All on behalf of the public good
To the editor:
Fairness demands that even those of us who have been skeptical of the newspaper’s willingness to take on some of its largest advertisers must acknowledge a job well done in the public interest. In this case, I am referring to the Review-Journal’s excellent and diligent coverage of the willingness of the world’s largest gaming company to put in jeopardy its customers’ lives for the sake of saving a few dollars in permits.
The corporate hubris displayed by Harrah’s in its willingness — no, make that eagerness — to bypass the county rules that the “little people” must abide by can’t help but make one long for the days of Benny Binion and Bill Harrah, who understood that customers were the proverbial golden goose and that endangering their lives was not only wrong but bad for business.
So kudos to both the reporters and editors of the Review-Journal for putting into practice the often heard, but not always seen, concept of investigative hometown journalism on behalf of the public good.
P.J. LEVINE
HENDERSON
County clarification
To the editor:
I think it is important to clarify some matters reported by your newspaper about Clark County’s ongoing investigation of unpermitted remodeling work that occurred at the Rio hotel.
First, to ensure the integrity of what must be a thorough investigation, I asked that the Department of Development Services remove supervising building inspector Rick Maddox.
Mr. Maddox was not in charge of the reopened investigation. The department had assigned him because he is the county’s most experienced electrical expert. This decision was made because of Mr. Maddox’s involvement in the initial inspection following an August 2006 complaint when unpermitted work went undetected.
This is not to imply that Mr. Maddox has done anything wrong, but to ensure the public has full faith in the results of the reopened investigation.
To ensure a full accounting, I will ask the County Commission on Nov. 6 to authorize the hiring of an independent firm specializing in construction work audits to evaluate the Building Division’s handling of the complaint. Our goal is to determine what errors occurred and what changes can be made to improve the handling of similar complaints in the future. Part of the evaluation will include a review of current county code and federal and state laws to determine whether the laws are sufficient to address complaints about unpermitted work.
We also will seek recommendations on actions the county can take to address companies and licensed professionals accused of performing construction work without obtaining appropriate permits.
On Aug. 24, long before the Review-Journal wrote its first story, I met with the person who filed the complaint against the Rio, Fred Frazzetta, and found his information was credible enough to initiate further conversations with Harrah’s Entertainment and administrators in our Building Division.
Additional detailed information provided by the Review-Journal in September added to these discussions, resulting in reopening Mr. Frazzetta’s complaint and the subsequent notices of violations issued for unpermitted work at the Rio on Sept. 26.
Since then, the county has issued further violation notices, including one requiring Harrah’s to cease occupation of the entire 18th and 19th floors of the Rio until all necessary permits and follow-up building inspections are complete.
The public can be assured that Clark County is committed to ensuring the safety of all buildings in our community. We look forward to strengthening the processes and procedures we have in place for dealing with any similar complaints we receive in the future about illegal construction work.
Virginia Valentine
LAS VEGAS
THE WRITER IS CLARK COUNTY MANAGER.
Money shuffle
To the editor:
The biggest problem with raising the gaming tax to pay for education is exactly what has happened in so many other states: The new funds are allocated specifically to education, so the state doesn’t see the need to direct money there anymore.
Thus, the education budget stays basically the same and state lawmakers have more money to waste on their “pet” projects.
If the casino taxes are raised and earmarked for education, there needs to be some mechanism to ensure the state doesn’t wiggle out of its already paltry share.
michael harrison
LAS VEGAS
Parental responsibility
To the editor:
Raise the tax on gaming to pay for education in Nevada? Why? How is the education of people’s children suddenly the responsibility of the owners and shareholders of gaming companies?
I have a great idea. Let parents pay for the cost of educating their children. If you choose to have children, you should be prepared to pay the expenses that come with that.
Stop trying to place the expense of your choices upon everyone else.
PETER SANDERS
LAS VEGAS
