The undocumented don’t speak just Spanish

To the editor:

I read with some amusement and a tinge of bewilderment Ann Coulter's Jan. 5 commentary, "Illegal immigration will transform electorate."

At first I thought this was one of Ms. Coulter's nonsensical tirades that passes as serious thought. I long ago realized that she is not interested in any sort of serious conversation on important issues; she is simply a bomb-thrower hoping to hit a target.

However, with this commentary not only does she throw a few bombs but she also displays an ignorance beyond the usual. Her read on California is far from reality. She leaves the reader with the idea that the undocumented people in California speak only Spanish -- oh, were it true. She, and others of her ilk, do not realize the number of undocumented Irish near San Jose or the large number of undocumented Chinese in San Francisco. And, please, do not note the Russians and Armenians in Hollywood and West Hollywood.

If Ms. Coulter did only a cursory reading of anything of value she would be more accurate in her thoughts on immigration. After all, she is a descendent of immigrants -- documented or otherwise.

MARC GONZALEZ

LAS VEGAS

Greedy rich

To the editor:

Last week's commentary about the "tongue depressor tax" mentioned a tax increase on all kinds of medical equipment. The corporations making these products are threatening to lay off workers and send jobs to Mexico.

This is blackmail, and it turns my stomach.

Corporations pay little or no taxes. The more I see of capitalism the more I sympathize with communists. What we need are a few Bolsheviks to come and take care of these greedy, rich pieces of manure.

I'm talking about the people at the top, not the workers who are being used as pawns.

NADIA ROMEO

LAS VEGAS

Charitable works

To the editor:

I agree with Sherman Frederick's Jan. 1 column: Americans are generous. However, my experience as a member of Bread for the World and as a volunteer at a food bank inform me that the giving spirit of churches and charities is inadequate to address such problems as hunger in America.

Food distributed by all of the churches and charities in America total just 6 percent of the food people receive through government programs such as school lunches and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). The increase in the numbers of people receiving SNAP is the result of an increased need due to a deep recession.

So it is working as intended. As the economy improves, the numbers of those receiving SNAP will drop.

Though giving generously, churches and charities do not have the logistical and financial resources required to adequately confront such problems as hunger in America.

STEVE PANTHER

IOWA CITY, IOWA

Spend and spend

To the editor:

I see that the periodic ritual of raising the federal debt ceiling is yet once again in the news. It seems like this subject keeps raising its ugly head way too often.

If politicians are serious about buckling down and concentrating on solving the nation's problems, let's buy a couple of years of respite from this and just raise the debt ceiling to $50 trillion.

That way we will grant ourselves two or three years in which this issue does not come up and the government can focus on all the marvelous things it does to get us to that $50 trillion limit as quickly as possible.

James Moldenhauer

North Las Vegas

Just take more

To the editor:

Once again, the Review-Journal uses its editorial pages to criticize government workers who have the nerve to expect to collect the pensions that were promised them when they were hired (Friday editorial). The editorial singles out San Diego as an example of what should be done (ban pensions for new personnel).

Here's a thought: Why not criticize the people in charge of the San Diego retirement system for not putting enough money aside for pension payments?

I belong to the New York State Teachers Retirement System, which covers teachers outside of NYC. Over the years, they have made sufficient assessments from the school districts, while making judicious investments, so that today they have $90 billion in their coffers.

Not only enough to pay the pensions of retirees, but enough to cover all the teachers currently teaching.

Why should government workers be penalized by pension plans that did not have the foresight to put aside enough money to pay their obligations to retirees?

Richard J. Mundy

Las Vegas

Investor class

To the editor:

Yet another attack on public pensions (Friday Review-Journal editorial, "Pension vote").

Public-sector pensions represent the world's largest investor class with $20 trillion in assets -- $6 trillion in the United States alone. They provide stability to financial markets the world over. Many are said to be underfunded because the financial climate has been lousy, with one crash or crisis after another. Returns have been poor. But they still have trillions of dollars in reserve to cover obligations until the investment climate improves.

The climate will improve. From 1968 until 1982, the market went no place. This was the last time the public-sector pension funds were all supposed to go broke. Then the biggest bull market in history began increasing fund assets by trillions of dollars.

A much bigger issue stems from recent surveys that show the majority of Americans have almost no money whatsoever. One study indicates that only one American in four can definitely come up with $2,000 in 30 days. These folks don't have trillions in reserve to cover their obligations.

Gerry Hageman

Las Vegas