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LETTERS
Henderson chief should apologize to public
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Updated: Feb. 11, 2012 | 8:58 a.m.
To the editor:
"We didn't know he was a diabetic. We just thought he was drunk." Am I the only reader who finds this Henderson police excuse for beating a helpless, handcuffed driver to be a self-incriminating attempt to defend their actions ("Video shows man beaten by officers," Wednesday Review-Journal)?
This leads us to believe that a beating is standard Henderson police procedure and business as usual when stopping a drunken driver, but off-limits for diabetics. Wow. The Henderson police chief, Jutta Chambers, owes the public an apology, and the officers involved deserve discipline more than the usual police union-approved slap on the wrist. "No comment" doesn't absolve her of her duties as police chief. A lengthy internal investigation would be a joke.
Tom Lane
Las Vegas
Cost analysis
To the editor:
Most of us like green energy. The idea of getting free energy from the wind and sun has tremendous attraction.
But in our free-market economy, any innovative industries, started by entrepreneurs, must be useful and efficient so they make a profit standing on their own without financial aid from government.
Currently, wind power costs a little less than twice what it costs to build and operate a natural gas-fired plant of equal wattage. But in Nevada, solar power is being emphasized, and those operations cost about five times more than gas plants. Solar power is getting government subsidies to mitigate some cost. But NV Energy still must raise power prices to consumers to carry the solar and wind power. So the consumer gets to pay twice for green power: first in government taxes (or debt) and then in the electricity bill.
What is not talked about much is that sometimes we have no wind, or the sun does not shine. When that happens, NV Energy must have backup energy sources for green power, which is another cost increase for the consumer.
Recent newspaper ads and TV spots, paid by the American Wind Energy Association, have been urging us to contact our congressional representatives to ask for an extension of the "Production Tax Credit" in the name of protecting U.S. manufacturing and construction jobs. That is a distorted message which asks taxpayers and ratepayers to financially support the wind industry. That is not how a free market works.
The wind association advertisement asked me to call Rep. Joe Heck to ask him to support their tax break. So I called the congressman's office and said we should kill all the tax breaks and subsidies for wind, solar, and ethanol energy. If they cannot stand alone without government help, they will have to reinvent their technology or go out of business.
The cost economics of the competing energy systems clearly say we should emphasize the use of more natural gas plants because we have gas in great abundance.
Richard N. Fulton
Henderson
Trickle up
To the editor:
This November, you will be voting on trickle-down, the snarky liberal term for free market capitalism, versus trickle-up, the welfare state of government dependency.
Examples of Democrat trickle-up are the FICA payroll tax holiday, an additional 14 million new food stamp recipients and green subsidies -- crony capitalism tax money handouts to campaign contributor CEOs, the Democrat 1 percent. Barack Obama hearts wind farms and solar energy, but his war on big oil is killing real jobs and has doubled gas prices.
The Democrats have succeeded in holding interest rates at near zero, good for government borrowing but not for the housing market. Savings accounts that earn zero lose value in the face of inflating consumer prices.
Trickle-up glorifies poverty while demonizing prosperity and the dignity of work. Obsessing over "income disparity" breeds covetousness and resentment of success instead of inspiring people to succeed. Mr. Obama demands that the rich pay their fair share of taxes, but the biggest concentration of tax cheats works in the federal government.
For more than 240 years, free enterprise made America the dominant world economy. JFK, who instituted an across-the-board tax cut, said that a rising [economic] tide lifts all boats.
Lynn Muzzy
Minden
No butts
To the editor:
I was amused by Sunday's article about "big butt" surgery ("Behinds: Ahead of the curve"). In the '40s and '50s, Frederick's of Hollywood advertised women's panties with enhancing pads sewn into them. They had at least two advantages over the current fad: They were much cheaper than surgery, and when you wanted to return to your original "profile," all you had to do was change your underwear.
Charles E. McManis
Las Vegas
Birth control
To the editor:
Before you get worked up listening to Republicans criticizing the Obama administration for forcing the Catholic Church to provide birth control coverage for their employees in their hospitals and schools, there's a few things you should know.
First, 28 states, including Massachusetts, already have that requirement on their books. And apparently the clergy in those states have learned to live with it.
Second, surveys show that 98 percent of Catholic couples practice birth control. So Catholic bishops are way out in front of the faithful on this issue.
What is interesting about Massachusetts having this requirement is that then-Gov. Mitt Romney, besides supporting abortion rights, also endorsed this requirement that Catholic institutions had to provide birth control coverage. But to hold to these beliefs today would mean he wouldn't get the Republican nomination. So another flip-flop by him was necessary. Rather hypocritical, isn't he?
Richard J. Mundy
Las Vegas
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Is walking up and kicking a man in the head five times, who is being held down by five other officers, acceptable police behavior? And, if it is not, what is the penality for doing that?
Apologies notwithstanding, the end result of the Henderson Police ASSAULT should have been the immediate dismissal (and prosecution) of Brett Seekatz. It would be interesting to see this cowardly punk on the street without his badge to hide behind. How tough are you, buddy, when the victim isn't handcuffed and held down by your friends? Like it is written, Brett, you reep what you sow.
When you have more kids than you can feed the Pope calls you Blessed. Of course every one of those kids will eventually contribute to the Popes Treasury. Anchor babies work in the U.S. Popes ain't dumb none. Aye Mates?
@lvfacts 101..."Walk a mile in my shoes"? I cannot emphasize enough how RIDICULOUS that line of logic is! Do you apply this reasoning before criticizing the president or the mayor? How about if a public school teacher is accused of misconduct with his students? You excuse abusive cops by reminding us they have to deal with "low-lives" on a daily basis. So what? That is their job. They are well compensated for it and practically guaranteed never to lose it. You believe those who are critical of criminal cops are just mad because they were caught "doing something wrong". I guess you just can't wrap your mind around the fact that some members of your community just want an honest and accountable police force. We want the PD we fund to adhere to the same laws they so vigorously enforce. I am just a law-abiding, middle-class mom who doesn't think it's ok for Metro to shoot and kill my fellow citizens (including the criminals). People like you believe that those of us who long for an ethical, trustworthy PD are just cop-haters.
The only thing that occured during the "shovel ready stimulus package" was Pres. Obama's croony friends shoveling money into their personal bank accounts and into his campaign fund.
Brian - You are funny, you call someone "brainwashed" by fox news, YET the article you post to calls the NEW YORK TIMES out as liars. Please tell me when the NYT became a right wing paper or connected to Fox News in any manner?
p.s. the piece you posted to also claims that Obama's stimulus was a a success, when it failed by his own standards.
Richard J. Mundy - This 28 other states is pure nonsense, They all have exemptions for Religion including MASS.... Where did I find this out? MSNBC - hardly a right wing news source, If you are going to argue with facts, you need to get yours straight!
From abcnews.go.com Jan. 12, '09 **** "This morning, President-elect Obama asked President Bush to formally notify Congress, on his behalf, of his intent to exercise the authority... to access the last tranche of $350 billion (2nd half) in funding for Treasury programs (TARP) addressing the financial crisis," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "President Bush agreed to the President-elect's request." **** President-elect Obama needed the funds ASAP to start paying back all the people he owed for buying his election. Atta boy Barry! Not much has changed has it?
I thought that Lynn Muzzy was going to write something intelligent about a need for balance instead of support for the right's let's-all-be-enslaved-by-the-rich philosophy. The left certainly has become lousy, as well, but why would anyone listen to a person who can't see that living under an aristocracy (and one that promotes religious fanaticism so it can get the votes of the zealots) is not a desirable outcome to most Americans?
@vegastop...Mundy is showing how a little information is dangerous. This "98 percent of Catholic couples practice birth control" statement can be found in every liberal rag and was heard from all the best liberal blowhards like Bill Maher, Al Sharpton, and Rachael Maddow but not a one bothered to tell you they were lying. This 98% number comes from a poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute which found that 98% of all sexually active Catholic Women have at one point in their lives used one form of birth control or another. Can it be that these lofty liberal minds can not differentiate the past and the present, or is another example of extremist misinformation?