Letter: Las Vegas Valley can do more for homeless

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Tuesday, Feb. 24, 1998 | 11:23 a.m.

I was not surprised to read that Garth Winckler, president of the United Way of Southern Nevada, said that Las Vegans are only "giving about half the national average," and that "the gaming industry is going to have to step up to the plate" to offset the shortfalls. It was a shock, though, to read Winckler's direct attack on the homeless -- "Maybe if you are homeless, this is not the place to be. You could do better in other communities around the country."

Every major city in the world has a homeless population. There are just as many saints and sinners among the homeless than in any other segment of the population. Las Vegas can expect to have a larger homeless population than most cities its size, due to the gaming industry. The hotel and gaming industry and the United Way cannot have it both ways.

Brother David Buer