Open Beltway bridge immediately

To the editor:

I thoroughly enjoyed your Oct. 25 editorial ("Bridge still closed") on opening the Lake Mead Boulevard-Las Vegas Beltway overpass.

We are talking about a bridge that all the citizens of Las Vegas paid for, not just a few people in Sun City Summerlin. This bridge issue would be funny, right up there with Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere," if keeping it closed did not add a great deal of mileage and inconvenience to anyone living in this area of Summerlin who is required to travel north on the Beltway every day.

At least the people of Alaska and federal pork watchdogs were able to stop the construction of the funny bridge. In Las Vegas, you pay for a functional and badly needed bridge and then are not allowed to use it! There is no excuse for this situation. The bridge and freeway access should be opened immediately for all the taxpayers in the area to use.

Bruce Canfield

LAS VEGAS

More wasteful spending

To the editor:

Thursday's story about the Las Vegas Valley Water District spending $180,000 decorating the sound wall along U.S. Highway 95 with lighted letters and giant animals is a perfect example of governmental arrogance. But that $180,000 pales in comparison to the $235 million budgeted to build the Las Vegas Springs Preserve.

All the money that's been spent on the Springs Preserve, with the promise that it would generate income from out-of-town visitors, is a joke, and we'll be paying for it for years to come. Ask any local and they'll tell you what a stupid idea it was to spend money generated from a commodity -- one that everyone needs to survive -- to build this wasteful project that requires a huge, ongoing monetary commitment. It was only $10 million in the red the first year, and the water district had to make up the difference.

Where did that come from? Many of us would be happy if it were a park with walkways and benches with a small memorial telling about the area. But no, everything had to be overdone so the powers that be could leave "a legacy" and "their mark" regardless of the cost to you and me.

When will we stand up and say no to wasteful spending? We don't need painted, distracting pictures on freeway walls. We need safe roads, clean water, good schools.

Where is their conscience? They should be ashamed. It's not their money, it's ours.

Denise Wilcox

HENDERSON

Brave boy

To the editor:

Thank you for keeping all your readers updated on Green Valley High School senior LaQuan Phillips, who was partially paralyzed in a football game earlier this season ("Dreams deferred," Thursday Review-Journal).

There are many people in the community, such as myself, who have been concerned and praying for him. Hence, we appreciate the articles about his progress and recovery.

Kathleen Fischer

LAS VEGAS

No compromise on care

To the editor:

As one of about 200 Nevadans awaiting a kidney transplant, I've followed the Review-Journal's coverage of the UMC certification with great interest ("UMC kidney center lives on," Saturday). It would have been regrettable if UMC had lost its certification, leaving Nevadans without transplant options close to home. On the other hand, it's critical for any transplant program to be held to the highest standards of treatment, accountability and outcomes.

Two years ago, I made the choice to be listed at UCLA rather than UMC, based on the advice of my nephrologist and my own research. The choice was further cemented by my health insurance provider, which would cover a transplant only at a recognized Center of Excellence. While a listing at UMC may have resulted in a shorter wait time for a cadaver donor (an average of two years in Nevada vs. five years in California) I am confident it's worth the wait for surgery at UCLA and the difficulties posed by recovering miles away from home. With 300 transplants a year, compared to 40 at UMC, UCLA offers a highly experienced, capable transplant team with a proven track record.

As with so many other serious health care issues, it's unfortunate that many Nevadans have to travel out of state for treatment. I wish there were an equivalent of the world-class Nevada Cancer Institute right here in Las Vegas for kidney transplants -- for me and for others waiting for that life-saving call. Until that day comes, however, we should refuse to compromise on the level of care Nevadans deserve.

Kathleen B. Callahan

HENDERSON