Metro officers get off easy after joy ride

To the editor:

Here we go again. Public employees stealing from the taxpayer — again. Two police officers lie about what they are doing, several times, while on duty and all they get is a slap on the wrist (“LV officers punished for ride,” Thursday Review-Journal).

These two are basically on paid vacation for five months because they got caught driving their patrol car to the Grand Canyon. Don’t know why it takes five months to investigate this one. They were caught red-handed.

What if other officers or the public (who pay their salaries) needed their help in an emergency and someone was seriously injured or killed because these two were out for a taxpayer-funded joy ride?

If they had made it to the Grand Canyon Skywalk, do you think they would have at least paid the admission price, or do you think they would have lied again and told the ticket taker they were there on official police business?

Everyone knows the police in this town have a tough job and that most of them are good at it. But I would think the public is getting tired of all the lies and stealing of tax dollars. I know I am.

You also have to love ex-Sheriff Bill Young’s response: Boys will be boys.

Kevin Ross

Las Vegas

Long ride

To the editor:

After a relatively minor infraction, two police officers were given five months off with pay, and then an additional unpaid week off. Surely the officers could have been put to work doing something useful during this prolonged investigation. As it turned out, they received an extended vacation, and the taxpayers got taken for a ride.

Eric Stefik

Las Vegas

Stepping down

To the editor:

Now that the election is over and another career politician — Chris Giunchigliani — has bitten the dust, maybe it is time to take measures beyond term limits. I’m tired of elected politicians who run for one office while supposedly still serving in another office. If you want to run for another office, put up or shut up.

Let’s start a new referendum that requires you to resign your current office when you file for a new one. (An exception would be if your current term of office is also up.)

Sue Grue

Las Vegas

Air traffic

To the editor:

I read with interest David Lyons’ Monday letter regarding his disapproval of Sen. Harry Reid’s influence in obtaining federal dollars for McCarran International Airport’s new control tower. Whether he believes it or not, the airport would seriously struggle to fund this tower with internal revenue only, considering all the other current capital improvement projects.

On a related point, there has been virtually no information out there of the “shelving” of the Southern Nevada Regional Heliport (SNRH) planned to be built at the Sloan interchange. Yes, times are tough, but this project would create hundreds of jobs also, and there are many thousands of residents — particularly those living along Tropicana Avenue and Charleston Boulevard, as well as in eastern Henderson — who think this project is proceeding. The daily noise assault of tour helicopters was supposed to be a thing of the past by now.

Given new fiscal realities, the heliport construction should proceed modestly, leaving the ability to expand down the line if warranted by business.

Sadly, since the project was designed to a level that became tough to fund, there is no progress at all. And those controllers in the new tower will be under much less duress not trying to coordinate 110-plus helicopter flights in with the busy fixed-wing air traffic at McCarran.

Robert Hornbeck

Henderson

Shameful slam

To the editor:

Shame on John L. Smith for labeling my neighborhood a “tattered-collar” neighborhood in his Tuesday column, “Mayor Goodman’s anniversary gift to wife may arrive tonight.”

After living in this neighborhood for more than 40 years, I have yet to see a “tattered-collar.” I, like many of my neighbors, take great pride in where we live and how we make a living.

It may not have the wealth that you find in the Scotch 80s, Rancho Circle, The Lakes or Huntridge neighborhoods, but to classify it as “tattered-collar” does a great disservice to the folks who call it home. The comment was a putdown to those of us who know what neighborhood you were talking about, since it was in our neighborhood that Chris Giunchigliani was campaigning Monday evening.

I don’t recall Mr. Smith ever referring to a “decadent” Rancho Circle neighborhood or an “opulent” Scotch 80s neighborhood.

You grew up in Las Vegas, Mr. Smith. You know better.

Sam Bowler

Las Vegas