Federal judges again falling behind in pay
To the editor:
Your recent editorial, "Pay raise games," unfairly criticizes Sen. Harry Reid for including a cost-of-living adjustment for judges as part of the failed auto industry bailout, the last piece of legislation that Congress is likely to consider this session.
At this time, all federal employees except judges are scheduled to receive a COLA on Jan. 1.
COLAs are not "pay raises," as you assert, but in fact are designed to keep pace with inflation. Six times over the past 15 years judges have not received cost-of-living adjustments and, unless this Congress takes action before Jan. 1, this will happen again.
Moreover, the COLAs that judges and members of Congress receive do not even keep place with inflation, and they are less than the COLAs received by all other federal employees. Without a COLA again this year, judicial salaries will continue to decline in real terms.
Your call for "isolated votes" on the judges' COLA has already been met. On Nov. 20, the Senate voted on and passed unanimously S. 3711 prior to the Thanksgiving recess.
Federal judges should not be the only federal employees who do not receive a COLA on Jan. 1. The only legislation moving at the time Sen. Reid included the judges' COLA was the auto loan legislation. Sen. Reid should not be criticized, but should be applauded, for trying to do the right thing.
lloyd d. george
LAS VEGAS
THE WRITER IS A SENIOR U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE IN THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT, DISTRICT OF NEVADA.
Happening place
To the editor:
Why do some people who live here have to complain about every little thing? First there is the complaint about the rodeo smell. Then about temporary road closures for the marathon. These events pull in big bucks during a slow time in our city.
As a marathoner, I enjoy having an event right here. Roads on only one side of the Strip were closed for the marathon. Yes, it is a pain for Industrial to be closed, but people are aware what is happening and can be prepared. If you can't handle some temporary problems, move to a place where nothing happens.
Mary Dungan
LAS VEGAS
Meal deal
To the editor:
In response to your Thursday editorial, "Democrats in the auto business":
How about that. Sen. John Ensign has it correct. Bold leadership and a clear vision of the traps in the failed Democrat plan.
What I do not understand is the final paragraph claiming that we should have expected this clear thinking from Harry Reid, our other (senior) senator. The senior senator I have come to know is a socialist or a fascist. He has clearly demonstrated his desire to control the country and to oppose real solutions in the same way that he blocked the legislation which could have reigned in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac several years ago.
Morgan Reynolds has it right. John Ensign has it right.
Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the Democrats have it wrong. Done their way, we may never recover back to a true republic with a growing capitalist economy. They should all be recalled removed from office and placed in charge of a soup kitchen. Or would that be too cruel to those who depend on the soup kitchen for meals?
Charles J. Lingo
HENDERSON
Backwards K
To the editor:
The Senate and the House of Representatives shot themselves in the foot with the multibillion-dollar bailout of the banks. In one instance a recipient bank bought a bank in China for $6 billion of guess who's dollars. Then these esteemed caretakers of taxpayer money sought to blow off their kneecaps with the "Big Three" auto bailout. Talk about change we need and spreading the wealth.
My review of the circumstance suggests a remarkably orchestrated strategy designed to assure that there is no wealth to spread. On the contrary, those greedy, money-hungry capitalists who were the anticipated source of the wealth to be spread have now received -- and are about to receive -- a sizable spread of wealth. Convince me that the capitalistic cabal had not thrown a change-up curve at Congress ... and just like Casey at the Bat, Congress has whiffed again.
Robert S. Tobias
LAS VEGAS
Worker gall
To the editor:
In response to your Thursday article, "Unions vow to sue for pay raises":
Are you kidding me? With so many out of work and our economy heading toward a severe recession, possibly depression, state workers have the gall to threaten a suit over pay raises that may be stalled next year? Are they forgetting that the very taxpayers who support these pay raises through their hard-earned money just may be out of work themselves?
Please tell me where this money will come from?
Isn't it enough just to keep your job during these trying times?
This is not the time for greed. It has everything to do with keeping systems in place.
I say kudos to Gov. Jim Gibbons on this one.
Gayle Parker
LAS VEGAS
