Combining departments could save us money
To the editor:
Consolidating city and county firefighters seems like a good idea to me. Wouldn't we save money by putting them on 10-hour shifts, like Metro, and getting rid of their beds? Wouldn't it make more sense to have one dispatch center?
Save your arguments about how the city has this equipment and the county has that. No matter, it works now, and the service need will not change.
Don't get me wrong, I still love the firefighters. This letter is directed at our elected officials and the unions, who seem to be stuck on stupid. Instead of "It'll never work" arguments, pretend that we are in a serious financial crisis and put your employees and citizens first.
Come to the table with real solutions or prepare to send your brother firefighter packing when he gets laid off.
Russ Wood
Las Vegas
Harmed military
To the editor:
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, as dean of Harvard University's law school, worked to keep military recruiters off its campus.
Pray tell who among us truly believes that any honored member of our military would voluntarily breech the hallowed halls of Harvard unless under strict orders to do so? They have much better things to do these days -- such as dying, often alone, on some foreign battlefield defending our nation and the rights of our elite academics to vilify their very service.
In years past, when this nation was inhabited by an obviously much better generation, say in 1943, would there have been a Ms. Kagan allowed with her military philosophy on any U.S. campus? In any capacity, even as a janitor?
Not a prayer.
But this generation not only tolerates the disrespect of our military by our academics, but supports this despicable practice, even in war. Leadership in such endeavor even helps elevate one to be nominated to serve on the highest court of our republic. "Change you can believe in" -- but not consistent with the values of our sacrificing military nor the vast majority of the American people.
Regardless of Ms. Kagan's personal rationale, the detrimental harm to our military and our nation far outweighs any potential benefit she was pursuing in her efforts to bar our military from her university's campus. Under any circumstance, this is inexcusable for a citizen, let alone a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
JOHN TOBIN
LAS VEGAS
Noble thoughts
To the editor:
In Friday's Review-Journal, there was an article about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's comments to Afghan women. "We will not abandon you, we will stand with you always," she stated.
Really? Considering years of abuse not only condoned but blessed by their leaders, I wonder how many Afghan women are comforted by this statement, and how many are wondering how Mrs. Clinton and her administration plan to back up those noble thoughts?
AL CIRiCILLO
LAS VEGAS
Power structures
To the editor:
The reason President Obama's trillion-dollar stimulus package had zero effect on the gross national product is that it all went into transfer payments: Medicaid and public-sector salaries.
It seems little understood, but private-sector jobs create wealth and contribute tax money to the various government treasuries. Public-sector jobs consume that tax money.
Goodness knows we appreciate our teachers, police officers and firefighters. But when they unionize, become arrogant and demand ever-increasing contracts, they are akin to virulent parasites that will kill their host rather than modulate their expansion.
It is interesting that union bosses keep calling for higher taxes at the expense of the rank-and-file of the industrial and building trade unions. But unions are just power structures, and union bosses do what they do.
Rather than castigating the public unions, let's concentrate on disenfranchising those elected officials who live off them.
Robert W. Ritchey
Henderson
Arizona boycott
To the editor:
All the American cities that are boycotting Arizona should step up to the plate and show their genuine concern for the illegal aliens that Arizona is trying to do something about by accepting a portion of any illegals detained in Arizona. The detained illegals should be relocated to those "compassionate" cities, since they really should not expect the state of Arizona to shoulder the burden alone.
Put your money where your mouth is. Anything less would be hypocritical, would it not?
Don Dieckmann
Henderson
Local arena
To the editor:
It was with a great deal of disbelief that I read the Tuesday story about the County Commission considering proposals for a new arena using public funds. What public funds are they thinking of using?
The county, the city of Las Vegas and the city of North Las Vegas are laying people off and cutting back on programs because of a lack of funds. The entire state is having financial difficulties, and now there is a proposal to use nonexistent funds to build an arena?
Robert Shapiro
North Las Vegas
