Who wants to work for nothing half the year?

To the editor:

Sunday’s letter to the editor, “There’s no free lunch,” expressed frustration and accused the Review-Journal opinion staff of “whining about Democrats wanting to raise taxes” at all levels. Well, put me down as a citizen who agrees with the Review-Journal.

I’m a Republican who works for nothing until May 1 to satisfy the taxes that I already owe to my government — federal, state and county. I’m more interested in finding ways to conserve, cut back, stop pork-barrel waste and establish new laws mandating strict accountability on every agency when it comes to every dime they spend. There is none now.

There is hardly an agency — excluding maybe education and law enforcement — that could not operate properly with a 20 percent reduction in money. Most agencies nearing the end of their fiscal year blindly spend money they never needed so they can maintain their overpayment for the next fiscal year.

If the Democratic agenda — on immigration, national health care and cash payments to everyone — is enacted following the 2008 election, I figure my days working for free won’t be over until July 30 every year.

bruce addis

ST. GEORGE, UTAH

Useful idiots

To the editor:

During the Russian revolution, V.I. Lenin called sympathetic foreigners “useful idiots.” Today in Venezuela, leftist president Hugo Chavez has been basking in the “glow” of entertainment celebs.

Most recently Naomi Campbell came, inanely gushing about the “love and encouragement” Chavez gives to welfare programs. Not to be outdone, Sean Penn recently spent a day with Chavez being simply conned into believing Venezuela was “a great country.”

These two and a multitude of similar simple leftist do not seem at all troubled by Chavez’s penchant for harassing opposition leaders and the media, or his ridiculous plan to change the country’s constitution so he can keep the presidency indefinitely. It’s the same old stuff with supposed intellectuals and celebrities always on the lookout for a revolutionary enemy of the United States to “idealize” whether it’s the Soviet Union, Nicaragua or Cuba.

Today Venezuela takes the booby prize. Chavez may be an anti-democratic thug, but he thoroughly hates George Bush and takes the time to make very simple-minded renegades such as Mr. Penn finally feel important.

For a celebrity who lives in “an annoyingly unrevolutionary country” like the United States, that apparently is enough.

tom luscher

LAS VEGAS

True Americans?

To the editor:

I’m an American and a Korean War veteran, and I love my country. I’m also a Democrat who doesn’t approve of the job President Bush is doing, not only in Iraq, but in many of his other endeavors.

For this, my patriotism is being questioned by my conservative friends, who call me a traitor and claim that I don’t support the troops because I don’t give unswerving support for Mr. Bush’s Iraq War. They also consider the Democratic presidential candidates in the same light, often using foul words to describe them.

This is nonsense, of course. We Americans may not have the same political views, but that doesn’t mean we’re not patriotic. In fact, members of our military are fighting so that we can express dissent if we’re not happy with the efforts of our political leaders.

So let’s calmly discuss the war and other events, and stop this nonsense that only one group can be the only true Americans.

Richard J. Mundy

LAS VEGAS

Judicial hellhole

To the editor:

Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Saitta’s resumé inflation of and by itself isn’t the end of the world. But it’s the latest telling example of a growing credibility gap in Nevada’s judicial system (“Errant assertions about her academic past cause Saitta to lose credibility,” Nov. 19 Jane Ann Morrison column).

Corruption, kickbacks and pay-to-play justice have been especially well-documented in Clark County, where self-interest too often seems to trump judicial credibility and integrity. Judges routinely approve fees or rule on cases that benefit friends, business associates and campaign contributors without reporting these potential conflicts.

Such questionable practices are drawing increasing national attention, and no one in Clark County should be surprised if my organization’s annual “Judicial Hellholes’ report, to be released next month, cites the jurisdiction among the nation’s worst when it comes to administering civil justice in a fair and balanced manner.

Darren McKinney

WASHINGTON, D.C.

THE WRITER IS WITH THE AMERICAN TORT REFORM ASSOCIATION.

Justice denied

To the editor:

Does anybody else find it ironic that Atlanta Falcon’s quarterback Michael Vick had begun serving up to five years in prison for running a dog-fighting ring while Tennessee Titans cornerback “Pacman” Jones, a key figure in the shooting and subsequent paralyzing of Tommy Urbanski, cuts a deal with local prosecutors for mere probation?

Perhaps if local prosecutors put a little effort into their jobs to obtain justice instead of just making easy deals, we wouldn’t have the high rate of crime we endure in Las Vegas.

J.J. Schrader

HENDERSON