Plants would help rural economies
To the editor:
I am an Ely resident, and support Sierra Pacific and LS Power building the power plants in White Pine County.
I worked for local government for 39 years and I saw both the county and city struggle with budgets just trying to provide the basic services. Promises of other industries coming to White Pine County have been many, but none have materialized.
We now have a real opportunity to get the power plants, which will increase the tax base and allow both the county and city to have the resources to re-build our communities into something we can all be proud of.
As for the pollutants that people are so worried about, I feel that, overall, the state will have cleaner air because these plants will be more efficient and produce far less pollution. When these power plants open here, two others are scheduled to close down, and those two are much older and produce much more pollution.
I support LS Power and encourage everyone out there who supports the power plants to let your views known.
Bernie Romero
ELY
Voting rules
To the editor:
I read with great interest your Thursday editorial on the hot subject of photo ID requirements at the polls. The crux of the matter is this: Republicans believe the Democrats just want the door left open for illegals to vote them into office; Democrats, on the other hand, believe the Republicans just want keep turnout low.
Here’s one solution:
To show their integrity, the Democrats should introduce legislation spelling out harsh prison time for any noncitizen casting a vote in any federal, state or local election. Have the law include the same penalty for those who knowingly encourage, transport or aid any illegal voting effort.
Have ample warnings, plainly displayed at the polls.
Now, if the Democrats are truly sincere in their denial of wrongful intent, what could be a better way to prove it?
Bill Cramer
LAS VEGAS
Charity scams
To the editor:
Jane Ann Morrison successfully stirred the pot with her recent revelations of fraudulent charities absorbing donations through excessive overhead. She suggested that you simply check on your favorite organization via the Internet. But she failed to mention the copycat or identity theft scams operating with confusing names.
One of the most flagrant copycats is in her report of the dubious “Disabled Veterans Association.” But she failed to mention its similarity in name to the “Disabled American Veterans” (DAV), on whose reputation it is preying.
The DAV is a nationally chartered veterans organization furnishing unlimited assistance to our wounded warriors, not the least of which is administrative assistance with their appeals through governmental red tape to the Veterans Administration.
We strongly suggest that you double-check the spelling of your favorite charity’s name and its address, as well as its record and stated goals.
Richard E. Law
LAS VEGAS
Pension plan
To the editor:
I have come up with a way for our selfless leaders to help with our budget crisis.
It should be noted that GOP congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul has opted out of the congressional pension system. Now, I am not saying that our state leaders should start Dumpster diving — though they might get a much-needed education from this practice. But how about adding an amendment to our state constitution that no current or former state employee shall be entitled to any payments from the state treasury after they are no longer working, if — and all numbers below need to be indexed to inflation — they:
1. They have a net worth of more than $3 million.
2. Their income is in excess of 2.5 times the average income of all employees in the state.
3. Their immediate family (parents, children, spouses, siblings) have a combined worth more than $10 million.
4. The same immediate family has a income of, on average, 1.5 times Nevada’s average per capita income.
5. Any other conditions someone may think of.
The only exceptions to this shall be teachers, police officers and firefighters who have worked more than 25 years in the system. They shall, however, be entitled to only one pension from the state.
Hey, leaders: How leading by example, and tightening your own belts first? Or does the phrase “to serve the people” mean to offer them up for dinner?
doug Nusbaum
LAS VEGAS
Teacher pay
To the editor:
We all knew it was coming: The economy would turn someday, and teachers, who never shared in the boom, would be double bust.
As a teacher and parent, I cringe at the lack of concern regarding who will be attracted to relatively low-paying teaching jobs here. This city’s going to be strapped for years with some teachers who represent the bottom of the barrel.
Of course, that’ll be another excuse for not raising salaries. If my daughter wasn’t graduating soon, I’d be looking for a new home where school funding makes sense, with better teacher pay attracting better teachers.
In response to Larry Whyte’s Friday letter, I’d like to know where he was when teachers were suffering while everyone else was pigging out on the orgy of money flowing here. Mr. Whyte says that teachers should put their ignorance aside, and cut their whining, weeping and wailing. Well, teachers don’t work in a profit industry. Las Vegas needs to pay a wage that’s competitive with the rest of the country. That’s not happening.
Even now, seeing oodles of moneyed tourists cavorting in lavish casinos, I feel like a character out of Dickens.
BETTY BUEHLER
LAS VEGAS
