Money-raising idea for the university system

To the editor:

Both UNLV and the College of Southern Nevada say they're strapped for cash.

Here's a lucrative idea:

Neither college provides the free hard-copy schedule of classes each semester, as they used to. There are thousands of students enrolled at those colleges who would pay $10 for a paper hard-copy schedule of classes each semester. Why aren't they available for us to buy in the college bookstores or somewhere else on campus?

A paper schedule is much more convenient to carry. The colleges assume everyone has access to a home computer or laptop, and they are so mistaken. The colleges are letting this financial opportunity slip away.

Sherry Hammons

LAS VEGAS

Health reform

To the editor:

With the debate raging on health care, I feel the need to head back to my word processor. Night after night, I listen to the pundits on the right blasting universal health care and using Canada as an example of a failing health care system. They talk about long waits in Canada and rationing of essential services.

But the truth is when you have an aging population, as they have in Europe, Canada and the United States, you run into problems providing health care services because the demand goes way up as people age.

When Canadians are polled about their health care system they rate the system very high. In 2004, when the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. conducted a poll of the greatest Canadian in the history of the country, Tommy Douglas won. Tommy Douglas was the politician who brought universal health care to Canada.

If the same poll were conducted in the United States, the individual who came up with our multitrillion-dollar, wasteful system wouldn't finish in the top 10,000. I don't even think there is an American who knows who formulated this current system.

If nothing is done, we will be spending $30 trillion on health care in the next 10 years. Many of my friends are battling cancer, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. Some of these people are spending tens of thousands of dollars a year on doctors and medicines. My friends are no longer able to buy cars, travel or even purchase new computers and other electronic devices because such a huge amount of their income goes toward keeping them alive.

As more and more money goes to the health care sector there will be huge numbers of businesses failing outside the health care sector.

Many of the casinos in Las Vegas are having problems, Circuit City has gone bust, the largest owner of shopping malls in the United States has gone under and the car companies are all in trouble. I believe had we not spent over $2 trillion on health care last year, some of these companies might still be in business.

The key element to any reform must be cost-containment. I have been involved in health care reform for more than 20 years. So far I haven't seen anyone either on the right or the left come up with the concrete solutions to rein in costs and keep this economy going.

I think a single-payer government system (universal health care) is the answer for two reasons: People in Europe and Canada pay much less for health care services and live substantially longer than we do.

If we go forward and pay substantially less and get better results, Americans will be much happier. Maybe in 50 or 100 years, when they poll the greatest American, it will be the person who gave us a health care system that we could afford.

Gerry Hageman

LAS VEGAS

Quid pro quo?

To the editor:

In catching up on some old news, I learned that the good Sen. Harry Reid, yes our Harry Reid, has jumped ship again.

Just a few months ago, he was expounding the virtues of the maglev train design, saying it was a "thing of the future" and would be done in a "Las Vegas way." And sure enough, it has been.

He changed his mind and now backs the DesertXpress, a slower, old-technology train, with a stop in -- are you ready for this? -- Primm! I'll bet the passengers who pay $110 to get to Las Vegas fast will all be thrilled to stop in Primm.

And the connection to the "Las Vegas way"... well, his switch came just after his campaign got a jolt of money from Sig Rogich, who, by the way, is a major player in the DesertXpress project.

Could there be a connection? I leave that to your judgment. But keep in mind, he can continue dealing in the "Las Vegas way" only if we permit it. Reminder, he is up for re-election in 2010. Can we remember that long?

Bill Wilderman

LAS VEGAS

Legal shakedown

To the editor:

Here is a prime example of what gives Las Vegas its tacky, shoddy, opportunistic image to outsiders.

I was recently served papers from a local law firm, informing me that a county inspector was suing me for hurting himself while inspecting a roofing job that was performed by a licensed contractor two years ago. Interestingly enough, the workman's comp he collected and the pursuit of my homeowner's insurance and the roofer's insurance are not enough. He and his legal representative are inquiring as to the estate of my husband, who died shortly after the roof was completed. There's no estate, by the way, as the medical community saw to that.

I think it's deplorable and a sad commentary on this town when homeowners are conveyed the message that we need to fear the officials who are supposed to be acting in our best interests. Instead of protecting us, they choose to use the inherent risks associated with their positions to try to harm us and gain financially.

I also wonder about those in the legal profession who would choose money over integrity, even if it means hurting the residents of their own community, no matter how they try to justify it.

This is one instance where what happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas. I know I will never miss this town once I leave it.

Annoula Myers

LAS VEGAS

Smoke out

To the editor:

I noticed that a recent "edict" from our state capital now prohibits smoking within all prisons and jails in Nevada. Looking out for felons' good health, no doubt.

Too bad the Legislature, elected officials at all levels and the casino ownership don't have the same degree of concern for the health of casino employees and those who patronize our gaming establishments.

Could Nevada's "priorities" have tilted toward the almighty buck? Perish the thought!

Bob Sullivan

LAS VEGAS

Christian nation

To the editor:

In response to John Brummett's Sunday column, in which he tried to back up President Obama's assertion to the Muslim world that America is not a Christian nation because it does not have a state religion:

I agree that we do not have a state-sponsored religion, and that's for the protection of the people. But there is a people-sponsored religion, and that religion, according to Newsweek (hardly a bastion for right-wing ideology) is Christianity.

The percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Christian is 76 percent, vs. 1.2 percent identifying themselves as Jewish and 0.6 percent as Muslim. Mr. Brummett, we are a Christian nation, and the Muslim world knows it. So the only ones fooled by the president's speech are yourself and those on the left who want to believe you.

Robert Cochrane

LAS VEGAS