To fix crisis, vote incumbents out

To the editor:

After reading so many articles, editorials and letters to the editor, we should be able to come to a consensus where the real blame for the current economic crisis lies: with us.

The problem is more than corporate greed; the cause of the problem is that both political parties, under the influence of well-heeled lobbyists, created and passed legislation detrimental to the electorate. But we keep voting the same people back to Washington to do "to us" and not "for us."

We have a chance, with the national elections so close, to vote out the incumbents, regardless of party affiliation, and vote in someone new. If, by the time of their re-election, these people have proved to be self-serving, we should vote them out and new ones in. Somewhere down the line, maybe the politicians will get the message.

Charles Wise

MESQUITE

More to come

To the editor:

Congress recently spent $300 billion of taxpayer money to keep people in houses they can't afford, telling us it had to be done to "save our economy." It didn't work. Now these same politicians want $700 billion (as they blame "greedy" Wall Street) for the financial mess we find ourselves in.

With this $700 billion, Congress will have spent $1 trillion (that's "1" with 12 zeros, taxpayers) of our hard-earned dollars and won't even give us odds if it will solve the problem. Common sense tells me it won't, because the laws that got us into this mess (Congress forcing lenders to give loans to unworthy borrowers) are still on the books.

I will bet a dollar to a doughnut Congress will be demanding more of our money next year.

Robert Gardner

HENDERSON

Partisan games

To the editor:

I am proud of the U.S. House of Representatives members who voted nay on the bailout proposal. It has impacted my retirement assets and probably will continue to do so until a resolution is reached. I can live with the personal impact.

What I am most disappointed in, regarding this entire process, is the partisanship of this process. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have taken every opportunity to place blame and point fingers, rather than work to solve the crises. My level of respect for these two individuals could not be any lower. Beginning with the energy crisis, they have mishandled every opportunity to help solve the problems our country faces.

Jim Horsley

HENDERSON

Conflict of interest

To the editor:

Regardless of the details of the financial bailout plan, all congressmen who vote on this turkey should return all donations from the companies that will benefit from the plan, including subsidiaries, affiliates and quasi-governmental agencies such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The politicians would have us believe that the evil Wall Street bankers caused this mess, but it has become very clear the primary cause was faulty legislation passed by Congress. They are the root of the problem, and now they want taxpayers to bail them out. Their vote on this plan represents a massive conflict of interest, and in addition to returning campaign contributions, each representative and senator should resign.

We need new leadership that represents the American people.

Bob Anderson

LAS VEGAS

Controversial DVD

To the editor:

I have the DVD "Obsession," and I don't understand what Yasser Moten, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Nevada, finds at fault (Saturday letter to the editor). He claims that the movie, which was distributed in Sunday newspapers across the country as a paid advertisement, "demonizes all Muslims as bloodthirsty orcs hell-bent on annihilating Western civilization."

After years of watching news on TV, all I ever saw was Muslims dancing while the Twin Towers went down on 9/11. I also saw the results of them mutilating dead Americans, burning U.S. and Israeli flags, calling for the destruction of the only democracy in the Middle East, and many other signs of delight at what they do in the name of their religion. I also hear about the many threats and demands they make throughout Europe to get changes to the way of life in those countries. They have video games for kids that involve killing Jews and then protest if we have a video game that involves killing terrorists.

Why do we not see them or their religious leaders condemning the terrorists?

Robert Raider

HENDERSON