LETTERS: ‘None of the above’ in mayor’s race

To the editor:

The Review-Journal is to be commended for refusing to endorse any candidate for mayor. Most residents of Las Vegas take no interest in politics, and it shows. For the most part, our elected officials lack the skills, talent and vision to hold key positions in government.

Our disinterested electorate deserves the caliber of officeholders we have. Ma and Pa Goodman — current Mayor Carolyn Goodman and former Mayor Oscar Goodman — have really worn thin. I am a retired senior and can readily say that we need young blood with ideas in our city government in order for good things to happen in the future. There is little doubt that Carolyn Goodman will continue as mayor. She has no answers and does not even understand the questions.

Councilman Stavros Anthony is merely running in order for Mayor Goodman to have an opponent. Some time ago, I contacted Mr. Anthony to offer my assistance toward his campaign. Mr. Anthony never bothered to respond.

It is indeed fortunate for Mayor Goodman that residents don’t know and don’t care. Enough about downtown already. Las Vegas needs to get way beyond that, but without competent leadership, that will not happen.

RON HIRSCHKIND

LAS VEGAS

Seniors and email

To the editor:

Regarding Catherine Rampell’s column (“Real email scandal is stubborn senators who won’t use it,” March 18 Review-Journal), why do I get the feeling that Ms. Rampell is being condescending to seniors who won’t gracefully accept email as a source of communication? Is it because she is a self-appointed representative of millennials and wants seniors to get in line with her way of thinking?

Perhaps this young lady needs to be reprimanded for her impudence. In fact, let’s put her in a corner for a timeout. Oops, a millennial wouldn’t understand that. We would need to take away her smartphone so that she couldn’t text anyone. And speaking of texting and emails, how’s that working out lately for Hillary Clinton?

In the same issue of the Review-Journal, Ms. Rampell would have learned that 11 million Blue Cross accounts were hacked (“Hack exposes millions of Premera customers”). That goes hand-in-hand with the Snowden scandal, Wikileaks, Target and more. Isn’t technology awesome?

If Ms. Rampell would stop to think, maybe she would understand we elders don’t use email as much because we don’t have the dexterous thumbs of young people because of arthritis. Or maybe we can’t see as well. Then again, we probably don’t have nearly as many accidents from texting while driving. So while the writer accuses elders of not taking the time to communicate the way everyone else does, perhaps she needs to take a step back from her youthful ivory tower and learn to be respectful.

Perhaps she could even give her parents or grandparents a call and actually talk on the phone … LOL, OMG, :).

RON MOERS

HENDERSON

Public education reform

To the editor:

There is an assumption behind all the discussion on increasing funding for public education, including at the legislative hearing last week with the current governor and three of his predecessors: that increased funding will result in improved outcomes. This is totally unproven.

As a matter of fact, places that spend the most per pupil, such as Washington, D.C., and New York City, have some of the lowest educational achievements, while places such as Utah that spend the least have some of the best results.

Let’s reform the system by taking away the public monopoly on education. Allow school choice, introduce merit pay for great teachers, make it easier to fire poor ones, reform Nevada’s Public Employees Retirement System so that good teachers don’t leave so soon, and split up the Clark County School District for more local accountability. All of this should be done before we talk about injecting more funds into the same system.

Everyone wants better education, but increasing taxes and throwing money at the problem are not the way to go.

GARY STRABALA

LAS VEGAS

Grating Graney

To the editor:

I’m not in the newspaper business, and I’m sure the Review-Journal has its reasons for publishing the content it does. However, I’m not renewing my subscription for one reason: sports columnist Ed Graney.

As a New York City transplant, I’m accustomed to multiple newspapers. I’ve never seen a person with such blatant venom against the hometown college basketball team. Maybe this attitude is sanctioned by the Review-Journal to create sensationalism, with the hope of selling papers. Whatever the reason, this shell of a man abuses his bully pulpit.

I don’t expect sugar-coated stories, but Mr. Graney’s agenda is obvious to any free thinker. I urge you to replace him with an objective writer.

DENNIS T. MONTORO

LAS VEGAS