President puts his vacations ahead of jobs
To the editor:
Quoting The Associated Press’ Julie Pace, President Barack Obama’s African trip is “a three-country visit aimed at overcoming disappointment on the continent over the first black U.S. president’s lack of personal engagement during his first term.” A $100 million-plus vacation with his family to bolster and polish his image in a part of the world that has received billions of dollars in aid over the years, with much of it landing in the hands of warlords and corrupt politicians, never reaching the people who so desperately need that help?
Mr. Obama has said many times that creating jobs is his number one priority. Spending this much money on this trip at a time when so many are out of work, have given up looking for work, or are on food stamps and welfare is a slap in the face to all who are suffering in this lackluster economy. Is this the reason he needed more tax money from those who aren’t paying their “fair share,” to help finance this adventure?
With all of the scandals going on under his watch, it literally seems as if he is placing himself above it all by being in the air and out of the country. A hundred million dollars could go a long way to creating a whole bunch of “shovel ready” jobs in infrastructure repair, bridges that are falling apart, roads in need of repair, helping rebuild cities devastated by this year’s vicious storms, and on and on.
Mr. President, with all due respect, in this matter you really aren’t showing a great deal of compassion and concern for the well-being of those who are suffering so much in this time of slow job creation and weak economic recovery.
GARY ECHOLS
LAS VEGAS
Heller’s immigration vote
To the editor:
Amnesty for illegal immigrants is not really a political issue. If the law were enforced, the juice would be squeezed out and the parasites who live off of this broken system would have to work for a living, and the businesses that abuse the system would have to pay “fairly” or be punished.
We expect politicians to lie, but usually not so blatantly as Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, who voted for the Senate’s immigration bill. I’m sure the casinos and others who rely on cheap labor will keep him solvent while we taxpayers subsidize their profits by paying for schools, health care and welfare that should be paid for by the employers through higher wages or direct assistance.
RON SWANSON
HENDERSON
Pedestrian crossing
To the editor:
When a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle, it seems as though the media’s focus is whether the person was in a marked crosswalk or not. Time after time, the report will say the victim was not in a marked crosswalk and the driver was not cited.
What kind of message is given? Is it open season on pedestrians not in a marked crosswalk? It shouldn’t matter where a human being is crossing. Drivers should be aware and pay attention. Every intersection should be considered a marked crosswalk. Should some paint on the pavement make a difference? If that is the case, the city had better start painting. The distance between marked crosswalks may be as much as a mile or more in some places.
Drivers who hit pedestrians should be held responsible for not being attentive.
GREGORY INWOOD
LAS VEGAS
NBA Draft
To the editor:
After reading about UNLV forward Anthony Bennett going first in this year’s NBA Draft (“Bennett shocked to go first,” Thursday Review-Journal) I have to ask this question: What happened to going to college and staying for four years to get a degree?
A degree is an invaluable resource that all athletes need to realize is more important than any placement in the draft. Your career in professional sports isn’t secure and can be gone in the blink of an eye. Just ask Jayson Williams, who played for the Bulls. After his rookie season, his career was over because of a motorcycle accident. Fortunately, he stayed at Duke and graduated before he went to the NBA. That was one smart choice he made.
These young athletes need four years of college to mature and make informed decisions in their best interests. As we have seen in the past, this rarely happens.
College shouldn’t be treated as a stepping stone to the pros. A degree is far more important. The NBA should make it mandatory that a player graduate with a degree before entering the draft. The NBA must put the futures of these young men ahead of greed.
MARLENE DROZD
LAS VEGAS
Gadget addiction
To the editor:
Yes, there is truth in retired Los Angeles teacher Jeff Alpert’s letter (“Get iPods, cellphones out of classrooms,” June 20). Mr. Alpert has volunteered the better portion of the past two years in local high school classrooms as a math coach. His letter reminded me of a sage old saying: “He who speaks the truth often talks to himself.”
These electronic devices are swallowing up all aspects of society. Sometimes for the good, but perhaps also to society’s detriment.
RAINER EBERT
LAS VEGAS
