Teamster takeover would benefit local teachers

To the editor:

I would like to comment on the June 29 article concerning the attempt of the Teamsters to organize Clark County teachers.

As a teacher in Clark County for the past 21 years and a former member of the Classroom Teachers Association, I strongly support the effort of the Teamsters. During the 1980s, the local teachers union was a very effective organization that represented teacher rights and benefits. Since that time there has been a steady decrease in the strength of this union.

I left the union when it became an ineffective organization. There is no strong leadership in this organization and all the members get are shoulder shrugs when the Legislature and governor fail to support teacher benefit issues. And a large part of the union dues go to Democratic legislative candidates, who then fail to support teacher pay raises.

The teacher shortage in Clark County is getting worse each year. The word is out at colleges and universities: Clark County teacher benefits are poor when compared with many other fast-growing districts. A new teacher starting in Clark County with a bachelor’s degree cannot afford to buy a home. Not even with a master’s degree can many qualify.

The teacher union does not represent teachers adequately. That is why we need a clean sweep and a new guy on the block to adequately represent teacher interests and, ultimately, education of all students in this county.

WILLIAM THOMAS

HENDERSON

In and out

To the editor:

As to the Sunday column by Vin Suprynowicz about global warming, the threat of CO? (carbon dioxide) is also attributed to people exhaling. This phenomenon has been going on since man has been on Earth. My solution for this problem is to allow only certain people to exhale.

For instance, if all politicians stopped exhaling, we would have taken a good step toward ending this problem.

LLOYD JOHNSON

PAHRUMP

Health care

To the editor:

Dr. Anthony Marlon’s Sunday letter outlines broad reasons why a merger of Sierra Health Services with its only significant competitor would be a good thing. More resources, updated technology, largely the same administrators, etc. But Sierra has already done a good job with HPN and Senior Dimensions, thus its large share of the local market compared to UnitedHealth’s product, Secure Horizons.

Unfortunately, Dr. Marlon does not address what we under Sierra’s umbrellas are most concerned about. What is going to happen to co-pays, the very affordable prescription coverages, other component services, and providers able to negotiate beneficial reimbursement rates that encourage their enthusiastic participation?

In our society, competition is almost universally good, virtual monopoly is rarely so. Sierra is the provider of choice for a clear majority of Southern Nevada managed-care patients for a reason.

One cannot suppose that other major carriers will come into our insular situation to provide meaningful competition. Go 200 miles in any direction and we do not run into major population centers, where multiple carriers exist and where some would be more inclined to enter a single-carrier, newly monopolized situation. Where would those only able to afford managed care turn?

There may be nothing wrong with UnitedHealth per se, but Sierra’s decision to sell out to its only local competition is not in the best interests of our citizens.

RICHARD CONNER

LAS VEGAS

Illegal fireworks

To the editor:

Today, my family won’t be going to any of the fine fireworks displays in the valley. We won’t be because we don’t feel safe leaving home.

Our neighborhood, like all of the neighborhoods in the valley, is filled with neighbors who feel it is their duty to put on amateur firework displays (usually while drunk) to rival many of the biggest professional ones. So we stay home and ask anyone shooting off their fireworks to at least move down the street.

If you call the police they won’t come and ticket anyone — they just want you to fill out a complaint after the fact. So the police just ignore the problem and pretend there is nothing that can be done to prevent these shenanigans.

I realize the police can’t respond to every compliant. But if the police have a few dedicated patrol cars driving through neighborhoods and ticketing offenders, they won’t help but be able to spot a few groups shooting off illegal fireworks. If word got out that the police were actually going to put a stop to this, it would stop.

One can only dream of a happy and sane Fourth of July.

George Raymond

LAS VEGAS