Which laws should we choose to enforce?
To the editor:
If I were a bar or restaurant owner who had a problem with the new nonsmoking law because of smokers who want to play slots and eat food, I would tell the Health District that I will enforce the rules when the government starts enforcing the illegal immigration laws that have been on the books for more than 40 years.
Gerald P. Kelly
LAS VEGAS
We’re shamed
To the editor:
I knew it. The Review-Journal, in its infinite wisdom, came up with the real cause of the current home mortgage crisis (Aug. 14 editorial).
Predatory lenders spend millions to entice prospective home buyers into the home market. Large numbers hoping to get a piece of the American dream — a home — are taken in by the scheme. Easy credit, low interest and available housing and they fall for it. The bottom falls out and people are hurt. Millions lose their homes.
George Bush doesn’t want to help the home buyers. John Edwards does and says that Mr. Bush is wrong, as usual.
The Review-Journal to the rescue. It was those "risky borrowers" who caused this debacle. They and their families deserve to lose their homes.
Except, where was Mr. Bush when the predatory lending was going on? Where was the Review-Journal?
You’re both doing what you always do. Protect the big-money interests, damn the victims and rail against anyone who needs help.
Review-Journal, you have no shame!
Charlie Waterman
LAS VEGAS
Double-shame
To the editor:
As a two-year subscriber to the Review-Journal, I find it disgusting how your editorials constantly whine about the Democratic Party wanting to raise taxes on the folks who can most afford to pay taxes — rich people, businesses, etc. — but you never complain about President Bush and his Republican Congress starting an endless war with lies.
Iraq will turn out just like Vietnam — and it’s wasting billions and billions of dollars that could have helped the people here in our own country, like the folks who suffered from Hurricane Katrina or the people who work hard every day but don’t have health insurance.
What a sad society the "good old USA" has become.
Eric Graham
LAS VEGAS
Trade wars
To the editor:
What will it take to awake the American people to the fact that we are being sold out by our political leaders, who put internationalism above Americanism?
In a rare example of political activism, concerned citizens forced Congress to abandon "comprehensive" illegal immigration reform. Both parties had pet provisions that would have weakened American sovereignty, continued wage competition, made border security less likely and allowed unpatriotic American employers to undercut American workers.
But get ready for the latest provision of NAFTA and the World Trade Organization, which will allow trucks from a Third World, corrupt government to travel on the CANAMEX highway to benefit "free trade" — not fair, equitable and reciprocal trade — between Canada and Mexico. If it is true that it will save Americans money by expediting traffic, won’t it also lessen security and cost Americans jobs? Will these savings increase drug trade and illegal immigration?
Remember all the promises of NAFTA and the WTO in 1994? We did indeed hear a big sucking sound as our industrial base fled to lower wages south of the border.
Remember the devaluation of the Mexican peso, which meant the Mexican workers didn’t benefit from the American worker’s sacrifice? Illegal immigration was supposed to slow or stop. Did it? Then Mexico lost industry to even lower-wage countries, in a dive to the bottom.
Illegal immigration and free trade that isn’t fair, equitable and reciprocal are connected. Don’t believe any politician who denies it.
frank perna
LAS VEGAS
Warming skeptic
To the editor:
I was around in the early 1970s, when Earth Day was promoted by the Nixon administration to divert attention from Vietnam and Watergate.
I was also around in the mid ’70s, when the youth took the next step and resorted to eco-terrorism after industry balked at wholesale dismemberment.
I was around in the late ’70s, when, under Jimmy Carter, the U.S. economy almost collapsed due to industry moving jobs overseas to friendlier business climates or simply closing doors. We were told to become burger chefs or computer Wall Street wizards.
So you will have to excuse me if I am a little skeptical of the latest cries about global warming. I wonder what the story will be in two years after an administration change takes place?
I believe it was Walter Lippman who once said that for every complex problem there is a simple solution — almost always wrong.
kent rischling
LAS VEGAS
Calderon speech
To the editor:
I am disappointed that an article as important as Monday’s "Mexico’s chief criticizes U.S." was buried on Page 6A. Comments as important as those made by President Felipe Calderon should have been on your front page.
Don’t you think that you need to make people aware that the president of the country that produced the "How to sneak into America and not get caught" pamphlet stated in his first state of the union speech that "Mexico does not end at its borders," and "Where there is a Mexican there is Mexico"? Isn’t this more of an attack on this country than that coming from Iraq?
Dan Stegemann
LAS VEGAS
Republic pickup
To the editor:
I always run out of room in my recycling crates. I decided to contact Republic Services and request a couple of extra crates. The reply was "The order has been placed for the red and for the white bins. Due to a delay in shipment with our supplier, it may be 4-6 weeks for delivery. Thank you in advance for your patience."
It is not encouraging if Republic has no extra crates for those of us who do want to recycle.
I have been recycling since I moved into my home in Henderson 14 years ago. I am amazed at how lazy so many people are that they can’t use the recycling system, which is very good for our environment. The only thing I have to admit: It won’t help if people can’t get the crates.
I think it is time the county moved ahead, pressed Republic Services for a better system and encouraged everyone in Clark County to recycle. But I don’t understand why schedules for regular garbage pickup have to change. The contract calls for Republic Services to pick up twice a week and I see no reason to change that.
Gerald Maske
HENDERSON
