Firefighters can’t sleep? Oh my!

To the editor:

Peter Haslehurst's defense of the pay and benefits firefighters receive ("Critics of firefighter pay should try doing the job," Aug. 16) was way over the top.

He complains about job-related tasks such as drills and certifications and hydrant servicing and waxes nostalgic for the old days when there was "a lot of free time on a firefighter's 24-hour shift." What a shame that professional firefighters should have to train and practice to do their jobs. Don't, for example, airline pilots, doctors, lawyers, or just about any other professionals have to keep current to stay employed (not to mention alive and well)?

Mr. Haslehurst also should tune into the TV show "America's Dirtiest Jobs" and see if some of the folks holding those wouldn't mind swapping what they do in exchange for performing "white powder investigations," for example. And the stress from career-long sleeping pattern disruptions? Oh, the humanity -- break out the violins!

It's not that firefighters shouldn't be paid well, but in some cases, the pay and retirement benefits are obscene. Who else, for example, gets to ramp up their overtime to stoke retirement kitties? Our military service members certainly don't. Teachers don't. No private sector workers do. For Mr. Haslehurst to suggest that others aren't "man enough" to join the ranks of firefighters is beyond insulting.

I guarantee that if pay and benefits for firefighters were today cut by half, there would be no shortage of people willing to answer the call. Remember, most towns have volunteer firefighter forces consisting of competent firefighters who are "man enough" not to denigrate others, don't hold themselves out as better than anyone else, and don't hold up their towns for pay deals that others don't remotely enjoy.

H.I. Steiner

LAS VEGAS

INS agents?

To the editor:

Your Sunday edition says University Medical Center is spending $24 million per year to provide emergency dialysis to illegals.

While I don't begrudge emergency treatment, the article indicates that this is an ongoing practice for the same individuals, ad infinitum.

Where are the ICE agents? What are they doing with their time, if not regularly visiting ERs around town, and why doesn't UMC call them to pick up these illegals after their dialysis is complete?

J. Egan

LAS VEGAS

American way

To the editor:

If I understand Terry Peele's Saturday letter to the editor correctly, if 253 million people are going to get the shaft from the government to create the new right of free health care for 47 million people, almost half of whom are here illegally, it must be discussed calmly over tea and crumpets or it's un-American.

I wonder what, in fact, is the American way? Is it allowing only supporters into a town hall meeting and having the president talk and answer planned questions? I thought that was an infomercial.

Is being invited to a telephone town hall meeting the American way? Gosh, I'm glad I wasn't invited to that because I might have abused my First Amendment right to free speech. At least in someone's opinion.

When I got back from Vietnam and the Pelosi-types called me a baby killer and threw dog crap at me, was that the American way?

I think when you have a tyrannical government and most media outlets acting like Pravda, you had better let people shout their displeasure and vent their anger. That was the first item in the Bill of Rights, which became the First Amendment. I hope the government will hear and respond to it peacefully. That is the American way.

Robert Spriesterbach

LAS VEGAS

Gov. Lemming

To the editor:

"We don't have the revenue ..." Those words headlined your editorial Friday, and as usual you tortured and twisted the simple facts of the state's budget and revenue situation to lay all the blame at the feet of the Democratic legislators, them tax-hikers who took the governor's $6.1 billion budget and raised taxes and passed a $6.9 billion budget.

The fact is, if Gov. Gibbons' budget had become law, we'd be in the same exact situation -- experiencing a revenue shortfall and looking at cutting the budget and having a special session.

I don't think it's just Nevada Democrats who think "Gibbons has the leadership skills and intellect of a lemming." If you polled Nevadans on that question, I'm sure the number of yes responses would be pretty high regardless of party affiliation. A good indicator is the number of people he hired to work for him who have bailed.

Frankly, as a citizen of Nevada and a retired military officer, I am embarrassed by our governor, and the sooner we close the chapter on the Gibbons administration, the better.

Michael A. Dimmick

LAS VEGAS