain, 10 years his junior, will not be able to do as well?
Age is much a state of mind.
N. Thompson-Jones
LAS VEGAS
Master thieves
To the editor:
I had to chuckle at Rob Osur's Thursday letter, "Credit card abuse." Referring to federal employees using government credit cards for personal expenses, he states, "Congress should be really upset about their public servants stealing from us." That would be like a diamond thief who steals millions being really upset with his assistant for pickpocketing twenties.
Jim Brown
NORTH LAS VEGAS
Escape from Hawaii
To the editor:
Our two teenage daughters, my wife and I moved to Las Vegas in 2005. After 23 years of ever-increasing taxes, fees, surcharges and laws built upon laws built upon laws in Hawaii, we wanted something different. Nevada was our first choice.
But now, in only the 21/2 years since we arrived here, I am seeing something very akin to that which we had sought to escape. I am seeing a voting tendency swaying toward that of Hawaii's politics: ultra-progressively liberal.
So, I humbly make the following request: If you are moving to Nevada from a state where the aforementioned things were part of the reason(s) for your departure -- especially if your own voting tendencies in that state brought them about -- please, I beg you, do not continue those same voting tendencies here.
Mark D. Traeger
LAS VEGAS
