North Korea has nothing on Legislature

Should I be more afraid of what North Korea is about to do or what the Nevada Legislature is about to do?

I generally drive the speed limit on highways. People pass me regularly on every side. Now the state Senate passes a bill to set a speed limit of 85 mph on some four-lane highways (Wednesday Review-Journal)?

I am 80 years old. If I drive in the right lane at 65 to 70 mph with a speed limit of 85, my chances of getting past 81 without a major accident are looking pretty slim. If that bill passes we’re going to see a huge uptick in road deaths, a large increase in gasoline consumption and an increase in air pollution.

But that is not all of it. The Legislature is considering an increase in gasoline taxes. Why? Because an independent survey concludes that our roads are in very poor condition. So we have a Legislature that wants to increase speed limits, which will require more gasoline at a higher tax rate in order to fix roads in deplorable condition. What am I missing here?

The chances of me being killed by a North Korean missile are infinitesimal compared with the probability of me being killed on Nevada’s highways.

MORTON FRIEDLANDER

LAS VEGAS

Border control

To the editor:

What Americans really want is an end to costly and destructive illegal immigration. They don’t want to pour gasoline on a blazing fire by giving amnesty, legal status and United States citizenship to illegal immigrants. To end unfettered illegal immigration, these three enforcement reforms are necessary:

1. A mandatory E-Verify law that removes the job magnet and gives America a legal work force. 2. An entry/exit visa system. 3. Completion of the border security fence, supplemented by proven and inexpensive sonic barrier technology.

Illegal immigration enforcement reform is an idea whose time has come. Another “one-time-only” 1986 amnesty is a failed immigration policy whose time is done.

LARRY BROWN

NORTH LAS VEGAS

Graduate first

To the editor:

As a 32-year resident of Las Vegas, I’d like to offer the following suggestion to help solve the low high school graduation rate. If employers in our community — specifically the large ones like the resort community — would institute a policy where they would require a high school diploma for employment, maybe many students would remain in school and finish. This would close up the availability of low-paying jobs and keep kids in school. This would also hopefully create a better-educated workforce.

ED SIMMS

HENDERSON

In need of leaders

To the editor:

Where is the outrage? Last week I read about Nevada’s bad roads, bad schools, crime and corruption. But what is the local citizenry concerned about? Another hotel, two large stadiums and buying more ammunition. Is our mayor up in arms about any of this? She is off cutting ribbons.

We need leaders who don’t celebrate the past influences of the mob and the corruption of the city. We need leaders who don’t quit their jobs of improving our schools. We need voters who don’t vote down tax increases to rebuild our failing schools.

The Strip is only a part of Las Vegas. We are a community of more than 2 million people who happen to cater to tourists. We need to see that our future is in our schools, our roads and our educated working class. We need more locally educated doctors to service our growing community. Are these the places our leaders are taking us? I don’t think so.

HARVEY HIRSCH

LAS VEGAS