Print edition for December 4, 2005

Letter: Five years of Bush leaves us where?: If the reports are to be believed, Basra looks like a satellite extension of Iran. I fear Bush is both overwhelmed and delusional. Five years now and where are we? Let me see -- Iraq war, Social Security revision, terrorism, porous borders, Medicare funding, income tax reform, Katrina, huge budget and trade deficits, energy shortage and still no solutions in sight. No wonder his own party is beginning to panic.

Letter: Arguments supporting president are weak: In my opinion, the arguments being used to protect our president are not very strong. We do have evidence that this administration was given intelligence that supported not attacking Iraq as well as intelligence that supported the attack.

Editorial: Preventing traffic tragedies: One man was killed Wednesday morning after he pulled onto the shoulder of U.S. Highway 95, and another motorist drifted onto the shoulder and struck him as he stood next to his car.

Editorial: Staff shortage needs better fix: According to a recent report in the Las Vegas Sun, the audit by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows a shortage of staff contributed to a litany of problems that, some days, left patients without a physician present.

Letter: Jordanian king has the right idea: That's more than can be said of the Democrats in Congress.

Columnist Jeff German: On Hard Rock's latest skirmish with regulators: By Jeff German; It wasn't hard to predict that the Hard Rock Hotel would land in trouble with Nevada gaming regulators again.

Showroom: Johns' comedy can be hypnotic: These days they're serving up laughter, not meals, at the Stardust's new Hypnotic Lounge.

Flashpoint for Dec. 4, 2005: By now you may have heard of the strain between spinmeister Sig Rogich and the Family Guinn. Gov. Kenny Guinn and First Lady Dema Guinn have been fuming at Rogich for months over a variety of perceived slights. Gov. Guinn said on "Face to Face" that he never took advice from the man who helped anoint him for the state's highest office. Don't count on Jeff Guinn, son of Kenny and Dema, to be the peacemaker. He is now embroiled in a lawsuit with a company Rogich has an interest in, alleging that one of the outfit's employees essentially stole ...

Wildcats put demons to rest: Nick Christensen; RENO The Las Vegas Wildcats came into Mackay Stadium on a chilly Northern Nevada morning faced with a scene that haunted them in 2003 -- a scene that could have washed away tears and put to bed nightmares.

Q+A: Robert Schimmel: Who: Robert Schimmel When: 9 p.m. Dec. 16-17 Where: Monte Carlo4s Lance Burton Theatre Tickets: $35.75 (mezzanine and balcony), $44 (main floor) Information: 730-7777

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: The U.S. would be wise to follow the example of the courageous nation of Israel: It seems like a novel idea, but it has been the way of statesmen since the affairs of man have demanded statesmenlike actions. The ability to deny the pull of political gravity in favor of a greater good may explain why we have had so few statesmen in our lives and times. Most people just can't get out of their own self-centered ways.

Letter: Vegas ad campaign touts immorality: As I sit here in Wolcott, Conn., a small town with a good value system, I wonder what the citizen of Las Vegas thinks as he or she gets up in the morning to go to work so that they can feed, clothe and house their children and try to teach them about what's good and moral.

Letter: Pakistani people deserve assistance: We can hope that some of our Las Vegas stars will influence their show business friends to host a benefit for the Pakistani people who have suffered tremendous losses. Who would spearhead such a drive?

Editorial: Way too risky for a store: The 758,000-square-foot development is proposed for the northwest corner of Lake Mead Parkway and Water Street, an area that is home to the Basic Management Inc. site, a huge industrial area whose plants date from World War II. Four large chemical plants that use and store hazardous materials remain in operation at BMI. The development, if built, would have retail stores within 700 feet of the plants.

Critics tackle a mountain of comments on Yucca: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Yucca Mountain has been the focus of controversies big and small . Call the latest Commentgate. At issue: Just how many public comments were submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency about its draft radiation standard for the proposednuclear waste repository?

County to Segway into a new law restricting the scooters on the Strip: J. Craig Anderson; A proposed Clark County ordinance to ban Segway scooters on the Strip is rolling ahead despite an outcry from owners of one local business that rents and sells the devices.

Let nose of buyer beware: J. Craig Anderson; Is it government's job to save us from the odors we create?

LV silence over sewer plant could be costly: Dan Kulin; When proposed residential developments near Las Vegas' sewage treatment plant came before the Clark County Commission during the last two years, the county notified the city to give officials a chance to weigh in on the plans.

Columnist Jon Ralston: On a courageous public servant who couldn't sit still and watch the perversion of the governmental process: Lori Wohletz is not some rabble-rousing, conspiracy theorizing gadfly toiling in the bowels of Las Vegas City Hall. No, she is a matter-of-fact, plain-speaking engineer, for 11 years the city's environmental officer -- from all appearances an exemplary, dedicated employee.

Columnist John Katsilometes: On the Rhodes of Rhodes Ranch who does not golf: Developer Jim Rhodes is wont to slip into golf talk -- if it involves developing a golf course. But don't ask him what he shoots.

Columnist Hal Rothman: On his visit to Prague, historic city of the Old World, and its similarities to Las Vegas, the newest city of New World: Hal Rothman; The parallels between Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, and Las Vegas might only be apparent to me, but on a recent visit I was struck by the similarities between this wonderfully medieval city and our home, the first city of the 21st century.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: How the United States during these trying times would be wise to follow the example of the courageous nation of Israel: Putting country over politics.

NLV wants to put cork in booming booze business: Concerned that there are too many taverns and not enough restaurants, North Las Vegas is considering allowing only one new bar to open per year and restricting their locations.