Public unions have excessive power, influence

To the editor:

Thanks for Scott Wyland's great Monday article, "Firefighters' disability pay called 'pretty sweet deal.' " I am sure many other readers also appreciated it.

I am becoming increasingly aware of the excessive power and influence that public employee unions have over our elected officials, including some of our county commissioners. It is becoming apparent to me that Commissioner Tom Collins is a very strong supporter of public unions (especially the firefighters union). Sometimes his excessive zeal in supporting firefighters union demands is contrary to the interests of his constituents.

Thankfully, the taxpayers have at least one county commissioner, in Steve Sisolak, who takes a more balanced position on these issues and actually considers the tax consequences of the outlandish compensation packages that the government unions have been able to extract.

I salute those commissioners who remember they have a responsibility to balance the budget and to not forget the voices of the lowly taxpayers.

Please continue with these public-interest articles.

Lewis Spitzer

Las Vegas

Reprehensible rhetoric

To the editor:

The vulgarity of the left in using the tragedy in Tucson to advance their political agenda while standing on a soapbox of corpses is reprehensible and should be rejected by all clear-thinking people.

It does, however, reveal the obscene nature of the left's mind-set and the lengths to which they are willing to go to silence political dissent while advancing tyranny.

They truly are masters of propaganda, but this display is beyond the pale even for them.

David Baker

Las Vegas