WEEKLY EDITORIAL RECAP

FRIDAY

SAVING UMC

Clark County is facing an estimated $120 million revenue shortfall next fiscal year; layoffs will begin in about two weeks. UMC, on its own, lost about $83 million last fiscal year, with more huge losses projected this year. It's going to take extraordinary measures to save these patients.

How extraordinary? How about the possibility of county government severing the IV that ties taxpayers to the region's only public hospital?

On Wednesday, the County Commission ... discussed the possibility of privatizing the hospital. ... A study of the merits of privatization is long overdue. The County Commission has tough choices ahead. It must make them before UMC bleeds the taxpaying public dry.

FRIDAY

GOVERNMENT TV

The city of Las Vegas runs its own, government-produced television station, KCLV-TV, Channel 2. Its funding is provided by franchise fees charged to cable TV customers. ...

Let's concede that this represents a legitimate attempt at openness in government. But a lot of the rest of what these stations do is transparent, pro-government puffery and promotion for elected officials.

Go ahead, broadcast the public meetings, but do it exclusively over the Internet. It's far more interactive and user-friendly than a four- to five-hour television broadcast.

A tax is a tax is a tax, whether it's called a "franchise fee" or anything else.