Las Vegas the dumbest city? That’s just dumb
To the editor:
I was disappointed to see the article "Dumb, dumber -- and we're dumbest?" above the fold on Page One in the Oct. 27 Review-Journal. To afford it such prominence plays into the hand of those who want to knock Las Vegas.
My office often gets calls and e-mails about the latest silly poll that is taking a shot at Las Vegas or praising our great city. The one thing they all have in common is that the websites, newspapers, magazines and pollsters who come up with these rankings all understand that if they want some media attention, they should include Las Vegas at the top or bottom of their polls.
That's understandable, since Las Vegas is the world's premier tourism destination with the best hotels, entertainment, restaurants and boutique shopping. It comes with the territory when you are on top.
The outlandish notion, however, that Las Vegas is America's "dumbest city" because our citizens don't buy as many non-fiction books as other cities, among other silly criteria, is, well, dumb.
Las Vegas is home to an ever-increasing number of premier medical institutions, such as the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Nevada Cancer Institute. We are building a new epicenter for the arts with the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. I have to think that the men and women who run our world-class resorts rank pretty well when it comes to IQ. After all, they have been smart enough to build an industry that attracts millions of people from around the world to Las Vegas.
In the past, I have said I don't really have much time for dumb people, so that's why I live in Las Vegas, where what happens here stays here. Come to think of it, whoever thought of that brand was pretty smart, too. I'm pretty sure he or she was from Las Vegas.
Oscar B. Goodman
Las Vegas
The writer is mayor of Las Vegas.
Quake zone
To the editor:
Speaking of stupid Las Vegans, I had an experience similar to the one Bruce Schowers had (Oct. 29 letter).
Upon moving here from Southern California, I was having a conversation with a hair stylist and nail technician at my neighborhood salon regarding the feasibility of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. My husband was employed with the project at that time.
The hair stylist said to me: "We can't build that at Yucca Mountain -- the San Andreas fault runs right underneath it." The nail tech told me, "Do your homework."
Whoa? Really? Go online to USGS.gov and do your homework if you, too, think this statement is true.
Yup, Mr. Schowers, it's definitely not your imagination. Dummies abound in Las Vegas.
Annemarie B. Kubicek
Las Vegas
Dumb DMV?
To the editor:
In response to the Tuesday letter, "Be afraid of DMV notice -- be very afraid":
While trying to renew my plates online, I too was informed that I had never had insurance and could be fined. We have had car insurance here for more than 20 years.
But it seems the DMV has new computers, and the information submitted must be exactly as it appears on the title. Even if there are errors in spelling, etc. DMV informed me I would have to go to the office, take the car out of our family trust, re-title it and submit the information again. At our expense.
This has evidently been an ongoing problem. Luckily, a great insurance agent patiently asked for the data from the title, including typos and omissions, and faxed them a copy of our policy. It took numerous phone calls and tremendous stress to get this fixed. It happened again with our second car.
The agent said this was happening a lot in Nevada. Are we really the dumbest people in the country -- or is it just the DMV?
Judith Skomars
Las Vegas
Go fish
To the editor:
After I read the story detailing how Las Vegas is now the "dumbest" city, I read the Road Warrior column (Review-Journal, Wednesday). A resident wrote, wanting to know if he needed a special permit to fish off the new bypass bridge at Hoover Dam, 900 feet above the Colorado River.
Priceless.
John Devine
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Kill joys
To the editor:
I am glad I don't have neighbors like Dr. Lonnie Hammargren has ("Hammargren cancels annual tour of his memorabilia-laden home," Oct. 26 Review-Journal). I was planning to go with my wife and grandson to his Nevada Day open house. It was canceled, and neighbor complaints is a main reason.
It is too bad that they cannot endure this "hardship" one day out of 365 so the rest of us residents can see what he has worked so hard to assemble.
My grandson is very disappointed, and so am I.
William H. Isaac II
Henderson
