Letter: No one bothered by area problems

Friday, May 11, 2001 | 6:01 a.m.

Nevada ranks high on every "bad" list and low on every "good" list, yet I don't hear any outrage. Our cowardly Legislature refuses to give any additional money to our ailing schools, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio calls our underpaid teachers greedy. Yet I don't hear any outrage.

If I were the parent of a child in Clark County schools I would be angry that there are not enough books, teachers make less than a casino waitress, school programs are being cut, and most schools are on a year-round schedule. Yet I don't hear any outrage.

The casino moguls don't want higher taxes, businesses don't want any taxes, and many executives probably send their children to private schools. Still, no outrage.

Our air is filthy, but local government is meeting to decide someday what they might do and how to avoid doing too much. They don't want to anger the building industry. There is silence from the million-plus citizens who live here. We rank No. 2 behind Los Angeles in terms of rush-hour traffic jams with the fewest ways to avoid them, according to the Washington-based Surface Transportation Policy Project. There is no viable, workable mass transit.

Come on Las Vegas. Let our voices be heard. Where is the outrage? Or is all of this OK with you.

PATRICIA KEASING