Vote Democrat – the party of ‘know’
To the editor:
One party wants to improve the economy, and the other wants to return to the failed policies of the past. One party is offering ideas supported by economists, and one just says no.
One party supports Main Street, the other Wall Street. One party wants to strengthen Social Security, the other wants to limit or eliminate it. One party supports a woman's right to choose, and the other wants to take it away.
One party wants everyone to have medical care, and the other supports the insurance industry. One party supports education, and the other would eliminate the Department of Education. One party supports workers, and the other supports big business and the wealthy.
One party got us out of the war in Iraq, and the other lied to get us into that war. One party wants to regulate banks, and the other want to deregulate and protect their rich friends.
If you want to improve your circumstances, you need to vote Democrat. If the Republicans gain control again, I fear it will be worse than the last time.
Vote the party of "know," not the party of "no." Vote Democrat.
John Marchese
Henderson
Punching bag
To the editor:
As an educator here in Clark County, I vacillated between boiling and shaking my head as I read the Sunday newspaper's commentary, "The test scores from hell." I get tired of being the punching bag for media and politicians who have not been in a classroom for years and have no clue as to what teachers go through on a daily basis.
Teachers do not set policy or curriculum, but we are expected to follow it. Yet once again, the annual surplus of students has had a horrible effect on hundreds of students, including one of my own children. My middle schooler had three of his six classes changed, and two of his new teachers are long-term subs.
My understanding is they are not licensed to teach the subject matter.
Not only that, but as I write this, the science teacher has no equipment and the English teacher may be replaced next semester by a current student teacher.
Does this scream "quality education" to anyone? I hope not.
Jan Fisher
Las Vegas
Shame, shame
To the editor:
It is with deep regret that I note the Review-Journal's endorsement of Sharron Angle for the U.S. Senate (Sunday editorial). Whether you like him or not, Majority Leader Harry Reid has been a tried and true public servant who has done his best for his country and Nevada as he has seen.
The choice between Sen. Reid and Ms. Angle is easy for anyone who asks who is best qualified to represent us in Congress.
Ms. Angle has proved over and over she has trouble adequately representing herself. You have allowed your dislike for Sen. Reid to drive you to a decision that is the equivalent of biting off your nose to spite your face.
It has been obvious for months that there has been a campaign by the Review-Journal to put some tenuous "anti-Harry" twist on some story on the cover of every possible issue. Shame on you and shame on the voters who turn one of our valuable senatorial seats over to Ms. Angle.
Edward Carroll
Las Vegas
Big fall
To the editor:
In response to your Wednesday story, "Roads rated a priority":
Motorists pay an 18-cent federal tax, an 18-cent state tax, a 6-cent county tax and a 9-cent optional tax per gallon of gasoline. State Sen. Mike Schneider, chairman of the Energy, Infrastructure and Transportation Committee, said fuel taxes haven't been raised in nearly two decades. He also said there is a $7 billion shortfall in the state's transportation fund.
Well, Mr. Schneider, let me tell you about a shortfall.
I have worked for 40 years and I have lost two-thirds of what I have worked for. Shortfall? No, that was a big fall. What happened to me happened to many people. We are in the same boat. I feel if you do not have the money (taxes) to spend, do not spend the money.
I could buy many things I would like to have on credit, but I do not because I cannot raise my income to pay for them. I cannot tell someone else, "I need more money and you must pay my bills."
I say no to any new taxes. Start cutting back on your spending.
Tony Tortorich Jr.
Las Vegas
Real culprits
To the editor:
I can sure understand the anger and frustration of public schoolteachers when confronted with the rules of merit pay programs and No Child Left Behind.
It's probably the same anger and frustration of a bank robber asked to be accountable for paying taxes on her stash.
Teachers and their unions have become lazy, ineffective, overpaid louts whose main concerns are more pay, less work and more benefits -- and I've had that told to me by more than one teacher union president.
Today's students are not taught to grade level. They're pushed along to the next grade whether they've passed or not, there are huge truancy rates, and failure to graduate from high school has probably never been higher in contemporary history.
Then, the moment a teacher retires from her job, she's quick to bad-mouth lousy parenting as the reason behind her teaching failures, but while teaching she never displayed the courage to blame the real culprits for fear of losing her job.
Instead of accommodating lousy parenting with latchkey-type programs and cushy grading systems, teachers and their unions should have had the guts to stand up to the cause of their classroom problems. But they didn't. So, as far as I'm concerned, they should all be put in jail for misappropriation of public funds.
S. HORNER
ST. GEORGE, UTAH
