Consultants often a waste of money
To the editor:
I could not agree more with your June 8 editorial, "Education 'consultants'."
I am a retired teacher who taught for 32 years, all of it in Southern Nevada During my tenure, I often wondered what consultants were supposed to do and who they were supposed to consult. I never saw a consultant in my classroom, nor did I see the need for one nor want one.
I suppose that some of them did serve a purpose, though I don't know what it was. Most of the consultants are retired administrators with a few of them being retired teachers. They have feathered their nests by drawing a retirement check as well as a consulting fee. This is nothing more than double-dipping and it is a travesty, a cause for disdain.
The next-to-last paragraph in your editorial says it all in a nutshell. "Whatever work is performed by these contractors should be done by people already on the school district's payroll -- people who can quickly spread their successes and be held accountable when their ideas bomb." Let me add, "Amen."
The money being wasted on them could certainly be put to a more worthwhile use. We can think of several places and areas that need improvement.
Glen J. Gilette
LAS VEGAS
Economic report
To the editor:
There should be no surprise that the monthly jobs report (July 3 Review-Journal) shows that job losses and unemployment continue to balloon. President Obama's big government programs work at cross-purposes with each other, with health care and climate change legislation cancelling out the effects of massive stimulus expenditures.
The costs of health care and climate change proposals, no matter how funded, are bound to discourage business from retaining or taking on more employees. These enormous new programs can be financed only by (a) higher taxes on business and individuals or (b) costly mandates on business to provide direct payment or (c) expanded deficit financing, with resultant rising interest rate burdens on business and consumers, or (d) a combination of these lethal approaches. All of them work directly against the purpose of stimulus programs.
The Obama administration ignores the historical precedent of the New Deal. It, too, launched expensive new social and labor programs which countered the attempted stimulation of job growth during the Great Depression. Result: 17 percent unemployment after 7 years of the FDR presidency. Only World War II saved the New Deal's reputation.
The lesson for today: Concentrate on the overriding goal of reviving jobs, and push other lower-priority domestic programs off to a future day.
Joseph A. Mendenhall
LAS VEGAS
Pot shots
To the editor:
I was astounded to read John L Smith's recent column defending the media's abuse of Sarah Palin"s family. Mr. Smith is the parent of a beautiful, courageous young daughter for whom I hope we are all praying. So I would have thought Mr. Smith would have been egregiously offended by this treatment.
I would have especially thought he would have abhorred the remarks of David Letterman, the former comedian who has degenerated into a spiteful, bitter old has-been.
Mr. Smith needs to take a step back and remember that as an opinion columnist, he, too, is open to pot shots from the media and the public. His family, however, is not.
Jack Kirkey
LAS VEGAS
One word
To the editor:
For all who are calling for Sen. John Ensign to resign, I have one word: Chappaquiddick!
Bill Dirkse
LAS VEGAS
Puppet strings
To the editor:
I believe that a wise white woman with a vast amount of experience would be better able to make judicial decisions than a black male. There! How do you like the way that sounds? If anyone were to make that statement he would be crucified.
But I guarantee you that you will not hear a peep from Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi, who truly could care less about Sonia Sotomayor's record and that 60 percent of her rulings that have reached the Supreme Court have been overturned.
In fact, every time I think about Harry Reid, I picture Mr. Obama with three dancing marionettes: Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Karl Marx. He's sure to add a fourth, Shelley Berkley.
Our "representatives" could have brain removal surgery and it wouldn't matter a bit -- their vote would always be whatever Mr. Obama wants. Don't you picture a pack of dogs with their tongues hanging out and panting to get their owner's attention?
Michelle Duncan
LAS VEGAS
Coulter's fault
To the editor:
In response to Ann Coulter's Wednesday commentary:
Please stop carrying this hatemonger's column. She is what is wrong with our country.
Teresa Merz
BOULDER CITY
