Planned airport would destroy regional refuge
To the editor:
After reading your recent article about the suspension of construction on the Ivanpah airport until at least 2025, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief (“Ivanpah airport in a holding pattern,” June 11).
I am a full-time resident on private property within Mojave National Preserve. The proposed airport would bring irrevocable damage to the preserve’s dark night sky and profound quiet. In fact, the Mojave National Preserve remains a regional refuge for quiet and stargazing as they rapidly disappear between the ever-growing metro areas of Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
As a former employee in the outdoor recreation industry, I know the unique connection between Las Vegas and the Mojave National Preserve. It is a place where climbers, campers, hikers, tourists and stargazers flock to rejuvenate and spend time with friends, family and the great outdoors.
Las Vegas is a world-class city, not simply because of its glitz, glamour or the ability to land a 500-plus passenger aircraft, but because the people who live and visit here have access to unparalleled, world-class outdoor experiences.
We should protect both as the assets they are.
Charlie Shrimplin
Cima, Calif.
The writer is a board member for the Mojave National Preserve Conservancy.
By the numbers
To the editor:
The state of Nevada has now issued its final and official Employment and Payrolls Report for year-end 2009. With this report, we now have an opportunity to step back and get some perspective on the effect the worst economic implosion in more than seven decades has had on key segments of Nevada’s working population.
Between year-end 2007 and 2009, private-sector employment fell 13 percent. Local government fell 1 percent and state government was unchanged. Payrolls: Private-sector pay was unchanged over the two-year period while state government rose 5 percent and local government rose 9.8 percent.
Everyone is free to draw their own conclusions, but it seems to me the only ones who can look at the numbers and figure they’re doing pretty darn well considering the economic realities are government union bosses, government employees, elected officials, government employees whose spouses are elected officials and retired government employee elected officials.
Any private-sector union boss, citizen or elected official has got to be thinking something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
KNIGHT ALLEN
LAS VEGAS
Wrong man
To the editor:
Back when Bill Clinton was being impeached for lying about the Monica Lewinsky scandal, the Senate had all of the senators rise in chamber, raise their right hand and swear a solemn oath not to make any decision about the guilt or innocence of the president until all the evidence was heard in the impeachment trial.
It wasn’t three days later that an obscure, relatively unknown senator from Nevada, Harry Reid, was shouting Mr. Clinton’s innocence for any and all to hear.
This was the beginning of Harry Reid’s “carrying water” for Bill Clinton, which led to Sen. Reid becoming the Democrat “minority whip” and thus his eventual rise to Democrat majority leader in the Senate.
So much for Harry Reid keeping his sworn oath. Is this the man we really want to keep in the Senate?
DANIEL CULBERT
LAS VEGAS
Dope bust
To the editor:
Concerning the June 15 article “Fiancee faults police officers”:
I understand that law enforcement officers must be constantly vigilant to save their own lives and the lives of others. In the case of the Trevon Cole shooting, however, the police created the conditions for a “furtive movement” by entering the premises by force and using blazing tactics. One would have to imagine the fear someone would experience if their door was broken down by unknown intruders.
There would have been better results had Cole simply been arrested one of the three times when he allegedly sold marijuana to an undercover officer. Why all the drama — with death as a result?
Oh, by the way, I pray the officer who shot this man doesn’t ever pull me over for speeding because by merely reaching for my proof of insurance, I could possibly be making a “furtive movement.”
Good grief, go after the real criminals with guns who are out there killing innocent people.
ROBERT BRODOSKI
LAS VEGAS
Well oiled
To the editor:
Barack Obama is using our oil problems to try to sell his green energy program. But expensive new facilities to replace coal-fired power plants have nothing to do with oil. It has not been used to generate electricity for years. Mr. Obama and Harry Reid are using the same false justification to distract the public from the stifling costs of their green energy program.
The oil problem can be solved only with big cuts in oil consumption and big increases in domestic oil production. The carbon taxes and expensive solar cells need to be justified on their own merits. Save the dishonest justifications.
Tom Keller
Henderson
