LETTERS: Nevada voters fail to value education

To the editor:

I read that Clark County Department of Family Services was given approval to begin work on the design of a $33 million office building (“Family Services gets county’s OK to design new building,” Wednesday Review-Journal). North Las Vegas, even though it was financially strapped, built a new City Hall. Las Vegas also has a new City Hall with a parking facility included. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has a three-building, multi-floored complex that is quite new. Fire stations pop up as the fire departments decide they need new or more buildings.

I don’t begrudge these agencies better operating space. But what do these all have in common? No voter approval.

However, when the Clark County School District’s students have to attend schools that are overcrowded, and the politicians and media continue to scream “reform,” nothing happens. Why? Voter approval is needed, and the voters refuse. It is obvious that this state does not value its students or their education. Shame on every one of you.

B. LEIGHTON SPILLER

LAS VEGAS

Frederick a worthy read

To the editor:

For the past 14 years, my husband and I have enjoyed receiving the Review-Journal, where we find wonderful editorials, and many of your columnists, especially Sherman Frederick, provide us with information and insights, which we greatly appreciate. Mr. Frederick reports the facts of those newsworthy occurrences, all of which are uppermost in the minds of interested citizens, in a truthful and timely manner.

However, there are obviously those who do not appreciate his tenacity in enlightening readers by providing them with the opportunity to make their own judgments. Case in point: Stephanie Wilson’s letter, in which she refers to Mr. Frederick most unkindly as “a bitter old man” (“Scrap Sherm,” Wednesday Review-Journal). She takes issue with the fact that President Barack Obama’s name appears in Mr. Frederick’s column quite frequently, much more often than she desires.

Perhaps Ms. Wilson is among those on the left who feel the sitting president is beyond reproach in his decision making, and that he should not be held accountable for the horrors brought to reality by his administration. Perhaps skipping Mr. Frederick’s column on Sundays would be in her best interest.

JOANNE CAMPBELL

BOULDER CITY

Bergdahl exchange

To the editor:

We have now experienced, once again, Sen. Harry Reid’s pathetic disconnect from reality, which borders on delusional (“Reid defends Obama’s decision to free detainees in exchange,” Thursday Review-Journal). His comment that he was “glad to get rid of these five people” reflects how apparently illogical this man really is.

Sen. Reid, we are not getting rid of these five people. Before their plane landed in Qatar, they were probably planning their next attack on American and other Western enemies of the Taliban. Would anyone argue that point as reality? These five men are individually and collectively responsible for the killing of thousands and for orchestrating countless attacks on the American and allied forces in Afghanistan. They were found, arrested and incarcerated through the efforts and blood of American soldiers. They are passionate to kill Americans and others opposed to the diabolical and barbaric aims of the Taliban.

So we are not rid of them. They will appear again very quickly in their deadly quest to kill Americans, either on the battlefield of Afghanistan or in a cowardly terrorist attack on Americans or our allies. Their ordered one-year hiatus in Qatar will not be spent getting caught up on Facebook.

ROBERT BRUNNER

HENDERSON