Opposition to Yucca Mountain is anything but ignorant

David Bender’s Nov. 19 letter to the Review-Journal submits that those of us who are opposed to Yucca Mountain are ignorant — his word. He said that with a little bit of education we could learn to embrace this proposition and that it would be a good thing because it brings such an economic windfall with it.

I, for one, knew everything he talked about in his letter and I have been vigorously against Yucca Mountain anyway. So I thought I would chip in a little education that takes some of the bloom off of this financial rose.

As of this writing, it is my understanding that the geniuses who are working on Yucca do not have a storage container design suitable for waste transport and perpetual, eternal storage. After all this time, I think it fair to say that they will never, ever get there — and paying them to try does not seem smart.

Seventy-seven-thousand tons of waste plus the containers — let’s round it off at 100,000 tons. Rail cars carry a max of 100,000 pounds, so we are looking at 2,000 rail cars traveling the various distances to Yucca — all of them skirting Las Vegas along the way. Going forward, there will be more waste so this will continue on and on. Does a train pulling this stuff make a good terrorist target? Moving slow, on a track?

Yes, the groundwater is already contaminated. But is Mr. Bender saying there is no harm in making it worse? And, yes, we know that there is already a huge quantity of nuclear waste already dumped here without so much as a pretty please. Does this not enrage you by itself?

The most offensive aspect of all of this is that the federal government has already shelled out billions of dollars for the Yucca boondoggle and is poised to spend more. But why aren’t the nuclear power plants each mandated to develop a foolproof storage site on their properties or in their states?

“Ignorant” is a very strong word to describe those opposed to Yucca Mountain. If a disgusting, distasteful operation should be allowed in Nevada because it brings us rewarding employment then, by extension, shouldn’t we stop giving the brothels such a hard time?

Jim Cassidy

Henderson

Celestial abstractions

Letter writer Maury Litwack (“Democrats should support choice program”, Nov. 22), is free to send his kids to any private school he wants. But how dare he expect taxpayers to pay for a private religious education, which is what virtually all of these so-called “school choice” voucher programs go toward. As of today, we still have a constitutional separation of church and state.

If someone feels the best education for his kids is teaching them about celestial abstractions flying around in the sky, he can just pay for it himself. Most taxpayers want their tax money for education to go toward teaching provable things such as science and math — and everything else in the public schools.

James Fuhrman

Las Vegas

Lecture included

The recent tirade by an overindulged, overpaid actor in the cast of “Hamilton” is unacceptable. I’m sure all those theater-goers didn’t come to see a play and a lecture.

It is time for common-sense people to boycott this play. I was looking forward to seeing the play. Now? I will boycott it. I suggest anyone who was offended by this actor should do the same.

People want entertainment — not lectures — when they pay exorbitant ticket prices. Did this actor even vote in the past election? Inquiring minds want to know.

Marlene Drozd

Las Vegas

High noon

I can’t help but wonder the outcome had this disagreement between “Hamilton” actor Brandon Vixon and Vice President-elect Mike Pence occurred a couple of centuries ago. Perhaps they would have settled their differences at high noon in Bonnie Springs.

I do believe our country has made progress in becoming civil and tolerant of each other’s opinions.

Dan Pieper

Las Vegas