The Neff still rampages against reason
To the editor:
Once upon a time, a terrible creature called the Neff invaded the land of the Vegans. The Neff terrorized the good people of the once-quiet countryside with her fiery, specious logic and poisonously slanted viewpoint.
One day the Neff crawled out of its putrid lair to insist that a goblin called "climate change" had made a fire in California much worse ("The burning truth," Tuesday Erin Neff column). The Neff's lack of context about droughts, climate cycles and the history of such fires drove the villagers nearly to insanity.
Even if the Neff's direst shrieks about climate change were true, what evidence directly linked it with this specific event? How could limited observation, assumptions of causation and bandwagon appeals to generic authorities be confused with facts? How could she have room to repeat claims of having scads of infallible research, but never have room to present and verify it?
And how could a supposed lack of contradiction be cited as evidence? Was the Neff not aware that the Danish statistician and global warming skeptic Bjorn Lomborg had been named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine?
Just then, the disgusted townsfolk banded together and drove the Neff back into the hole from whence it came. And they lived logically ever after.
Jaime Huston
NORTH LAS VEGAS
Same tired Brummett
To the editor:
John Brummett's Sunday commentary, "The very best Arkansas has to offer," took a swipe at Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas. Bill and Hillary Clinton were on display, too, in a column more about cynicism than information.
As a supporter of Mr. Huckabee, I wanted to check some of Mr. Brummett's complaints and found that he generously regurgitates his own quotes from articles dating back to January, using himself as his source (See arkansasnews.com). He finds it hard to admit that when "national reporters" praise Mr. Huckabee as "the best speaker in the field," they're actually telling the truth.
Mr. Huckabee does "appeal simultaneously to the evangelical right and the center." Isn't Mr. Brummett proud that his state turns out multiple presidential-caliber politicians?
One of Mr. Huckabee's most endearing characteristics is his refusal to roll in the mud in his comments about other candidates. A positive outlook from a candidate defeats cynicism. A positive outlook in our newspaper's op-ed section would be welcome relief from Mr. Brummett's world-weariness.
Kathleen Worthington
LAS VEGAS
Hard workers
To the editor:
I could not believe Jim Day's editorial cartoon in the Oct. 24 Review-Journal. To blame public workers for Gov. Jim Gibbons' recent call for budget cuts is beyond outrageous -- it's just plain wrong.
The truth is that Nevada's community services system is already barely treading water. The same week that cartoon was published, the Review-Journal published reports on the perilous state of our child welfare services due to low state funding. The Department of Family Services is facing federal sanctions and cutting programs because it can't hire enough staff to keep Nevada's children safe even before these new budget cuts take place.
The truth is that Nevada's public workers never had a golden parachute siphoning off taxpayer dollars from needed community services. But we still show up to work every day to do our best for Nevada residents.
The truth is that the real problem facing Nevada's public service funding is our broken tax system, which doesn't generate enough revenue for the vital services our communities need: transportation, education, health care, child welfare. This has left our vital community services chronically under-funded.
Nevada's hard-working public workers are not what's wrong with our budget. What is wrong is Nevada politicians who refuse to provide sufficient funding for vital public services and a community that is not aware how such cuts impact services to children and families in this state.
Christina Vela
NORTH LAS VEGAS
Money crunch
To the editor:
The most prominent among the solutions put forth recently to ease our state's budget woes is an increase of the state tax on casinos' gross gaming winnings. But perhaps Nevada should try something similar to what Ben Franklin did for the city of Philadelphia in 1748 -- get into the gambling business.
Philadelphia was suffering a budget shortfall and in great danger of being overrun by the French and Indians. Its militia desperately needed funds to buy military supplies to defend the city. Mr. Franklin organized a city-sponsored lottery and the resulting ticket sales generated ample funds to buy these needed military supplies. So you see, Mr. Franklin's call to fame was a lot more than flying a kite during a thunderstorm with a metal key dangling from it.
However, I would suggest that instead of a lottery, the state of Nevada open its own casino and keep all the gaming winnings. Why not?
Vic Vickrey
LAS VEGAS
