Letters to the editor 4-22

From the Silver State

to the Backward State

It is appalling that the Nevada Legislature never protected citizens from toxic smoke long ago " instead the voters had to pass the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act. Even more appalling is now the Legislature is turning things back with Senate Bill 372.

Voters passed the Clean Air Act as written, not SB372. Simply put, our elected officials have ignored the will of the voters. Cigarette smoke is a potent carcinogen, not only to children but adults also.

The Legislature is also posed to turn back the will of the voters on medical malpractice reform. Apparently some lawyers believe that lining their pockets with millions more will somehow make the medical system safer. Does the Legislature really cave that easily to lobbyists? As a voter, this tells me my vote doesn't matter in Nevada.

There's a reason why Nevada is consistently at the bottom as far as any social demographic is concerned and it has nothing to do with money spent on programs " it has to do with values.

Our neighboring state, Utah, spends much less per pupil on education but achieves much higher results and always ranks at the top in many other areas. It seems our values in Nevada are consistently "smoking, lawyers, and gambling." In contrast, most progressive states value "education, health, and families."

Voters have passed two initiatives that begin to take our values in the right direction. It's an utter disgrace that now the Legislature will repeal these initiatives. Welcome to Nevada ... the "Backward State."

SEAN LEHMANN

Carson City

California lottery dream

a bad example for Nevada

Recently the Legislature has investigated the possibility of creating a state lottery for Nevada. The dream is that it will solve the state's education financial crisis. Perhaps we need to look just west of us. California has had a lottery for several years now and it was touted as a financial help to the state's education woes.

If the lottery was the end all to California's education money problems, then they wouldn't be laying off teachers, would they? The Los Angeles County school district voted to lay off a minimum of 3,500 teachers last week. Yeah, the lottery helped finance education there and it will save our children's education here ... not. Tell the Legislature to get real and stop relying on proven fallacies.

ED DEUSENBERRY

Carson City