Print edition for April 3, 2006

Letter: HIV medication for inmates helps us all: Why should anyone care if inmates don't get HIV medications? Because it costs society big bucks if they don't get the medications. In many cases, if a person with HIV doesn't take their medications, the HIV virus can mutate and become immune to the drugs the patient was taking.

Editorial: A plan to save forests: Two Democratic senators did. On Thursday - one day after the U.S. Forest Service extended the comment period on the proposed land sales by 30 days - Montana's Sen. Max Baucus and Oregon's Sen. Ron Wyden introduced a bill that would raise $2.6 billion for rural schools by closing a tax loophole that has allowed some government contractors to avoid paying federal taxes.

Waiting for Goodman: Dan Kulin; If the candidate in question was anyone other than Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, you could say with relative certainty that his name is unlikely to be on the ballot for statewide office this year.However, because it is Oscar Goodman who plays the game of politics like the rules are made to be broken Nevadans still are wondering about a possible Goodman bid for governor or the U.S. Senate.

Letter: Shedding light on immigration controversy: The Sun also points out that many undocumented workers are families overstaying visas and not young men who have climbed a fence. Careful legislation is needed here because there are 3 million children in this country who are American citizens because they were born here. Splitting up families would not be productive.

Longtime Sun exec Ritchie dies: While shocked by the violence he witnessed between Hindus from India and Pakistani Muslims, Ritchie calmly maintained control.

Editorial: Reining in the lobbyists: Senators voted 90-8 last week to approve legislation that bans all meals and gifts from lobbyists and increases to two years the period of time former lawmakers must wait before lobbying former colleagues. Lobbyists would have to electronically file quarterly reports, rather than submitting paper versions twice a year, and they also would have to disclose the amount of money spent on grassroots lobbying and campaign donations. Senators rejected provisions that would have created an independent agency to enforce the rules and that would have curbed lawmakers' use of corporate jets. They didn't even discuss limiting privately funded travel or ...

Editorial: Federal report all wet: In a report released last week, the Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service said that the United States has had a net gain of 191,800 acres of wetlands since the agency's last inventory in 1997. The increase is largely due to the increase in construction of storm- and waste-water retention ponds and the ornamental ponds built for golf courses and housing developments.

Employers faulted for high number of unauthorized Nevada workers: AP; Nearly 10 percent of Nevada's laborers are such workers - the second highest ranking in the nation, according to a survey by a national research center.

Superintendent bets on education initiative: By Emily Richmond; "If the Superintendent's Schools do not prove to be successful, my neck is on the block," Rulffes wrote in a memorandum to the School Board outlining his plans for an educational initiative that would give personnel at four campuses more control over daily operations beginning in August.

Growing new high rises: Dan Kulin; "We're definitely looking for more land, trying to keep the ball rolling," Cherry said.

Attendance rises with driver's ed: By Emily Richmond; But longtime district administrator Edward Goldman said there could another benefit - improved attendance.

John Katsilometes on the latest plans for the Miss America Pageant, which enjoyed a successful first year in Vegas: kats@lasvegassun.com; It went well enough that Las Vegas is the odds-on favorite to host the 2007 contest. Nothing was officially confirmed over the weekend, but I would expect Vegas to be announced soon as the 2007 host (Miss America organization Chief Executive Art McMaster spent much of the weekend in town and was not available for comment Sunday).

A dream diamond from the Silver State: In celebration of the start of the major league baseball season, we present the Nevada Nine - our starting lineup with ties to the Silver State. Only players that were born in Nevada, attended high school or college here or currently live within the boundaries of the 36th state in the union were considered.

Letter: Flood of illegal aliens threatens our future: In 2010, based on that 10,000 daily number, we would have some 13.5 million illegals, and in 2020 almost 18 million. This is an impossible situation.

Jeff Haney on how sports books keep their sanity during March Madness: The tournament has become a reliable money-maker for Las Vegas sports books, attracting money at the betting windows from casual fans as well as sharper sports bettors, Roberts said.

Much ado about a big bang: lrake@lasvegassun.com; Fifty years ago, news that a nuclear blast would send up a radioactive mushroom cloud visible from Las Vegas would have been cause for celebration.