If these three can’t do it, no one can

To the editor:

Three peas in a pod. Two Marxist ideologists running for the presidency, finding political comfort in association with domestic terrorists and/or effecting the pardons of foreign terrorists (Weather Underground and FALN, respectively); calling for economy-killing tax increases and a greater redistribution of wealth from those who have earned it to those who have not; calling for the continuation of a 30-year policy opposing the development of America's vast energy resources, thus guaranteeing dependence upon our enemies for oil while conveniently blaming everyone else for high fuel prices; legislating further taxpayer burdens for special interests developing alternative fuels that generate even greater economic and environmental costs than do fossil fuels, while also generating global inflation; supporting open borders and illegal immigration; calling for the accommodation and appeasement of governments sworn to America's destruction; and in war pursuing a vested interest and support for surrender, solely toward ensuring the votes of their Marxist constituency.

And behold the third Marxist mole, dedicated to the utter destruction of the people's representation in Congress, in the person of the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who has altered congressional rules to hold trade agreements hostage (currently affecting our anti-communist ally Columbia in exchange for her demands for massive additional pork subsidies, and for the special interests of the AFL-CIO); terminate bills that would permit drilling for oil in Alaska and the outer continental shelf; prevent federal officials from listening to telephone communications between terrorists; and attempt to allow the House to write tax hikes with no vote whatsoever.

Anyone with one eye and half-sense might eventually deduce that such an arrangement speaks for overwhelming corruption, or even for the intentional destruction of the country by those involved, would they not?

Maybe not. I am assured that this is only a sincere populist cartel, finally providing a real sop for those voters interested in a much more efficient, collectivist Valhalla.

Obviously, if this group can't do it, no one can.

K.D. Adams

LAS VEGAS

Subsidizing leisure

To the editor:

While buying groceries, I noticed a lady in front of me paying with a welfare card. I instigated a conversation with her about local cable TV service, and she told me she has cable TV and high-speed Internet. She gets the premium channels as well.

So the government is using my money to pay for her food while she enjoys cable TV and high-speed Internet? So I am paying for her entertainment?

At a time when Nevada is facing a huge budget deficit -- which is only going to get worse with the rising prices -- here is what I suggest: We compare the list of welfare recipients with the list of subscribers to cable and satellite TV and high-speed Internet services, and we reduce their welfare benefits by that amount.

I am tired of paying for other people's food so they can pay for HBO.

Edward J. Finley

LAS VEGAS

Blame the politicians

To the editor:

Your Friday editorial on government job bloat was right on target. Governments at all levels -- federal, state and local -- have learned to hire excess capacity, routinely inflate job descriptions to obtain higher salaries, reward and award other types of bonuses ostensibly for merit but really for favoritism, and steadily find ways to increase pensions for employees (which include elected officials).

We tend to think this is happening in the executive branches of government. No, sir. It's happening in the legislative and judicial branches as well, but because they are much smaller, we don't hear so much of their excessive generosity from the unaware taxpayer.

Now that we know where we both stand, here is where we part. For years, the Review-Journal has taken the stand that the bureaucracy is at fault and responsible for slopping at the trough. And by bureaucracy, you clearly mean career employees, not poltical officials, since you never blame the president, governor or mayor or their appointed or elected officials who actually run things. It's those darned bureaucrats.

It's about time someone told you how naive and unsophisticated you are about the inner structure of government. All of the undesirable and repugnant excesses mentioned above cannot take place without the expressed and written approval of politically appointed and elected officials or elected members of Congress.

I will go further. Even when a lowly government employee is discourteous or uncaringly unhelpful, this eventually came down as a reflection of the attitude of the bosses -- the elected or politically appointed officials.

I applaud any editorial you write pointing out the waste, inefficiency and corruption of government, but you're not helping anything when you put the blame on the wrong people.

Herman Gordon

LAS VEGAS