Right-wing nuts would reverse progress

Why do Republican members of Congress despise the middle class of our country so? They vote no, no, no for every piece of legislation designed to help the middle class, create jobs or help small business. Their obstructionism has slowed our recovery to a crawl and they still insist in shifting our middle class wealth upward to the richest 10 percent.

They do not mention that keeping the tax cuts on income below $250,000 benefits the middle class and the first quarter million earned by the over-rich or that the tax cut for the rich will add $700 billion to our 10-year deficit.

How can they vote against the small business bill when they helped formulate it, said it was a good piece of legislation before this administration adopted it, and have called again and again for help for small businesses to create jobs?

Our citizens cannot allow these Republicans to “take our country back” to the disastrous agenda of this past decade.

Democrats, please get out and vote this November for responsible candidates. Independents and progressives, please vote this November to stop the far right-wing nuts who are dedicated to reversing the little progress the GOP could not stop.

Danny Baker

Kingman, Ariz.

Harry being Harry

To the editor:

Harry Reid is trying to attach the Dream Act amnesty bill to the military spending bill to get it passed before the November election.

This is dishonest, manipulative and why people have come to such a level of disgust and distrust with Washington politics.

A bill should pass or fail on its own merit, not be deceptively included in a totally unrelated bill.

What does the Dream Act have to do with military spending? That would be nothing. It is just one way for Sen. Reid to try to sneak something past the voters to gain more votes, but we have come to expect this from Harry Reid.

Jeannette R. Wiley

Las Vegas

Biased reporter?

To the editor:

I read the Thursday article by Associated Press political analyst Liz Sidoti several times (“GOP riding wave of anger”). I don’t know who wrote the secondary headline — “Overall, it’s an extraordinary dreary backdrop for Obama’s beleaguered party” — but that sets the appropriate negative slant for the article.

The success of the Tea Party is not a gain for the Republican Party. I have never seen such a raggedy group of wing-nut GOP candidates at the national level — and I have been voting for 63 years. Ms. Sidoti’s projections (and rationale) of potential Republican gains in the November general elections are, to my mind, bogus.

An admittedly cursory review of the many articles by Ms. Sidoti convinced me that she is overtly biased toward the right wing. I will admit that she is a clever writer, Although she does cite a number of suspect polls, her general thrust is one of denunciation or dismissal of Barack Obama in particular and the Democratic Party in general.

David L. Sullivan

Las Vegas

Make jobs

To the editor:

I can no longer handle the rampant ignorance of letter writers and politicians; particularly ones such as Donald Bittle (“Tax cuts,” Sept. 15) and Sharron Angle, who continue to incorrectly state government funds do not create jobs.

Let me ask them all this question: Which private corporations are responsible for the expansion and maintenance of the wastewater and water treatment plants, roads or water lines, sewer pipes, and storm drains and related appurtenances?

Please tell me where to find these companies so I can rush over and apply for a position.

I lost my job as a civil engineering designer almost one year ago. My job was to design improvements and rehabilitation of the infrastructure mentioned above. Stimulus funds going to public works agencies would indeed create many jobs; first with private sector engineers and architects for the designs, then the private sector construction crews, managers and inspectors.

That would result in money spent with yet more private industry on the necessary materials and equipment to complete the projects. Those employees, in turn, boost the local economy buying clothing for work and food for lunches and breaks, transportation, etc. Just as is reported on the news each time a large convention comes to Las Vegas, or a three-day holiday occurs, the peripheral spending gives our entire economy a well needed shot in the arm.

And speaking of local economies and politicians, the public commissions and committees (made up of local politicians) responsible for awarding design contracts must begin to place more weight on firms who will employ local talent to accomplish the work, not ship the efforts to offices elsewhere around the country.

Paul Thornton

Las Vegas

No free lunch

To the editor:

Save your credit rating? TV and radio commercials — along with telemarketing calls — offer plans to reduce your credit card debt. They say you can save hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars in interest payments.

What the “hawkers” don’t tell you is that there are up-front costs of $2,000 to $3,000 paid to the negotiating firm.

The service also includes monthly fees and expenses paid by you.

After you settle the final payment and are “debt free,” you will receive a copy of a form sent by the bank or credit-card company to the IRS identifying the dollar amount of debt forgiveness. You will shortly thereafter receive notification from the IRS that you owe tax on this additional income.

So, you see, the government wins again.

Robert S. Tobias

Las Vegas