Stop portraying public employees as villains

To the editor:

Wednesday's Review-Journal Opinion and Commentary page featured an editorial cartoon about the "fat-cat" public employee pensions overshadowing children's programs. Will people ever stop attacking the public employee?

Why can't people who criticize our well-thought-out, sound state of Nevada Public Employees Retirement System stop trying to dismantle it and instead copy our pension program into their own business practices?

It's about time the public starts to give the hard-working people who teach our children, drive our school buses, fight our fires, police our neighborhoods, run our cities and counties throughout Nevada credit for giving a dedicated performance at their work locations.

Public employees live among all of us, pay taxes and spend money just like other citizens. Why not start featuring articles about what public employees do each day when they report to work? We are not the villains we are perceived to be.

MARY ANN DOBIESZ

LAS VEGAS

Party politics

To the editor:

With the many millions of dollars being spent by politicians in the two major political parties seeking offices in next year's election, I, for one, have a question: Why? I don't think many citizens trust these political promises any longer, so who cares?

The Republicans lost their majority in Congress because they lied to their constituents about spending, immigration, trade and many other policies in order to do favors for their special-interest supporters and wealthy lobbyists.

Enter stage left: The Democrats win a congressional majority in the past election. Promises of a highly ethical, pork-less reform program have given way to pandering, purges and partisanship. Meanwhile, they ignore the nations's real problems.

The very few significant bills actually now passed are just political machinations in search of vetoes to create a more partisan climate. They are not meant to seriously address our many problems. If an actual problem is addressed, we find our lawmakers in opposition to the actual desire of citizens and in favor of their powerful special interests -- see the recent "Comprehensive Immigration Bill" and the new version, the "Dream Act."

Neither major political party, nor their candidates, deserves the support of any citizen. Left or right, Democrat or Republican, we have allowed these insufferable buffoons to provide us with a very, very corrupt government.

The parties' current election mantra is predicated upon the threat, "Yes, we are lying to you voters again, but you should vote for our liar rather than the other party's even bigger and more dangerous liar." What a choice.

So who cares?

john tobin

LAS VEGAS

Lawbreakers

To the editor:

I just finished reading an op-ed piece by Diane West (Oct. 17 Review-Journal) headlined "Local government takes the lead in rooting out illegals." Well-intended, but totally off the point. How's this for an example, taken from a recent story in the Review-Journal:

She's an illegal. He's a local cop. She's been thrown out of the country once. She sneaked back into the country and married the cop.

If she did as she claims, she is not allowed to be in the United States for up to 10 years. She has no plans to return to Mexico.

He would pay up to $10,000 to ameliorate the situation.

If (she says) you were in a country where it is hard to make a living, what would you do? You or I would get in line.

The brazenness of this Metro cop is beyond belief. He is supposed to be enforcing the law, not setting an example on how to shelter an illegal. His bosses do nothing. Can you believe this?

Want to bet she has a Nevada driver's license and a Social Security card?

I am infuriated (I have nothing against Mexicans). How about you?

Talk about a sanctuary city.

scott fitzgerald

LAS VEGAS

Almost treason

To the editor:

The Democratic Congress didn't give a damn about what the Turks did to the Armenians during World War I until they found out that by passing a silly "non-binding" resolution condemning those actions they could possibly jeopardize American diplomatic relations with our ally in the Middle East and cause a Turkish reaction that could lead to the invasion of Kurdish northern Iraq and the denial of airfields and supply routes for our military to Iraq.

Under milder circumstances this would be viewed as the actions of children in a playground who didn't get their spoiled way. But to attempt to undermine the war strategy of President Bush (and, yes, he is the president and commander in chief) borders on treason.

If you disagree with an administration, wait until the next election and work to elect a new president. If you win, fine. If not, try again. But don't try to undermine and defy the elected government.

Actually, I am surprised that President Bush has allowed as much of this activity as he has without stepping in and figuratively slapping some of these people down. It has only encouraged more and more outrageous actions, as with any undisciplined child who gets its way.

kent rischling

LAS VEGAS