LETTERS

'I gotta have mine' attitude far too prevalent

To the editor:

I attended last month's town hall discussion of the governor's proposed cuts in education at Green Valley High School. As you would expect, the bulk of the audience was from the side that sees themselves as losing if there are cuts made: teachers, students and the like.

As citizens took their turns to speak, I heard a constant flow of specious, immaterial and false arguments, tugging on the emotions. Facts were rare. And the most common theme seemed to be "take from someone else, not from me." The crowd cheered all of these.

The other side was heard from only occasionally.

One of those was Victor Joecks of the Nevada Policy Research Institute. Interesting that the one time the crowd was disrespectful to a speaker was when he, using statistical facts, argued that history shows more money does not equate to better education. No, they didn't want to hear that. Don't let the facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

While Mr. Joecks heard boos, applause was heard for such absurd assertions as "the broken system must be funded" and "less money won't make it better." (Well, more money certainly hasn't made it better.)

It all makes one wonder if we're facing more of a cultural crisis rather than one of a financial nature. Regardless of the state of the Nevada budget -- not to mention so many citizens unemployed, businesses struggling and the general economy in a terrible state -- we shouldn't dare expect any cut in funding for the schools. "I gotta have mine, regardless," seems to be the mantra.

William Henggeler

Henderson

Mired in ignorance

To the editor:

Patrick R. Gibbons just doesn't see the forest for the trees in his scathing attack on higher education ("Does higher education drive our economic growth?" Sunday Review-Journal). No mention is made of the fact that UNLV's enrollment has been increasing as students seek to improve their skills and employability during this recession. Neither is any mention made that UNLV has already sustained deep cuts that are seriously affecting its core mission.

California is in deep crisis not because of its great universities but because of corporate mismanagement and outright theft from its citizens by companies such as Enron. Despite this, California is still doing far better than Nevada economically.

As far as Mr. Gibbons comments on the "top 100 universities," we have 50 states. How much can be honestly compared when examining the economic impact from this large number of universities which is almost like comparing the entire United States to itself? How about looking at the states with bottom 100 universities or states that minimally fund higher education (per capita)?

One critical piece of information (of many) lacking in Mr. Gibbons' diatribe against higher education is that states with "Ivy League" schools deliberately export their students to states (such as Nevada) where they often take top jobs and support their Ivy league alma maters handsomely to such an extent that Harvard, e.g., has an endowment worth more than General Motors. In Massachusetts, which has some of the world's best educational institutions, education is one of the state's and the nation's largest economic engines and the state is faring far better than Nevada with its nearly 15 percent unemployment rate.

Finally, as a member of UNLV's admissions committee and the General Education Task Force (GETF), I am insulted by Mr. Gibbons' insinuation that UNLV is a "white" upper class institution that cares nothing for its underrepresented students and can personally attest to UNLV's admirable efforts to give all of our state's students a quality education regardless of their socioeconomic status. The problems that he mentions are endemic to our entire national K-12 educational system.

Also, UNLV is a nontraditional institution with a majority of students living off campus and often working multiple jobs trying to make ends meet and afford their tuition. Without the ability to concentrate and focus on learning, it's very hard to finish and obtain a degree in a timely manner. In the GETF, we are working hard to enhance our incoming students' educational experience in the first and second years with the goal of improving our retention rates and guaranteeing that our students will receive a solid foundation of critical thinking/analytical problem solving/communication skills, core knowledge, and be motivated and inspired for lifelong learning which is necessary in today's ever-changing world. That said, making these changes will be extremely difficult when UNLV's funding will likely be further severely reduced.

Today, sadly, universities are the few institutions in this country that actually perform fundamental scientific research -- the fruits of which have largely made our nation what it is today and on which our economy, national security, and well being all depend. Without continuing support for higher education, we will stultify our national progress and go down a vicious spiral of ever-diminishing returns.

Education represents one of the few means for ordinary Americans to succeed and be informed about our complex world. Do we honestly want to have most Americans mired in ignorance or shall we allow them the opportunity to achieve their natural potential via education? Efforts to kill education will ultimately destroy our democracy.

Michael Pravica

Las Vegas

The writer is an associate professor of physics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Comments

Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

1. Athos Mar. 8, 2011 | 10:33 p.m. Report Abuse

   Arlenspecter, you afraid of answering a question or two? I bet you're just itching to tell us we don't have a right to our own money, huh? And I bet you thank your lucky stars each night that Øbeyme's PAC (Organizing for America) would hire you to post on these blogs.
   
   Long live the David Plouffe Trolls!

2. Aformerrepublican Mar. 8, 2011 | 5:10 p.m. Report Abuse

   Bittman: What a joke you are. Tell you what, you find an "order" from President Clinton, or any democratic congressmen/senator about who had to buy sell or otherwise dispose of a mortgage and you win the prize. Which of course would mean that you were correct when you spewed the nonsense you spewed. Naturally, and I'm saving you the trouble here, there is no such "order" or directive, or instruction, or anything else for matter relating to which mortgages anyone needs to sell or dispose of. Get a clue man. And David, you certainly have more integrity than you have demonstrated sense. I hope that keeps you warm at night. And finally, Atholes; your ignorance never stands in your way does it? You come here, spew nonsense and scurry away like the rabbit after he leaves his droppings. We have the same regard for what the rabbit has left as we do for what you leave.

3. David Mar. 8, 2011 | 1:36 p.m. Report Abuse

   I don't find it odd at all. I pride myself on my integrity. Though I might slip here and there I put much effort into keeping it intact.

4. Bittman Mar. 8, 2011 | 11:27 a.m. Report Abuse

   Aformerrepublican: the companies you mention are the ones who bought,sold and gave mortgages to people who could not afford them under the order of who Aformerrepublican, the democratic congress under Bill Clinton, (POLITICIANS), busness arn't going to do anything without greasing the hands that let them.

5. Athos Mar. 7, 2011 | 11:22 p.m. Report Abuse

   Of course you can't name one successful communist country, Arlen, BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ANY! If you don't want to be confused as a commie, then you should stop espousing the communist manifesto.
   
   Why are you afraid of being called what you believe?

6. Aformerrepublican Mar. 7, 2011 | 7:24 p.m. Report Abuse

   Atholes, "thinks" that someone here has a "communist screed", either that or he's full of sh%t; I'm going with "B". Atholes, don't you find it odd that between you and David, David is the one that at least has some integrity, if not much sense?

7. Athos Mar. 7, 2011 | 3:53 p.m. Report Abuse

   Straight from Marx and Engels, Arlenspecter. You really are a true believer. I don't suppose you could give me a society that has successfully implemented your communist screed, could you?
   
   Don't you find it odd that most countries that were under communist control, are now going towards freedom? Even China is going toward a freer market, and there are those that are clamoring for US to "go Lenin"!

8. David Mar. 7, 2011 | 3:39 p.m. Report Abuse

   Seems there would be a solution to stop the wealthy from using government for negarious purposes, Aformer. Hmmm, I wonder what it could be? Or maybe, you still believe if only you get the "right people" in there everything will be okay. LOL.

9. Aformerrepublican Mar. 7, 2011 | 3:18 p.m. Report Abuse

   What Altholes is too ignorant to acknowledge is that the government is used as a tool by the wealthy to accomplish their nefarious purposes against the citizens in this country. When, as has happened during the previous 30 years since the Reagan administration manipulated the tax system in this country for the benefit of those wealthy few and their corporations, that the wealthy in this country has been redistributed to them, it means that the wealthy have stolen the wealth that others own. The ignorant Athole that we read here constantly seems to support this particular brand of fascism because that is what his masters have told him to do.

10. Athos Mar. 7, 2011 | 1:35 p.m. Report Abuse

    Of course, communists have always relied on lies and deceits to promote their failed policies. I find it odd that John F chooses to bed with these fellows.

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