Obama policies have created millions of jobs
To the editor:
The Review-Journal editorial writers must think we country bumpkins are not savvy readers. Why else would they write such an unbalanced editorial about the Obama administration ("Democratic theme: 'Be patient,'" Sept. 10)?
Did they tell us the stock market is at an all-time high, surpassing the gains made during any presidency sans Eisenhower? In fact, as I write this, the Dow is up another 100 points! Nah, to them, our IRAs are unimportant.
How about the creation of 4.5 million private-sector jobs in the past 30 months? They must think job creation is unimportant.
Where is a mention of ending the war in Iraq and getting Osama bin Laden? They came to bury Obama, not praise him.
Buried late in the criticism is a mention of the GM bailout, panning Obama for saving GM. The bailout created millions of jobs at living wages. The workers gave up a lot but continued to be productive. More than half of the bailout has already been paid back and GM is doing very well, thank you.
Of course the banks and AIG were also aided. The Treasury has already received more funds from the banks than it loaned, with more to come, and today we learned $18 billion of AIG stock will be sold, further boosting the Treasury.
It's fitting the editorial mentions Herbert Hoover. If Mr. Hoover were on the ballot, is there any doubt these editorialists would favor him over FDR?
We have a choice: Go back with Romney to the policies of the second Bush administration, which got us into this mess in the first place, or continue with President Obama, whose policies are gradually improving the economy.
The choice has never been more stark.
IRWIN KAUFFMAN
LAS VEGAS
All about race?
To the editor:
In one of the most one-sided and racially biased articles I have seen in a long time ("Racial bias charges permeate discussion of Obama criticism," Sept. 11), I could not help but zoom in on one statement. Actor Alec Baldwin simply tweeted: "If Obama was white, he'd be up by 17 points."
No, Mr. Baldwin, if "Obama was white," he'd probably be back in Chicago as an unknown community organizer, helping picket for their teachers strike.
J.J. SCHRADER
HENDERSON
Seek proposals
To the editor:
Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.
More than four years ago, the city of Las Vegas made this same mistake, awarding a 15.25 acre parcel of city-owned land at Tenaya Way and Westcliff Drive to the Tapestry Group to develop affordable housing. The city was then criticized for not following Clark County's example and first doing an RFP.
To do this once again with Michael McDonald and to have it again blow up in their faces shows that the city should always first do an RFP, just to ensure it is truly getting the best deal for the taxpayers and increasing the likelihood that they are getting a developer who can actually deliver on their promises of building affordable housing units.
Competition is a good thing, as it provides a wider array of choices for the public decision makers who are, after all, spending our money.
DOUGLAS BELL
LAS VEGAS
Override signals
To the editor:
As a former councilman here in North Las Vegas who tried to correct this inequity, I continue to be frustrated over why Medic West/AMR has not been given the same safety feature to interrupt the intersection traffic lights when running "code" as provided the City EMS/Fire Department ambulances here in North Las Vegas and the valley in general.
The accident at Decatur and Craig this month has less to do with which type of vehicle can survive a direct impact than preventing an accident to begin with. There have been recent accidents where a larger city EMS ambulance was also toppled by a passenger car; it's the dynamics of the accident that determines such a result.
Our patients' lives and those of the paramedics - whether they be city of private - deserve to be protected, regardless of who is doing the transporting.
Crossing major intersections without having the traffic signal interrupt ability is like playing chicken with people's lives, including the unaware driver who has the green light but does not hear or see the ambulance due to their windows closed, radio on, etc.
I'm sure the vast majority of people reading this do not know this disparity affecting their safety even exists. The cost to install the equipment would be paid by the ambulance company, not taxpayers. We must put politics aside and place people first.
RICHARD CHERCHIO
NORTH LAS VEGAS
Paralympics
To the editor:
On Sept. 3 at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, U.S. swimmer Cortney Jordan (of Henderson) won a silver medal and set a personal best in the women's 100 meter freestyle event. I saw nothing about this in the local media. In fact I saw nothing about these games other than the odd one-paragraph blurb in the miscellaneous sports section.
I will put in the caveat that I am not a sports enthusiast who reads every page of the Sports section each day, so I might have missed something. Still, nothing about this local athlete on page B-1? And I saw nothing in the "On TV & Radio" section showing any coverage of these games.
By the way, she also won silver in the 400 meter freestyle and 50 meter freestyle in addition to her bronze in the 100 meter backstroke.
Is this saying something about today's society? We watch the able bodied Olympians with anticipation of seeing the "perfect 10" score. We judge a person's exterior in beauty contests and reality shows. But even these people are not good enough. The winner of a top model show will still be air-brushed in her advertisements. I read where one major American network had scheduled 3,000 hours of sports coverage over its various stations and affiliates. How many hours of coverage were provided for the Paralympic Games?
Don't get me wrong: I greatly admire the dedication and skills of the athletes we saw in August. But to me they do not compare to the Paralympians and Special Olympians. Their drive, determination, enthusiasm, spunk, and most of all heart need to be recognized more than is currently being done.
BOB STAP
LAS VEGAS
Slander verdict
To the editor:
Congratulations to Steve Wynn. That he prevailed in his slander lawsuit against "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis shows me that there is still justice in America. Well done.
DAVID TULANIAN
LOS ANGELES
