Raggio a man of honor and compassion

I was honored when state Sen. Bill Raggio asked me to author his biography. For decades, Sen. Raggio was recognized as the most skilled and knowledgeable of Nevada’s lawmakers and was widely admired for his prodigious intellect, extraordinary retention and keen political instincts, even among those who did not share his political philosophy.

Bill was a person of intense loyalty and (often-anonymous) compassion. In the course of my research, I came across literally hundreds of notes and letters thanking Senator Raggio for some act of kindness or generosity. It would be impossible to count the number of flowers and cards, calls of encouragement or congratulations, visits to sick beds, words of condolence or eulogies that Bill Raggio provided over the years; nor imagine where, among the demands of his personal and professional life, he found the time and the energy to be there for so many people.

He was also a person of honor. In what I found to be a remarkable illustration of consistency, nearly everyone I interviewed for the book voiced the identical phrase in describing him: “A man of his word.” Each of those utterances seemed tinged with a longing for a time past, when to have been otherwise would have been a disgrace.

Bill Raggio guided the state senate with a willingness to listen. His charm, patience and sense of fairness — balanced, when he felt it necessary, with an intimidating presence and an occasional calculated fit of temper — steered colleagues to acceptable compromises and kept that governing body functioning for decades. There were times I had to shake my head in amazement at his courage in the face of both physical danger, as a district attorney; and weighty matters of conscience, as a lawmaker.

I hope his example will help remind us all that intelligence, integrity, courage and compassion are not merely worthy and attainable virtues, but essential to the healthy governance of Nevada and our Nation.

MICHAEL ARCHER

RENO

Michael Archer is the author of “A Man of his Word: The Life and Times of Nevada’s Senator William J. Raggio.”

Audit union pay

To the editor:

Ruben Murillo writes about the proposed school diastrict bond issue: “But presenting the findings of a neutral auditor would certainly help remove the cloud of doubt and suspicion that currently surrounds this proposal” (“Time to invest in education,” March 4.)

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander: Present an independent audit of the union’s finances so everyone, member and taxpayers, can view them, remove any suspicion of wrongdoing and explain why more than 36 percent of the dues go to executive salaries.

SUE GRUE

LAS VEGAS

Tornado relief

To the editor:

I’m an independent voter, but this is what the four Republican presidential candidates should do as a group: Pledge to donate $500,000 from each of their campaign funds to the Red Cross to be used to aid the tornado victims.

It would show unity, in addition to compassion for the “average American.”

BILL WYCKOFF

LAS VEGAS