Time to beef up state’s public records statute

Henderson’s brazen demand for $3,000 to merely search for possible public records demonstrates why the state’s public record law needs more teeth (“RJ sues over documents,” Wednesday Review-Journal). By suing the city, the Review-Journal is pursuing the only option available. But most citizens do not have the time or resources to pursue a lawsuit on their own, leaving them with no viable alternative to access the information to which they are entitled.

The Legislature should consider amending the law to allow alternative remedies such as assigning the attorney general’s office or an independent ombudsman to investigate complaints of non-compliance. The law should also be amended to include stronger penalties for governments found to be in non-compliance, such as sanctions or a multiplier of the prevailing plaintiff’s attorney fees.

These improvements would ensure the public records act applies to all, not just those who are able to pursue costly litigation.

Robert Fellner

Las Vegas

Trump delivers

Well it looks like that racist, sexist, bigot Donald Trump is at it again. Carrier is not moving jobs to Mexico and Ford Motor Co. changed its mind about moving a few weeks ago. Now all of these jobs stay in our country. I guess when Trump said “America First” he meant it.

So maybe more protests are in order — you know the ones at which people display big signs saying “Stop The Hate” right before they burn the police cars.

David Dandrea

Henderson

Made in China

Adam Minter’s Monday commentary, “Sorry, Trump: iPhones should still be made in China,” was ridiculous and insulting. Submitting that such an endeavor is too tricky or complex — and outside the bandwidth of our country’s capability — shows a lack of understanding about manufacturing and what is involved in production.

This fairy tale goes on about how over time our domestic manufacturing capacity could not compete with the high volumes and the supply source development. Mr. Minter reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook says that we would need 8,700 industrial engineers and 200,000 assembly line workers. That’s it? That is the list? And this is over our heads?

I am an industrial engineer with more than 40 years in manufacturing. In a nutshell, industrial engineers take a production-ready design to their bench and develop a process for manufacturing it to whatever volume requirements are requested. They also develop costs attendant to this process along the way. They direct the procurement of physical space, equipment and tooling along with operator position descriptions and training materials. When the process is in place, and production runs according to the times and dollars engineered, they are done.

I assume Mr. Cook has seen his phones being built. I myself had an opportunity to see them built at Foxconn in Taiwan. Any American manufacturing professional who has seen it understands exactly why Apple got involved with them. There is no ACLU or union for the iPhone workers and their “hiring” is the equivalent of conscription.

I challenge Apple to have American engineering professionals develop a manufacturing requirements plan complete with material sourcing, cost roll-up and zero defect quality plan. And, if the company does, it should pick its guys on the basis of how much time they have spent of the shop floor – require, say, 10,000 hours of experience. I am saying it: They will not only deliver, but working with Apple’s existing processes they will slash costs and bring it in cheaper than China.

Jim Cassidy

Henderson

Sun going down

I hope one of the many government regulations/laws to soon be eliminated under our new president is the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970. I’d like to see the Las Vegas Sun sink or swim on its own merits. I’ll take the under on whatever line you propose.

Benly Rasmussen

Las Vegas