New state animal: the orange traffic cone
To the editor:
Could it be the recent employment figures have been improving due to the government holding back stimulus money and now employing workers on "shovel-ready" road improvements, such as resurfacing roads that didn't actually need to be resurfaced?
Everyone must have noticed over the past few months the massive increase in road work and the stop and slow signs which are a great indication of the Obama administration's economic policy.
The money would be far better spent sending all the unemployed construction workers to the East Coast to help those poor people rebuild their homes. Now there's a real shovel-ready project.
JOHN D. SUNDERLAND
LAS VEGAS
At their own risk
To the editor:
While the devastation in New Jersey and New York from Superstorm Sandy is heart-wrenching, it brings to the forefront a continuing problem faced by us all.
We believe in individuals' right to choose where they wish to live, as opposed to having government limit their options, but they must also accept responsibility for their decisions. People who like to live along our coasts and rivers must accept the fact that living in floodplains and hurricane-prone areas is risky. When disaster does strike, collectively we are more than willing to provide their immediate needs of shelter, food, water, etc., through government and private agencies.
After that, the repairing or rebuilding effort should be the responsibility of the property owners. Government should not be providing assistance or low-cost loans at taxpayers' expense, nor should the government be providing flood or homeowner insurance at discounted rates.
As taxpayers, we are getting tired of relieving people from the consequences of making risky decisions in life. If they had to accept responsibility, they might think twice before rebuilding in hazardous areas and save us all a lot of money and grief.
TERRY JONES
HENDERSON
Preventable disaster
To the editor:
In reference to "Henderson man among three indicted in BP disaster," Nov. 15:
After all of the damage and loss of human, animal and plant life that occurred as a result of the BP gulf oil spill, I am relieved that there are efforts to prosecute at least some of those responsible for this wholly preventable and unnecessary disaster. It is clear that a very poor culture of unsafe deep well drilling practices existed and continues to exist (e.g. Friday's explosion in the Gulf of Mexico) which were only encouraged by the "profit at all costs" mentality that sacrificed safety for time.
In this desperate rush for "easy" oil, we are also pushing the limits of available technology to drill deep holes (tens of thousands of feet deep) at the bottom of the gulf and elsewhere, which contain extremely high pressure oil and methane, that only robots can access and repair.
Prosecuting the individuals responsible for this tragedy sends a message that this kind of blatant neglect of safety and proper procedure will not be tolerated, especially when the lives and livelihoods of so many are at stake. It will also encourage companies to do more thorough research aimed at developing safer practices and technologies to ensure that these kinds of "accidents" don't occur again.
MICHAEL PRAVICA
HENDERSON
Another video?
To the editor:
I heard on the news that Iran fired on one of our drones over international waters.
My question is: Who made a YouTube movie to upset the Iranians this time?
WARREN WILLIS SR.
LAS VEGAS
