LETTERS: Laxalt’s op-ed needed more honesty
To the editor:
Regarding Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s commentary (“Why Nevada joined lawsuit against executive amnesty,” Thursday Review-Journal), he stated, “Nevada did not join the lawsuit to make a statement about immigration. Rather, we joined the lawsuit to take a stand on behalf of Nevadans in support of the rule of law, the United States Constitution and the separation of powers between Congress and the president.” He further states, “However, as Supreme Court precedent makes clear, the president cannot simply change the law by an executive command.” Also, he states, “A nation that allows a president to rewrite existing laws by simply making an order does not have limited government.”
The Constitution tends to shrivel upon close examination. What Mr. Laxalt does not tell you is that there is no separation of powers when the president gets to appoint Supreme Court justices and only the Senate approves the nomination, not the full Congress. How can citizens respect the rule of law when the Department of Justice, which comes under the executive branch, fails to indict corrupt bankers who committed fraud and hid behind the corporate shield and an unconstitutional act of Congress (the TARP program).
We do not have limited government when bureaucrats waste taxpayers’ money arguing senseless works of fabrication, while knowingly lining the pockets of their friends by overbilling the electorate taxpayers.
Ironically, the Supreme Court can simply change the law by a judicial command. Example: Citizens United, which poured millions of dollars of dark money into elections around the country and state to guarantee friends protecting friends.
I would have expected more of an honest response from Mr. Laxalt, instead of an American Dream illusion that democracy works for everyone.
ANDREW D. LA PORTA
LAS VEGAS
Graney calls it like it is
To the editor:
Curtis G. Swarts’ letter shows that he is apparently let down by Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney’s refusal to graciously accept a humble role as a PR flack for the UNLV men’s basketball team (“Graney and cowardice,” Tuesday Review-Journal.
My guess is Mr. Swarts much prefers the two who do the Rebels’ radio broadcasts. Those two fan boys have rooting for the hometown team down cold. Listening to them is to believe the poor Rebels are always on the short end of an endless procession of bad calls. While the broadcasters struggle mightily to paint a picture of the action on the court, they’ve got whining down to an art.
I’m not a big basketball fan, at least not until March Madness. But even as a casual observer, it’s fairly obvious that despite the fact UNLV Coach Dave Rice is by all accounts a very nice man and was a terrific assistant coach at Brigham Young, his aptitude for the head coaching position remains an open question. Do any of the Rebel die-hards such as Mr. Swarts ever daydream of what success Lon Kruger, Greg Marshall, Mark Few or similarly talented coaches would enjoy with the same squad of players?
That said, I think and hope that in time, Mr. Rice will do OK. Maybe not great, but after all, we’re talking Mountain West Conference basketball, a motley collection of middling to mediocre teams playing in a middling to mediocre conference.
Apparently, to please the fans, you’re supposed to look the other way and ignore the obvious. Perhaps those who are offended by Mr. Graney’s analysis are cut from the same cloth as a certain mayor who imagines that squandering tens of millions of dollars of public funds building a soccer stadium is just the ticket needed to make Las Vegas into a world-class city.
KYLE MARING
HENDERSON
White Castle welcome
To the editor:
How wonderful that White Castle has opened in Las Vegas, that Cracker Barrel is also coming to the valley, and that there are rumors of Chick-fil-A looking for a couple of locations for a 2017 opening. Can Waffle House be far behind for Southern Nevada? We can only hope.
RICK CRAWFORD
LAS VEGAS
