LETTERS: Mayor’s snub of Metro shows priorities

To the editor:

Regarding the article on funding for the Metropolitan Police Department (“Budget for police may grow,” March 27 Review-Journal), here’s some news for Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman: Maybe there is no crime in the Scotch 80s, where you and the elite live, but if you took the time to watch TV or read the Review-Journal, citizens all over the city are being robbed and killed.

As mayor, you balk at giving Metro $1.6 million of city money to protect us, yet look comfortably forward to offering tens of millions of tax dollars to rich investors to build a downtown arena. Please tell us, what are you thinking?

HAROLD MANN

LAS VEGAS

Demand honesty

To the editor:

I see Sherman Frederick noticed what I discovered two years ago at a Hispanics in Politics breakfast (“Is Flores ready to top ticket?” March 30 Review-Journal). That is, that Lucy Flores may not give an honest and direct answer to any question that does not fit her agenda.

Unlike Jon Ralston, who can drill down with multiple questions, I had the opportunity to ask but one question of the assemblywoman and candidate for lieutenant governor. During that “15 seconds of truth” opportunity, I asked if the Dream Act helps the undocumented immigrant who did not finish high school, did not serve in the military and works as, say, an auto mechanic. Ms. Flores instantly said yes, and then went on to justify her response. Clearly, the honest answer is no.

We should demand direct honesty from all our politicians. So far, Ms. Flores does not meet that standard.

BRIAN LANDSBERGER

LAS VEGAS

Tea party decline

To the editor:

Five years ago, not many people knew of Ted Cruz or had seen a tricorn hat. Then the tea party burst on the scene, transforming America politics with its Revolutionary War-era garb. The movement enabled Republicans to recapture the House of Representatives in 2010 and began a series of dramatic showdowns with President Barack Obama.

Five years on, the party is over. Today’s movement is rudderless, with those high-profile showdowns culminating in an unpopular, 16-day government shutdown that permanently tarnished tea partiers as obstructionists and extremists. Republican House Speaker John Boehner now openly defies tea party demands, and recently helped Democrats pass a clean debt-ceiling increase and a bipartisan budget.

To make matters worse, tea partiers have become obsessed with excommunicating moderate Republicans, whom they deem as ideologically impure, and replacing them with unelectable demagogues. As the tea party becomes more and more apocalyptic in its rhetoric and outlook, the movement will ultimately self-destruct.

The tea party will deny all of this, deny the truth of what it has done for the past five years, even though most of the country knows it to be true. Ignorance is bliss in some cases.

RON LOWE

NEVADA CITY, CALIF.

Republican party

To the editor:

Your Tuesday editorial on Sheldon Adelson makes a good case for the Republican Party not to rely on money alone to win elections (“Adelson’s money alone not enough,” Tuesday Review-Journal). Rather, Republicans should focus on rebuilding the party, registering new voters and recruiting a volunteer base necessary to deliver votes to beat the Democrats.

However, the main factor, which is not as clear to see: Of course, Mr. Adelson wants the Republicans to win elections, but not at the expense of his convictions being diluted or morals being violated. Mr. Adelson’s priorities are God, family, Israel and gaming, in that order. Further, any candidate who supports Internet gambling doesn’t get his support. And any candidate who is not pro-Israel will get nothing.

Further, Mr. Adelson is displeased with the present leadership of the Nevada Republican Party, and its president, Michael McDonald. When all these factors are put together, it’s clear that unless there are major changes and a rebuilding of the Republican Party at the state and national level, 2016 presidential candidates won’t be able to rely on Mr. Adelson for the big money needed to win.

CLYDE DINKINS

LAS VEGAS

Obamacare numbers

To the editor:

President Barack Obama was on TV earlier this week for a big celebration of handpicked politicians on the White House’s East Lawn. The president claimed 7 million people have signed up for Obamacare.

Many critics say the numbers are cooked, because we do not know how many people have actually paid their premiums. We will know the exact numbers soon, and I wonder if we will then see President Obama on TV again, explaining the revised numbers.

It seems like a long time ago, but I remember when the entire administration told us that the 6 million people who lost their plans because of the Affordable Care Act were just a small sliver of the population. Yet now we see the president delivering an “I told you so,” saying the 7 million count is a big success. If this number is correct, then I guess it’s only a sliver of the population, right?

PETER SAMS

HENDERSON