Letters to the editor

Help with meal for Every 15 Minutes participants appreciated

Thank you to Andy Saylor, Mark Slack, Bev Nelson, Beth Vandeberg, Robin Gensler and Adam Katchenback for helping to cook and serve the participants from Every 15 Minutes. Your help was greatly appreciated.

Christy Springgate-Hill

Officials’ office doors should always be open to public

I’m laughing at my city even though I used to be the mayor. No one seems to understand the message that’s being sent by City Hall in locking the doors of our primary managers and department heads.

Why in the world would anybody ever lock the door to the city manager’s office? We have to have permission in order to enter the city manager, city attorney, public works director and personnel offices. We still have the safest city in Nevada and the message that I’m receiving is one of disdain concerning the public.

It’s our job as public officials to enjoy people. That is why I continue to spend time with as many people as possible. I enjoy people. Why our public officials don’t see that anymore is beyond me. Perhaps it’s fear.

There is no reason for fear in Boulder City, and political consequences are grave when doors are shut to the public. When we don’t listen to our constituents, we become isolated.

Even the mayor’s office is now behind a locked door. During business hours, we can walk in the front door of Home Hardware, the mayor’s business. What in the world are we thinking as public servants to lock out our citizens who are the only reason we are here?

Never in the 12 years I served as a city councilman and mayor were doors locked to our constituents. There is no excuse in one of the safest cities in America to have doors locked to the public. As Franklin Roosevelt once said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” Open our city again to the citizens.

Eric Lungaard

More money for public education may be answer

I must take issue with the content of Mr. (Chuck) Muth’s editorial on education last week. First of all, per-pupil spending on education in Nevada ranks 47th out of 50 states. So, let’s wait to say that “more money is not the answer” until we spend at least a little money on education, say the national average?

Second, public education can work just fine. Thinking of my classmates, friends and family who studied at Boulder City High School, these are some of their current occupations: professor of medicine and physiology, soil scientist, Harvard-educated lawyer, professor of biology and research scientist.

Finally, I have no problem with private schools for children whose parents are willing to pay for them. There is no “government monopoly” on education. However, a strong public school system is the very backbone of our democratic system and the only way to equality of opportunity for all.

Rebecca Haag