Brothels safer than health clinics

To the editor:

Last week the ABC News show “20/20” addressed the topic of prostitution in America, specifically in Nevada. Diane Sawyer of “20/20” observed that the health department stated that in more than 30 years, it has not had one case of HIV among the women working in the more than 30 legal brothels in Nevada. Ms. Sawyer also stated that each of the women is tested every week for sexually transmitted diseases, and for HIV every month.

Compare the track record of the legal brothels in Nevada, when it comes to disease transmitted, to the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, where at least six patients were infected with hepatitis C. Who would have thought that a patron of a legal brothel would be at less risk of catching a disease than a patient at a medical clinic? Both places operate under a profit motive, yet it appears from news reports that one engaged in practices that put its clients/patients health, and very lives, at risk in order to maximize its profits.

It is also interesting to note that the state appears to do a thorough job of ensuring the clients of brothels and the women employed there are protected from being infected, yet for whatever reason can’t seem to do the same thorough job when it comes to health care clinics.

There is no justifiable reason for the state health department not doing their job, despite all the excuses we have been hearing about a lack of funding and staff, lack of support from the governor for staffing positions, inability to hire staff, etc. This issue of the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Nevada is far too important to ever be ignored or rationalized away. If you don’t believe that, just consider the plight of the 40,000-plus people now living in a medical purgatory as they await the outcome of their medical tests — or their future as they struggle with a deadly disease.

And finally, like thousands or hundreds of thousands of other citizens, I keep watching the local evening news, waiting to see some health care providers in Las Vegas do the “perp walk” in handcuffs.

Tom Lynch

NORTH LAS VEGAS

Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Hyde?

To the editor:

I’m curious, are columnists Jane Ann Morrison and Erin Neff still speaking to each other? Do they “do” lunch together, or are they giving each other the cold shoulder these days?

In Sunday’s newspaper, Ms. Neff called for the resignation of Dr. Daniel McBride from the Board of Medical Examiners. Dr. McBride, she points out, got patients from Dr. Dipak Desai (owner of the clinics which violated all common-sense rules concerning patient care), helping Dr. McBride’s own bottom line. She goes on about Dr. McBride: “In a very palpable way, he already has been and is neck deep in a perceived conflict.”

In Monday’s Review-Journal, Ms. Morrison calls Dr. McBride a “man of integrity.” She calls him a “good doctor” who is pained at his reputation being smeared. “Bad guys don’t care when someone impugns their character. Good guys, however, are devastated at insinuations. Dan McBride is devastated.”

I recognize that columns are intended to offer differing opinions, but somehow the ladies of the Review-Journal seem to be talking about two different Dr. McBrides.

Actually, their columns dramatically point out that nothing is strictly black and white. But the health of Nevada’s citizens is the wrong place for fuzzy moral thinking.

Robert Mirisch

LAS VEGAS

Smarter cuts

To the editor:

As reported in Monday’s Review-Journal, in these “dire” economic times, the city of Las Vegas is saving a whopping $139,000 by cutting leisure services on Sundays. Given the low rate of usage, this was probably a wise choice.

Now how about cutting every City Council member’s slush fund from $35,000 to $10,000, thereby saving another $150,000 per year? Better yet, make their positions full-time, roll those pseudo re-election campaign slush funds into their salaries and then eliminate one staffer for each member.

Promoting better government through improved economies of scale is the right thing to do.

Richard Rychtarik

LAS VEGAS

Business as usual

To the editor:

Regarding the building inspector scandal:

In my view, Clark County Manager Virginia Valentine has the toughest job in government. After decades of mismanagement by high-priced appointees, assisted by on-the-take and look-the-other-way county commissioners, we have almost hit the bottom of the barrel. As a result, Ms. Valentine has to take the heat from all of the elected and appointed “legends” that preceded her.

In retrospect, this series of events shows the danger involved when county government is permitted to run on automatic pilot. It’s obvious that the entrenched bureaucrats are running government without oversight. How optimistic can the public be that changes will be made when the theme is always “business as usual”?

EDWARD R. DUFFY

LAS VEGAS