Sisolak deserves kudos for taking on firefighters
To the editor:
Peter Haslehurst’s Saturday letter to the editor (“Firefighters don’t deserve the outrage”) blames Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak for alerting the public to the theft of funds by dishonest firefighters. He cites decisions by arbitrators to reinstate two terminated Clark County firefighters as proof of their innocence. In reality, one arbitrator said that one firefighter should be reinstated because a lot of firefighters were gaming the system, so why punish only her. That was not a declaration of innocence.
Since the county exposed the department’s sick-leave abuse, firefighter sick time has dropped 57,000 hours over two years. That clearly indicates more than a few firefighters were stealing sick-time hours.
Mr. Sisolak should be commended. Unlike other commissioners who chose to remain silent – to protect union support for their re-election – he chose to stand up and represent the taxpayers.
And, yes, firefighters do deserve the outrage. Millions of dollars were taken from public funds to pay for fraudulent overtime.
Mike Anthony
Las Vegas
Sacrificing limb
To the editor:
Thank you for printing Peter L. Haslehurst’s letter on Saturday (“Firefighters don’t deserve the outrage”). I would like to point out to Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak that over the years, there have been a hell of a lot more corrupted politicians trying to escalate their status on the taxpayer dollar than firefighters or police officers, who are sacrificing life and limb to protect society.
If heads need to roll, it must be only at the top. Stop condemning those have the ingenuity to better their existing condition.
Today’s politicians appear to be a different breed compared to days of the Roosevelt, Reagan and Kennedy, when public welfare was at the forefront. Today we have billionaires contributing millions of dollars to candidates who may not even be qualified to serve the public. Where is Mr. Sisolak on this debacle?
Don Ellis
Henderson
Blaming taxpayers?
To the editor:
I could not believe the Saturday letter to the editor by retired fireman Peter L. Haslehurst. The audacity.
Members of the Clark County Fire Department are damn lucky they are not being investigated under the RICO statute as an organized crime syndicate. They have been colluding for years to increase their paychecks and retirements at taxpayer expense. Public servants making $150,000 to $250,000 a year – not counting free gym memberships – and working only half the month?
Mr. Haslehurst talks about eating smoke and losing sleep. He wants hero status. He even evokes 9/11. Las Vegas is 2,600 miles from Ground Zero. He brings up how tough he’s had it for 30 years. The rest of us can’t retire at age 50. Our working life is 40 to 50 years.
Mr. Haslehurst talks about the two fired employees who were reinstated by the arbitrator, like they now have their reputations back. Nobody now believes they are innocent. They were the tip of the iceberg. And if Mr. Haslehurst is so sure he didn’t do anything wrong, why then did he scrape off his Fire Department bumper sticker. Shame?
Mr. Haslehurst finishes his letter by rubbing the taxpayers noses in it by saying, “Blame yourselves.” What world does he live in? That blame belongs somewhere else.
Mike Murphy
Pahrump
No sympathy
To the editor:
In response to the letter from firefighter Peter L. Haslehurst, who was concerned about his image: After reading that one firefighter made more than $490,000 last year, my sympathy is gone. You put out fires.
Jerry Sturdivant
Las Vegas
