Don’t water down air pollution regulations
To the editor:
Due to the recent changes in congressional leadership, the EPA's power to regulate air pollution could soon be severely limited. While some praise this change, complaining that it is too difficult to comply with strong air pollution standards, this must be recognized as an incredibly shortsighted argument.
It seems that attempting to comply with current air pollution standards has proved so difficult that a cement plant in Northern Nevada was recently cited for air pollution violations dating back eight years at the very least, according to a recent story in Northern Nevada Business Weekly. While these violations were going unchecked, between 100 and 250 workers at the plant were exposed to dangerous pollution, including mercury emissions.
Focusing on the difficulty of compliance now only means more pollution, more fines and less revenue in the future. EPA pollution standards are not meant to put the polluter out of business -- they are meant to make that business more sustainable and less destructive to its neighbors. Instead of allowing polluters to do all they can to evade regulations, let's urge businesses to consider the reason behind those regulations in the first place.
Leah Yudin
Las Vegas
The writer is a state field associate with Environment Nevada, an environmental advocacy organization
Taking care
To the editor:
In Sunday's Review-Journal, letter writer Henry Schmidt suggested that Republicans take an ax to Social Security and Medicare. Perhaps Mr. Schmidt would just prefer to round up seniors and put them away somewhere to die.
The people receiving these benefits paid into the system all of their working lives and did not whine about it the way some members of today's generation do.
I agree there must be spending cuts: How about cutting earmarks, $600 toilet seats or the billions of dollars shipped out in foreign aid?
Let's take care of our own, especially those who worked and paid into the system.
Tony Amodeo
Las Vegas
Harry's fault
To the editor:
It seems the MGM Harmon Hotel at CityCenter might be demolished because of construction defects. Thanks again for saving even more jobs in Nevada by rescuing CityCenter, Sen. Harry Reid.
And, by the way, the cost of my health insurance will increase 50 percent next year.
Dennis Rich
Las Vegas
Strong mayor
To the editor:
Geoff Schumacher is on the money. In his Friday column, "Boring won't cut it," Mr. Schumacher laments the end of the reign of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. Term limits prevent him from running in 2011.
Mr. Schumacher says we don't need a "boring" mayor to replace Mr. Goodman. Instead, he says, we need a mayor like former Mayor Jan Jones or Oscar -- someone "who attracts the national spotlight and knows what to do when the camera rolls."
I agree with Mr. Schumacher. What do you think?
Clyde Dinkins
Las Vegas
Tough choices
To the editor:
President Barack Obama's deficit reduction commission has told us what we all know but don't want to hear: Social Security benefits, farm subsidies and a number of other sacred cows must be reduced to prevent economic meltdown.
So what does Nancy Pelosi say? This is "simply unacceptable." Ms. Pelosi represents the party of no, not the Republicans. The people know they must make sacrifices now to prevent a collapse later, and they have just voted for Washington to address the problem.
Please -- don't let 2012 politics get in the way of our future.
Tom Keller
Henderson
Back to life
To the editor:
All Republican legislators who won re-election or were elected for the first time in 2010 should send thank you cards to Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. That threesome saved the Republican Party.
After eight years of George W. Bush, the Republican Party was in shambles. It was like a drowning man going down for the third time.
Had the Democrats, in 2008, elected a traditional fiscal conservative president, there would probably not be a Republican Party today. However, the Democrats elected a socialist-leaning president who had two willing generals in Sen. Reid and Speaker Pelosi. Their extreme socialist agenda was like giving mouth-to-mouth to the Republicans and brought the Grand Old Party back to life.
VERLON BERKEMEYER
North Las Vegas
Fair trade
To the editor:
The biggest problem facing America today is unemployment. There is only one way to create jobs in America, and that is to bring back the jobs that we exported to other nations.
The solution is simple yet difficult: Change all of our trade policies. Tell all nations that they must buy from us the same dollar amounts that we buy from them.
Additionally, any nation with which we now have a deficit trade balance must buy an additional 10 percent from us until we are even. Nations can trade purchases with each other for credits.
Many people will say that such a policy will create havoc and unemployment with nations that are our "trading partners." True, but we must take care of our citizens first. We cannot help other people if we are not well ourselves.
Remember that charity begins at home.
NATHAN SONNENFELD
Henderson
