Choice in mayor’s race: G.I. Jane or Diamond Lil?

To the editor:

In response to the Wednesday letter from Bob Ashby, who alleged the Las Vegas mayoral campaign offered dismal choices:

I beg to differ. Mr. Ashby wrote that Carolyn Goodman slept with the mayor for 12 years. He didn't mention, though, that for 30-plus years prior she had slept with a lawyer who argued in defense of alleged murderers, assassins, extortionists, traffickers, income-tax evaders, money-launderers, violators of interstate commerce laws, thugs, racketeers, gangsters, car bombers, etc. And he did all he could to convert a former federal building into a Hall of Fame for them.

Did I mention that these alleged anti-social, anti-American scum and their unfortunate offspring enjoy the same life, liberty and pursuit of happiness as the rest of the citizens of these United States? Most of us have a bad day now and then. These creeps make a career of creating bad days for others.

Chris Giunchigliani is not perfect, either. She has a respect for the public who keep electing her and making her a career politician because she insists on dotting her i's and crossing her t's and doing her homework. For some reason, as local pundit Jon Ralston pointed out, she gets upset when some moronic, ignorant knucklehead insults her intelligence. But she is a lady and doesn't just go over and break the person's nose for his cheap shot. Instead, she collects herself and continues with the matter at hand, putting the rude interruption behind her, recalling her voluntary academic training in special education (master's degree at UNLV) and her years as a classroom teacher/supervisor in Missouri and Southern Nevada; president of the county and state teacher union; six-term state lawmaker; and Clark County commissioner.

Because Las Vegas is show-biz oriented, when I go to the polls, I'll choose to vote for G.I. Jane rather than a faded, slightly demented Diamond Lil.

Joe Mrazek

Las Vegas

Libertarian hellhole

To the editor:

I've lived in Las Vegas since 1973. Since then I've constantly heard the mantra that we have to keep taxes low to attract new industries and diversify our economy. It seems to me that we've tried it that way for 38 years, and where has it gotten us? An economy still dominated by gaming, mining and developers, with the same horrific deficits in our economic and fiscal infrastructure.

I submit that the reason new industries will not locate to Southern Nevada is not because taxes are too high, but because they do not want to relocate their businesses and employees to an oligarchic, libertarian hellhole where no one is willing to invest in good schools, good highways and an adequate social services network. It's time to try it the other way: Raise taxes so we can build the community we deserve.

Greg Grant

Las Vegas

Disgusting cartoon

To the editor:

I was disgusted by the Pat Oliphant cartoon that appeared on Page 7B of Wednesday's Review-Journal. It portrays Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as looming over President Obama while saying, "You don't seem to understand who is in charge here." Most outrageous, this cartoon is very reminiscent of 1930s Nazi anti-Semitic propaganda: the menacing, sinister, diabolical Jew threatening the innocent helpless German maiden.

Even the Star of David is thrown in. The only thing missing is the long hook nose that the Nazi cartoonists were so fond of drawing.

But even if the cartoon did not have a crude, unsophisticated, anti-Semitic message, the actual situation was not and is not as Mr. Oliphant portrays it. Mr. Netanyahu has never claimed to be in charge of anything other than having responsibility for his country's security. And that responsibility is unquestionably his, and does not belong to the U.S. president. Mr. Netanyahu does not tell other people what he wants them to do, he merely states what policies he and his country must pursue to ensure their future.

James Moldenhauer

North Las Vegas