Oft-criticized judge tough on crime
To the editor:
The Review-Journal and some individuals in local politics never seem to get it quite right when it comes to our local judicial races.
Take District Judge Donald Mosley, for example. It seems that the Review-Journal is always writing about what Judge Mosley has done wrong (see Jane Ann Morrison's June 12 column). Nearly all of these matters involve his divorce, his girlfriend, his personal life. Has his judgment in these matters been questionable? Probably.
One thing never written about Judge Mosley, though, is how he has always been one of the toughest judges on criminals. Many defense attorneys don't care for Judge Mosley because they know they aren't going get a walk in that courtroom.
Instead of burying a judge with tabloidlike dossiers repeating years-old stories over and over again, the Review-Journal should tell the people which judges hold criminals accountable. Judge Mosley has always been known as one of those judges.
For me, I couldn't care less about whether Judge Mosley used his work stationery to write a letter in his child custody matter. Do we really think the person he sent the letter to didn't already know he was a judge?
If anything Judge Mosley ever does amounts to a crime or warrants dismissal from the bench by the Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission, I say go after him. But until then, the voters of Clark County should know that Judge Mosley has always been one of the toughest judges on crime. And I think that's what the public wants. They are tired of criminals committing crimes and getting slapped on the wrist.
Bradley Nickell
HENDERSON
Public-sector proud
To the editor:
After seeing Jim Day's Wednesday political cartoon, which depicted an obese man slurping down COLAs, I for one, was quite offended.
Mr. Day has once again painted an incorrect picture of state of Nevada employees. Very few of us sit around and get fat and ask for more! I, for one, am very proud of the fact that I work for this state, and when I am out and about, I tell people that.
Why not try picking on city of Las Vegas employees or Clark County employees, or even city of Henderson employees. They make more money than we do. Just because we were awarded an additional 4 percent cost-of-living pay raise starting this July 1, does in no way make any of us overpaid.
I think it is time for Mr. Day to pick on someone else.
Herb Milbrat
LAS VEGAS
Hopeless Congress
To the editor:
If the current price of gasoline hasn't brought home to the citizens of our country the fact that the entire Congress is just screwing the people to advance their personal agendas, nothing will, and we may as well hand over the country to those who would kill us for it.
Major changes concerning term limits and pork-barrel spending must happen now. Stand up and be counted or just give up. It's time to get involved, and if every voting American would send a letter to their representatives today, we would get change, real change, that would benefit the people, not the politicans.
They are all full of themselves. They deny all wrongdoing. It will make you sick to think about it.
Lawrence S. Zale
LAS VEGAS
Education first
To the editor:
I enjoyed reading Geoff Schumacher's June 8 column, "Education cuts? Nevada's destined for mediocrity."
Imagine if the brave firefighters who rapidly extinguished the Monte Carlo casino fire last winter were inadequately trained due to lack of funding. Why, the entire casino might have burned down.
Suppose that our hardworking police officers who daily keep the peace in this city had not received proper training (insufficient public funds) in criminal tactics and ended up being outsmarted by goons who repeatedly rob local casinos "Oceans 11"-style.
What if some doctors who work in Nevada were inadequately trained at, say, UNR, and a casino owner were to suddenly suffer a massive heart attack?
Under all of the above circumstances, the business leaders in this city might then think more positively about better supporting public enterprises.
Education is the bedrock of our society and guarantor of our children's future, and therefore our continued economic prosperity. There are few businesses that would want untrained and ignorant employees -- especially when building the world's best casinos, putting on quality shows, handling money and food and spotting theft. A successful democracy with a vibrant and competitive economy requires a highly educated and highly trained populace -- period.
The other alternative is a Third World country. We must all work together to ensure Nevada's promising future by strongly supporting education.
In that spirit, I would like to extend a friendly and open invitation to the governor and any other business, social and other political leaders to visit my laboratory at UNLV so I can explain and demonstrate just how important education is to not only Nevada, but to our national security.
Michael Pravica
HENDERSON
THE WRITER IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AT UNLV.
