State workers deserve their pay raises
To the editor:
In response to your Thursday editorial, "On the chopping block":
I work for the state of Nevada. I want the person who wrote this editorial to come to work with me one day at the Welfare Department administering federal programs in a timely, correct, courteous manner with a caseload that hovers between 550 and 624 individual cases. I want that person to have to answer all calls received from the many clients who just want to know if we got the papers they dropped off, and make sure you contact them within 48 hours.
We work in renovated grocery stores because the state is trying to save money on overhead, not in luxurious new buildings like those Clark County and the city of Las Vegas are able to afford. We work for less money than the county or city employees and have three times the caseloads.
So before you suggest that the governor consider cutting my cost-of-living pay increase, you need to walk a mile in the shoes of me and my co-workers as we go to work every day to make sure our clients don't have to go without because they have even less than us rich state employees.
Christine Akana
LAS VEGAS
Turf rebates
To the editor:
Several years ago the Southern Nevada Water Authority offered $1 a square foot to change your grass into rock because of the water shortage in the valley.
Now they offer $1.50 a square foot to change to xeriscape landscaping, with the rules stating that when fully grown, the plants must cover 50 percent of the area. These plants must be watered. I want to remove the grass in my back yard to cut down on water use, and they won't give me a dime.
In other words, we want you to cut down on water, but don't cut down too much because our business is selling water. The most important thing is not the level of the lake but the level of profits.
Mark K. Constantine
LAS VEGAS
Throw the bums out
To the editor:
The people of the great state of Nevada spoke not once, but twice about term limits, passing a constitutional amendment to confirm our opinion on the subject. Now those who will be affected soon want to have the amendment declared unconstitutional.
If these people are successful in getting this overturned so that they can continue to show they know what's best for you and I -- and continue the same policies that have helped put us in the situation we are in -- we should not re-elect them. Remember, the best politician is an ex-politician.
Let's put some new blood in those offices. No one should ever be allowed so many years at the trough. Get a job and see what havoc you wrought.
Lloyd Sheaffer
LAS VEGAS
Leaders and values
To the editor:
That was quite a nice letter that John Tobin wrote Wednesday concerning Harry Truman. It struck a chord with this guy, a product of the '50s and proud of it.
Besides President Truman, we have other examples of people whose word and values meant more to them then money. Who can forget Ted Williams giving up five of his most productive baseball years to serve in not one, but two wars?
There were many others who resonated, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt, Willie Mays and a host of others.
Where are such men today? People whose values and integrity mean more to them than beating people out of a few extra bucks? Where are such men? Not among our leaders. Not in Congress. Where, when we need people like this more than ever?
Bruce R. Mastracchio
LAS VEGAS
Offensive speech
To the editor:
The crux of your Wednesday editorial " 'Disturbing' speech" causes me even greater concern for the condition of our country. We have gone beyond reason when a citizen can be brought up on legal charges for the way someone else perceives a comment. "Monkeys"? Please help me!
If I had known how easy it is to bring the police down on someone for saying what I consider offensive, I might have done so each time I was snickered at and called "honky," "cracker," "white bread" and "gringo." Even better, when a local resident in our community called my wife a "bitch," the police should have issued a ticket when called. Right? Wrong!
Perception isn't the issue in the case of the "monkey" word. Its prejudice painted in different paint.
Raymond Lynch
LAS VEGAS
Risky shot
To the editor:
In response to Joey Kantor's Tuesday letter to the editor, "Nice shot":
I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, and I am sure the bat-wielding citizen who was shot in the leg by police is grateful to still be alive, but law enforcement training teaches aiming at "center of mass" for a reason: It's a bigger target. The lower leg is a small, harder-to-hit target.
What if the bullet had missed, ricocheted and killed an bystander? Would Mr. Kantor still have been as supportive of police then? Probably not.
Ron Sharetts
LAS VEGAS
