How much you spend makes a difference
To the editor:
I am an educator of 21 years in the Clark County School District and agree with the governor that education needs help. But the governor's plan to threaten teachers' livelihoods to spark "reform" is ridiculous.
We have one of the lowest per-pupil funding levels in the nation, and his stance is that, "It's not how much you spend, but how you spend it." This strikes me as hypocritical since the governor is an alumnus of Bishop Manogue High School in Reno, where the amount spent per student is now almost $12,000 per year. If money is not part of the solution, why did his parents feel the need to spend so much on him?
James Valenzuela
Las Vegas
Gibbons clone?
To the editor:
So, Gov. Brian Sandoval wants to eliminate my step increase, cut my pay 5 percent, increase the number of students I teach, get rid of my due process rights where my career is concerned, and hold me accountable for any student who opts not to do work or study for my courses?
Wait a minute ... I thought Jim Gibbons lost the Republican primary.
Greg Grant
Las Vegas
Pay grade
To the editor:
In response to the Wednesday editorial, "Shameless spin":
I would like to know just how the Review-Journal plans to privatize public safety. Do we fire all commissioned police officers and replace them with "rent-a-cops"? Do we lay off all firefighters only to revert to all-volunteer fire departments?
The argument that those in the private sector pay the wages of those of us in the public sector is lacking one important piece of information. Just in case anybody is wondering, yes, even those of us working in the public sector pay our fair share of taxes, too. Hard to believe, I know.
Those of us in the public sector are here by choice. Last I knew, government jobs are offered on an open and competitive basis, meaning that the testing/hiring process is available to everyone, not just a chosen few.
And finally, just why does the Review-Journal care about how much money those in the public sector earn? I could not care less about how much a Review-Journal editor makes.
Time to start singing a different tune, Review-Journal. This one is getting old.
Gary Mahoney
Las Vegas
Real world
To the editor:
I am not sure what world President Barack Obama is in. During his State of the Union address, he talked about accomplishments that didn't take place or failed. He talked about "accomplishments" because he wanted things to be as he dreamed. Just because his Teleprompter says it is so, does not make it so.
President Obama is not in the real world.
Having President Obama talk about deficit reduction is like having an alcoholic talk about why it is best you never take a drink. After two years, he is going to focus on jobs? Had he done that in the beginning, most of the problems would be getting better.
It is time that Americans take back our government and make sure those in Washington know that they work for us, we do not work for them.
Ken Fleck
Las Vegas
No insight
To the editor:
I must have blinked, because after listening to Barack Obama's alleged State of the Union address I have not learned anything about the current status of the country or what the president is planning to do to improve it.
Perhaps if Mr. Obama had actually had a real job sometime during his adult life he might have a better appreciation of what it takes to live when you are not on the receiving end of some government program.
Gerald Lock
Las Vegas
Housing costs
To the editor:
Thank you for printing Danny Tarkanian's Sunday commentary, " 'Streamline refinancing' would help local housing market."
Mr. Tarkanian understands that Las Vegas homeowners who are current on their mortgages need more respect and creative solutions.
As a licensed Realtor in Las Vegas for the past 30 years, I cannot agree more with his ideas. Streamline refinancing in a market where housing values have declined 60 percent to 70 percent would be a tremendous help for homeowners all over the valley. It's time the banks began providing customer service for all their customers, not just those who are already behind. A proactive approach that would allow homeowners to take action before they have fallen into bankruptcy and/or foreclosure would save the banks millions of dollars and reduce the glut of short-sale and foreclosed homes on the market. That alone would help our housing market begin to recover some of its lost value.
As Mr. Tarkanian also pointed out, the money homeowners save through streamline refinancing can then be used in other ways that benefit our community. Whether they use it to remodel a bathroom, upgrade their landscaping or go out for dinner and a movie, that money puts locals to work.
Even if the homeowners put that money into retiring other debt, it still increases their ability to make future purchases, which will keep locals working.
Danny Tarkanian is a thinking man who wants to see his city, Las Vegas, recover from the banks' greed, lack of ethics and lack of accountability to their customers. I applaud him.
Ellen Ross
Las Vegas
