Don’t sacrifice the future of our children
To the editor:
In response to your recent stories about potential school district cuts:
Life is quite an interesting journey, especially when you find something that awakens your spirit and soul and puts meaning, purpose and direction into it. Unfortunately, the decisions and actions of people, most of whom you have never met, will affect your dreams.
To give an individual the opportunity to develop and grow is a priceless gift. For most, a chance at that opportunity occurs only when they are young. Some programs that have been a staple in the school system for decades have slowly been eliminated. Whose dreams will be eliminated?
These programs that are so quickly thrown out the door should be the ones that we desperately try to hold on to. I've personally seen over the past five years the amazing transformation that takes place in someone who has had the privilege of being involved in music. I'm not just talking about learning how to sing, I'm talking about learning how to lead, to communicate, to commit to causes that benefit many.
In these extremely tough times, we all look at places to cut. Please, think twice about silencing the voices of our young, for our ears will not be the only thing affected.
KAREN LEE ROBERTS
LAS VEGAS
Taxing fever
To the editor:
I think Geoff Schumacher is living in a fairyland that even Democrats are starting to abandon (April 17 column). Mr. Schumacher thinks that Nevadans should just pony up another $2 billion for the nannies in our Legislature to squander. He should fire up his calculator and divide our state's population into 2 billion. I'm sure that those Nevadans with an income can take it out of next Friday's paycheck with no problem.
The problem that our governor has is that he can say what day it is and every "feel good" liberal will deny a day with that name ever existed.
It's interesting that the 30 percent disparity in our state budget and reality is the same figure by which our last governor raised our taxes.
The answer to our budget is simple: Find the programs at which Gov. Kenny Guinn threw largess and cut them off.
Mr. Schumacher talked about some members of the Legislature who might have a problem with re-election. Term limits is the answer to that. We are on the right track but the limits need to be eight years, and they need to be nationwide. Then problems such as Harry Reid would not develop.
RICHARD M. SMITH
LAS VEGAS
Who is a terrorist?
To the editor:
Sherman Frederick's April 19 column moved me to respond. I, too, am appalled at the audacity of the current administration and our congressional leadership to insinuate that those who disagree with them are potential terrorists.
There have always been two sides to every issue, and as a country we have lived peaceably with that knowledge. But now, those who seek to bring back the Fairness Doctrine threaten our ability to speak out. Couple that with the Department of Homeland Security wishing to label those passionate about issues as potential threats and it becomes clear that these are indeed scary times as we hear our government speaking of the desire to silence the opposition.
The late-term attempted abortion in which the child survived, referenced by Mr. Frederick, sent chills down my spine. The doctor should have been charged with murder. Who is going to speak for those who can't speak if those of us labeled "extremists" do not speak out? How could a little one who survived an abortion be put in a room unattended for hours waiting to die? This is cruelty. There are many willing arms that would have loved that child.
I guess I also qualify for the government bad-guy list.
CONNIE DENSMORE
LAS VEGAS
Fed up
To the editor:
In response to the April 19 letter to the editor from Pamela Goodwill, in which she puts down the tea marchers who participated nationally:
Ms. Goodwill suggests that if you have a beef with the government, you should write to your congressman or your senator. Is she joking? Their priorities are their own self-interest and their party. The people come in last.
The marchers are not against paying taxes -- they are against the abject waste of the tax dollar. If this isn't a wake up call to Washington, they are going to get a far more serious wake up in the future. The people are fed up.
WALTER E. GUNTHER
LAS VEGAS
Why vote?
To the editor:
I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that legislative Democrats are trying to give away Nevada votes ("Assembly backs bill to bypass Electoral College," Wednesday Review-Journal). Apparently no matter who we vote for they want our electors to give our votes away to who the rest of the country voted for.
So does this mean I don't have to go to the polls anymore? Has my vote and opinion been "outsourced" to other states?
This is all a ploy for Democrats to make it look like their candidate was the popular one when it may or may not be true. This is to disenfranchise the ones who didn't vote for the candidate and make them feel isolated like they didn't know enough to vote for the "right" person.
If they get this passed, I will no longer vote. What would be the point?
This country was once "one man, one vote." We need to go back to that instead of the funny business with the numbers they've been pulling since George W. Bush.
CAROL AUSTIN-FINK
LAS VEGAS
Salary games
To the editor:
When in 2006 the Clark County Commission voted to raise the salary of Randy Walker, director of McCarran International Airport, from $167,377 to $183,595, one of the reasons given was that under his leadership passenger count had greatly increased. As of 2009, Mr. Walker's salary has risen to $266,562 with benefits.
My question to the commission: Now that the passenger count is falling at McCarran (15 percent at last count) will Mr. Walker's salary be reduced accordingly?
I think I can answer my own question.
Richard Welti
HENDERSON
It's torture
To the editor:
In Thursday's edition, Bob Jack wrote a rather jingoistic defense of the "enhanced interrogation techniques" and federal Judge Jay Bybee's contribution to vetting those techniques, portraying him as a cogent legal thinker rather than as an enabler.
I'm a little confused by the term "enhanced interrogation techniques." If "water boarding," "slamming against a wall," "slapping across the face," "sleep deprivation for days," "chaining them and having vicious dogs lurch at them," "urinating on their religious artifacts" and "forcing them to be piled naked upon each other or to wear female undergarments and be photographed" isn't torture, then I assume that if enemies of the United States inflicted these "techniques" upon U.S. military personnel they also would not be torturing.
Joseph J. Carbone
LAS VEGAS
