LETTERS: R-J biased, heartless, lacking integrity

To the editor:

I get a chuckle out of so many of these recent letters to the editor, which express such little understanding about the world. Writers claim that property taxes go up to pay public employee salaries, as if that’s the only reason for tax increases — greedy workers are getting rich off the lowly taxpayer. Letters about how unbiased and fair the Review-Journal is because it publishes opposing letters in the editorial pages shows the naivety of the readers — as if the paper does this out of the goodness of its corporate heart.

It is a sad statement to how little the readership really understands about the purpose of journalism and how sadly the Review-Journal lacks the ability to be unbiased. A story about Hillary Clinton speaking at a clean energy summit turns a simple statement, “Green jobs would bring new jobs,” into a “political point” by the reporter (“Clinton praises Nevada as clean energy leader,” Sept. 4 Review-Journal online).

New technology means new jobs. This is a fact, not a political statement. Yet the editor finds nothing wrong with this mischaracterization of the statement.

Also, the “Mallard Fillmore” cartoon is incorrectly placed in the comics section; it is a political cartoon, and as such should be on the editorial pages.

Journalistic integrity and editorial integrity dictates and requires that only facts be contained in the stories and that opinion be limited to the editorial pages. Sadly, the editor and reporters at the Review-Journal lack the ability to be unbiased, so many times not providing the whole story.

MICHAEL T. BARR

LAS VEGAS

Congress on vacation

To the editor:

For the past two weeks, I have read editorial pages and columns from various writers, seeing if anyone has written about our do-nothing Congress taking two months off at the taxpayer’s expense. And that’s after coming back to Washington, D.C., after five weeks’ vacation. Our elected officials then worked two weeks, four days each week, and I guess it was too much for them.

This Congress has done some pretty stupid things, hurting the public, but the arrogance is beyond anything we should stand for. As the world burns and as the U.S. gets nothing done for the betterment of the people, these spoiled, arrogant representatives should be fired. While they’re on the golf course getting checks from the one-percenters, look at what is happening in the Middle East. But if one airman loses his life in the war we’re in this month, you will see Sen. Ted Cruz or Sen. Lindsay Graham with their faces in front of TV cameras, complaining about something we should or shouldn’t have done.

If the voters had any sense, come November, not one member of Congress running for reelection should get a vote, regardless of party affiliation. Enough already. Maybe the next batch in Congress will get the message: We’re not going to take this anymore.

CAROLE FISHMAN

LAS VEGAS

Math class for parents

To the editor:

I just shook my head when reading the article indicating the Clark County School District will now offer math classes to parents (“Classes will help parents help kids with homework,” Sept. 23 Review-Journal). Bill Hanlon, director of Southern Nevada’s Regional Professional Development Program, said: “I’m going to show parents some stuff to do in their heads, so they look smart in front of their kids.” Cute.

My questions to the district: Why have we switched to such complicated ways of doing math? What was wrong with the old system? It’s interesting that we now have to teach the parents so that they can teach the students this “new,” complicated way of finding the answer. Heck, I know teachers who have difficulty with this “new” way, yet can get the answers through the “old” way just fine.

Also, why is this class on a weekday morning, when most parents are working? Are you really trying to reach the most parents?

DONNA JANNSEN

HENDERSON