LETTERS: Don’t penalize Social Security with entitlement reform
Your editorial on federal entitlements was interesting, but it is missing the other half of the equation ("Big obligations," Tuesday Review-Journal). Tell readers how much is being paid into Social Security and Medicare.
A bookkeeper knows there is both a debit and credit column, and it skews the results when only one side is shown. Interest and other mandatory federal programs were included into your total, but these are separate issues. Social Security pays for itself and should not be included. It is an insurance program to protect workers from being destitute in old age. These workers pay into it during their working lifetime.
This vital program is still solvent, but in the future, when it isn't, changes will be made to keep it that way, as has been done in the past.
We had a balanced budget until President George W. Bush got a huge tax cut passed, along with the tax money spent on two unfunded wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. At that time, Social Security was taking in more than it was paying out, and this surplus was loaned to the general fund to pay the bills. In the past few years, Social Security has needed the general fund to start paying back this loan.
Yes, there is a problem with the general fund not having enough income, but Congress should find a way to solve this without penalizing workers' retirement.
Janice Herr
Las Vegas
Lyft myths
The editors who approved the letter from a taxi driver Gary Lichtenstein should be ashamed for publishing the obvious attempt to scare consumers away from Lyft and Uber ("Uber licensing," Dec. 6 Review-Journal). The Review-Journal has published several articles about the rules for Uber and Lyft and could have easily fact-checked Mr. Lichtenstein's letter.
He alleged that Uber and Lyft drivers don't have to go through a background check. Nothing is further from the truth. As a Lyft driver, I had to go through an extensive criminal and driving record background check before being approved as a driver. He claimed that ride-sharing companies are unregulated. We are regulated by the same people at the Nevada Transportation Authority.
Lastly, Mr. Lichtenstein said ride-sharing drivers are taking money from the families of taxi drivers. But we have families to support as well.
Additionally, Uber and Lyft drivers are evaluated every time we take a fare. Customers rate us on safety, friendliness, cleanliness and navigation, and they can make comments about their ride. If our rating falls below 4.6 out of 5, we can be dropped from the system and are out of a job. We don't long-haul, or charge $3 to pay by credit or debit card, or subject our customers to riding in a moving billboard inside and out of the car. And again, we allow our riders to instantly evaluate drivers every time a ride is given.
Thomas Osbeck
Henderson
Firing squad
A state panel approved a nearly $94,000 contract to design a new execution facility at Ely State Prison ("LV firm gets contract for execution chamber," Wednesday Review-Journal). I have an idea for our nonthinking politicians, whose only desire is to spend more money, and it will not require a large expenditure to design and build an execution chamber.
Rather, we should perform all executions by firing squad. Drive the convict to the desert, where no chamber would be required — just some shooters with guns and ammunition. In addition to saving money, we wouldn't have to worry about the fuss over whether drugs used in executions by injection were cruel and inhumane. Shooting by, say, six sharpshooters would be instantaneous and considerably cheaper.
Bryce Lee
Las Vegas
Kalas' philosophies
Please bring back Steven Kalas' column. He is a modern philosopher, and we need his insight.
Mary Novello
Henderson
