Las Vegas isn’t world class just yet

I moved to Las Vegas in 2000. Since that time, I have seen many of Mayor Oscar Goodman’s wishes come to fruition.

We have world-class entertainment on the Strip. World-class restaurants and chefs on the Strip, also. We have a world-class performance center in the Smith Center. We have a planned world-class art museum. We have a National Hockey League team and possibly a National Football League team. We have a symphony and a ballet company.

But we do not have an opera company.

Many cities with populations the same size or smaller have opera companies — usually described as regional opera companies. Until we have a regional opera company, I do not think we can describe Las Vegas as a world-class city.

Norman Ilchene

Las Vegas

Flying turkeys

The Legislature met to decide whether or not to spend $750 million. That folks is three-fourths of a billion. What was not mentioned is the tens of millions more that will be needed to provide additional police protection.

By the way, we found out during the process about an additional $899 million for road projects that will be necessary to service the new stadium. Seems to me there has been no mention of the additional tens or hundreds of millions of dollars for additional infrastructure such as water, sewer and electricity.

To get the stadium and more cops plan done, lawmakers decided to hang the locals with an additional sales tax and screw with our major income stream by raising the room tax. I hope someone remembers we no longer have a monopoly on casino gambling.

While this hit the front pages Gov. Brian Sandoval decided that the funding issue for his school choice plan should be put on the back burner till next year. So much for priorities. We don’t even seem to be able to get the best government can buy.

An old saying notes that, “It’s hard to soar with eagles when you are governed by turkeys.” That goes all the way to Washington, D.C.

Gordon Soeder

Las Vegas

Bad smell

Your Oct. 13 editorial regarding the garbage contract with the city of Las Vegas was right on. Republic Service officials agreed to two-day-a-week garbage pickup when they signed a contract valid to 2021.

Now they want to change the rules to benefit themselves.

I believe they broke their contract by initiating their recycling “pilot program” in other areas of the valley. Some of us have had to live with their one-day-a-week pick up program for a least a year now and it just doesn’t work. Our temperatures are too high in this area. After a week, garbage stinks. A lot. And so does what we pay: The same amount for half the service.

However Republic seems to have been able to reduce their work-force and buy new equipment. Now there is one one man on a truck instead of two. What happened to those people? Who agreed to this new pickup schedule anyway and what do they get out of it?

Obviously the recycling has improved — a good thing — because after a week of garbage in the can there is no room for recycled items.

You would think Republic would share the wealth and at least give us a discount for our recycling effort.

Republic should honor the company’s agreement with the city of Las Vegas.

K. Gibbons

Henderson