Story reveals everything that’s wrong with welfare state
To the editor:
I sure felt guilty upon reading your Thursday article, "Residents 'tired of waiting' while Casa Rosa rots," in which the occupants of the Casa Rosa public housing complex bemoaned both their current living conditions and its effect on their children.
"We're tired of waiting," related Waytasha Washington, a mother of five and occupant of the complex. "I don't understand why they are keeping us here."
"We are in a no-win situation" declared Linnet Clark, fellow inhabitant and mother of four.
Not presently able to afford starting my own family, I can completely empathize with both women on how frustrating this waiting must be. Certainly, there was no past need for them to wait for, say, financial independence prior to rearing their families (a fact which undoubtedly crossed the minds of both women prior to having each of their collective nine children). Why should that expectation change now when others continue to pick up their tab?
I'd love to write more, but I unfortunately need to get back to work so that my tax dollars can better provide for them all.
Mark Decerbo
LAS VEGAS
Prisoners?
To the editor:
Is Casa Rosa a transitional house for prisoners about to be released into society, like Casa Grande? You might think that after reading the Review-Journal's Thursday article, "Residents 'tired of waiting' while Casa Rosa rots."
The 31-year-old mother of five was quoted as saying, "I don't understand why they are keeping us here."
No one is keeping them there.
It's hard for me to understand why the fathers of those children allow them to stay there.
Garn Mabey
LAS VEGAS
Make students pay
To the editor:
Although I did not vote for Gov. Jim Gibbons, I admire his stand against new taxes. He gets it. We do not want or need any new taxes.
Chancellor Jim Rogers, on the other hand, believes that the taxpayer should pay for more of the costs at our state universities. Nevada university tuitions are among the lowest in the country.
Since when is higher education an entitlement? Student loans have been available for years, and for a reason. People who truly want an education find a way to achieve their goal. It is not handed to them. They earn it.
If we increased tuition, several outcomes could be possible: taxes and subsidies would not have to be increased; students may value their education more because working for something that is not cheap gives one an appreciation of its value; a more expensive education may enable the universities to attract prominent educators and improve the overall rating of our university system.
The rantings and ravings of Mr. Rogers are an indication of his lack of understanding of anything beyond his realm. He is narrow-minded, childish and unprofessional when it comes to his pet project.
Gov. Gibbons and our elected representatives, continue to stand up to Mr. Rogers and increase university tuitions. Do not put this burden on the taxpayers.
Catherine Nelson
LAS VEGAS
Two Nevadas
To the editor:
Since retiring to Nevada in 1986, one thing has become abundantly clear to me about state politics. When a politician from Northern Nevada is elected to a state or national office, or if a person up North is appointed to a state commission, they believe that they're in office to represent Northern Nevada's interests. Nevada ends at the Clark County line.
Despite the fact that Clark County has 70 percent of the state's population and sends an even higher percentage than that to Nevada's treasury, they do what they can to short Clark County when it comes to distributing state funds. You can see that with UNLV always getting lower funding per student than UNR, and no matter what other category you check, Clark County almost always gets the short end of the stick.
So let me suggest to Clark County voters that the first rule to follow when selecting a candidate for state or national office is that they reside in Clark County.
Richard J. Mundy
LAS VEGAS
