District committed to doing the right thing
To the editor:
With respect to allegations against a Clark County School District employee ("School officials defend actions in probe of porn allegations," Friday Review-Journal), I would like to assure our community that I am committed to a full review of the incident, which is still a pending criminal investigation, as well as a review of internal investigative practices. As necessary, the district will take full responsibility for the actions of its employees.
Inappropriate actions or conduct exhibited by a district employee will not be tolerated and are not in the best interest of maintaining the community's trust, which serves as the foundation for our commitment to provide a safe and secure learning environment for students. As educators and support professionals, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard, one that engenders respect and ensures that we are worthy role models for students.
In instances of questionable conduct, I will support vigorous prosecution when facts and evidence warrant such. If there are areas where we can improve district actions, further our investigations or respond to allegations, I will immediately implement corrective measures. I also will explore changes to laws that limit our ability to effectively address employee issues.
As superintendent, I am ultimately responsible for assuring the safety of our students, and I want to personally assure parents, staff and our entire community that I will diligently pursue consequences for employee actions that would violate our community's trust. If instances occur in which mistakes have been made, we will admit it and take corrective action.
Dwight D. Jones
Las Vegas
The writer is superintendent of the Clark County School District.
No taxation
To the editor:
Government employees don't understand the simple fact that they don't pay taxes. All taxes they think they pay are simply pass-through income, from the taxpayers who pay their salary and retirement benefits back to the government.
Victor Moss
Las Vegas
Desert Disneyland
To the editor:
In regard to your Jan. 17 story on the park planned for Lone Mountain ("Park will become biggest in region with addition of 304 acres"):
I am at a complete loss to understand why, in the middle of a budget crisis of epic proportions, our clueless leaders propose to build a "Desert Disneyland" in the middle of an upper-class rural neighborhood.
They talk of swimming pools, libraries, tennis courts, etc. If anyone cared enough to look at the many satellite photos available on the Internet, they would see that every home within a 10-mile radius of the proposed park already has a swimming pool. Some have tennis courts and any other amenity anyone could desire. Adding $8 million in "new amenities" to the area is ridiculous.
The claim that the funds are "earmarked" for this plan and are not being taken from "essential services" is laughable. If our civic leaders had the slightest clue as to what is going on, they would find a way to divert this $8 million to something more useful than another feel-good boondoggle.
If they really believe that Las Vegas needs another underutilized park, they should look to West Las Vegas, which has been severely neglected for decades. I have to believe that an $8 million park would be much more appreciated in an area desperate for amenities than in a neighborhood already overflowing with swimming pools, tennis courts and existing parks.
Bill Edwards
Las Vegas
