LETTERS: Don’t put stadium onus on taxpayers
To the editor:
I just finished watching the local evening news and saw the story about the Las Vegas City Council tabling the proposal for the new stadium for downtown. Super! I hope they table it forever.
This soccer stadium will not be supported, and the taxpayers will end up holding the bill. Major League Soccer wants a stadium, the Triple-A baseball team wants a new stadium and UNLV wants a new stadium. Just who in the blazes is going to underwrite all these wonderful stadiums? The generous taxpayer, that’s who.
If the MLS club owner and the owners of the 51s want new stadiums, let them pay for it and reap the benefits or the losses. It’s called capitalism, and it’s time the taxpayers get a break.
The Clark County School District is expecting a large increase in student enrollment, and district officials have no idea where or how these additional students will be taught. We have a lot more serious problems to contend with than stadiums for corporations that can afford to build their own. And if they can’t afford to do it, let them seek out private investors, not taxpayers.
THOMAS C. MALICH SR.
LAS VEGAS
Election robo-calls
To the editor:
Those hands-outstretched robo-calls have begun already. I received my first of the political season last week from Rick Santorum.
I have news for Mr. Santorum and other politicos: contact me via robots and you can kiss any contribution goodbye, as well as my voting for you or the candidate you endorse. It’s a totally disrespectful way of reaching me and makes me believe you view me not as a human being, but as a number, and I am highly insulted.
Hopefully my indignation is shared by many others, and a tidal wave of protests will deter lazy politicos from using these demeaning devices.
JERRY FINK
LAS VEGAS
Animal abuse bills
To the editor:
The editorial on animal abuse bills stated that “legislators have no sense of priorities,” referring to Assemblyman Michael Sprinkle’s bill draft requiring convicted animal abusers to undergo counseling (“Animal planet,” Aug. 26 Review-Journal). I believe the pursuit to pass such a law unequivocally proves that some legislators have the right priorities.
It has been well-established that people who abuse and torture animals rarely stop there. There is currently a court case in Reno against a man accused of violently torturing and brutally killing several dogs in a hotel room. The accused is alleged to have said that he experiences fits of rage, and that killing dogs made him high and killing animals was OK. That is certainly a red flag and an indicator for future violent behavior toward humans.
Numerous studies have been conducted on this subject. The Chicago Police Department found that of those arrested for animal cruelty, 86 percent had two or more past arrests, 70 percent had been arrested for felonies, 70 percent had past narcotics arrests and 65 percent had been arrested for battery crimes against another person. Those who abuse animals should receive immediate professional psychological intervention for both their own welfare and that of the community.
Animal fighting is another activity that doesn’t just inflict egregious cruelty on the animals involved. Law enforcement officials have documented a strong connection between animal fighting and the distribution of illegal drugs, illegal alcohol sales and illegal gambling. Furthermore, newspaper reports of animal-fighting-related homicides are not uncommon.
For one to say these so-called animal rights laws “make little to no difference in the lives of Nevadans” is a fallacy. It is also quite disrespectful to the men and women in the Legislature who work hard to pass laws that would deter these types of crimes and cruelty from occurring in our state. I applaud Sen. Mark Manendo, Assemblyman Sprinkle and all the other lawmakers for the work they have done and continue to do to make Nevada a safe haven for our citizens, visitors and animals.
HOLLY MICHAEL HALEY
LAS VEGAS
The writer is Nevada’s state director for the Humane Society.
