LETTERS: Reid grandstands on Native Americans

To the editor:

Earlier this year, Sen. Harry Reid went on the floor of the U.S. Senate and railed against the owner of the Washington Redskins. Sen. Reid said he won’t attend a Redskins game until the team changes its name, which he terms a racial slur that disparages the American people.

As majority leader, Sen. Reid has the responsibility and decision-making authority to bring up any bill he chooses. So what has he done for the plight of Native Americans? Apparently not very much, as I learned after reading an excellent expose in the Oct. 20 Review-Journal (“Tribal schools battle poverty, remoteness”). The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, which is funded by Congress, oversees federally owned schools for Native Americans on reservations. According to the article, those schools currently serve about 48,000 children and are among the country’s lowest-performing schools.

At one school, less than 25 percent of the students are proficient in reading and math. This school is said to have rundown classroom buildings that contains asbestos, radon, mice and mold. More than 60 of the 181 federally controlled schools are listed in poor condition. Fewer than one-third of the schools have Internet access. The schools currently do not have enough qualified teachers.

It is estimated that $1.3 billion is needed to bring the schools up to a decent standard, which would be an excellent start. But since 2009, Congress and the president have only released about $280 million to correct a long-standing problem.

As it turns out, Native American schools not overseen by the Department of the Interior actually perform better. So the next time Sen. Reid rants about the owner of a privately owned corporation, such as the Washington Redskins, and calls him a racist, ask him: “What have you done lately for the plight of the Native Americans?” The answer will be, “Not much.” Sen. Reid could actually make a difference in the quality of life for Native Americans.

MICHAEL O. KREPS

LAS VEGAS

Forgotten society

To the editor:

I noticed in a nondescript article the fact that this year, the Social Security annual increase will again amount to less than 2 percent (“Social Security raise to be among lowest in years,” Oct. 13 Review-Journal online). What is new?

When the subject is a minimum wage increase or union wage increases, the Review-Journal makes a real case of it and opens its pages to all politicians to make their speeches and take sides, which allows the issue to be noticed by readers. Seniors make less than the minimum wage but are not given as much attention. That puzzles me. Why is it that nobody young cares about us?

There should be a minimum income for people on Social Security who have no other earnings. Many seniors worked at times when pension plans were not available. As a consequence, they are living on Social Security, which translates to living under the poverty level, definitely receiving less than minimum wage earners. Unfortunately, there is nothing seniors can do, because there is no organization protecting their rights or their livelihood. There are some organizations that purport to assist seniors, but most of them are political organizations that don’t help anyone. They do promote and encourage the use of some insurance companies and banks.

I believe people should be aware of what is expected of them in the golden years, when in fact they will have more garbage than gold. When you reach this age, you could be living a life of invisibility and loneliness. You will then belong to the forgotten society.

MARIA VALORI

HENDERSON

Voter ID laws

To the editor:

Regarding the article on voter identification (“Court allows Texas voter ID,” Oct. 19 Review-Journal), why is it discriminatory against blacks and Latinos to require ID to vote? Do they not have the same access to government facilities that issue ID cards and driver’s licenses?

Attorney General Eric Holder is up in arms about the issue, complaining that voter ID laws are designed to discriminate. I have always been puzzled about this and would truly appreciate an explanation of how this is discriminatory.

ROGER WITCHER

LAS VEGAS