How would we respond to cowardly attacks?
To the editor:
All you have to know about the fighting going on in Gaza is that Israel wants to live in peace with its neighbors. Unfortunately terrorists groups including Hamas won't allow that to happen.
Imagine if you will, terrorist groups in Mexico shooting rockets into San Diego, Houston or other cities and towns here. What would the U.S. reaction be?
Well, that's what Israel's military is doing. In reaction to the continuous bombardment of their people, they are attacking Hamas. Cowardly Hamas sets up its munitions in schools, hospitals and various public buildings, which is why you're hearing reports of civilian Palestinian casualties.
Israel deserves our support.
Richard J. Mundy
LAS VEGAS
One-sided concern
To the editor:
We hear very little in the news from the likes of Egypt, France and the United Nations regarding the missiles being launched from Gaza into Israel.
Now, when Israel has finally had enough, its retaliation makes front-page headlines. The media give us pictures of the destruction in the Palestinian neighborhoods where the terrorists have been hiding.
What about showing the missile damage to Israel -- or is this another case of one-sided reporting?
Janice Kritzer
LAS VEGAS
Crash diet
To the editor:
Whatever diet the Las Vegas Review-Journal is on really seems to be effective.
Not only are the pages physically smaller than they used to be, but, based on your condensed Monday and Tuesday editions, entire sections are disappearing.
Let's hope that the Review-Journal's apparent new year's resolution to lose weight isn't so successful that it disappears entirely.
Keith Thomas
LAS VEGAS
Lack of intelligence
To the editor:
First, President Jimmy Carter did all within his power to destroy the CIA. He terminated men and women who had superior intelligence-gathering talents and smugly (and unknowingly) created terrorism. With no influx of information from the Middle East, President Carter couldn't imagine what was going on within Iran.
President Ronald Reagan rebuilt the CIA, and it thrived -- until President Bill Clinton got into office. Again, the CIA was subjected to foolishness and ill-thought-out laws, enacted by a Democratic Congress, that restricted their intelligence-gathering methods once again.
9/11 resulted from the restrictions imposed on the CIA. A lack of information sharing allowed terrorists to work under the screen of ignominy.
President Bush, once again, began to rebuild the CIA, only to have the current Democratic Congress label it ineffectual. The fact that there have been no terrorist attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11 matters little to them. Barack Obama, our president-elect, has named Leon Panetta as his choice to run the CIA. His justification is that "Panetta is a good, strong manager."
Does Mr. Obama realize that we are a nation at war? Iraq, Afghanistan and terrorism are what we are faced with. Iran and Pakistan are on the table as well. We do not need a strong manager. What we do need is a strong intelligence man or woman to lead us through these perilous times.
Mr. Obama ran his campaign on a promise of change. Does that change consist of catering to the leftists who would destroy America?
Lee S. Gliddon Jr.
NORTH LAS VEGAS
Do the math
To the editor:
Regarding Sen. Harry Reid's letter to the editor in the Sunday edition of the Review-Journal:
I'd like to know where the senator gets the figure that "47,500 good-paying jobs" are created for every $1 billion spent on public works projects.
One billion dollars divided by 47,500 jobs is a little moret than $21,000 per job. When items such as building supplies, equipment overhead and taxes (yes, companies and employees will have to pay taxes on the public works projects) are taken into account, I don't see the "47,500 good-paying jobs" the senator is talking about.
Perhaps the senator or the Review-Journal can explain how this will happen.
Bill Baltas
LAS VEGAS
Juice job?
To the editor:
This past week, there has been a good deal of media coverage concerning Gov. Jim Gibbons' selection of Kirk Montero to become the director of the Tourism Commission.
Mr. Montero being a station manager for an airline -- and he may be a good one -- does not qualify him for the tourism position.
This position requires a person who is creative and has the background, both domestically and internationally, to generate tourist revenue for the state of Nevada.
All too often, individuals are chosen for positions in government or corporations because they are a friend of a person of importance or they have a friend of influence.
WALTER E. GUNTHER
LAS VEGAS
