School district cries poverty, wastes money

To the editor:

The more I hear about the Clark County school system, the angrier I get.

A local TV station ran two segments on the waste: one about the school district throwing out brand-new furniture, the other about dumping boxes of brand-new, never-used books. Then I read about how the school system donated $5 million to the new Smith Center for the Performing Arts. This was all done while the school district begged strapped taxpayers for more money.

Now I read that Superintendent Dwight Jones can’t carry on his duties without a $250,000-a-year assistant. It seems like every time the school district needs money, it’s either the taxpayers or teachers who pay the price. The school system is so top heavy, but they never let any of the administrators go.

I was so glad the taxpayers last year rejected raising our taxes for another out-of-control government entity, and hope it stays that way until the district cleans up its mess from the top.

SHARIE FRENCIK

HENDERSON

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Defending sniper

To the editor:

In response to the Feb. 7 letter by Sandra Mary Smith, “If a sniper can’t defend himself, no one can”:

I was wondering what rock she lives under. She writes, “Throughout history, there have been very few instances in America where people have been able to use guns to bring down individual or mass killers.”

In the past two weeks alone, two homeowners in the valley shot armed intruders who otherwise might have killed them had they not been armed. This is just locally. Every day throughout this nation, armed citizens, whether businessmen, homeowners or other armed civilians, encounter and take action against armed criminals. Sure, some law-abiding citizens have been killed doing this, but how many more people would have been killed had they not been armed? No one knows. Most citizens who carry concealed weapons don’t carry because they want to kill someone, but rather to save a life, either their own or that of another.

As for Ms. Smith’s asinine conclusion regarding the death of American hero Chris Kyle and his friend, being unable to defend themselves against a deranged gunman, let’s just say bad things happen to good people. Good people don’t expect to be sabotaged by friends they are trying to help. They knew their attacker and were surprised by him. No one else was at the range to stop the madman, or believe me, they would have.

As wonderful a job as our police and troops do, they can’t be everywhere at every time. That is when a common man takes the action necessary to protect himself, his loved ones and even his gun-opposing neighbor, such as Ms. Smith. Just be glad that when he does he has the power and or the weapon necessary to do the job.

DAVID MEYER

HENDERSON

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Gone with the wind

To the editor:

I guess the Clark County decision makers live somewhere else. How else could they agree to this travesty that is being put on our backs by trash hauler Republic Services?

Anybody is welcome to come out to my neighborhood on any Monday to see what the wind does to this new pickup system. As the trash falls out of the container into the top of the truck, the wind takes a portion and distributes it all over the street and our yards and driveways. We have been part of the weekly pickup “experiment,” and the results are obvious: It doesn’t work in its present form, period.

If this deal with Republic Services is a done deal, then all elected officials who had anything to do with it should be removed from office immediately. Further, Republic Services should be relieved of its duties immediately. Its equipment should be sold to the highest bidder and taken over by the lowest bidder.

The taxpayers shouldn’t get screwed again by sweetheart deals. I could care less if we pay less than other places. I don’t live there, nor do I want to.

NICHOLAS P. GARTNER

HENDERSON

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Assault weapons

To the editor:

President Barack Obama has told us that in his opinion, only police and soldiers should have assault weapons. But disquieting news has reached us. It seems that more of our military personnel take their own lives than fall to the weapons of our enemies.

If that be the case, then it seems our military personnel shouldn’t be allowed to carry assault weapons either, especial since theirs are usually fully automatic, unlike those used by some civilian shooters in the United States. Perhaps we should re-equip the entire Army with the Model 1795 Springfield musket. That way they could only shoot three times a minute, so we would lose all wars, which should encourage us to keep our men home. Because the musket is 4.95 feet long, it’s a little harder to use for suicide.

As for the perfect qualities of the police, the business with Christopher Dorner shows they are also vulnerable to mental problems.

If banning assault weapons would reduce violence, then outlawing all firearms would be even better, and prohibiting any weapons best of all. The logic is irrefutable. So why not declare us all felons at birth and end the problem? Somehow I have no faith in this solution. Who would watch the watchers?

We need better mental health care for everyone, but particularly for those serving our nation.

JAMES R. HINDS

LAS VEGAS