Cutting funds where they’re needed most

To the editor:

With the sequestration taking effect, I find most of the cuts coming from places that need the money most. The cuts, which include small airport control towers and indigenous American Indian tribes, are disgraceful.

The local airports especially need the funds to bolster local economies. The tribes will have to cut health care and education budgets. This will include firing or laying off personnel such as doctors, nurses, teachers and closing schools on reservations. I have volunteered on the Navajo reservation and know what poor and limited care they get from the federal government.

The Republican Party has voted for bills for “wars” like the war on drugs and the Middle East wars in search of weapons of mass destruction. Those billions of dollars could have helped people in our country.

I am also saddened that the states that have voted to decriminalize marijuana have had such a difficult experience with the federal government. Voters in many states want to be able to use this form of pain management and have received medical cards from their state governments.

Why, with the difficulty of obtaining seeds or a place to purchase, can’t the police agencies distribute marijuana seized in illegal operations to residents who can produce these legal state cards? It would save the recipients money and perhaps reduce the requests from seniors for drugs like Oxycontin from doctors who prescribe too many.

ELAINE A. HALLEY

LAUGHLIN

Domestic energy

To the editor:

Has it ever occurred to the eco-Nazi crowd that becoming energy independent is the best thing this country can do for our future generations?

We have the oil, coal and natural gas reserves to meet all our needs and to become a net exporter of energy to the rest of the world. For a fair market price, of course.

Now, add up the taxes all those huge profits would generate and add up the taxes that would be generated by the hundreds of thousands of jobs created by the energy industry. Subtract the decrease in unemployment and welfare benefits because people are put back to work. What you end up with is a windfall in revenue.

Imagine what the private sector could do with all that money in research and development of genuine alternative energy sources, and by genuine I mean those that actually work. Throw in the increase in payroll taxes for that segment of the energy industry and you have a country that can actually afford the things we are now trying to do on credit.

Make sense? Don’t tell me. Call Sen. Harry Reid.

RICK AINSWORTH

HENDERSON

Firefighters’ exam

To the editor:

I just want to say that I think it’s unacceptable that the cheating firefighter recruits are just let go, and the city picks up the $750,000 tab for their training and education (“Cheating costs city $718,984,” March 21 Review-Journal).

Make them pay it back. What’s the difference between their getting a free education and a city controller embezzling funds?

If nothing else, put them to work and dock their pay until they’ve paid off their debt. This underlying culture of corruption has got to stop. The perpetrators need to pay, not the people.

ROBERT ANDERSON

LAS VEGAS

Service stinks

To the editor:

As a resident of this valley for some 76 years, I can recall when the city of Las Vegas did its own trash pickup and there was a boardwalk in front of Sewell’s Grocery on Fremont Street.

I must conclude that Republic Services owns the North Las Vegas mayor and council. The change from twice-weekly to once-weekly trash service is inadequate — and horrible in the warm months. Instead of creating jobs, the mayor and council have eliminated two out of three jobs on each trash truck.

When I first downgraded and moved back to North Las Vegas, Aliante had two pickups per week. That worked fine. Now, if it won’t fit in the can, it will not be picked up. During the summer, neighbors’ animal waste and diapers are horrible.

I also owned two other properties, one in Boulder City and one that just sold on Spencer Street. In both these locations, there is twice-a-week pickup, so residents get their money’s worth. If you put it out, they will pick it up, within reasonable weight limits, and there is both a driver and a loader on each truck.

Boulder City, Clark County and Las Vegas should never sink to the lousy service provided in North Las Vegas. The North Las Vegas mayor and council are the worst in the state and provide the worst public service and accountability.

CHARLES MUSSER

NORTH LAS VEGAS

No defense

To the editor:

In basketball as in life, there must be accountability, and UNLV is not exempt. My understanding of basketball is that success is derived from solid defense. Then and only then will you build a successful program. Coach Jerry Tarkanian’s UNLV teams displayed the best of defenses year after year. So did coaches Hank Iba, Dean Smith and John Wooden.

I think it’s unfair to place this year’s Rebel coaches under that same scrutiny, but two of them grew up and prospered under the Tarkanian systems. What happened?

There must be some accountability. Back to the drawing board to try again and then again and again. It’s not easy for any of us.

STEPHEN BROWN

HENDERSON

Save the ravens

To the editor:

In response to your Saturday editorial, “Sage grouse plan shows common sense”:

Though their minds are weak and bleary

And they propose a bogus theory

About raven predation and grazing more,

Ranchers have said it all before.

They don’t care about grouse, tortoise or fish,

They are consumed by their wish