Loss of good teachers no reason to kill tenure

To the editor:

In response to Justin Brecht's Sunday commentary, "Teacher of the year rewarded with pink slip":

Mr. Brecht fails to mention that when he resigned from the Clark County School District for the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy position, he did so with awareness that he was giving up his seniority.

Many teachers do the same thing each year, resigning their position to have or raise a child, help with elder care, pursue further education, etc.

When Mr. Brecht returned to the district, he would have known that, as with other veteran teachers beginning a new job or returning to an old one, his seniority had been lost and he had to start over again.

Instead, he bemoans the fact that he lost his gamble and his position is being eliminated. He would have you believe that virtually every other teacher at his school is less capable, less dedicated and less worthy of their position, stating that the students are being left with teachers who do not do the things that he does. It is insulting to the vast majority of veteran teachers in this district who do go above and beyond their contractual obligations each and every day.

How is it fair that dedicated teachers who have spent countless years and hours working within the district may be let got, perhaps at the whim of a new, young administrator who may want to cut their costs? Is it fair to a 40- or 50-year-old teacher who has committed to this community, set down roots and worked hard for the students of the district to be put in a position of having to take a pay cut of thousands of dollars?

There are many veteran teachers in this district who have moved here from all over the United States and had to start over again at the bottom of the pay scale, because that, too, is the norm in education jobs.

Are there some instances when an excellent younger teacher may lose his position? Yes. Is every veteran teacher subpar? No. The overwhelming majority of teachers are not subpar.

Elizabeth Goodman

Las Vegas

Move forward

To the editor:

We have lived in the Las Vegas area long enough to experience the closing of three major hotel/casinos: the Stardust, the New Frontier and the Sahara. It is interesting to note that the same comments about all three have been made by the employees and management. All of these places were the best place to work, great food, biggest drinks in town, hosted all of Hollywood's giants, had the top shows on the Strip, etc.

Gee, why do you suppose they went out of business? Do you think they didn't move into the 21st century with the rest of the venues?

Do you suppose?

Elizabeth Jacobs

Bullhead City, Ariz.

Let it rain

To the editor:

The increased runoff to the Colorado River this year comes as a relief to all of us ("Snowmelt will benefit Lake Mead," May 8 Review-Journal). It points out the fact that enhanced natural runoff should be considered a major part of our strategy to enhance the river's ability to serve us.

With the millions of dollars that the Southern Nevada Water Authority is spending for the "third straw" and the interest in a pipeline to take water from the north, we are not exploiting a major low-ost, low-tech opportunity to increase the productivity of the northern watershed that feeds the Colorado.

The science of cloud seeding is well-established and is, in fact, part of the current approach to enhance watershed productivity. Recent talk of possibly eliminating this seeding activity, however, demonstrates the fact that many in high places do not take cloud seeding seriously.

Seeding can increase precipitation by about 10 percent and would be worth the effort. The water authority should aggressively finance increased seeding research and development and deployment of seeding hardware as it applies to the Colorado watershed. The increased watershed production will also increase the health of the river as well as increase hydroelectric generation and downstream irrigation for food production.

The current pipeline plan to guarantee water supplies is expensive, short-term and could destroy the northern water tables.

Our researchers could be a guiding part of this effort, and perhaps a global authority in this much-needed technology, particularly in light of recent changes in weather patterns.

More intensive and scientific cloud seeding for our watershed may also help reduce the catastrophic, flood-generating snow pack east of the continental divide. Even though it sounds like magic, cloud seeding is an accepted scientific fact, and its technology as it applies to the river's watershed deserves full consideration.

Harold J. Herzlich

Las Vegas

Government care

To the editor:

Rep. Joe Heck's Sunday commentary attempting to explain/justify his vote to gut Medicare was very weak and heartless.

I think it came out that way because GOP leaders have backed away from that position faster than I cede ground to a rattlesnake. It is hard to be coherent and compassionate when you're under the bus. GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich recently said the vote was a mistake.

If government-paid health care is good enough for members of Congress it's good enough for all Americans.

Jim Calhoun

Boulder City